The stiff tip and heavy swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close. Anyway, I tried it out in a local store and I have to say it did not feel like a fast action rod, or even a medium-fast action rod. $35 handling fee. Youll find these on our Yellowstone Angler home page atyellowstoneangler.com.If your favorite local shop stocks the rods you are interested in, by all means visit them, try a few rods and purchase an outfit from them. Orvis HELIOS 3F 86 #4 $849.00. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. The very light swing weight confirms this. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. 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. 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. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. 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. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. Im able to form fairly tight loops, but the accuracy is not as good as what Im getting with the Helios 3F or the Avantt. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. Both of these lines utilize a slightly longer rear taper that allows superior mending ability as well as enhancing the ability to make medium to longer casts. When Im fishing dry flies Ill use a 12-foot leader most of the time as this keeps the fly line farther away from the fish, minimizing the number of fish you spook while casting. Orvis Recon 5wt. and they examine it. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and returns. Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. I dont know how Orvis pulls this off, but we like the results. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. Below are all the 4-weight rods in the order they finished. The cork is excellent, and Douglas uses darker contrasting composite cork rings at both the top and bottom of the grip. This is a variation of a fly tied by Jim Misiura. There is no question that the craftsmanship is better on the very best rods, and with a few exceptions they do perform better than the less expensive rods. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). The G. Loomis Asquith rods are designed here in the U.S. but the blanks are rolled in Japan and then the rod is completed here in the U.S. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. I liked the full wells cork handle better than the odd grip on the Reaper X. Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. What gives? The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Rating: 100%. 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. A half wells handle is used and the quality of the cork is only fair to good compared to the best rods. The uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. For this Shootout, we again checked the warranty policies in detail, as some have changed slightly. And the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the middle of the pack, is only $179.95! Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Stiff, slower action rods are NOT what you are looking for in a 4-weight, where accurate, delicate presentations are the keys to success. Casting Notes: The Shadow is one of the quieter rods in the mid-priced category with low power levels and a subdued rod action. Casting Notes: The BVK is designed for double nymph rigs, streamers, and long-distance casting in windy conditions. Thomas & Thomas Contact Vision Nymphmaniac STATIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Airflo Euro Nymph This recent Airflo rod has been specifically designed for euro nymphing. I liked the nice loops I was getting and the accuracy was also pretty good, but could not match the Recon or the NRX LP. 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. Long distance was hopeless. Winston Boron III Jungle. Scott claims that this gives their rods better strength and we cannot argue with this as we see very few Scott rods broken. The best Korean built rods now rival what is produced here in the US. The overall weight is good, but the swing weight is greater than all the other top ten rods. The Orvis RECON, at $429 wasn't far behind! For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. Only the Zephrus and Pure were better at mid-distance. The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. Winston BIIIX 5wt. The accuracy was good but not as good as the DXF or all of the best rods. Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the lineup. Action: 8/10 - This is an ultra-fast action rod. We set out three sets of paper plates as targets, with plenty of distance between each casting line so that no one was getting tangled up. This is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range. Loomis designed these IMX Pro rods to be tough and very durable, and pro guides love them because they are so hard for clients to break. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. is hung from the tip-top of the rod. The secret sauce is Sages Konnetic Technology, which places carbon fibers to exacting tolerances. Since most anglers fish at shorter distances with a 4-weight rod, we decided to put less emphasis on the longest distance, decreasing the points available to 10 points. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. 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. The rod is stout yet smooth for refined performance at short range and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. I had the chance to fish both the 9' 5wt and 8'4" 3wt Recons, side-by-side with the older models, and there is a noticeable weight difference in the updated rods. Good, just not great. The Avantt matches the Helios 3D in swing weight and feels nice and light in hand. It is a very smooth rod to cast and was excellent at short and mid-distances, but at the longest distance the Radian, Helios 3F, and Avantt were much better. The DXF has been one of our top mid-priced rods, but there was no denying the Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon were better. Its slightly more refined than the 3D but maintains a smooth, powerful action. The wraps are done in a dark brown with some silver trim on the butt section as well as in the center of each guide foot wrap, that look nice. The best rods certainly need to handle this distance easily, but most anglers are buying a 4-weight rod for fishing at closer distances, which puts the emphasis on 25 to 40 foot casts. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. #19. Fly rod power and fly rod action help answer the question 'what kind of fishing is this fly rod best suited for?'. 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. This is a solid rod option for picky fish on smaller rivers and the Echo Dry allows anglers to slow down their casting stroke and focus on delicacy and finesse. Our deflection charts have been very popular in past Shootouts, so we are giving you more this year. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. The top three rods were a lot better. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a high-performance rod in the sub-$700 range and youre an angler who appreciates power and efficiency, the Sky is a great rod series. Not so good in close. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 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. 2022 Redington Butterstick Fiberglass Fly Rod. 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. We have experimented with the ways to measure this in past Shootouts but we still prefer our tried and true approach using the postal scale since it provides believable and meaningful results. This is a rod thats pure Sage at a price-point that is tough to beat. Rods with a light swing weight are pleasant and effortless to cast. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod capable of throwing dry flies, nymph rigs, and small streamers, optimized for castability and long distance performance. The epoxy coatings over the wraps are nicely done, and I especially like the fact that they inscribe the rod length and weight on the bottom wrap of each section. They are light but very durable. T&T uses multiple coats to produce a finish that is simply beautiful. The reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking skeleton seat with sliding band and darker wood insert. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. Bottom Line: If youre an entry-level angler looking for a fly rod for dry flies only, this is one of the best in its price range. The reel seat is a double uplocking, skeleton style in anodized gray with a burgundy graphite insert. Now were talking! (tie) Thomas & Thomas ZONE 86 #4 $495.00. 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. For the lighter rods, we used their Amplitude Smooth Trout. I liked the use of alignment dots. The double size uplocking ring was easy to grip and tighten. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Mystic Reaper. Out long the overall softness of the rod is a handicap. Like the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper. 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. Performance at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. Its medium action is far slower than the Recon or their H3F, and it didnt perform nearly as well, especially at 25 feet. 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