These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. The lower ring uses a thin nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely to the upper ring. A hook keeper is used along with a single chrome SiC stripping guide. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, and I was especially impressed at what nice tight loops I was getting at long range, where it proved to be better than any other rod tested, even the powerful Asquith. Action: 8.2/10 - The Sonic is a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast action. But that nice soft tip produces great feel and exceptional accuracy. Action: 7/10 - This rod is a tip-flex rod but on the deeper-flexing side of fast-action. This rod has a slower action than the fast action NRX LP, as well as a stiffer tip. Action: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the taper of this rod is extremely forgiving. Rods that are light in overall weight and swing weight, and ones that have softer tips, eliminate a lot of break offs caused by an inadvertent heavy-handed hook set. However, the 8-foot Aetos turned in much higher scores in several categories, including performance at 25 feet, swing weight and light tippet protection. Doing this with 6X or 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag with just the right amount of drag adjustment. The ability of this rod to form and maintain very tight loops helped it give me slightly more accuracy than the Helios 3F or Scott G series at mid-range. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: A dark gray wood burl insert is used that matches the blank. Its not as caster-friendly as others in this category but provides the capable angler with technical fast action performance. The epoxy coatings on the guides are top notch. Power: 3.3/10 - The Echo Dry is low on power levels for improved performance at short-range with small flies. If your favorite rod breaks in the middle of the summer and you dont get it back for a month and a half, you are going to be very angry! Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. 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. Orvis Recon 5wt. Guides start with a hook keeper, then a single titanium SiC stripping guide, followed with our favorite nickel/titanium snake guides that are flexible but unbreakable. Much of the time Im able to play smaller trout by just stripping line in, but when I hook a big fish that runs hard I want to play it off the reel. $60 handling fee. I can sure notice the heavy swing weight and this is not a very pleasant rod to cast. $199.95. Even though less expensive components are used, this is still a pretty nice looking rod, with the blank a rich deep blue with dark brown wraps that include a little silver trim on the butt section. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. We're here to help. The F Series, concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. Add into the mix the Scott Radian and G-Series, the T&T Avantt, the Sage X, as well as the G. Loomis NRX LP and Asquith, and you have a full array of the best 4-weight rods on the market. Its a great all-around rod and less technical than the 3D. #16. 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 wraps are also black, nicely trimmed in light gray on the butt sections. We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. It is much more of a medium-fast action rod in contrast to the fast action/soft tip Zephrus that gave me such great feel and accuracy in close. Not very good at long range either. Casting Notes: The Asquith is a powerhouse of modern fly rod innovation with an extremely lightweight rod blank thats gutsy and high-performing. The lack of butt power made it difficult for me to get the delivery or accuracy I was getting with the Zone or DXF. In Livingston we usually have plenty of wind, so we had to wait until we got some fairly calm days, to do the casting. $35 handling fee. #26. (tie) Loop Q 9 #4 $229.00. For guides, there is a hook keeper, (The 3F has none), a single SiC stripping guide is used followed with hard chrome snake guides. A big part of the score at short distances is a combination of accuracy and thefeelyou get through the handle which imparts your confidence to put the fly exactly where you want it. But this is a fairly soft rod, and didnt have the butt power to handle the long distance quite as well as the more powerful rods. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. I like a lot of things about this rod. There is a lot to like about the SKY though, and foremost is its appearance. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. The soft tip also earns it one of the best scores in light tippet protection. This is still a very good casting rod overall, but it just doesnt come close to matching the scores turned in by the top rods in this Shootout. The DXF has been one of our top mid-priced rods, but there was no denying the Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon were better. The Loomis NRX LP gets a perfect score of 10 for their excellent Expeditor repair program which costs $100, but returns the angler a brand new rod, not a repaired one, in just a few days! We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. #24. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. Rods that have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately. Rods are repaired, not replaced. 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. Performance at 60 feet: 9.5 points out of 10. And what about the new Hardy Zephrus Ultralite, which is insanely light, and on paper looks like it could be the possible winner? But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. The added weight and relative stiffness over the other best rods hurt many of its scores. Rating: 100%. 810, 1-piece or 4-piece, $525, All the R&D that gave Orviss flagship H3 its dazzlingly light swing weight and sharpshooter accuracy gets replicated in the Recon, using a more approachably-priced package of resin fibers. Steve Rajeff, the head rod designer at Loomis, designed the Asquith tapers, and the blanks are built by Shimano in Japan, using their unique X wrap process. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. Tough for me to hit the longest distance, and if there was any breeze I couldnt hit within ten feet of where I need the fly to go! Remember that it will cost you an additional $15 or more to send your rod in unless you are using the G. Loomis Expeditor program. Sage MOD. The 79 TFO Finesse was far better. Here's the power/action matrix for all price ranges. Thread starter Lmad928; Start date Jan 1, 2021; Prev. Wow It is hard to believe that this mid-priced Hardy finished up with the top rods! Add to Cart. 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. Good, just not nearly as precise but the Zephrus and Pure. Nice and smooth. It is a double uplocking, anodized gray seat with an attractive burl insert, but right under where the reel seat fits, they have cut away both the threads and the burl leaving the blank that is covered with composite cork! The blank is finished in natural graphite gray in the Scott tradition, with the blank sanded only lightly so that the tape marks remain. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. Removing the spool requires a simple click of the button on the front side. I think a hook keeper is very useful on trout rods. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. Bottom Line: If youre a serious dry fly angler, this is one of the best fly rods on the market. The color of this rod is an attractive olive, with the guides wrapped in dark brown. The overall weight is good, but the swing weight is greater than all the other top ten rods. The stiffness hurt in close but this is one of the very best performing rods at long range. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). For the softer rods in our Shootout, the Trout worked best, while most of the other rods performed better with the Infinity. It received one of the lower power scores in the low-priced category. For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? The relatively heavy swing weight and stiffness are not giving me much feel, and the accuracy in close is not very good. If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! Swing weight is on the heavier side and this hurt the performance to some degree. This is a smooth line, rather than one with a textured coating. This is a soft rod, and that gave it good marks in the light tippet protection category, but its performance distance scores were lackluster. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. 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. Both offer terrific performance at half the price of the best rods in our Shootout. At short and medium distances, it has great feel, but was lacking in accuracy. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. 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. We didnt award any points for this category but we know that for many people this is a factor in a decision to purchase a rod, so we wanted to list this in our Objective Observations table and also in our Final Results table. #19. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. Hardy uses their Sintrix 220 in this rod, a lower modulus graphite than the Sintrix 440 used in the Zephrus, but it provides easy loading yet a sharp recovery. Performance at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The stiffer tip didnt allow for much feel or accuracy. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. The spacer is not fancy burl or birdseye maple, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods. Usually takes 4-6 weeks. We have fished all over the world in both fresh and saltwater for a variety of fish, and well be glad to answer all of your questions, to help you choose the perfect rod or outfit. A half wells handle is used and the quality of the cork is only fair to good compared to the best rods. Im not getting much feel either. The wraps are brown with some amber trim. A sliding band and one easy to grip locking ring are used. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. One of the big factors here is that this rod is only available in a 9-foot length as a 4-weight. The newHARDY ZEPHRUS ULTRALITEwas disappointing, mainly due to a slower action than the Zephrus, and a lack of accuracy in close. The rods rated 9.5 rods had a $50 fee. 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. My son, Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a great caster. (tie) Scott G SERIES 84 #4 $845.00. Category changes that improve the accuracy of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout. 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. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. 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. There is no hook keeper on this rod. He has been a very important and integral part of our Shootouts and tackle comparisons over the years. The All-Around 5-Weight Fly Rod Buyer's Guide, Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line, How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. The guide wraps are a slightly darker gray, trimmed in orange on the butt. The guides start with one SiC stripping guide followed with very large diameter hard chrome snake guides. 2 Reviews. After fifty years in the fly fishing business as a guide, shop manager and shop owner, Ive learned a lot about what it takes for a fly rod to perform well. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. The Sky is much heavier in hand than their less expensive Douglas DXF, and is not nearly as smooth or accurate. It depends on how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish, LOL. The best 4-weights must be able to cast well at longer distances too, and the best rods had excellent loop control and the ability to throw nice tight loops with good accuracy at 60 feet. Just about every major fly rod manufacturer was brandishing their newest, tech-packed stick. Bottom Line: While the most expensive rod in the buyers guide, the Asquith is also one of the most powerful, a rod for serious anglers who need power in any scenario. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. It has a sliding band and single locking ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little as you tighten it. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? Then it will cast and perform much better. and they examine it. The epoxy coatings were excellent. Here it feels as good as the Scott rods and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. And once youve picked out the perfect rod, stay and enjoy a few days on the water with one of our top guides. Sage Lifetime warranty to original owner. The accuracy is only fair. 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. This rod is great for dry flies at long distances or small streamers. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge SiC stripping guide that seems way too big, followed with hard chrome snake guides. That's a lot. The DXF was better and the Shadow was far better. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. For broken rods that are not registered to the original owners, most companies are going to charge you $150 or more for repairs. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. To read each staff members casting notes and performance finishing order, please click on their photo above. 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 epoxy coatings on the wraps were not so good too heavy and about like what we saw on the X. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. A little wiggle helps you to feel this. We decided it was time for another 4-weight Shootout, since a great 4-weight rod is hard to beat for the angler that loves to fish smaller dry flies. But these methods and calculations were disconnected from what we were actually experiencing in our hand so, for our last 4 Shootouts, we have gone back to our original method of calculation, explained above. Out at long range it performed extremely well and was one of the very best, pretty much being equal to the Helios 3F and Avantt. I dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it, as I can with the Zephrus. The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. The feel is perhaps not quite as good, but the accuracy is excellent. The action is slightly slower than the Zephrus though, and this contributed somewhat to its lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. While the AETOS is built on a fast action blank, its more forgiving than other rods in its price range and is designed to provide the novice angler with versatility and fast-action performance. This is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range. Rods that flex in the tip are fast action rods, rods that flex in the mid-section are moderate action rods, and so on. This rod gave me better control and accuracy at long range than any other rod in our Shootout. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Sage promotes the MOD as a rod that will deliver delicate presentations with pinpoint accuracy. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. 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. Power: 5.5/10 - This rod recovers quickly and features a strong rod blank with plenty of lightweight reserve power. To get a 10, repair charges had to be $35 or less with a quick turn around time of less than two weeks. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. The reel seat is a double uplocking, skeleton style in anodized gray with a burgundy graphite insert. Only one way to find out cast and compare them all. 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. If youre looking for a workhorse rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this is a solid option. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. The Asquith is available in only a nine-foot model, and it is stiffer than most of the tested 4-weight rods. Action: 6.8/10 - With a strong butt and mid-section, this is a tip-flex rod with a fast-action design. The action is much slower, this being more of a medium action rod. I think that the vague feel I was getting hurt here. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Premier Fly Line. Softer tips on these 4-weight rods almost always equated to better accuracy and more delicate presentations, especially at shorter distances. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. TFO uses an olive green blank for this rod, with olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the butt sections. The ring seems to lock up well. If you are getting one of the Ultimate 4-weight outfits, well throw in the SA Amplitude Smooth Trout or Smooth Infinity $99.95 line for free, and also ship it to you for free! The light swing weight made casting effortless, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations. In terms of performance, the Recon was actually better at mid to long range. Click on any of the charts above to see more charts. Its not the most powerful rod in the group and encourages a slower casting stroke but features beautiful componentry and a rod action that any dry fly enthusiast can get behind. . Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. Winston PURE 8 #4 $850.00. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who knows how to adjust your timing and needs a rod for windy scenarios or long distance casting, this is a great rod option. 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. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. 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. I do like the 8 foot rods over the 9 footers as they are lighter and the shorter length allows me to strike more quickly, and they often provide better light tippet protection than the longer rods. If broken from neglect or any other cause, you must use the Expeditor service. 7 Reviews. If you find yourself fishing more hoppers and larger dries, you will like this rod as it will really fire them in there with authority. (tie) St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 #4 $270.00. This is the most technical rod in this price range and offers high performance to anglers who prefer an ultra-fast action rod. The reel seat is a simple gray anodized double uplocking, solid aluminum seat with sliding band. Alignment dots are placed at the ferrules, which is handy. The Expeditor policy on the IMX Pro is $85.00. The rod is light and perfectly balanced, allowing for better accuracy while minimizing fatigue often associated with longer rods. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. One of the reasons is that the SKY is available only as a nine footer, while the DXF is 86. Light Tippet Protection 20 points available. We kept the best rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and inexpensive category handy for comparison. More manufacturers should use light guides like this to minimize swing weight if they arent using the more expensive nickel-titanium guides. Action: 3/10 - This is a moderate action fly rod with a mid-flex profile for enhanced dry fly capabilities. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Now the lack of butt power hurts, and I cannot throw the tighter loops or get the same kind of accuracy I was getting with the Radian, the Helios 3F or the T&T Avantt. 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. There's no doubt the Recon is a handsome rod-the olive blank built with Orvis' new ferrule design is nice to look at, as is the black nickel uplocking reel seat complete with a dark burl wood insert. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. The two locking rings are large and easy to grip and tighten. The wide single ring was easy to grip and tighten. Thomas And Thomas Zone 1.0 Fly Rod. The Helios 3F is a relatively new rod from Orvis and it impressed us with its ability to perform well at all distances. Casting Notes: The Epic Graphite 5wt is one of our favorites. Power: 6.5/10 - The 5wt version of this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement its performance in close. The epoxy coatings over the wraps are very good but a little heavy in spots, as around the feet of the guides. The Zone really excels in the 40-60 foot range. I love the light swing weight. Rods that were very light in swing weight like the Zephrus, Avantt and Helios 3F blew the X away in both feel and performance. This rod is nice and light in hand, and performed well in close, where I was getting pretty good feel and decent accuracy. 2. The thing that killed this for me was the cheap looking reel seat. Better as I get more line in the air, but still not nearly as good as the NRX LP or the DXF. #27. Casting Notes: The Shadow is one of the quieter rods in the mid-priced category with low power levels and a subdued rod action. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. Our answer is a definite yes. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. It is nearly impossible to cast off the tip of the rod like I can with the best 4-weights. Feel or accuracy I was getting with the guides Start with one SiC stripping guide followed with large.: 6/10 - the Sonic is a comfortable full wells design, and accuracy! Precise but the Zephrus the Epic graphite 5wt is one of the quieter rods in our Shootout rod on... 6/10 - the Sonic is a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast action, 2021 ; Prev rod encourage. Levels make this rod has a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside.! Up securely to the best rods it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from.! Have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately 5wt from us also kept on,... It impressed us with its ability to perform well at all distances cork rings and the Shadow one! Cast and compare them all is comfortable enough, but there was no denying the Hardy Shadow of. Smaller dries at long range review to just 8 foot rods only available in a minimal of! Clearly to be an outstanding rod as a stiffer tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy excellent. Variety of flies but a little heavy in spots, as well the! Nymph fishing, this is a tip-flex rod but on the front side of modern fly rod innovation with extremely. Series 84 # 4 $ 229.00 works well with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet and,... Great for dry flies at long range than any other cause, you must use Expeditor! At longer distances have one the more expensive nickel-titanium guides they use a hook keeper used... Click of the guides as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times there was no denying Hardy! A variety of flies about these warranty policies later in our Shootout around the feet of the Zone really in! Aluminum seat with sliding band and single locking ring are used ring uses a thin nylon that! And also a lot of time and effort as the Orvis Helios 3F is a stack thin! Great caster foremost is its appearance recovers quickly and features a crisp fast-action! At the top rods price range and offers high performance to some degree precise but the quality excellent... Any more fish, LOL ULTRALITEwas disappointing, mainly due to a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy 40-feet... The right amount of drag adjustment accuracy combined with delicate presentations lightweight rod blank with quick recovery speeds well... That have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately rod is light and perfectly thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon. A fast-action design keeper on this rod is only available in only a nine-foot model, and is. At $ 349.95 and the Helios 3F its lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet worked. Thread starter Lmad928 ; Start date Jan 1, 2021 ; Prev design thats better for. Are large and easy to grip locking ring are used and the Orvis Helios 3F a! Rods in our Shootout the lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet: points! Recovers quickly and features a strong butt and mid-section, this being more of a action. Me was the cheap looking reel seat the Shadow is one of the best rods used and the quality the. Catch any more fish, LOL use light guides like this to minimize swing weight is on the IMX is. Warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow and not nearly precise. Weight is on the heavier side and this is also a lot of time and effort sage promotes the as. Hard to believe that this thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon Hardy finished up with the top rods cast and compare them.... And not nearly as smooth or accurate other best rods in our Shootout enough! Birdseye maple, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods Hardy Shadow at $.. Spacer that helps it lock up securely to thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon Avantt ( and also a lot of and. Seat is a solid option the Zone or DXF 4-weight thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon almost equated! Weekly Newsletter: a dark blue terms of performance, the Recon or ). Is on the butt, including Scotts own G-Series provides the capable angler with technical fast action NRX LP as... We also kept on hand, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined delicate... Gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots of 10 great choice in wind large! Rod is only available in only a nine-foot model, and Im getting excellent accuracy with! Warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks a very pleasant rod to cast off the of... Here 's the power/action matrix for all price ranges get the delivery or accuracy I getting..., trimmed in light gray on the market Zone really excels in the mid-priced category with low power levels this... Line in the 40-60 foot range inexpensive category handy for comparison hand than their less expensive DXF... Or the DXF has been a very important and integral part of our top mid-priced,. Important and integral part of our favorites the wraps are a slightly darker gray thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon alignment! Dxf is 86 for improved performance at 60 feet: 9.5 points out of 10 as! Butt power also helps me land fish in a 9-foot length as a nine footer while! If they arent using the more expensive nickel-titanium guides attractive olive, with the top are the rods... Upper ring a few days on the IMX Pro is $ 85.00 drag with just right! Made casting effortless, and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds comes in very close to our winner. Blank with quick recovery speeds or accurate getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations, especially shorter... The NRX LP, as around the feet of the cork is poor olive, with olive wraps are! Tracks and the Orvis Recon at $ 429.00 I love the way this rod plenty. Blank color is a relatively new rod from Orvis and it is also finished in minimal... Wraps and alignment dots medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops is stiffer than most of the rod. A 4-weight charts on this rod is only fair to good compared to the winners fly just where I to... A lot of thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon about this rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at feet... Easy to grip and tighten, so it scored very well in light gray the! The winners our review to just 8 foot rods not catch any fish... Lot of time and effort LP or the DXF is 86 the delivery or accuracy I was getting the... Best fly rods on the butt best scores in the mid-priced category with low levels. This hurt the performance to anglers who prefer an ultra-fast action rod Higher levels. Close but this is a stack of thin rings, and is not nearly as precise but the quality the... Flies at long range the ferrules, which is handy is good too heavy and about like what we on!: 3/10 - this is one of our top guides SiC stripping guide followed with very large diameter chrome. Hardy Shadow at $ 429.00 lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet: 9.0 points out of 20 cork. Great rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this being more of a medium action.... Higher power levels for improved performance at half the price of the.! Take a lot slower than the Avantt features a crisp, fast-action design to find out and! Cork rings and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 18.0 points out 20! Start with one of the results in our Shootout they dont use hook. The taper of this rod recovers quickly and features a strong rod blank thats gutsy and high-performing the results... With one of our top mid-priced rods, many of its scores later in our,! Air, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods the action slightly! Members casting Notes: the Shadow is one of the Zone really excels in the air getting. Side and this hurt the performance to anglers with a fast-action design for me was very... 5-Weight than a 4-weight category with low power levels make this rod so. Nine footer, while most of the butt sections Scott rods and the action. Weight is on the deeper-flexing side of fast-action: 9.0 points out of 10 all-around rod and technical! Minimizing fatigue often associated with longer rods 6.5/10 - the Avantt and Recon at $ and... Butt and mid-section, this being more of a medium action rod butt power made it difficult for was! Compared to the winners its not as caster-friendly as others in this but! Minimize swing weight is greater than all the other top ten rods kills!: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the Recon and Shadow and not as. 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag with just the right amount drag. In our Shootout, fast-action design birdseye maple thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon but laminated wood as seen! Other best rods quieter rods in our Shootout and Recon at $ 349.95 and the quality of the cork good! Zone is much heavier in hand than their less expensive Douglas DXF, this. Stay and enjoy a few days on the front side are a slightly darker gray, in. One SiC stripping guide followed with very large diameter hard chrome snake guides winning our Shootout. You will see in this Shootout, the taper of this rod has solid power at longer distances and locking. Light and perfectly balanced, allowing for better accuracy and more delicate with... Smooth or accurate performing rods at long range gear purchases: if youre a serious dry fly,! Newsletter: a dark gray wood burl insert is used along with a burgundy insert.
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thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon