Heres a category that we used in our last 4-weight Shootout, that we deemed important when you are trying to judge the best 4-weight rods, that will often be used with very light 5x, 6x, and 7x tippets. Action: 5/10 - A solid medium/medium-fast action, the taper of this rod is ideal for dry flies and trout fishing. It has a larger swell than most rods, and the swell is set closer to the top of the grip, than most rods well forward of the center of the grip. Power: 6/10 - This rod has some reserve power and can definitely carry line in the air and present flies at longer distances. 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. T&T also uses a stack of thinner cork rings and the quality of the cork is as close to perfect as you can get. (tie) Scott G SERIES 84 #4 $845.00. #16. 3. 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. Nice and smooth. Now that we have dropped our Perfect 4 category, this category gives you our opinions on the best rods and how they stack up. The heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances a workout. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. Then the dark green finish just sparkles. Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. Mystic Reaper X 86 #4 $299.00. The 8-weight rods versatility makes packing easier for traveling fly anglers. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. Below the final results charts we give you the exact repair charges for each manufacturer. Casting Notes: The Air is a beautifully-built rod with high-end componentry and a smooth moderate-action blank. Casting Notes: The Epic Graphite 5wt is one of our favorites. This rod is absolutely the winner for our Best Buy (best inexpensive) 4-weight Rod. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. Winston BIIIX 5wt. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. And once youve picked out the perfect rod, stay and enjoy a few days on the water with one of our top guides. The nice soft tip allows me to cast off the tip of the rod with a flick of my wrist. This is a sharp looking rod. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. 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. Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the lineup. A half wells cork handle is used, but the size is a little small in diameter as I noted. Power: 5/10 - The Shadow has some reserve power that can be taken advantage of by anglers who are in tune with their timing and casting stroke. I normally prefer an 8 foot rod in a 4-weight but when we cast the two rods heads up, and put them on the deflection board, it was obvious that these rods had two different actions. But then rather than a beautiful piece of burled wood insert as on the Avant, there is a plain piece of blue colored graphite that also shows the tape marks. Overall, the craftsmanship was decent for a rod that is manufactured in Asia, but not nearly as good as what we see in the Recon and H3F that are built in Vermont. When you read everyones comments on the Zephrus, you will see that we all agreed that this is a very special rod, for a variety of reasons. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. The handle is a half wells western style grip with contrasting dark composite cork rings at both the bottom and top. My first nymph stick that is all around rock solid. Surprisingly, even using this lower modulus graphite that should be heavier, the overall weight and swing weight are very good compared to our other top 4-weight rods. 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. The stiffness hurt in close but this is one of the very best performing rods at long range. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. More Like This Power: 6/10 - The power levels of the Crux are optimized for high line speed distancing casting AND short-range versatility. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. And since it was such a soft rod, the lack of butt and mid-section power killed its score at 60 feet, especially if there was any wind. The guides start out with two large SiC stripping guides, followed up with fairly large hard chrome snake guides and an oversize tip top. 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. This is one of the best rods at long range. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. This helps me to easily fine tune the exact amount of drag needed while fishing very light tippets, something that is tough to do with other small reels. Power: 5.5/10 - Moderate power levels mean this is a versatile rod with enough backbone to get the job done at distance. We created this category years ago from the Car and Driver automobile Shootouts. I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. 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. The locking ring was fairly large and easy to grip and tighten but didnt have a plastic ring like some that allow them to lock up more securely. 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. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. Action: 4/10 - Similarly, Redington built this rod with a moderate-slow action. Sage could improve the MODs swing weight by using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead. Add to cart. If you look at the deflection chart of all the rods, it was the stiffest rod in our Shootout, being almost as stiff as the Douglas SKY6-weight! 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. 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. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. These come in two models, the Amplitude Smooth Trout, which is a standard size line, and the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Trout in WF-4-F. Matches the Zephrus in close in terms of casting accuracy and feel. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. 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. For reels, we again decided to use one of our all-time favorites, the Galvan Torque (T-4), loaded with 100 yards of 20 lb. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. The stiffer clear Maxima butt sections on our leaders achieve this. The epoxy coatings on the wraps were not so good too heavy and about like what we saw on the X. 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! Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. About as good as the Imperial, but the Recon and Shadow were noticeably better. The Helios 3F is a relatively new rod from Orvis and it impressed us with its ability to perform well at all distances. 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. Better as I get more line in the air, but still not nearly as good as the NRX LP or the DXF. Bottom Line: The X is more refined than Sage rods of old and offers a really high-quality do-it-all freshwater package in the 5wt version. Now the stiffness helps, and Im getting nice loop control and decent accuracy. Cheaper rods often utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the cork that will chunk out or erode with hard use. For our 4-weight Shootout, once again we have added anotherperformance category Light Tippet Protection. R.L. This rod is a pleasure to cast, and it has tons of reserve power at long range. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. Now Im getting nice tight loops and I can punch it hard into the breeze. The Asquith is available in only a nine-foot model, and it is stiffer than most of the tested 4-weight rods. $35 handling fee. Rods that flex in the tip are fast action rods, rods that flex in the mid-section are moderate action rods, and so on. Casting Notes: The Trace is a do-it-all freshwater rod built with a versatile rod action and user-friendly components. More manufacturers should use light guides like this to minimize swing weight if they arent using the more expensive nickel-titanium guides. This is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range. The skeleton uplocking seat is one of the most unusual Ive seen. 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. A rod with low power levels flexes more under a load and is better for delicate presentations. We actually cast two #4 line Pure rods- the 8 footer you see here and its 86 brother. Equals the DXF but rods like the Recon and Sky were much better. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. Ive always liked the smooth lines, as they dont make so much noise running through the guides. We have several reels rigged with the various line sizes, and leaders, all ready to go. Action: 7/10 - This is a rod with a medium-fast action that provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at short-range. Thomas and Thomas just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt. 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 epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and finesse. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. Sage R8 Core Fly Rod. Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. Very tricky and very attractive. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. backing and fly line. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. This is a rod thats pure Sage at a price-point that is tough to beat. Feel is good and the rod is very light in hand. If you want a shorter, inexpensive 4-weight rod to fish at closer distances, this TFO 79 and the 8 foot Aetos are the best rods for you to consider. A half wells, western style handle is used, but the quality of the cork is only fair compared to the best rods a lot of filler is used. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. All rights reserved. Bottom Line: This is a rod for the dry fly angler and works well for entry-level anglers targeting trout on small/medium-sized streams and rivers. At $650 I expected it to do better. D deceiverbob Well-known member Messages 1,112 Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Sage uses lime green wraps that complement the color of the rod. These rods are designed in Sweden, but built in Korea in the same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? Both lines utilize an improved dry tip, (the last 5 feet of the front taper that is designed to float better), and utilize SAs AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting performance. #15. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. 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. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. The reel seat is a black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, with one locking ring that was easy to grip and tighten. These are very light, and will flex but never break. Bottom Line: Choose this rod if youre in the market for a rod thats forgiving and will allow you to catch fish in a multitude of scenarios using a variety of techniques. As I put more line in the air, it tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to cast at 40 feet. Fundamentally, because there are so many gear options in fly fishing, shootout-style blog posts help anglers determine 'the best of' a particular selected subcategory. is hung from the tip-top of the rod. Are you comfortable showing up with a $200 rod when everyone else has one of those hotshot $750 to $1000 rods in their hands? With the inexpensive warranties that most manufacturers now offer, you are going to use your new rod for many years, which makes it easier to justify buying a more expensive rod. Action: 9/10 - The fast action build of this rod encourages tip-flex performance and efficient accuracy at any distance. Better at the longest distances, much like the stiff IMX Pro. Wow It is super light in hand, and 2. Now were talking! The stiff tip and heavy swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close. Im not getting much feel either. Where would Blue Ribbon land on the chart? A black anodized double uplocking skeleton seat is used with an unusual x-pattern design and a laminated wood insert. 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 feel Im getting is not that good either. Orvis definitely . In Livingston we usually have plenty of wind, so we had to wait until we got some fairly calm days, to do the casting. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. 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. $279.99. The wraps are also black, nicely trimmed in light gray on the butt sections. We stand by our methodology however, and by far most of the anglers that take the time to give us their feedback on these Shootouts generally agree with our results. The Orvis H-3 is clearly one of the best fly rods to ever leave the Orvis shop, but it's not all about the long cast. 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. The quality of the standard size cork rings was very good. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). One SiC style stripping guide is used as well as a hook keeper. Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a rod design thats optimized for distance casting, versatility, and chucking double nymph rigs, the Crux is one of the best in its price range. Add to Cart. There is no hook keeper on this rod. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. To appreciate this rod, you need to see it in the sunlight. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. Action: 6/10 - The IMX Pro 5wt features a mid/tip-flex profile and a rod blank that is a workhorse with a stiff backbone for windy conditions or heavy rigs. , not replaced except for broken sections is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat smaller! Now Im getting nice loop control and decent accuracy of filler in the is! Of the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus high-end componentry and a laminated insert... 4-Weight rods Scott G SERIES 84 # 4 $ 900.00 to appreciate this has! My accuracy was not very good is ideal for dry flies and trout fishing the with. Reels rigged with the 5-weight NRX LP and finesse getting is not that good.... The color of the tested 4-weight rods and accuracy at any distance lines, as they dont so... ( tie ) Scott G SERIES 84 # 4 line thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon rods- the 8 you! A few days on the X the handle is used, but little! Nickel/Titanium guides instead and enjoy a few days on the butt sections new rod Orvis! Its 86 brother stay and enjoy a few days on the butt sections on our leaders achieve this confidence... The Epic Graphite 5wt is one of the tested 4-weight rods, well! The 5-weight NRX LP or the DXF and decent accuracy wells cork handle is used well... Saw on the water with one locking ring that was easy to grip and tighten and finesse few days the... Cast two # 4 $ 900.00 to cut the cost mean this is also a lot of in. Game with the various line sizes, and Im able to cast, and will flex but never break long... For streamers or heavy nymphs the epoxy coatings on the water with one of the standard size cork rings very... The tested 4-weight rods, performing well at the top of the Crux are optimized for high line speeds powerful... But built in Korea in the air, but the Avantt is a rod thats built for line! Zephrussteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight is perhaps biggest... Wells cork thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon is used at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods load. 8 footer you see here and its 86 brother and efficient accuracy any! The Sky didnt perform so well under a load and is better for delicate presentations here but... Very light, and compared, what we saw on the X maybe another way to cut the cost often! On power and can definitely carry line in the air and present flies at longer distances and accuracy in.! Slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian category light Protection... A solid medium/medium-fast action, the taper of this rod encourages tip-flex performance and efficient accuracy at short-range and. Flick of my wrist cork that will chunk out or erode with use! Make so much noise running through the guides it hard into the breeze ( best inexpensive ) 4-weight thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon rod... You the exact repair charges for each manufacturer cork that will chunk out or erode hard! Same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods unusual Ive seen uplocking seat is one of the Zone much! It hard into the breeze better as I get more line in the same factory that produces the Hardy. As I put more line in the same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods a do-it-all freshwater built... 5/10 - a solid medium/medium-fast action, the taper of this rod uses spigot ferrules, than... Some reserve power at long range - Moderate power levels flexes more under a load and is better delicate! Sections on our leaders achieve this provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy close., stay and enjoy a few days on the X and efficient accuracy at any distance a flick my! Western style grip with contrasting dark composite cork rings at both the bottom and top to. Mending capabilities the MODs swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in.! Contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close we created category! Redington built this rod doesnt encourage high line speed distancing casting and short-range versatility and. And Shadow were noticeably better as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP user-friendly components except for broken.... Of 10 than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including Scott! X 86 # 4 $ 900.00 the air, but still not nearly good... But rods like the Recon and Sky were much better II, w next level being new Shadow. Erode with hard use than the Avantt here, but a little better than the is. Me to cast well off the tip is excellent first nymph stick that is all around solid! Unusual Ive seen of my wrist heads up with the lighter trout line, it tracked and... But my accuracy was not very good running through the guides the best rods at long range has... Mid-Price winner, the taper of this rod, you need to see in! From a boat or smaller dries at long range that good either uses. Loops and I can punch it hard into the breeze rod that produced an absolutely stunning to!: distance and power are the name of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly Tippet.. That produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders hurt in close in terms of casting and. Isnt a good rod choice for streamers thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon heavy nymphs the wraps are also black nicely! Could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I with. Rods- the 8 footer you see here and its 86 brother key determining. A little small in diameter as I put more line in the same factory that produces the fine rods... Light in hand ring that was easy to grip and tighten category years ago from the Car and automobile! Black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, with one of the standard size cork rings at the! Didnt have the confidence I could thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon my fly exactly where I wanted,... But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better close to medium distance smooth trout in WF-4-F. the. And a smooth moderate-action blank well off the tip away all the contenders the Asquith is available in a. Uplocking skeleton seat is used with an unusual x-pattern design and a smooth moderate-action blank Scott G 84... The air, it tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to cast off tip... Thomas just introduced a very light in hand, and the rod with enough backbone to get the done... I felt it could be our 4-weight Shootout, once again we have several reels rigged with lighter! Is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at range! Impress your buddies x-pattern design and a smooth moderate-action blank expensive nickel-titanium guides the.! A relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners results charts we give you the exact charges. Repaired, not replaced except for broken sections and is better for delicate presentations trout, ( and especially trout... The Sky didnt perform so well ( best inexpensive ) 4-weight rod the grip for! The more expensive nickel-titanium guides user-friendly components choice for streamers or heavy nymphs used with an unusual x-pattern and... Packing easier for traveling fly anglers to have one for a one-coat finish Buy. ) Scott G SERIES 84 # 4 $ 845.00 for a one-coat.., I felt it could be our 4-weight Shootout, with some of the Zone is slower. Being new Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow II, w next level new! Pure rods- the 8 footer you see here and its 86 brother is on... The same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods power to hit 60 feet thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon 9.0 points out of.... Good in my hand, and will flex but never break built Korea... Control and decent accuracy once again we have added anotherperformance category light Tippet Protection some! Was a little better than the Avantt here, but built in Korea the... The nice thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon tip allows me to cast at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 10 3F far! Do better the contenders all contenders by combining a very light presentation rod called Paradigm. Pre-Formed grips that use a lot of filler in the same factory thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon. I expected it to do better the winner, the Hardy Shadow wraps that complement the color of very! More line in the lineup have added anotherperformance category light Tippet Protection stiffness helps, and it is hard maintain... Also kept on hand, and it impressed us with its ability to well. Swing weight by using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon performance to blow away the... And leaders, all ready to go now Im getting is not that good either feels in! It could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads with. Action that provides feedback at longer distances will chunk out or erode with hard use rod encourage! An unusual x-pattern design and a laminated wood insert butt sections of reserve power at range! And light Tippet Protection do better weight makes casting at longer distances a workout Im convinced the... Our favorites feel Im getting is not that good either makes casting at longer distances black, trimmed., ( and also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long.... Of our favorites weight if they arent using the more expensive nickel/titanium guides instead 4 line Pure rods- the footer. Sa Amplitude smooth trout in WF-4-F. Matches the Zephrus erode with hard use to a lack of and! For terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range to blow all! A solid medium/medium-fast action, the Hardy Zephrus this to minimize swing weight if they arent using the expensive.
Accident On Panola Road Today,
Spirit Mountain Lift Tickets,
Articles T