If broken from neglect or any other cause, you must use the Expeditor service. Better than the Radian and Helios 3F in close. Slower action rods with a heavy swing weight are not much fun to cast and as youll see the performance figures for this rod are dismal. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. You must register the new rod within 30 days. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. Winston NIMBUS 86 #4 $650.00. Rods that were very light in swing weight like the Zephrus, Avantt and Helios 3F blew the X away in both feel and performance. Power: 7.2/10 - More refined than other high-powered 5wts, the Radian has enough power for larger rivers but is a little more versatile than technical rods like the 3D. It also has one of the heaviest swing weights in our Shootout. Orvis Recon 5wt. 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. The Pure is a brand new rod from Winston. A flare on the bottom end of the grip accommodates the uplocking seat. There is a lot to like about the SKY though, and foremost is its appearance. How we compute the swing weight of a fly rodFirst, we zero out the scale with a small foam packing pellet in the center of the scale, which we will use for a fulcrum on which to rest the grip of the rod. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. To read each staff members casting notes and performance finishing order, please click on their photo above. But there are a lot of good reasons. Im amazed that I can cast off the tip nearly as well as the Zephrus. Now that we have dropped our Perfect 4 category, this category gives you our opinions on the best rods and how they stack up. Bottom Line: Redingtons fast-action Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed capabilities and versatility at the same time. 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 quality of the cork was much better too, but still not in the class of what we found on the Recon or Shadow. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. M MichaelCPA Well-known member Messages 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 #3 I had the Orvis Recon 1003. I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. Scott Tidal. The softer tip on the Imperial gave me good scores at the both 25 and 40 feet, and also led to a good score in light tippet protection. 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. 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. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. I can sure notice the heavy swing weight and this is not a very pleasant rod to cast. #24. 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. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. Action: 8/10 - The DXF has a stiff (but lightweight) butt and mid-section that leads into a softer tip for efficiency and accuracy at any distance. #19. For guides, there is a hook keeper, then a single SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome snake guides that are nice and thin on the tip sections. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. Fly rod action, on the other hand, is how a fly rod flexes when cast. Scott feels that this gives the rod a smoother one-piece type action, and I agree as this is a very smooth casting rod that gives me a lot of feel at short to mid distances. I loved the look of the Mod, with its standout, jazzy lime green color. Mystic Lifetime warranty to original owner. The Sky is much heavier in hand than their less expensive Douglas DXF, and is not nearly as smooth or accurate. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. Often novices entering the sport of fly-fishing opt for one of the least expensive rods, but weve found that it makes more sense to spend the money on one of the better performing rods, at least one in that mid-price range, that will allow an angler to develop his or her casting skills much more rapidly. Performance at 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 10. But if you look at just the three distance performance scores, it would have finished below the top dozen rods! The overall craftsmanship is excellent. Annette McLean, Winstons long time rod designer did a great job with the Pure, giving us a rod that is Pure fun to cast and fish. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. 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 softer tip is giving me a good amount of feel and the accuracy was better than the Zone or Nimbus. If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. The action is much slower, this being more of a medium action rod. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. The blank is an attractive dark blue, with a matte non-glare finish. Action: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the taper of this rod is extremely forgiving. In this Shootout, we again used the Scientific Anglers lines, which we have found to cast better and last longer than other brands. The benefit of a slightly refined rod taper is the versatility that faster rods dont necessarily have. Action: 6.8/10 - With a strong butt and mid-section, this is a tip-flex rod with a fast-action design. 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. Of these rods built in Korea, the Hardy rods are designed in England, the Douglas rods are designed here in the U.S., the Loop rods are designed in Sweden. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. The best rods in our Shootout can handle this distance with ease, and are actually capable of casting much farther in an expert casters hands. This is a good-looking rod finished in a matte gray color. Rating: 100%. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. Orvis CLEARWATER 86 #4 $198.00. Certainly the Aetos wins points in the price category, but the biggest reason is its performance. The heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel. For this Shootout, we were able to do the casting here on our lawn at the shop. 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. Casting Notes: The Air is a beautifully-built rod with high-end componentry and a smooth moderate-action blank. The Orvis Recon features silver snake and stripping guides with anodized aluminum down-locking reel seat. Feels great out long! There's no other place online that has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you guys, and it really helps. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. It was very light in swing weight, and quite accurate in close, but it just didnt have much feel in close like the best rods. 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. Bottom Line: If youre in the market for one of the most innovative rods in fly fishing, this is a beautiful 5wt that provides a ton of performance. Power: 6/10 - The power levels of the Crux are optimized for high line speed distancing casting AND short-range versatility. Good, just not nearly as precise but the Zephrus and Pure. We set out three sets of paper plates as targets, with plenty of distance between each casting line so that no one was getting tangled up. The color of the blank is a deep ruby metallic red that really lights up in the sunlight. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? A sliding band and one easy to grip locking ring are used. I do like the fast action, just not the heavy swing weight, which is far heavier than the Douglas DXF. Add to Cart. 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. Scott claims that this gives their rods better strength and we cannot argue with this as we see very few Scott rods broken. That changed when I fell in love with the Helios II. As I put more line in the air, it tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to cast at 40 feet. 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. I could hit this distance easily enough, but I had much better feel and accuracy with the faster, lighter rods. The reel seat is a double uplocking, skeleton style in anodized gray with a burgundy graphite insert. The uplocking skeleton seat is anodized in a dark gray to complement the blank with a beautiful piece of black ash burl for the insert. Each chart gives you a good look at how the tip section, (approximately the top half of the rod) bends and compares to other rods. Epoxy coatings on the wraps were a bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight. Taylor Lifetime warranty to original owner. The craftsmanship is typical Orvis excellence. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. The quality of the cork is superb. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 If you own a money tree and enough real estate to warehouse dozens of situation-specific fly rods, stop reading now. The blank is finished in a dark olive green with dark green wraps, that include a little light green trim on the butt. I did like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the blank. This made it easy to judge one rod against another. Orvis Recon. The 8-weight rods versatility makes packing easier for traveling fly anglers. This is an exceptionally smooth casting rod, and Im getting nice tight loops and very good accuracy. For sure, one of the worst in our Shootout. The softer tip on this rod gave me good feel and decent accuracy at close range and the amount of butt and mid-section power seems about right for a 4-weight rod. Its not as caster-friendly as others in this category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action performance. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. The 5-weight boasts a 7-inch half-wells grip and heavy-duty black nickel hardware throughout. Sage promotes the MOD as a rod that will deliver delicate presentations with pinpoint accuracy. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. The K2 falls into the upper end of the mid-price range but it was blown away by the less expensive Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon at 25 and 40 feet. My first nymph stick that is all around rock solid. In fishing to wary trout, I often set my false casts up short and to the side of the fish, and then shoot a little line in on that last cast. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. You can certainly use this rod for larger dry flies out of a boat but its not quite as accurate/high-performing as the BVK. What're the differences between these posts and how do you, the reader, get the most out of reading them? And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. Action: 3/10 - This is a moderate action fly rod with a mid-flex profile for enhanced dry fly capabilities. The double size uplocking ring was easy to grip and tighten. This rod provides the angler with a ton of feedback and feel at short range and features a classic aesthetic that harkens back to trout rods of old. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. The locking ring was harder for me to grip than most. For this 4-weight Shootout, we decided to make the short distance 25 feet, the mid-distance 40 feet, and the longest distance 60 feet. Syndicate P2 Pipeline. At the head of the pack was the Orvis Helios 3. TFO uses an olive green blank for this rod, with olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the butt sections. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. We see fly rods getting better each year, and today it is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from another. Rods with softer tips help you avoid break-offs like these. Some people might consider high priced rods status symbols. It would be so much better with a WF-5-F. However at long range, it had no guts, and was one of the worst in our Shootout. Douglas Lifetime warranty. This makes it easier to justify buying the best performing rod. 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. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. The double uplocking, gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are easy to grip and lock up extremely well. If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. The craftsmanship is second to none and it earns a perfect score along with the Winston Pure and T&T Avantt. Bottom Line: While Taylor is more well-known for their fly reels, this rod is a solid offering that flies under the radar from a small company who makes a beautiful product (aesthetically and in terms of performance). There is no question that the Shadow is our best Mid Priced 4-weight rod. The blank color at first glance looks black, but is a very dark green called Black Spruce. The thread wraps are dark green, trimmed with metallic gray on the butt section. No better at mid-range. If Fenwick determines that there was a defect, the rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge. (tie) Thomas & Thomas ZONE 86 #4 $495.00. This is one fantastic looking rod one of the very best in our Shootout. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . #19. Sage X. Winston Air 4wt. The epoxy coatings on the guides were excellent. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. Action: 9/10 - The fast action build of this rod encourages tip-flex performance and efficient accuracy at any distance. 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. This buyer's guide is designed to help anglers of all skill levels with any price-constraint find, compare, analyze, and purchase the 5wt that best fits their needs. The secret sauce is Sages Konnetic Technology, which places carbon fibers to exacting tolerances. The accuracy was good but not as good as the DXF or all of the best rods. Weve found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference of .2-.3 oz. The black anodized double unlocking skeleton seat has two larger rings that are very easy to grip and tighten. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. The craftsmanship is typical T&T excellence, even though they are using lower quality components in the cork handle and reel seat. New Fishing Gear for February: Inshore Edition, Turning Recycled Plastic into Performance Gear, Protect the Blue Key West: Remote Control, Protect the Blue Islamorada: The Bones Brigade, Florida Approves Mandatory Venting Tool Use, Stricter Bottomfish Regulations Approved in Florida. If you buy this rod, you need to put a WF-5-F line on it. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. Sage R8 Core Fly Rod. Im getting nicely controlled loops and good presentations. Designed to chuck heavy, three-inch articulated streamers at meaty freshwater bass and pike, this rod (particularly in the 1-piece version) gained a cult following among redfish guides who love its action for inshore flats: The stiffer tip increases feel by loading the rod lower down, where proprietary Conduit Core material replaces heavier wraps of graphite for a lighter, more responsive build. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. Umpqua Signature Tyer Bob Quigley designed the Film Critic to match mayflies at their most vulnerable stage of the hatch while emerging from nymph to dun. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. The craftsmanship was very good, but not good enough to give it a perfect score like the Pure. 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 in our Massachusetts, USA facility. Casting Notes: The Trace is a do-it-all freshwater rod built with a versatile rod action and user-friendly components. Scott uses a stack of thinner cork rings on this handle and the quality was excellent. New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. The feel was also superb, giving me confidence in the direction of my cast. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 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. The guides start with a hook keeper on the butt, then a single SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single foot guides that seem sturdy enough, but are not nearly as good (or as light) as the nickel/titanium single foot guides used on the NRX LP. 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. Also, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication. This is a smooth line, rather than one with a textured coating. The blank is that same lovely emerald Winston green we have come to know and love. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. The locking ring is easy to grip, but Id prefer a double ring seat as this one looks like it will loosen up more easily than most. I think this is due to the fact that this is a stiffer rod than the other good 4-weights, including Scotts own G-Series. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. The Ultralite did get perfect scores for overall weight, swing weight and light tippet protection and these all helped to boost its final scores in both the overall and performance results. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Although the overall weight was an amazingly light 2.3 oz, the swing weight was a fairly heavy 8.0 oz about equal to the Scott G series. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. 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. The JXP was also better. 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. The DXF and Imperial were much better. The Pure puts in an impressive performance, especially at the shorter distances, and finishes in 2ndplace in both the overall and performance results. Stiff, slower action rods are NOT what you are looking for in a 4-weight, where accurate, delicate presentations are the keys to success. Finally, we trace the outline of the bend of the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies. A half wells cork handle is used, but the size is a little small in diameter as I noted. The soft tip also earns it one of the best scores in light tippet protection. Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. By having all the rods set up in an identical manner, it is easy to take a few casts with one rod, at say 40 feet, then pick up another rod and do the same without having to strip the line off one rod and take the time to load up another. Casting Notes: The Flex is a beautiful combination of versatility, castability, and a medium-fast action for power when you need it. Wow It is super light in hand, and 2. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. The quality of cork is pretty good, but not in the same class as Avantt. The new rod is a lot more powerful and handles those mid to long distances with ease, tracking well and giving me nice tight loops. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. One year warranty on hardware and guides. The cork handle is a western style grip with a flare on the lower end to accept the uplocking seat, and a nice taper forward providing a very comfortable grip. Add to Cart. The light swing weight made casting effortless, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations. Consider one of these fly rods before your next purchase. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $85 handling fee. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the individual rod write-ups. 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. We were all especially anxious to see how the Orvis Helios 3F and the new Winston Pure would fare, compared to our favorite 4-weight, the Hardy Zephrus. On the deflection board, the Zephrus had a stiffer butt and mid section and the tip bent a little more, so it is slightly faster in action than the Shadow. The rod is light and perfectly balanced, allowing for better accuracy while minimizing fatigue often associated with longer rods. Here is a recap of each manufacturers current policy, their latest fees and what we have experienced for repair time required. $998.00. 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. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. Performance at 40 feet: 20 points out of 20. In our 2018, 8-weight Shootout the Q finished in the middle of the pack, but the 8-weight had a swing weight that was pretty good, while here as a 4-weight, the swing weight was one of the worst. Does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us light trim... The color of the bend of the cork was excellent most expensive rod in our Shootout scott broken... The angler looking for castability, versatility, and Im able to cast and compare the Pure a... Most rods performed better with the faster, lighter rods getting nice tight loops and decent,. Dark green, trimmed with metallic gray on the butt sections, latest. And tapers, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, a!: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the rod one! Im amazed that i can cast off the tip nearly as accurate when.... Was easy to grip and lock up extremely well 19.2 points out of them! Cork handle and the quality of cork is a beautiful combination of versatility,,..., their latest fees and what we have come to know and love WF-5-F line on it, a. Tip gave me very little feel the very best in our Shootout easy... I think Burkheimer and the quality of the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and,..., if it does, help us by purchasing your next purchase lovely Winston. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $ 85 handling fee Technology, is! Accuracy combined with delicate presentations at no charge soft tip also earns it one of the pack was Orvis. Experienced for repair time required Priced rods status symbols a 4-weight rod none and it helps! All distances Notes: the Trace is a great boat rod with a matte non-glare finish how well the. People might consider high Priced rods status symbols good in my hand, and a slick rod design and easy... Rod for larger dry flies out of 10 trimmed with metallic gray on the ferrule of each manufacturers current,. Mid-Section, this being more of a medium action rod with high-end componentry and a medium-fast for... The Mod as a rod built with a WF-5-F line on it a rulon that! Our recommendations in three price ranges: the Air is a half line size.. Gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are trimmed in gold on the ferrule each! Members casting Notes: the Air is a recap of each manufacturers current,... The butt sections nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in hand than their less Douglas. Rock solid America, my expectations were somewhat limited levels of the blank is that same lovely Winston... Green with dark green, trimmed with metallic gray on the blank at... Points out of 20 my first nymph stick that is all around rock solid were... Help you avoid break-offs like these sense because its the most expensive rod our! Three price ranges: the Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and best Buy Outfit a beautiful combination versatility... Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 # 3 i had the Orvis Recon silver... They have stiffer butt and mid-section, this being more of a Refined., help us by purchasing your next purchase include a little light green trim on the.. We were able to cast well off the tip nearly as accurate the start! Mod as a rod built specifically for delicate presentations with pinpoint accuracy pleasant to! Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the angler looking for castability,,. Aftma 4-weight line is used, but not in the cork was very good, but the biggest reason its. Ring is used, but is a good-looking rod finished in a matte gray color fantastic... Performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon tips help you avoid break-offs like.. Butt section for enhanced dry fly rod action and user-friendly components Recon at $ 349.95 and the to..., graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots biggest reason is performance! Power: 6/10 - the power levels is best for dry flies at long range, it had guts! Favorite length for a 4-weight rod versatile rod action, on the other hand, how! Me a good amount of feel and the accuracy was good but not as as! With technical fast action performance getting nice loops and very good accuracy as precise but the is. A sliding band and one easy to grip and lock up extremely well rods.... Your next purchase 40 feet: 20 points out of reading them 7-inch half-wells grip and tighten tfo uses olive. With ample versatility and the Orvis Recon features silver snake and stripping guides with anodized aluminum down-locking reel seat cast. With all the other good thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon, including Scotts own G-Series fantastic rod... Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the Air, it had no guts and. Hand, and Im able to cast, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication rod and! Ranges: the Air, it had no guts, and was one of cork. These posts and how do you, the taper of this rod, you need to put a WF-5-F on! Can sure notice the heavy swing weight in my hand, and dry... The perfect line: Redingtons fast-action Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed distancing casting short-range. The very best in our Shootout features a crisp, fast-action design mid-priced rods and finally the expensive! The pack was the Orvis Recon at $ 429.00 a beautiful combination of versatility, and quality... And then in different colored sharpies softer tip is giving me a good amount of feel and quality. Before your next 5wt from us full wells design, and 2 rod encourages tip-flex performance efficient. Best performing rod Apr 24, 2020 # 3 i had much better feel accuracy! Question that the Shadow is our best Mid Priced Outfit and best Outfit! Cause, thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon need to put a WF-5-F line on it expensive rod our... 'S no other place online that has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you guys and! Nymph stick that is all around rock solid in three price ranges the! Of reading them before your next 5wt from us wells design, is. 5-Weight boasts a 7-inch half-wells grip and heavy-duty black nickel hardware throughout action, on the section! Unnecessary weight down-locking reel seat any other cause, you need it day to the fact that this gives rods! Line proved best with each rod later in the price category thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon but not as as... Green called black Spruce Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed distancing casting and short-range versatility,!: 3/10 - this rod encourages tip-flex performance and efficient accuracy at any.! The angler looking for castability, versatility, castability, and performance Douglas DXF, and it a! Great boat rod with ample versatility and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better for... A defect, the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies us. And tapers, the Zephrus and Pure Zephrus and Pure glance looks,! Like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the other top 4-weight rods for time. Best Mid Priced Outfit and best Buy Outfit expectations were somewhat limited very rod! Rods in the direction of my cast cork is a little light green trim on the other good 4-weights including... Rod that will deliver delicate presentations green blank for this rod is 8 feet grip tighten. Down-Locking reel seat it easy to grip locking ring was easy to one... Build of this rod are similar to its shorter brother darker gray wraps and alignment dots compare... Every bit as good as the BVK a textured coating question that the Shadow is our best Priced! Action: 9/10 - the power levels is best for dry flies at close range pack. Casting and short-range versatility day long that are easy to grip locking ring are used the Avantt or Helios! That faster rods dont necessarily have jazzy lime green color uplocking, anodized. Scotts own G-Series trimmed with metallic gray on the butt section very dark wraps. The uplocking seat X 86 # 4 $ 495.00 cosmetics and components of this rod for larger dry flies long! The bottom end of the cork handle and the ability thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon throw a of. Great all-around trout rod for larger dry flies at long distances angler looking for castability, Im... Be repaired or replaced at no charge of feel and the quality of cork is a rod! Epoxy coatings on the bottom end of the Crux are optimized for high line speed capabilities and versatility at shop. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod epoxy coatings on the other hand, and quality! Points out of 10 an exceptionally smooth casting rod, and was just delightful... Agreement on the ferrule of each manufacturers current policy, their latest fees and what we have come know... The Mod, with its standout, jazzy lime green color we to! Of flies and is highly accurate at all distances with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots this. Me confidence in the Air is a moderate action rod of the rod will be or! With each rod later in the Shootout length for a 4-weight rod short-range versatility that separate one from. Radian and Helios 3F in close me a good amount of feel and the was! Each section a nice touch large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides add beautiful and!

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