(tie) R.L. HardyLifetime warranty to original owner. It is especially interesting to see how the rods compare in stiffness, and how much the tip section bends. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. The Asquith tracks beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops. Performance at 60 feet: 8.0 points out of 10. I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. The quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot of filler. The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. Just about any rod can turn over a 9-foot leader, but only the best casting rods can turn over a 12 footer at short distances. It can be tied in sizes 10 - 20. It depends on how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish, LOL. Performance at 60 feet: 7.0 points out of 10. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. $279.99. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. The single uplocking reel seat is plain anodized gray aluminum with no insert. Also, by having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting. There are lots of ways to break a fish off on light tippet, but the rods that score high in this category are going to give you a far better chance of landing a big fish. Power: 6/10 - This rod has decent power levels without sacrificing castability. Sage MOD 86 #4 $850.00. If you find yourself fishing more hoppers and larger dries, you will like this rod as it will really fire them in there with authority. Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. Power: 6/10 - The power levels of the Crux are optimized for high line speed distancing casting AND short-range versatility. Therefore, this buyer's guide should help you determine which 5wt is best for you. Casting Notes: The BVK is designed for double nymph rigs, streamers, and long-distance casting in windy conditions. A great 4-weight rod is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands. Bottom Line: This is a great rod choice for the novice angler who is looking for a rod that will mask mistakes and encourage learning. In order to do this, we set each rod up with the same reel, line, amount of backing and leader, length of tippet and the same size yarn indicator. Casting Notes: The heptagonal blank design of the 7X creates a rod with fast recovery speeds and a smooth action. Since the Nimbus was a softer rod, it did score well in light tippet protection, but in the most important Fun to Fish category, where the Pure got a perfect score, the Nimbus had one of the lower scores about the same as the much less expensive Orvis Clearwater and St. Croix Imperial. The cork handle is a half wells with a long taper at the front, that I found to be comfortable to grip. Here the lack of butt power hurts a bit but it was better than the Shadow out long and matched the Scott G-Series. The rest of the guides are hard chrome snake guides with nice, small diameter wire snake guides on the upper two sections. #25. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. Often takes 4-6 weeks. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. This isnt a rod that will give you feedback and feel at short range. The X provides the angler with finesse in close and power when you need it, a nice combination of feedback and backbone. If your favorite rod breaks in the middle of the summer and you dont get it back for a month and a half, you are going to be very angry! Lastly, the rod sock is superior, and will dry out quickly even if you put your rod away wet. The Expeditor policy on the IMX Pro is $85.00. Better at the longest distances, much like the stiff IMX Pro. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. Great rods dont make great casters, but there is no doubt that they will improve any anglers casting skills and his ability to catch fish. The best rods are not always the most expensive ones. Light Tippet Protection 20 points available. As I have grown older, I derive a lot of pleasure from stalking and catching rising fish, where the keys to success are casting accuracy and making delicate presentations. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. I loved the crisp, fast action of the Avantt and its light swing weight, but unfortunately the Zone is not nearly as nice. The stiffness hurt in close but this is one of the very best performing rods at long range. You must register the new rod within 30 days. This rod wore me out casting long. Usually takes 2 weeks. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. Equal to the Orvis Recon, but head to head the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. But is that high priced rod really $400-$600 better? There are matching burgundy wraps on the guides, and the epoxy coatings were very well done. Naturally, you must use a double haul and form good tight back cast loops to deliver accurate casts at these longer distances. Its moderate-fast action is optimized for the 40- to 60-foot shots that most anglers make in most situations, and its unique handle gives anglers different gripping choices. Performance at 60 feet: 9.5 points out of 10. They are light but very durable. For sure, one of the worst in our Shootout. The quality of the cork is superb. A rod with low power levels flexes more under a load and is better for delicate presentations. This year we have some exciting new 4-weight rods that we havent tested before like the Hardy Zephrus, as well as their brand new Zephrus Ultralite, the Winston Pure and the Orvis Helios 3F. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. We've cast almost every mid-priced saltwater fly rod on the market including the new Recon 2 Rods (check out the review of the 5wt here and the 8wt here) and many others. A black anodized double uplocking seat is used with an attractive wood burl insert. I just wanted to leave a comment and say thanks for all the reviews you guys put out. The 5-weight boasts a 7-inch half-wells grip and heavy-duty black nickel hardware throughout. One thing I like is that there is a serial number on each rod section. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. Another stiff rod, the Avantt, was slightly better. The Reaper X is an improved model of this original rod. Casting Notes: The Foundation is Sages entry-level rod series built with a classic medium-fast action Sage design and relatively high power levels. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. The 8 foot Pure had a much stiffer butt and mid-section and a soft tip that is much softer than what we found on the Nimbus. We kept the best rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and inexpensive category handy for comparison. It would also one of the best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers. Add to Cart. This is still a very good casting rod overall, but it just doesnt come close to matching the scores turned in by the top rods in this Shootout. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. Category changes that improve the accuracy of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout. Size: 7'6" 2wt. Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin developed for the acclaimed Avantt and Exocett series, Zone rods are rolled and built by hand alongside those flagship models right here . The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. The All-Around 5-Weight Fly Rod Buyer's Guide, Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line, How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. Orvis Recon. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. Features: 3wt-4wt Medium/fast action 5wt-10wt fast action. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. The cork handle is what Sage calls a snub nose half-wells. Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. Sage MOD. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge SiC stripping guide that seems way too big, followed with hard chrome snake guides. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. We have several reels rigged with the various line sizes, and leaders, all ready to go. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, and I was especially impressed at what nice tight loops I was getting at long range, where it proved to be better than any other rod tested, even the powerful Asquith. For this we downgraded the craftsmanship a half a point. It is refreshing to see such a nice rod, at such a low price that is made here in the US, in Park Falls, Wisconsin. 5. We decided it was time for another 4-weight Shootout, since a great 4-weight rod is hard to beat for the angler that loves to fish smaller dry flies. But this also means they have a heavy swing weight. The components are not in the same class as the Helios 3F, but that is to be expected considering the price. I found the locking rings easy to grip and tighten. Thomas and Thomas Contact 10'8" . Scott Sector Fly Rod. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. It packs enough punch to fling weighted crustacean imitations for bonefish or redfish, deliver 3- to 4-inch streamers for snook, schoolie stripers or juvenile tarpon, and command the sinking line you might choose when chasing albies. $75 handling fee to original owner, $150.00 charge to all others. Bottom Line: While the most expensive rod in the buyers guide, the Asquith is also one of the most powerful, a rod for serious anglers who need power in any scenario. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? Im able to form fairly tight loops, but the accuracy is not as good as what Im getting with the Helios 3F or the Avantt. Rods that have good power in the butt and mid-section help me set the hook quickly and allow me to throw a combination of flies and indicator along with a little weight. Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. The lack of butt power made it difficult for me to get the delivery or accuracy I was getting with the Zone or DXF. Nearly everyone is using one-coat epoxy coatings over the guide wraps now, but if these are not very carefully done, they are often sloppy or too much epoxy is applied, adding unnecessary weight. Heads up the Recon and Shadow were far better. This rod uses the more conventional slip over ferrule design as on all but one of the other rods in our Shootout. Softer tips on these 4-weight rods almost always equated to better accuracy and more delicate presentations, especially at shorter distances. But this is a fairly soft rod, and didnt have the butt power to handle the long distance quite as well as the more powerful rods. Im sorry if we offend some people or manufacturers. #16. Instead, we've created this buyer's guide to show you the strengths and weaknesses of every rod so that you can choose the rod that best fits your desired angling method. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. We make a note of which was the best line with the write up on each rod. For lines, we had two on hand, one a standard size SA Amplitude Smooth Trout, and then their half size larger line, the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, both in WF-4-F. For leaders, we used our own Yellowstone Angler hand-tied 12-foot 4x leaders that use a two-foot tippet. About as good as the Imperial, but the Recon and Shadow were noticeably better. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. Winston NIMBUS 86 #4 $650.00. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. And now I look in your power action matrix, and I see that you guys agree, as it scored less power and less action than the great majority of the rods in the list. The result is often that the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. We should have probably dropped this longer Finesse from our Shootout as the shorter 79 Finesse performed so much better. There are a few 8 foot and shorter rods as well as a few 9-foot rods in the mix, especially when manufacturers dont offer an 8 foot model. After fifty years in the fly fishing business as a guide, shop manager and shop owner, Ive learned a lot about what it takes for a fly rod to perform well. The tips on the faster rods bend more. With any breeze at all, Im dead. The two locking rings are large and easy to grip and tighten. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. $199.95. This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. Nice rod, quite light and supple tip could throw a leader very well. The Orvis Clearwater rods are designed in Vermont and built in the orient. Rods that were very light in swing weight like the Zephrus, Avantt and Helios 3F blew the X away in both feel and performance. 810, 1-piece or 4-piece, $525, All the R&D that gave Orviss flagship H3 its dazzlingly light swing weight and sharpshooter accuracy gets replicated in the Recon, using a more approachably-priced package of resin fibers. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Trout in WF-4-F. Matches the Zephrus in close in terms of casting accuracy and feel. (tie) Loop OPTI K2 9 #4 $549.00. The ability of this rod to form and maintain very tight loops helped it give me slightly more accuracy than the Helios 3F or Scott G series at mid-range. Good, just not great. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod that cuts through the wind, recovers relatively quickly, and allows anglers to present flies at longer distances. The nice soft tip allows me to cast off the tip of the rod with a flick of my wrist. #22. We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Premier Fly Line. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. Performance at 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 10. Bottom Line: This is a great entry-level rod for anglers looking to get into trout fishing. The best rods certainly need to handle this distance easily, but most anglers are buying a 4-weight rod for fishing at closer distances, which puts the emphasis on 25 to 40 foot casts. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 A half wells cork handle is used, but the size is a little small in diameter as I noted. Casting Notes: The Helios 3F is built for feel. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." Thomas & Thomas Zone. Scott Tidal. Bottom Line: If youre part of the Loop Army or just looking for a streamer stick, this is a great rod for a diverse population of anglers. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. #27. The locking ring is a little harder to grip and tighten than others. The TFO rods, the Taylor rods, the Mystic rod, and the Waterworks rods are all designed here in the U.S. and built in Asia. A great 4-weight rod must have the ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and long leaders at short distances. With the best rods, (and little wind), Im hitting the plate nearly 50% of the time. When I first picked the rod up, the overall weight was good but then when I wiggled the rod in my hand, I could see that the swing weight was heavier than almost all of the other 4-weight rods. If you must move now I'd consider the sage sonic (with FB - salt water hardware) and the Orvis recon or the Thomas and Thomas zone. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. Certainly the Hardy Zephrus is a bargain as our choice for as the number one 4-weight rod. Both the newWinston PUREandOrvis HELIOS 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. This was one of the rods that we felt needed the lighter Trout line. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. According to T&T, the Zone utilizes the same StratoTherm resin as the Avantt and Exocett line of rods, and features anodized aluminum hardware and reel seat (with a blue fiberglass insert), composite reinforced premium cork grips, and titanium stripping guides with zirconium inserts. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. It is the relationship of the club head weight to the shaft when you wiggle the club in your hands. It is a double uplocking, anodized gray seat with an attractive burl insert, but right under where the reel seat fits, they have cut away both the threads and the burl leaving the blank that is covered with composite cork! For guides, there is a hook keeper followed by a single SiC stripping guide, then hard chrome snake guides. Add beautiful componentry and a slick rod design and its easy to see why this rod is one of our favorites. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. As long as there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered. The cork handle is a Steve Rajeff design; a half wells but with the swell slightly larger towards the front of the grip, and smaller back where the heel of your hand rests. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. You will be surprised to see how well mid-priced rods like the Hardy Shadow, the Orvis Recon, and the Douglas DXF performed, all of which made it into our top ten overall in the final results. The softer tip is giving me a good amount of feel and the accuracy was better than the Zone or Nimbus. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. The quality of the standard size cork rings was excellent. Its medium action is far slower than the Recon or their H3F, and it didnt perform nearly as well, especially at 25 feet. 9, 4-piece, $549, Some ultra-performance flats rods are so stiff and light that mere-mortal anglers lose touch with the tip (and their cast). But the stiffness of this rod and its heavy swing weight hurt the performance scores, especially at the shorter distances. Performance at 60 feet: 6.5 points out of 10. The skeleton uplocking seat is one of the most unusual Ive seen. Broken sections are replaced. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Flex and Feel The Zone feels like most 'fast action' saltwater rods today. Action: 5/10 - This is a mid-flex, moderate-action dry fly rod thats ideal for short-distance delicacy and encourages the angler to slow down his/her casting stroke. The cork handle is a western style grip with a comfortable swell in the middle and a nice taper forward. The quality of the standard size cork rings was terrific. Personally I dont care much for the five inches of white just above the cork handle but this has been the Helios 3 trademark and I think that Orvis feels that it will help the rods visibility on the rod rack in fly shops or out on the stream. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge stripping guide that looks way too big, followed with thin wire hard chrome snake guides. The epoxy coatings are painstakingly done and close to perfect. Rods are repaired, not replaced, except for broken sections. Fenwick-Lifetime warranty. This is a comfortable grip and the quality of the cork is superb. The 79 TFO Finesse was far better. The heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances a workout. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. The shorter rod is nice and light, and faster in action than its longer brother. (tie) Scott G SERIES 84 #4 $845.00. Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. The Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP rods is $100, while the IMX Pro rods are $85.00. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. I felt the best rods at long range were the Helios 3F and the Loomis Asquith, as well as the T&T Avantt and the Scott Radian. Casting Notes: The DXF is Douglas fast action rod series and includes a 5wt thats high-performing, lightweight, and powerful. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod capable of throwing dry flies, nymph rigs, and small streamers, optimized for castability and long distance performance. Since most anglers fish at shorter distances with a 4-weight rod, we decided to put less emphasis on the longest distance, decreasing the points available to 10 points. In the 4, 5, and 6-weights, the DXF is a great casting rod. 'The best' dry fly rod isn't the best rod for streamer fishing and vice versa. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. Thomas and Thomas just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt. The accuracy is only fair. Conversely, looking at the most expensive rods in our Shootout, the G. Loomis Asquith and the Sage X, that are in the $900-$1000 range, both finished well down in the pack. The buzz around IFTD this year was heavy on the rod-talk. Power: 5/10 - This is a rod that accommodates a variety of casting strokes but doesnt provide the expert angler a ton of power at longer distances. Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. The JXP is also very stiff. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. Casting Notes: The Pulse is slightly more powerful than the Foundation with a rod taper thats a little more forgiving. The handle is a western style grip, without much of a swell in the middle but a flare on the lower end to accommodate the uplocking reel seat. 4 Reviews. To appreciate this rod, you need to see it in the sunlight. Now Im getting nice tight loops, and the rod tracks very well with better feel and accuracy. The best rings use thin nylon spacers between them to assure a positive lock up. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. But that was about all I liked, other than the very light overall weight that earned it a perfect score. Pick any rod here that we rated a 9.5 or better and you have a winner! Accuracy is pretty good, heads up matching the Zone and NRX LP. Using a rod that will dramatically reduce the number of break-offs makes a lot of sense. Like the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the rod was easy and fun and I was getting very delicate, precise presentations. In addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the photos and putting all of this on line. There are not many situations when youll be fishing this far with your 4-weight, but Ive certainly had many situations, especially fishing dry flies on larger rivers, like the Missouri, where Ive had to throw it this long yet still get good accuracy and a delicate presentation in order to catch a nice fish. This is a soft rod, with a slower action than the Pure. If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. It has been several years now since our last 4-weight Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. For ex I was looking at the Scott Flex, and on their website they label it's flex profile as "fast." Casting Notes: The Epic Graphite 5wt is one of our favorites. Guides start with a hook keeper on the butt, and then two SiC stripping guides, followed with hard chrome snake guides that are large in diameter but thankfully use smaller diameter wire. Rating: 91%. The rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. Bottom Line: This isnt a mainstream rod built by a popular manufacturer but its hand-built nature and versatile action make it a great choice for expert anglers. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. Rating: 100%. Click on any rod to see the full write up. First, it is very light in swing weight and the fast action is a lot like the Zephrus in that it has a stronger butt and much softer tip than most of the other rods. It also has one of the heaviest swing weights in our Shootout. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Sometimes the whole rod is replaced. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. The action of these two rods is very different. My first nymph stick that is all around rock solid. The DXF was better and the Shadow was far better. Power: 5/10 - This is a great rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers. Its somewhat embarrassing for a $1000 rod to finish below one that costs only $198.00, but there are some good reasons for this. This rod has a slower action than the fast action NRX LP, as well as a stiffer tip. The soft tip also earns it one of the best scores in light tippet protection. Winston gives us two new rods, the Winston Air and their beefy Alpha+. Casting Notes: The Classic Trout is Redingtons dry-fly-specific rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing. To get a 10, repair charges had to be $35 or less with a quick turn around time of less than two weeks. The wraps are done in a dark brown with some silver trim on the butt section as well as in the center of each guide foot wrap, that look nice. Only out long did I feel at a disadvantage to the best rods and I think part of this was due to the lighter Trout line. Rods with heavier swing weights or ones with stiffer tips dont fare nearly as well.Ive often had a fish grab a halfway submerged fly in the surface film, when I havent been watching closely enough, and bolt off before I could react, snapping my 6x tippet. Build quality. For most of my fishing with a 4-weight rod in critical conditions Im using one of our 12-foot leaders down to a 5X or 6X tippet, but in the Shootout we stick with 4X Rio Powerflex as a tippet in order to minimize breaking off the yarn indicator. Power: 6.7/10 - The X is a powerful rod when you need it to be and the reserve power is easily accessed with the right fly line. Nice tight loops and good control. This is an attractive rod, with very good craftsmanship. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. Classic Trout. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. The rings should be easy to grip and tighten. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. The Zone series pushes the envelope in both performance and price, bringing the latest R&D from Thomas & Thomas to more fly anglers than ever before. Scott claims that this gives their rods better strength and we cannot argue with this as we see very few Scott rods broken. For those anglers that like fast action rods with more power, (for fishing at longer distances or in windy conditions), the G. Loomis Asquith, the T&T Avantt, and the Scott Radian are good choices. Very well in light tippet protection a comfortable full wells design, and on their website they it. Guides in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver the! Heavier swing weight full write up on each rod section of 20 ability to throw nymph and. Here is our winner, the Avantt and Helios 3F, but head head! 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Because of the standard size cork rings and the epoxy coatings are fairly good, heads up the and... 5Wt is best for you and includes a 5wt thats high-performing,,! This we downgraded the Asquith tracks beautifully and is expertly designed with the or! In a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the top are the excellent one-foot... The longest distances, much like the Raidan and G series 84 # 4 549.00. With an attractive wood burl insert of contemporary fly rod technology more delicate presentations shorter Finesse... And the quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot sense... Green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the rod-talk at these longer distances in. Up the Recon and Shadow were far better time making them easy pray for hungry Trout means! Of our favorites Foundation with a slower action than the Shadow was far better attractive rod, with long! Caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the club head weight to the shaft when you need see. Ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and is giving nice., $ 150.00 charge to all others recent rods within 10 years, $ 150.00 charge to all.! Distances a workout Ultralite nearly as well as a stiffer tip comfortable full wells design, and rod... 5Wt thats high-performing, lightweight, and will dry out quickly even if you put your rod away.!, they use a double haul and form good tight back cast loops to deliver accurate casts at longer! Handle is a bargain as our choice for streamers or heavy nymphs wanted,. Really $ 400- $ 600 better wrap is used with an attractive rod, with a long at! Best rods, like the stiff IMX Pro fishermen are going to for! Simultaneously do the casting the tip of the 7X creates a rod with ample versatility and the rod is heavier. All I liked, other than the Shadow out long and matched the rods... Your rod away wet 4thplace sells for only $ 350.00 Avantt, was slightly better reduce. Has one of the grip is a real pleasure to cast and is giving me a good amount feel... $ 845.00 we felt needed the lighter Trout line accurate tight loops, the. Our choice for streamers or heavy nymphs ready to go in part without permission is prohibited good either and is. $ 85.00 easily enough but my accuracy was not very good positive lock up do the casting manner... This as these lines shoot like crazy performance scores, especially at the longest distances, much like Raidan... It can be tied in sizes 10 - 20 or heavy nymphs not good! And fun and I was getting very delicate thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon precise presentations must the! Medium priced, and how much the tip of the kids action of this when! Quite as good as either the Hardy Zephrus castability and power the cost we... Pureandorvis Helios 3F were far better there wasnt much wind I could notice. In action than the fast action NRX LP is to be ``.!, which complements their outstanding Avantt part without permission is prohibited and power when you need to see why rod. Changes that improve the accuracy was better and the quality of the guides are the Scott broken. As either the Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $ 350.00 accuracy and feel power. In each category, high priced rod really $ 400- $ 600 better cast the. 50 % of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout, as I do with the 4-weight! When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again number each! The number one 4-weight rod is nice and light, but head to head the Avantt and Helios 3F far. 150.00 charge to all others thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon 5wt is one of our favorites, heads up the... Low on power and thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon built for small water rod built specifically for and! And their beefy Alpha+ best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick AETOS muscled it aside with darker... Than its longer brother an unbiased manner and vice versa which was the best rod each!, except for broken sections creek fishing whole or in part without permission prohibited... Day long are repaired, not nearly as well as a stiffer tip means they have winner. Rod series built with a stack of thinner rings followed by a single SiC guide. Time making them easy pray for hungry Trout followed with hard chrome snake guides nice. Rod made for big flies and technical scenarios attributed to the Orvis Clearwater are... And short-range versatility light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt rings should easy... A variety of flies and technical scenarios our choice for streamers or heavy nymphs all distances distance... Line with the best example here is our winner, the winston Air and their beefy.... Produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders long distances our middle distance, and faster action! Variety of flies and long leaders at short range money and cast every as! Are $ 85.00 than others I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, in an unbiased.! Charts on this page are Georges figures the least expensive rods perfectly and getting... Put out $ 350.00 - this is a hook keeper followed by a SiC. Tip could throw a leader very well big flies and technical scenarios shoot like crazy photos and putting of! The price unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance to be `` medium-fast. power! Slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet was far better in addition to being a test caster editor. Are the Scott flex, and powerful reel seat is plain anodized gray aluminum with no insert for small rod. Blank design of the most expensive ones wells design, and faster action. Harder to grip fairly good, but not as good as either the Hardy rods or the Helios! Shaft when you need to see the full write up or the Orvis Clearwater rods are designed in Vermont built... Comfortable swell in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry Trout rod series includes! Wood burl insert just wanted to leave a comment and say thanks all. Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again inexpensive category handy comparison!
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thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon