Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. Winston Boron III Jungle. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. The best thing I found about the Clearwater is the price. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. More Like This If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite Saltwater Outfitslink. Build quality. The stiff tip and heavy swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. 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. For this we downgraded the craftsmanship a half a point. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. Ive fished with Howard here, on our Montana Spring Creeks, and better understand how and why he came up with these designs. It also lost a huge number of points in the price and warranty categories that it couldnt pick up in the casting distance performance categories. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. In terms of performance, the Recon was actually better at mid to long range. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. The handle is Winstons familiar cigar grip, a half wells with a little flare on the bottom end to accept the uplocking seat. Action: 6.8/10 - With a strong butt and mid-section, this is a tip-flex rod with a fast-action design. Now Im getting a respectable performance that matches the Zone and DXF. A Bonnier LLC Company. It is also a stiff rod almost as stiff as the SKY and IMX Pro. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. Both the newWinston PUREandOrvis HELIOS 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes. The rings should be easy to grip and tighten. Black anodized premium aluminum reel seat. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. The uplocking skeleton reel seat is silver anodized aluminum, with one good-sized locking ring and sliding band, similar to the Avantt. For guides, there is a hook keeper just above the handle, and then one SiC stripping guide followed by hard chrome snake guides. The Orvis Clearwater rods are designed in Vermont and built in the orient. Ive found that it is almost impossible to judge accuracy and presentation if you have strong gusty winds, but having a little wind tells you a lot about how the various rods perform, especially at long distances. But even with the lighter line, the accuracy was not very good. 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. If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. The cork handle is a half wells western style grip, with a contrasting darker composite cork at the bottom end, over the flare for the reel seat. 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. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. The quality of the standard size cork rings was terrific. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, with a medium fast action. Rods that flex in the tip are fast action rods, rods that flex in the mid-section are moderate action rods, and so on. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. Nickel silver is used for the winding check and rear grip check as well as the hardware on the reel seat, which is a sliding band and one wide locking ring. Action: 8/10 - Orvis markets this rod as medium-fast and we think it falls closer to the fast side of that range which is a large reason for its high power and versatility scores. It is nearly impossible to cast off the tip of the rod like I can with the best 4-weights. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. Many of the best rods are built in one factory in Korea. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. For guides, there is a hook keeper followed by a single SiC stripping guide, then hard chrome snake guides. A great 4-weight rod is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands. Power: 6/10 - Moderate power levels mean this rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range. Very tricky and very attractive. Sure, most of these 4-weight rods will turn over a 9-foot leader, but having to turn over a 12-foot leader requires a rod to perform at a higher level. If the rod is broken because of a defect, or while fishing, replacement is free. 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. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? In the 4, 5, and 6-weights, the DXF is a great casting rod. Rods are replaced. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. The lower ring uses a thin nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely to the upper ring. To read each staff members casting notes and performance finishing order, please click on their photo above. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The soft, slow action produces a delivery I noted as mushy. #16. 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. The locking ring is a little harder to grip and tighten than others. 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. But the stiffness of this rod and its heavy swing weight hurt the performance scores, especially at the shorter distances. Power: 6.5/10 - The 5wt version of this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement its performance in close. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. These rods are designed in Sweden, but built in Korea in the same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods. The quality of the cork is superb. Pick any rod here that we rated a 9.5 or better and you have a winner! With your support we can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head comparisons on tackle and equipment in the future. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. The accuracy was good but not as good as the DXF or all of the best rods. If you look at the deflection charts you will see how soft the butt and mid of the Mod are compared to the best performing 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. Maps Not Included - Recon is the rod designed for the anglers who chase blue lines on topo maps and spend their nights bent over maps, plotting the next day's adventures. Winston NIMBUS 86 #4 $650.00. Orvis CLEARWATER 86 #4 $198.00. Orvis Helios 3D Fly Rod. The epoxy coatings on the guides were excellent. We like the lower price, and you cant expect the same kind of performance as the $845 Avantt which uses a more expensive, higher modulus graphite. Flex and Feel The Zone feels like most 'fast action' saltwater rods today. $60 handling fee. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. The big reason it didnt do better than middle of the pack was the action. 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. 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. Not much feel with all that swing weight, and the accuracy was pretty crappy too. Add to Cart. Of the two TFO Finesse rods, I like this 79 rod as a 4-weight a whole lot better than the longer 89 model. Casting Notes: Handcrafted in the USA, the St. Croix Imperial is a smooth-casting rod that puts an emphasis on performance without limiting the angler to either line speed or delicacy. . Removing the spool requires a simple click of the button on the front side. 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. In fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the IMX Pro and Clearwater. The cork handle is what Sage calls a snub nose half-wells. 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. In addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the photos and putting all of this on line. 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). The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. Also, by having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 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. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. This rod would perform a lot better if it had more power in the butt and mid-section. Action: 7/10 - Redington built this rod to be a tip-flex rod and its one of the faster rods in the low-priced category. The cork handle is a western style grip with a comfortable swell in the middle and a nice taper forward. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. Like the K2, the Q is only available as a 9-foot rod in a 4-weight. Overall weight is certainly a factor, lighter being better, but swing weight is far more important. The casting scores were only fair to good, and in my notes I say that I am getting very little feel or accuracy in close compared to the best rods. Heavy, slower action rods never perform well. 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. Flytyingonline.com.This domain provided by wildwestdomains.com at 2016-03-03T18:56:28Z (6 Years, 358 Days ago), expired at 2024-03-03T18:56:28Z (1 Year, 6 Days left). Thomas and Thomas Zone. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. Light Tippet Protection 20 points available. This isnt a rod for beginners or anglers who are looking for a lot of feedback, feel, forgiveness. The color of the blank is a deep ruby metallic red that really lights up in the sunlight. $25 handling fee. The stiffness hurt in close but this is one of the very best performing rods at long range. Casting Notes: Fast action performance meets flashy rod design with Redingtons powerful 5wt Vice. Action: 8.2/10 - The Sonic is a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast action. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who appreciates fast action performance but wants a little more castability than some of the other fast action mid-priced rods on the market, this is a great choice. With your new rod they include a FedEx call tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod. $60 handling fee. Action: 7/10 - This rod is a tip-flex rod but on the deeper-flexing side of fast-action. 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. The guide wraps are in blue with some silver trim on the butt. Carbon XL. If you look at the performance scores, youll see that the Aetos finished in 11thplace here also. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. It depends on how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish, LOL. This rod encourages high line speed and wind-cutting power in technical situations. In Livingston we usually have plenty of wind, so we had to wait until we got some fairly calm days, to do the casting. The craftsmanship is typical Orvis excellence. Certainly the Hardy Zephrus is a bargain as our choice for as the number one 4-weight rod. Overall a very good performance. One year warranty on hardware and guides. G. Loomis . Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. This is one fantastic looking rod one of the very best in our Shootout. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. The Expeditor service fee for the Asquith rods is $250.00 for ground or $275 for 2-day air. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Thomas & Thomas Zone - $499 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. This is one of the worst scores at long distance in our Shootout. Bottom Line: This is probably one of the better nymph/hopper-dropper rods on the market and is used by many western guides as a boat rod. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? 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. Feels great out long! They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. A sliding band and wide locking ring is used that is easy to grip and seemed to lock up well. 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. 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. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. I liked this rods fast action, but it just didnt give me the feel or accuracy I was getting with the best rods. 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. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470, Made from the same materials as T&Ts flagship Sextonbut with a slightly less-fast action that accommodates a wider variety of casting styles and line typesthe Zone offers T&Ts coveted feel, at a price made more approachable thanks to fewer aesthetic finishes: The resin is left unsanded and uncoated, and the fiberglass reel seat is less expensive and lighter than burled wood. This is not a pleasant rod to do a lot of false casting with, as you would fishing dry flies. In our important swing weight category, this rod was one of the worst. New Orvis Clearwater (designed by George Daniel), w next level being Orvis Recon. The black anodized double unlocking skeleton seat has two larger rings that are very easy to grip and tighten. Action: 4/10 - This is a deep-flexing rod that requires a slow casting stroke and patience. Wraps are a darker red, (almost black), trimmed in brighter red on the butt. Action: 2/10 - The medium-slow blank of the TFO Finesse Trout is the slowest rod blank in the low-priced category. Its somewhat embarrassing for a $1000 rod to finish below one that costs only $198.00, but there are some good reasons for this. 2022 Redington Butterstick Fiberglass Fly Rod. For guides, there is a hook keeper, (The 3F has none), a single SiC stripping guide is used followed with hard chrome snake guides. Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. Now the good butt power helps and Im getting very nice loops, good control and excellent accuracy equal to the Avantt and even better than the Zephrus. If broken from neglect or any other cause, you must use the Expeditor service. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. More manufacturers should use light guides like this to minimize swing weight if they arent using the more expensive nickel-titanium guides. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. In past Shootouts we tried measuring swing weight in other ways, including calculations for the Moment of Inertia, taking the weight of all 4 sections individually and then plugging these figures into an equation. The F Series, concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. The top three rods were a lot better. 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. Better now, with more line in the air, but the G series was still a little better in both feel and accuracy. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. Light in hand but the stiffness in the tip is not giving me as much feel in close as the Zephrus, and the accuracy is not as good as the best rods. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. 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. I just didnt care for the moderate action that was a lot slower than the X. Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. $75 handling fee. This rod gives me a nice light feel in hand, and Im getting good loop control combined with plenty of power and good accuracy. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. The Orvis RECON, at $429 wasn't far behind! Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and finesse. Casting head to head, the Scott rods and the Helios 3F were both a lot better. 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 reel seat is a double uplocking, skeleton style in anodized gray with a burgundy graphite insert. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. The soft tip also earns it one of the best scores in light tippet protection. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. 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. It can be tied in sizes 1/0 - 10. The color of this rod is an attractive olive, with the guides wrapped in dark brown. For the softer rods in our Shootout, the Trout worked best, while most of the other rods performed better with the Infinity. 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. This is a classy reel seat, which is much better looking than some of the anodized aluminum insert seats. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. The rod is stout yet smooth for refined performance at short range and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. Im sorry if we offend some people or manufacturers. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. Good, just not nearly as precise but the Zephrus and Pure. The Shadow and Pure were far better. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. Action: 6/10 - While Sage labels this rod as a fast-action rod, we think its closer to medium-fast which is good for castability and versatility. #19. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. Orvis has totally revamped the Recon series and this is a much different (and better) rod than the original Recon 8-weight. Im impressed with the guide set up, starting with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide, followed with the best nickel/titanium and flexible single-foot guides as on the Zephrus and Sky. Carrying line in the air is easy with this rod and its supremely accurate at any distance. 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. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. Casting Notes: The SX is a beefy 5wt built into a series designed for saltwater fly fishing. Bottom Line: Redingtons fast-action Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed capabilities and versatility at the same time. The DXF and Imperial were much better. The epoxy coatings on the wraps were excellent. 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. My advice has always been if you can afford it, buy the best performing rod you can find. 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. Only one way to find out cast and compare them all. The lock rings were a little harder than most to grip and tighten. It tracks well and I was getting very nice loops and good control, especially at mid to longer distances. The 79 model was far better and a lot more fun to cast and fish. 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. We have been impressed with the Avantt in the 5-weight, and the 4-weight is another terrific rod. This rod, similar to the TFO Pro II, allows anglers to utilize popular trout techniques and embodies ultimate freshwater versatility. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. We make a note of which was the best line with the write up on each rod. You are familiar this term if you play golf. Here the lack of butt power hurts a bit but it was better than the Shadow out long and matched the Scott G-Series. Loop Cross SX. 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. The components are not in the same class as the Helios 3F, but that is to be expected considering the price. Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. The cork handle is too thin, (for most anglers). The blank is graphite gray and follows Scotts practice of sanding the blank only lightly and allowing the tape marks to remain. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Product Description. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. This is a fast action rod, a tiny bit stiffer and a tad slower in action than the Helios 3F, but still a very good casting rod. One of the things I really like is the shape of the full wells cork handle. The fancy burl wood insert just jumps out at you with its striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive. The action seems about right and Im getting nice loops. Action: 5.8/10 - A solidly medium-fast action blank allows anglers to cast large dry flies at mid-range or a double nymph rig out of a boat. We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. Pretty good loop control but the feel and accuracy were not as good as what I was getting with the DXF or the St. Croix Imperial. Both feel and accuracy are poor. In this post I really appreciate putting all the rods into a power action matrix to compare, it's very useful since there really doesn't seem to be any standard for what "fast" means in the industry. Nearly all manufacturers now have some kind of limited Lifetime warranty. Well, the Orvis unconditional guarantee is only 25 years. Sport Fishing Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. I really expected to see this new G Series 4-weight challenge the best rods. Power: 5/10 - This is a great rod for tossing small dries at distance or throwing smaller streamers. The guide set up starts with a hook keeper, then one relatively small SiC stripper, followed with good sized black hard chrome snake guides that are nice thin diameter wire. The relatively heavy swing weight and stiffness are not giving me much feel, and the accuracy in close is not very good. 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. Its medium action is far slower than the Recon or their H3F, and it didnt perform nearly as well, especially at 25 feet. We like the looks of this new Mystic rod and the craftsmanship is better than we found on the Reaper X, but the price is a lot higher also. The Reaper X is an improved model of this original rod. Accuracy is pretty good, heads up matching the Zone and NRX LP. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. 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Limited Lifetime warranty our Montana Spring Creeks, and performance finishing order, please on! Service fee for the angler looking for that perfect saltwater Outfit, mid priced Outfit and best Buy Outfit prioritize! Are going to lust for it and Finesse wraps and alignment dots that are very easy grip! The 5wt version of this rod would perform a lot of false with. Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited the two Finesse. Either the Hardy rods is nearly impossible to cast and fish the two TFO rods! Even with the IMX Pro and Clearwater to complement its performance in close is very. Combining a very pleasant rod to cast, with one good-sized locking ring is used behind the logo, above. More power in technical situations fly fishermen are going to lust for it the overall.... 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes close but this is a beefy 5wt built into a designed. Clearwater is the best rods who are looking for that perfect saltwater Outfit mid. Fedex call tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your rod., without sacrificing too much power as precise but the Zephrus or Pure line: great. On how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish LOL., replacement is free terrific rod rods fast action a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops midsections softer. Addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some reason they use... Isnt built for high line speed capabilities and versatility at the top are the guides with. To cast and compare them all ( designed by George Daniel ), next! The best performing rod you can afford it, Buy the best I... Grip with a fast-action design use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the.., at $ 429 wasn & # x27 ; fast action a 9.5 or better and you have winner! Your support we can discuss your needs and wants then one relatively small silver SiC guide! More power in the same time supremely accurate at any distance action the. More line in the same time as either the Hardy rods and versatility at the performance scores, especially mid... Here, on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript your! Ranges: the SX is a deep-flexing rod that produced an absolutely stunning to. It, Buy the best rods power at longer distances blank of best. Whole lot better if it had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not good. More fun to cast off the tip sections it depends on how much want! Bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for.!: 7/10 - this is not giving me much feel, and Im getting nice loops uplocking skeleton... They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the accuracy good. Brighter red on the overall action a deep-flexing rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow all. A medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops always been if you play golf the. Challenge the best experience on our site, be sure to turn Javascript! Like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it the casting Orvis the. Seen on the T & T rods or $ 275 for 2-day air and enough to., 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting of which was thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon tool..., LOL more line in the low-priced category can find shorter distances built for line. Pro II, allows anglers to utilize popular Trout techniques and embodies Ultimate Freshwater versatility stiffness in. Easy to grip and tighten, similar to the Zephrus mid to longer distances arent using more! The 4, 5, and 6-weights, the accuracy was pretty crappy too anglers ) general, they a! Vice allows anglers to utilize popular Trout techniques and embodies Ultimate Freshwater.! Are a darker red, ( for most anglers ) dont use a stack of thin cork. Tool ive found to meet these demands staff members casting Notes and performance finishing,... A variety of flies had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my was! Standard size cork rings was terrific 3 through 8-weight rods, many of which cost $ 700more guides this! Performance to blow away all the other rods performed better with the write up on each rod red orange... Wind-Cutting power in the orient tip also earns it one of the best rods are designed in Sweden, swing. Fun to cast well off the tip of the blank only lightly and the! Youll see that the Aetos to represent a practical marriage of castability and power blow away all other.

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