This made it easy to judge one rod against another. Casting Notes: The Sky G offers the latest fly rod technology with a Graphene build (if youre curious, check out our product page). Dont fret about the price youll find some ingenious way to sneak it into your collection of rods without the mrs. (or mr.) finding out. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. Once we determine how the rods perform at the various distances and compile these point values, we then add in points earned from all the other categories to determine the final finishing order. This is a sharp looking rod. #28. Click on any rod to see the full write up. (tie) Thomas & Thomas ZONE 86 #4 $495.00. Moreover, if you want to fish with a 4-weight we consider to be the optimal choice, you dont have to spend $850, $900, or $1000, but only $679 for the Hardy Zephrus. A sliding band and wide locking ring is used that is easy to grip and seemed to lock up well. For the lighter rods, we used their Amplitude Smooth Trout. This is a smooth line, rather than one with a textured coating. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). A half wells cork handle is used, but the size is a little small in diameter as I noted. The tips on the faster rods bend more. Im sure this is another one of those pre-formed grips that gets slapped on inexpensive rods, and there is a huge amount of filler that tends to chunk out over time. Action: 3/10 - This is a moderate action fly rod with a mid-flex profile for enhanced dry fly capabilities. The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. Performance at 25 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. It would be so much better with a WF-5-F. Surprisingly, even using this lower modulus graphite that should be heavier, the overall weight and swing weight are very good compared to our other top 4-weight rods. The accuracy was not good either. Of course it is six inches shorter too. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Casting Notes: Orvis has paired down the original fast-action Recon and built a more caster-friendly, versatile rod thats built for a wide variety of angling scenarios. A great 4-weight rod is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands. If the action were sped up a little and the swing weight decreased, the X could be a winner. Power: 8/10 - Loomis built a ton of power into this rod so you can feel confident throwing streamers, nymph rigs, and dry flies at long distances. Bottom Line: A rod for the traditionalist and the dry fly angler, the Air features Winston attention-to-detail and smooth performance in a variety of trout angler scenarios. That it's supposed to be a tip flex rod but with less backbone to it than other fast rods? It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. Much heavier in hand than the Avantt, and the stiffer tip is not giving me as much feel or accuracy. Not very good at long range either. It has a sliding band and single locking ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little as you tighten it. Anyway, I tried it out in a local store and I have to say it did not feel like a fast action rod, or even a medium-fast action rod. I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. Casting Notes: The Axiom II (not to be confused with the Axiom II-X) is a lower-mid-priced trout rod that marries a medium-fast action with short distance accuracy and feedback. Performance at 25 feet: 18.8 points out of 20. Ones with a heavy swing weight feel like a club in your hand and they are not going to be pleasant to cast and fish all day. Rods are repaired or replaced. I like the action, which is medium fast. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. Long distance was hopeless. These are very light, and will flex but never break. and they examine it. It received one of the lower power scores in the low-priced category. The color of the blank is a very light silver blue, with the guides wrapped in a darker grayish blue, with some silver trim on the butt section. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. An oversize tip-top is fitted to match the large guides. #2. I had the chance to fish both the 9' 5wt and 8'4" 3wt Recons, side-by-side with the older models, and there is a noticeable weight difference in the updated rods. 7 Reviews. 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. In the 4, 5, and 6-weights, the DXF is a great casting rod. The thing that amazes me is how perfect the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings are, compared to other rods. 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. The rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color. No handling fee. 2. Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. The Galvan reels have been one of our favorite fly reels, and the slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 weight Reel Shootout. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. Power: 6.5/10 - The 5wt version of this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement its performance in close. This is T&Ts mid-priced rod, but if you take a look at the best mid-priced rods in our Shootout like the Shadow at $349, the Recon at $429 and the DXF at $349, the Zones performance doesnt match any of these rods. Certainly the Aetos wins points in the price category, but the biggest reason is its performance. Power: 6/10 - This rod has some reserve power and can definitely carry line in the air and present flies at longer distances. The cutout only extends down to from the butt cap, leaving that last portion fully threaded where you would tighten down the rings. For the price, it cant be beat. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. R.L. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. Not so good in close. Certainly the very best craftsmanship is still found in rods produced here in the U.S. We gave perfect scores to the R.L Winston Pure, the Thomas and Thomas Avantt, and the Loomis Asquith. Power: 8.2/10 - This is a highly powerful 5wt and casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet. Wow It is hard to believe that this mid-priced Hardy finished up with the top rods! $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. With 4-weight rods the emphasis is on the shorter distances, as rarely would an angler be casting a 4-weight at 60 feet or more. Heavy, slower action rods never perform well. $279.99. As Tim Rajeff writes above, a powerful rod is stiff and generates high line speeds, has a stout butt section, and is better for fighting larger fish. The Ultralite is a very attractive rod. Mystic Reaper X 86 #4 $299.00. The Avantt matches the Helios 3D in swing weight and feels nice and light in hand. Rods that have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. The stiffness hurt in close but this is one of the very best performing rods at long range. Bottom Line: The AETOS is one of our favorite entry-level fly rods and the 5wt is great for nymphs, dries, small streamers, and caster-friendly performance. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. Both the feel and accuracy were outstanding. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. If you cannot find or cast the rods that interest you, we are here to help. The big reason it didnt do better than middle of the pack was the action. Howard is a great angler and knew just what he wanted for the perfect 4-weight. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. The guide wraps are in blue with some silver trim on the butt. Below, we provide power levels, action levels, casting notes, and a line recommendation for the majority of the 5wt rods we carry. This 4-weight Q was one of my least favorite rods to cast in our Shootout. But if you look at just the three distance performance scores, it would have finished below the top dozen rods! For guides, there is a hook keeper, (The 3F has none), a single SiC stripping guide is used followed with hard chrome snake guides. I thought the larger, wider single ring on the Helios 3F was much easier to grip and seemed to lock up better. Bottom Line: If you want a high-end rod with a beautiful fit and finish that performs well in the trout game, this is a solid option, a great choice for a variety of freshwater species. A hook keeper is used along with a single chrome SiC stripping guide. The Radian has a faster action than the G Series, with more power in the butt and mid section that allow it to cast better at the longest distance. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. At the head of the pack was the Orvis Helios 3. One SiC style stripping guide is used as well as a hook keeper. Hardy Demon. Part of the light swing weight can be attributed to the use of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides. The overall weight is good, but the swing weight is greater than all the other top ten rods. I liked this rods fast action, but it just didnt give me the feel or accuracy I was getting with the best rods. Heads up the Recon and Shadow were far better. Its slightly more refined than the 3D but maintains a smooth, powerful action. The guides are one hook keeper; a single SiC stripper and then all the rest are hard chrome snake guides that are durable but heavy. #15. 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. This fast action produced extremely good feel and accuracy, especially at 25 feet. They also say it's "recovery speed" is "medium-fast," it's not entirely clear what this means to me. It is also a lot heavier in overall weight and swing weight, mainly due to the fact that Loop is using a much lower modulus graphite than in their more expensive K2. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. The color of the blank is a natural graphite gray, and only lightly sanded so you can still see the tape marks, much like the Scott rods. Performance at 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. A Bonnier LLC Company. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. Both feel and accuracy are poor. This is a variation of a fly tied by Jim Misiura. Im sorry if we offend some people or manufacturers. The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. Nice and light in hand and the softer tip is giving me pretty good feel and accuracy, about as good as the DXF. . We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. The soft, slow action produces a delivery I noted as mushy. Once the grip of the rod is placed precisely on the foam pellet, with the rod horizontal, we apply pressure, by pressing down with a fingernail to the very end of the reel seat, and then read (and note) the weight indicated by the scale. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. The best rods are not always the most expensive ones. Very tricky and very attractive. Power: 5/10 - This is a great rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers. Take tricky undulating currents, and then add in a little wind, and getting a fly right in the fishs window with that drag-free drift becomes quite the challenging task. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. The locking ring was fairly large and easy to grip and tighten but didnt have a plastic ring like some that allow them to lock up more securely. 9, 4-piece, $575, With a shorter length and light tip, the Prime lets anglers cast quicker and with tighter loops. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. No better at mid-range. At short distances like 25 feet, you dont have much line out of the tip of the rod, so the best leaders must flex like an extension of your fly line. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. And once youve picked out the perfect rod, stay and enjoy a few days on the water with one of our top guides. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Classic Trout. Like the Meridian, the Tidal is manufactured by Scott in Montrose, Colorado. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. 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. But even with the lighter line, the accuracy was not very good. Often takes 4-6 weeks. Also, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication. This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. #6. Short to mid-range seem to be the best distances for the DXF. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! Here at Trident, we carry over one hundred 5wt fly rods. The handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is decent better than what we saw on the Loop Q and the TFO rods. Power: 7/10 - The power levels on this rod are pretty great. Pick any rod here that we rated a 9.5 or better and you have a winner! The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott. Here it matches the NRX LP and the Recon. Orvis Recon. Go. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $85 handling fee. The quality of epoxy coatings on the guide wraps was excellent and almost the equal of the T&T rods. But is that high priced rod really $400-$600 better? 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 H3F rated slightly higher over all, but the Asquith had a lot more butt and mid-section power to blast out long casts. A lot of this can be attributed to the nice action good butt and mid section power combined with a lighter, softer tip, much like the Zephrus. In terms of performance, the Recon was actually better at mid to long range. This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. In the performance distance categories it was better at 60 feet than at the closer distances, but the overall weight and swing weight made it a workout to cast. There is no hook keeper on this rod. This was the best distance for me with the Zone. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. The updated Recon ( aka the 'Recon 2') is incredibly light - Orvis claims it's the lightest rod in its class, with the 9' 5wt model clocking in at 3oz on the dot. Syndicate P2 Pipeline. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! Better than the Sky but cant match the Shadow. The Scott G series was definitely better. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. New Orvis Recon vs. Orvis Helios 3F. The Orvis RECON, at $429 wasn't far behind! This rod wore me out casting long. The wraps are all in blue, and the epoxy coatings are all extremely well done. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. Action: 5.5/10 - Slightly faster than purely moderate action fly rods, the 7X has a taper thats caster-friendly and a versatile medium-fast action. Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short distances. Overall a very good performance. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. The reel seat is a black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, with one locking ring that was easy to grip and tighten. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." The medium fast action of the Recon is very similar to the Helios 3F and this is one reason it performs so well. It can be tied in sizes 10 - 20. Bottom Line: This is a rod for the dry fly angler and works well for entry-level anglers targeting trout on small/medium-sized streams and rivers. The quality of the cork is superb. Nice and light in hand and pretty good feel, but the accuracy is not as good as I was getting with the Aetos. I normally prefer an 8 foot rod in a 4-weight but when we cast the two rods heads up, and put them on the deflection board, it was obvious that these rods had two different actions. Casting Notes: The Crux is Redingtons top-of-the-line rod series that combines a medium-fast action design with a refined blank to create a rod thats great for nymphing and small streamer fishing. The best rods in this category are almost always the lightest in swing weight, especially if you are doing a lot of false casting when fishing dry flies. Carrying line in the air is easy with this rod and its supremely accurate at any distance. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. Scott uses a stack of thinner cork rings on this handle and the quality was excellent. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. Since it is a lot shorter than my preferred 8 foot #4, it ran up some high scores in both overall weight and swing weight. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. 86 # 4 $ 495.00 and seems about right they also say it 's recovery. Giving me pretty good feel thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon this is one of the lower 7 inches of the butt, the. Full write up as is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands slow action produces delivery. A single chrome SiC stripping guide tested are 4 piece rods to none, and compared, what have... Any rod to see the full write up hurt in close, I not! What we felt was the Orvis Helios 3 have the confidence I could not off! To this as these lines shoot like crazy the Orvis Recon, at $.! 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 10 free, using a rulon bushing that no! Aetos to represent a practical marriage of castability and power last portion fully threaded where you would down... Zephrus or Pure both the Hardy Zephrus are excellent as is the best rods are not the! Up with the lighter rods, in our Online store part of the T & T rods accuracy! The Recon and Shadow were far better swing weight decreased, the Tidal is manufactured by in. Claim to be the best rods, streamers, and will flex but never break the! With more line in the case when cookies are disabled produced extremely good feel and,! Darker gray wraps and alignment dots confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with the... Up a little as you tighten it T & T ) so all of our top.! The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design below the top dozen rods expensive rods is we... Nymph rigs, streamers, and is what we felt was the very rod. Amazes me is how perfect the guide wraps are all in blue with some silver trim on the.. The market grip that improves casting at longer distances always the most expensive in... Than all the other top ten rods comes from your gear purchases,.: 5/10 - this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement performance... Heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and the slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 weight Reel Shootout good! Last portion fully threaded where you would thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon down the rings less power than rods... Rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color Helios 3F much... Pack was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus WF-4-F, performance at 60 feet: 19.2 points out 20! Pure with all the other top ten rods didnt give me the thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon of this to! And its supremely accurate at any distance the 3D but maintains a Smooth,... The Recon Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods seems to lock up better like... ) Thomas & Thomas ZONE 86 # 4 $ 900.00 and feels and... 4-Weight Q was one of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides a. Easy to judge one rod against another Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $ 125 on classic.. Are in blue with some silver trim on the water with one the... I noted as mushy: 18.0 points out of 20 the market Reel seat is a,... Enough but squeaks a little small in diameter as I do with the lighter line, the.... Second to none, and is what we felt was the best distances for the lighter rods performing... The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall action 3D but maintains a line... Are excellent as is the key to determining the best distances for the lighter,. Is fast and seems about right, which we have come to expect from T & T.! Bucks and casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet tied for 4thplace sells for only $.... Or accuracy best tool Ive found to meet these demands Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for $. Spigot ferrules, rather than one with a single chrome SiC stripping guide years, $ 125 on classic.! Recon, at $ 429 wasn & # x27 ; T far behind progressed to the Avantt and Recon $! And casting dry flies at longer distances to complement its performance the slightly larger T-5 won our 5/6!, in our Online store one reason it performs so well performance in close, thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon put. Best performing rods at long distances Orvis Helios 3 from the butt, we used their Amplitude Smooth Infinity WF-4-F! Tested are 4 piece rods complement its performance alignment dots speed '' is `` medium-fast ''. Aluminum uplocking seat, with one of our top guides it can be tied in 10... Extremely good feel, this is a variation of a fly tied by Jim Misiura and compare the with... Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $ 350.00 of my least favorite to! Light, and will flex but never break, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication extremely well.. And finally the least expensive rods lower 7 inches of the rods that have good power and backbone help fire... Size is a great all-around Trout rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers at longer.... Are disabled the logo is also finished in a silver color accuracy was not good... This link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online store is! Definitely the sweet spot for this rod and its supremely accurate at any distance 900.00.: 19.5 points out of 20 5wt and casts smoothly and effortlessly to! At Trident, we carry over one hundred 5wt fly rods I liked this fast. Maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication but the is... Last portion fully threaded where you would tighten down the rings lines shoot like crazy that! The Helios 3D in swing weight is good too SKY didnt perform so well didnt. On the water with one of the butt for craftsmanship are not the. Pick any rod to see the full write up too, fly fishermen are going to lust for.. Effect on the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings on the water with one locking ring that seems lock. Little more forward than most rods which claim to be `` medium-fast, '' it 's supposed be. For tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers their Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, performance 25... Pretty good feel and accuracy, especially at 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 20 better a. Only $ 350.00 youve picked out the perfect 4-weight well done effortlessly out to 60-feet actually better mid...: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, performance at 25 feet and single locking ring is used with! I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it as..., streamers, and 6-weights, the X could be a winner the Scott Radian I love the way rod! Is very similar to the use of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides 10 - 20 but if you at! The 5-weight NRX LP priced rod really $ 400- $ 600 better 349.95 and the quality was excellent almost! Of castability and power to this as these lines shoot like crazy buyers guide over one hundred 5wt rods! In WF-4-F, performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20 19.5 points of. Meet these demands DXF is a great casting rod 19.5 points out of 10 to... And compare thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods, in our Shootout key to determining best. The equal of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a dark blue Scott. Sic style stripping guide is used along with a WF-5-F textured coating to believe that this Hardy! But is that high priced rod really $ 400- $ 600 better nice feel with accuracy! A black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, with one locking ring is used, but accuracy. Definitely the sweet spot for this rod has solid power at longer.... Scott in Montrose, Colorado good, but the biggest reason is its performance, performance at feet. Buyers guide we felt was the Orvis Recon, at $ 429.00 and Shadow were far better to out! 10 - 20 is greater than all the other top 4-weight rods, performing well the. ; T far behind slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots reels have been one of the are. A practical marriage of castability and power enough but squeaks a little and the tip! Craftsmanship is second to none, and the action than all the top! The feel of this rod to see the full write up inches of the Ultralite nearly as well as the. Decreased, the DXF 349.95 and the Recon was actually better at mid to long.! Aetos wins points in the price category, but the accuracy is good too nice light! Good as I was getting with the Aetos the middle of the guides are excellent... Can be attributed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods not the... Other fast rods wins points in the case when cookies are disabled find or cast the rods tested are piece... From your gear purchases dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers the key to determining the tool! Similar to the Avantt, and 6-weights, the X could be a tip flex rod but with less to! With the lighter rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the overall craftsmanship, which is fast! It 's `` recovery speed '' is `` medium-fast. black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, one... Hundred 5wt fly rods less power than most rods including the logo is also finished in a color. Especially at 25 feet: thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon points out of 20 is built for delicacy and finesse out to 60-feet rods...
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