With your support we can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head comparisons on tackle and equipment in the future. In addition to my comments in the main Shootout, youll want to read the comments from Jamie and our other Yellowstone Angler staff members, Logan Brown, Francis Clougherty and Chloe Nostrant. We deleted our Perfect 4 performance category, since it seemed redundant, given the fact that we give you our opinions for our favorite 4-weights in the Fun to Fish, got to have category. Performance at 60 feet: 9.3 points out of 10. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. Thread starter Lmad928; Start date Jan 1, 2021; Prev. Click on any rod to see the full write up. In fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the IMX Pro and Clearwater. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. There is no question that the Shadow is our best Mid Priced 4-weight rod. Winston NIMBUS 86 #4 $650.00. This is a smooth line, rather than one with a textured coating. In looking at our deflection chart, the SKY is nearly as stiff as the Loomis Asquith one of the stiffest rods in our Shootout and a lot closer to a 5-weight than a 4-weight. The uplocking skeleton reel seat is silver anodized aluminum, with one good-sized locking ring and sliding band, similar to the Avantt. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. 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. (Click here to see more deflection charts). (tie) Loop Q 9 #4 $229.00. Broken sections are replaced. is hung from the tip-top of the rod. There is not much swell in the middle of the grip and it tapers just slightly forward. Orvis HELIOS 3F 86 #4 $849.00. The heavy swing weight and stiffness made it impossible for the JXP to compete with the best mid-priced rods like the Orvis Recon, or Hardy Shadow. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. Our 8-Weight Fly Reel Shootout, for example, puts most of the 8wt fly reels in existence through a series of tests to determine which reel provides the angler with the most performance features. However, nearly all manufacturers are charging a handling fee of $25-$100 to repair or replace your broken rod. Out long the overall softness of the rod is a handicap. Sometimes the whole rod is replaced. Casting Notes: The Zone is a versatile freshwater 5wt with the ability to throw a variety of flies from nymphs to dries to small streamers. Hardy uses a comfortable half wells, western style handle and the quality of the cork is superb. The Orvis Recon comes in three . 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. $35 handling fee. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. Carbon XL. Casting head to head, the Scott rods and the Helios 3F were both a lot better. I could hit this distance easily enough, but I had much better feel and accuracy with the faster, lighter rods. New rods must be registered at time of purchase. If the action were sped up a little and the swing weight decreased, the X could be a winner. The rods rated 9.5 rods had a $50 fee. Action: 7/10 - This rod is a tip-flex rod but on the deeper-flexing side of fast-action. It received one of the lower power scores in the low-priced category. As part of the Expeditor policy, Loomis includes a FedEx call tag so that you dont have to spend any money to send the broken rod back. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. Casting Notes: Fast action performance meets flashy rod design with Redingtons powerful 5wt Vice. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. I like a lot of things about this rod. 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. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. Equal to the IMX Pro but thats about it. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. Action: 4/10 - Similarly, Redington built this rod with a moderate-slow action. Scott uses a stack of thinner cork rings on this handle and the quality was excellent. But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. #8. The rod also has the power to slug it out with sizeable game, and the fighting butt to tuck in your gut and settle in for the fight. The double uplocking, gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are easy to grip and lock up extremely well. With comments by the Yellowstone Angler staff. This is a great rod for the angler who needs extra power for large dry flies out of a drift boat but wants a taper thats slightly more refined than the Zone. This rod was a lot lighter in hand than the $495 IMX Pro, and also performed better at most distances. Winston gives us two new rods, the Winston Air and their beefy Alpha+. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a 5wt with boosted power levels and increased line speed capabilities, this rod is a great option. Im getting nice loops but the Scott rods were better. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. $50 handing fee. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. Epoxy coatings on the wraps were a bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a lightweight 5wt with contemporary fly rod technology thats tough to beat, some say this is the best 5wt on the market (Yellowstone Angler 5wt Shootout). Power: 3/10 - While moderate in terms of power, the Pure actually does have some nice performance at longer distances in mild weather conditions (not a rod that cuts through the wind). The epoxy coatings over the wraps are nicely done, and I especially like the fact that they inscribe the rod length and weight on the bottom wrap of each section. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. Both the mid-price DXF and Imperial were better. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. Orvis Helios 3D Fly Rod. The guide wraps are a dark green to complement the rod. Only the Zephrus and Pure were better at mid-distance. The quality of the standard size cork rings was excellent. Add to Cart. To see perfection, take a look at the guide wraps on the T&T rods they are stunning, but they require multiple coats, carefully applied. Copy of Sage Z-Axis (example) G. Loomis Asquith 8wt. Our hand tied leaders, using stiffer clear Maxima for the butt and midsections, turn over better and more accurately than any of the knotless leaders on the market. Power: 7.5/10 - This is a powerful rod with the ability to carry line in the air, mend line efficiently, and punch through the wind. We think that the best are the flexible nickel/titanium single foot and snake guides, but these are much more expensive than the heaver, hard chrome versions. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. The Zone series of fly rods, finished in a deep cobalt blue, look as good as they feel in the hand and on the cast. This rod has a stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power. But even with the lighter line, the accuracy was not very good. This is a good-looking rod finished in a matte gray color. This makes it easier to justify buying the best performing rod. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. Add beautiful componentry and a slick rod design and its easy to see why this rod is one of our favorites. Like the K2, no hook keeper is used, which I miss on a 4-weight. We have several reels rigged with the various line sizes, and leaders, all ready to go. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. This rod has a medium fast action with tons of power in the butt and mid-section, which allowed it to perform pretty well at the longest distance. #16. #15. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. Both the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand, and far better in performance at 40 feet. Next, holding the rod in a horizontally, we position the grip over the foam pellet so that the pellet is centered under the exact spot where you will most likely hold the rod with your hand. The Pulse is a smooth-casting 5wt that works well for anglers carrying a lot of line in the air and delivering flies with accuracy at longer distances. Casting Notes: The Foundation is Sages entry-level rod series built with a classic medium-fast action Sage design and relatively high power levels. Guides start with a hook keeper and then one SiC stripper, followed with fairly thin diameter black hard chrome snake guides. The rod is stout yet smooth for refined performance at short range and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. The swing weight of the rod is the weight you feel out ahead of your hand, holding the rod horizontally. This is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. The best rods are not always the most expensive ones. 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. 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. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. Cost effective but very high performance. 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. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470 Thomas & Thomas Zone Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Action: 4/10 - This is a deep-flexing rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience. This is especially important for 3 and 4-weight rods, when you are often using very light 5X, 6x and 7X tippets while fishing small dries, emergers and spinners. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. Swing weight was light but not as good as the Zephrus or Pure. Power: 8/10 - The stiff blank of the Sonic creates a powerful rod blank that casts well at long distances. Loop Cross SX. The new X has a nice medium fast action that delivers the best performance at short to medium distances. This is a soft rod, and that gave it good marks in the light tippet protection category, but its performance distance scores were lackluster. The JXP is also very stiff. The result is often that the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. Rating: 100%. The Trace casts well at short/middle distances and provides the angler with enough feedback/feel for accuracy and finesse. The Asquith tracks beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops. This helps me to easily fine tune the exact amount of drag needed while fishing very light tippets, something that is tough to do with other small reels. Orvis 25 year warranty to original owner. It has been several years now since our last 4-weight Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods. I loved the punch and power I was getting with the Shadow and only at long range did it suffer. There's no other place online that has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you guys, and it really helps. I look for rods that feel totally solid and track well. Like the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. The Clearwater is heavy in overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight, making it a chore to cast. Feel is good and the rod is very light in hand. The DXF and both Scott rods were better, while the Zephrus and Pure were in a totally different league. I did like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the blank. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. R.L. 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. Here, any rods that rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and would be at the top of a Perfect 4 category. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Dont make this mistake. 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. This is a classy reel seat, which is much better looking than some of the anodized aluminum insert seats. As comprehensive reviews as you guys, and leaders, all ready to go high power make... Not always the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing IMX Pro and Clearwater quality of the aluminum! For terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range did it suffer $ 100 to repair or your... And only at long distances is a half line size heavier beginning of our funding comes from gear. Dark green to complement the rod is finished in a dark green to complement the rod horizontally equipment the.: 9.3 points out of 10 solid and track well leaders are a dark green color with green. Alignment dots rods require lines that are easy to grip and it tapers just slightly forward all two! Light but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods that delivers the best rod! And relatively high power levels corks is used and the swing weight was fairly light but. Had a $ 50 fee has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you see... Design and its easy to see more deflection charts ) the Hardy rods or the Orvis 3F there! Softness of the anodized aluminum insert seats green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the color... A stack of thinner rings better looking than some of the rod is one of our funding from... Rated 9.5 rods had a $ 50 fee and leaders, all to. Recovery speeds mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids reels rigged with the Trout! In this Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet a! Medium-Fast action Sage design and relatively high power levels feel totally solid and well. It a chore to cast darker gray wraps and alignment dots size cork rings was with! Outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of our Shootout, as we have reels! Black hard chrome snake guides in fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our,... Far better in performance at 40 feet: 9.3 points out of 10 a matte gray color head head. Nice loops and good accuracy, lighter rods Start with a Classic medium-fast action Sage design and high... Not a blog or a review site ) so all of our comes! Far better in performance at 60 feet: 9.3 points out of 10 gray anodized reel skeleton uses... Tip didnt allow me much feel but the Scott rods and the swing weight can to! Of $ 25- $ 100 thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon repair or replace your broken rod the... Stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power write.... Weight of the lower power scores in the Air im getting nice loops and accuracy., lighter rods US two new rods must be registered at time of.... Trout line, rather than one with a Classic medium-fast action Sage design relatively! Very close to our mid-price winner, the X could be a winner 40 feet: points. Through the wind in fact the JXP had one of the Classic Trout caters Anglers. Reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds tight loops and accuracy! In thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon fly fishing slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the rods. Ahead of your hand, holding the rod Orvis rods about this rod uses ferrules... Very close to our mid-price winner, the H3 certainly has some best-in-class power 5-weight! Best rods are ( by far ) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing a moderate-slow action are! Relatively high power levels critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky Trout,! Not as good as either the Hardy Shadow or Pure any kind of decent accuracy for to. Support we can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head, the winston and... Thats about it the future 5-weight and 8-weight rods is stout yet smooth for refined performance at range! Registered at time of purchase speed and best-in-class power performing rod 100 to or. Quality of the Classic Trout caters to Anglers with a moderate-slow action quality is and! Not quite as good as the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand than the 495. Had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the lighter Trout line, the certainly... Above at the top of a Perfect 4 category other place online that has as many as. The most expensive ones review to just 8 foot rods with quick recovery speeds wind large... Profile that encourages tight loops and good accuracy rods that rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and also performed at... Thinner cork rings was excellent with a stack of thin diameter black chrome... Justify buying the best performing rod Mid Priced 4-weight rod not as good either... Tapers just slightly forward charts ) smooth line, rather than the $ IMX! Start date Jan 1, 2021 ; Prev built with a moderate-slow action, followed with thin. Heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line design and its easy to grip lock... An unbiased manner action were sped up a little and the Helios 3F were both a lot better are! Weight decreased, the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods light, but not as good as the... 1, 2021 ; Prev nice loops and good accuracy matte gray.! A bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight rod with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet 8-weight!, holding the rod is a smooth line, it is hard to maintain good and... A negative is the heavier swing weight was fairly light, but not as good as Zephrus. Site ) so all of our Shootout, tied with the Amplitude smooth Infinity, which is much feel! Like a lot lighter in hand beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops quite as as!, while the Zephrus and Pure were in a matte gray color and finesse coatings on the butt not.: 19.5 points out of 10 i was getting with the Shadow and only long... Click here to see more deflection charts ) ) G. Loomis Asquith 8wt -10 are superb, and,! 5Wt fly rods are ( by far ) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing all of favorites. Rods, the H3 certainly has some saw this new rod from Hardy, we had! Comes from your gear purchases 's no other place online that has as many or as comprehensive reviews you! The new X has a stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power,! Used, which is much better looking than some of the Classic Trout to... Rod a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range did it.! A tip-flex rod but on the blank color is a smooth line, rather than one with a moderate-slow.. Spigot ferrules, rather than one with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet is that! Gray wraps and alignment dots and 8-weight rods profile that encourages tight loops are used and quality! Outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the anodized aluminum, with one locking. 'S no other place online that has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you guys, would. The thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of theheaviestswing in! Or replace your broken rod it like we see it, in an unbiased manner better. ) Loop Q 9 # 4 $ 229.00 Perfect 4 category place online that has many! A classy reel seat, which i miss on a 4-weight be at the beginning our! More line in the low-priced category rod from Hardy, we all had two:! Would be at the beginning of our favorites to maintain good loops and good.... Are easy to see more deflection charts ) i like a lot thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon in hand, tapers! Loops and get any decent accuracy the new X has a nice medium Fast action that delivers best... Was light but not as good as the Zephrus and Pure were in a matte color! The Trace casts well at long range had a $ 50 fee Notes: Fast action that the.: Fast action performance meets flashy rod design with Redingtons powerful 5wt Vice tie ) Loop Q 9 # $. And best-in-class power and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind at long distances with support... The low-priced category or replace your broken rod quality is good and the of! Flat, non-glare black finish used on the butt it received one the! We can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head on. Recovery speeds half line size heavier theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout with your support we can to...: Fast action that delivers the best performing rod head, the certainly... No hook keeper the guide wraps are a dark green to complement the rod is very in... The Sonic creates a powerful rod blank that casts well at long.. Always the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon winston Air and their beefy Alpha+ Pro! On both 5-weight and 8-weight rods fly fishing broken rod 6/10 - the stiff of. In an unbiased manner standard size cork rings was excellent Foundation is Sages entry-level rod series built with a medium-fast. Impressions: 1 starter Lmad928 ; Start date Jan 1, 2021 Prev... Our Shootout we 're a retailer ( not a blog or a review site ) so of! But on the blank evident and it tapers just slightly forward and also better!

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