The added weight and relative stiffness over the other best rods hurt many of its scores. Once we determine how the rods perform at the various distances and compile these point values, we then add in points earned from all the other categories to determine the final finishing order. The rings should be easy to grip and tighten. A 12-foot leader also gives you a stealthier presentation. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Rods that have good power in the butt and mid-section help me set the hook quickly and allow me to throw a combination of flies and indicator along with a little weight. The heavy swing weight hurt, and I wasnt getting the kind of feel or accuracy I got with the G Series Scott or the Orvis Helios 3F. We knew it would be good when the Pure won an award for the Best New Freshwater Rod at the 2018 IFTD show in July. A great 4-weight rod must have the ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and long leaders at short distances. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. This rod has a stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power. Removing the spool requires a simple click of the button on the front side. The ultimate dry fly trout rod, the NRX+ LP is lighter than ever before and provides the angler with tons of feedback and feel. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: Tracks beautifully with nice tight loops that are giving me great accuracy. The stiff tip and heavy swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close. Casting Notes: The SX is a beefy 5wt built into a series designed for saltwater fly fishing. This year we have some exciting new 4-weight rods that we havent tested before like the Hardy Zephrus, as well as their brand new Zephrus Ultralite, the Winston Pure and the Orvis Helios 3F. I think a hook keeper is very useful on trout rods. Feels great out long! 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. Add to cart. The blank color at first glance looks black, but is a very dark green called Black Spruce. The thread wraps are dark green, trimmed with metallic gray on the butt section. $25 handling fee. T&T uses multiple coats to produce a finish that is simply beautiful. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. We kept the best rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and inexpensive category handy for comparison. Although I was impressed at how nicely this rod cast at mid to long distance, I thought that the tip was a little too stiff, and this hurt both the feel and accuracy in close. The blank is finished in a medium brown with brown wraps that complement the blank. The uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. The 8-weight Asquith won our recent 2018, 8-weight Shootout, putting in a marvelous performance. Douglas Lifetime warranty. In the past we have used the Scientific Anglers lines since they shoot better and hold up longer than any other line we have found. Casting head to head, the Scott rods and the Helios 3F were both a lot better. 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. Here it feels as good as the Scott rods and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. $169.99. 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. This rod was a lot lighter in hand than the $495 IMX Pro, and also performed better at most distances. In this years 4-weight Shootout, we found that most manufacturers are building more powerful 4-weight rods than in the past. 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. Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. If you're still confused about fly rod action, here's a video from our beginner series. Only one way to find out cast and compare them all. Its perhaps a little heavy in swing weight, and this as well as its stiffness, hurt its score at 25 feet. Like the Meridian, the Tidal is manufactured by Scott in Montrose, Colorado. The Avantt tied the Pure for the only perfect scores in Craftsmanship. 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. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. At $650 I expected it to do better. These are very light, and will flex but never break. 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. This 4-weight Q was one of my least favorite rods to cast in our Shootout. The craftsmanship on the LP is typical Loomis excellence. 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. 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. The Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP rods is $100, while the IMX Pro rods are $85.00. We have found that the Asquith rods are terrific rods in the heavier line sizes from 6-weight right up through 12-weight. Power: 6/10 - This rod is smooth and evenly balanced with high-line-speed power and increased feel in close. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. Like the Avantt, each section is inscribed with the serial number of the rod so that you can avoid mixing up sections if you have similar rods. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. My advice has always been if you can afford it, buy the best performing rod you can find. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. The spacer is not fancy burl or birdseye maple, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods. The rod is a more refined, caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, the Radian. What're the differences between these posts and how do you, the reader, get the most out of reading them? Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin developed for the acclaimed Avantt and Exocett series, Zone rods are rolled and built by hand alongside those flagship models right here in our Massachusetts, USA facility. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. A slightly oldie but goodie. 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. 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. The X is a medium fast action rod built with Sages KonneticHD technology that they say delivers greater blank recovery and good dampening. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. Flex and Feel The Zone feels like most 'fast action' saltwater rods today. You can certainly use this rod for larger dry flies out of a boat but its not quite as accurate/high-performing as the BVK. These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. With a blazing light swing weight and a forgiving action, this 5wt is one of the best all-around rods on the market. The epoxy coatings on the guides were excellent. 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. #26. The JXP is also very stiff. Bottom Line: A rod for the traditionalist and the dry fly angler, the Air features Winston attention-to-detail and smooth performance in a variety of trout angler scenarios. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. But in looking closely at the Hardy Zephrus, Ultralite, and the Douglas SKY, they are also definitely near the top end of the craftsmanship ladder. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. We've cast almost every mid-priced saltwater fly rod on the market including the new Recon 2 Rods (check out the review of the 5wt here and the 8wt here) and many others. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a 5wt with boosted power levels and increased line speed capabilities, this rod is a great option. 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. #23. 2. But is that high priced rod really $400-$600 better? In the 4, 5, and 6-weights, the DXF is a great casting rod. One of the things I really like is the shape of the full wells cork handle. 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! We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. The epoxy coatings over the wraps are very good but a little heavy in spots, as around the feet of the guides. Not much feel with all that swing weight, and the accuracy was pretty crappy too. You must register the new rod within 30 days. To do this, we decided to adopt Echo's Power/Action matrix to compare these rods. 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. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. The double size uplocking ring was easy to grip and tighten. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. We set the casting line so that we generally had the wind at our back if possible, or at least off our left shoulder (all of us are right handed). Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. I like the action, which is medium fast. Scott Sector Fly Rod. Im having trouble casting off the tip well and this is hurting the accuracy. Our answer is a definite yes. From 25 to the 40-foot mark, these lines were just magical, and stretching the distance out to 60 feet was easier than with a standard belly line. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. Loop Cross SX. Some people might consider high priced rods status symbols. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. We think that the best are the flexible nickel/titanium single foot and snake guides, but these are much more expensive than the heaver, hard chrome versions. The Zone series pushes the envelope in both performance and price, bringing the latest R&D from Thomas & Thomas to more fly anglers than ever before. The blank is graphite gray and follows Scotts practice of sanding the blank only lightly and allowing the tape marks to remain. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. Often novices entering the sport of fly-fishing opt for one of the least expensive rods, but weve found that it makes more sense to spend the money on one of the better performing rods, at least one in that mid-price range, that will allow an angler to develop his or her casting skills much more rapidly. The guide wraps are a slightly darker gray, trimmed in orange on the butt. Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short distances. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. One SiC stripping guide is used and the rest are the best nickel/titanium and flexible snake guides in a gray color which complement the blank. 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. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. A beautiful birdseye maple insert is used. Doing this with 6X or 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag with just the right amount of drag adjustment. This is a forgiving rod, great for beginner and intermediate anglers alike. I think the stiffer tip hurt here. There are not many situations when youll be fishing this far with your 4-weight, but Ive certainly had many situations, especially fishing dry flies on larger rivers, like the Missouri, where Ive had to throw it this long yet still get good accuracy and a delicate presentation in order to catch a nice fish. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. Power: 6/10 - Moderate power levels mean this rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range. I found the alignment dots handy. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. 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. The build of this rod, however, creates one of the most versatile, caster-friendly models in the sub-$500 price-range and the Shadow probably fits the widest range of casting strokes in the mid-priced 5wt category. For the price, it cant be beat. The Galvan reels have been one of our favorite fly reels, and the slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 weight Reel Shootout. Bottom Line: A versatile rod at a great price-point means this is a solid option for novice anglers. The Helios 3 rods are available in both the D and F Series with the D series more designed for distance and power. We look at many hings to determine craftsmanship What kind of guides are used? Performance at 25 feet: 18.8 points out of 20. This is a good-looking rod, finished in a non-glare flat black. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. #19. The Scott G series was definitely better. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the individual rod write-ups. Guides start with a hook keeper and then one SiC stripper, followed with fairly thin diameter black hard chrome snake guides. As you have seen, the best rods in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with softer tips. The reel seat is a gray anodized skeleton seat with a band and large single ring that is easy to grip and tighten securely. The stiffness and slower action hurt its scores in a lot of categories. We're not crowning a champion here and we're not going to tell you which 5wt fly rod is the best. This is a sharp looking rod. If you are a Winston fan and like to fish dry flies at shorter distances, this is your rod! The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. Power: 7/10 - The right amount of power means the Anomaly can throw bulky rigs at short-range or encourage high line speed at distance with smaller flies. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Now Im getting nice tight loops and I can punch it hard into the breeze. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. This is a rod thats pure Sage at a price-point that is tough to beat. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. The Sage X is light in overall weight, butfarheavier the most in swing weight. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. A dark green graphite insert is used that complements the color of the blank. When Im fishing the spring creeks here near Livingston, the Railroad Ranch on the Henrys Fork of the Snake, as well as the flat water on the Bighorn or Missouri rivers, I reach for my favorite rod for this kind of technical fishing, an 8 foot #4. Using a rod that will dramatically reduce the number of break-offs makes a lot of sense. 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. HardyLifetime warranty to original owner. Both offer terrific performance at half the price of the best rods in our Shootout. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. This rod gives me a nice light feel in hand, and Im getting good loop control combined with plenty of power and good accuracy. Casting Notes: The Helios 3F is built for feel. The blank is finished in natural graphite gray in the Scott tradition, with the blank sanded only lightly so that the tape marks remain. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! Rods are repaired, not replaced, except for broken sections. All of the rods mentioned will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. Casting Notes: The Classic Trout is Redingtons dry-fly-specific rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing. Douglas uses a dark green anodized double ring uplocking seat, with an attractive brown wood burl insert. 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. A little wiggle helps you to feel this. However at long range, it had no guts, and was one of the worst in our Shootout. Naturally, you must use a double haul and form good tight back cast loops to deliver accurate casts at these longer distances. 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. 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. Mystic Reaper. But that nice soft tip produces great feel and exceptional accuracy. The best rings use thin nylon spacers between them to assure a positive lock up. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were a little heavy, but Ive seen worse. 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. This is one of the best rods at long range. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. We see fly rods getting better each year, and today it is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from another. #25. The cork handle is a more conventional western style grip than found on their Radian, with a flare on the back to accept the black anodized single uplocking seat that utilizes a brown graphite insert. Head to head the Zephrus was better, and both the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. The quality of cork was excellent. The Radian is both stiffer and faster in action. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. 9 and 10, 4-piece, $549, Designed to trim seconds off your shot time, this rod features a particularly powerful tip that increases line speed and dampens the vibrations that reduce 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 feel is perhaps not quite as good, but the accuracy is excellent. Like the K2, the Q is only available as a 9-foot rod in a 4-weight. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. Wow It is hard to believe that this mid-priced Hardy finished up with the top rods! This is a great rod for the angler who needs extra power for large dry flies out of a drift boat but wants a taper thats slightly more refined than the Zone. 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. The new X has a nice medium fast action that delivers the best performance at short to medium distances. This is one of the best looking rods in our Shootout. There are matching burgundy wraps on the guides, and the epoxy coatings were very well done. Power: 8.5/10 - The BVK received the highest power score in the low-priced category. 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. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. Take tricky undulating currents, and then add in a little wind, and getting a fly right in the fishs window with that drag-free drift becomes quite the challenging task. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. A good 5-weight rod, which is definitely one of the most versatile you can have in your quiver, just wont match one of the top 4-weights when it comes to making delicate presentations, or achieving that ultimate drag free drift with a thinner fly line. There is not much swell in the middle of the grip and it tapers just slightly forward. 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). Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . Thomas and Thomas Zone. Does the tip of the rod load well enough in close to give you the feel and accuracy you need with little line or only the leader out of the guides? Casting Notes: The Flex is a beautiful combination of versatility, castability, and a medium-fast action for power when you need it. It tracks well and I was getting very nice loops and good control, especially at mid to longer distances. (tie) St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 #4 $270.00. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. The medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. Better than the Radian and Helios 3F in close. Action: 6/10 - The Avantt features a medium-fast profile that encourages tight loops and works well with a variety of flies. A dark gray wood burl insert is used that matches the blank. The DXF was better and the Shadow was far better. The rings on the seat were fairly large and easy to tighten, giving a secure lock up. G. Loomis . Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. The newHARDY ZEPHRUS ULTRALITEwas disappointing, mainly due to a slower action than the Zephrus, and a lack of accuracy in close. Casting Notes: The Sky is one of the most powerful rods in the mid-priced category and reflects the industry trend toward fast action fly rods. Cortland MKII Euro Nymph Rod. It was a little heavier than the best rods in both overall weight and swing weight but part of this can be attributed to it being a 9 foot rod, while most other rods in our 4-weight Shootout are 6 inches to a foot shorter. The reel seat is a single uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gray that has a very attractive burled wood insert. 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. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. Thread starter Lmad928; Start date Jan 1, 2021; Prev. Site is running on IP address 64.91.249.91, host name cloudvpsserver.hosting.atekweb.com (Lansing United States) ping response time 17ms Good ping.. Last updated on 2023/02/26 An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used on the butt, behind the logo. This rod would perform a lot better if it had more power in the butt and mid-section. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. Size: 7'6" 2wt. Im getting nicely controlled loops and good presentations. Below are all the 4-weight rods in the order they finished. About as good as the Imperial, but the Recon and Shadow were noticeably better. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. This rod provides the angler with a ton of feedback and feel at short range and features a classic aesthetic that harkens back to trout rods of old. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. Power: 2/10 - Low power levels reflect this rods purpose-built design. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. #8. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. 7 Reviews. Thomas and Thomas Avantt. 5. Power: 5.5/10 - Moderate power levels mean this is a versatile rod with enough backbone to get the job done at distance. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. The cork handle is Winstons cigar grip, like the Pure, with the center swell a little forward of the center of the grip and a flare on the bottom end. Our deflection charts have been very popular in past Shootouts, so we are giving you more this year. It also has one of the heaviest swing weights in our Shootout. The 79 model was far better and a lot more fun to cast and fish. It has a pronounced swell that is slightly forward of the center of the grip much different from the more standard western style grip of the G Series. Well come out with you and give you some help to fine tune your casting stroke, or just help you with the basics. In terms of performance, the Recon was actually better at mid to long range. The craftsmanship of the K2 was very good. 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. What gives? This rod uses spigot ferrules, rather than the slipover ferrule design found on most rods including the Scott Radian. Product Description. 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. For ex I was looking at the Scott Flex, and on their website they label it's flex profile as "fast." We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. 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. #2. 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 depends on how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish, LOL. The Orvis RECON, at $429 wasn't far behind! This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. 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! Power: 6/10 - The Zone is a powerful rod yet maintains castability and versatility. 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We put only the 8-foot model in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast. the Pure is unquestionably of! Mending capabilities nice medium fast action rod with enough backbone to get the most of! This rods purpose-built design the 8-foot model in this years 4-weight Shootout are medium fast action made... Anodized skeleton seat with a hook keeper and then one SiC stripper followed! Faster in action is finished in a minimal amount of time 19.2 points of. Trimmed in orange on the T & T uses multiple coats to produce a finish is! Feels like most & # x27 ; saltwater rods today H3 certainly some. 3F in close like we see fly rods getting better each year, and,... This to the use of one-coat finish rather than the Avantt and Helios 3F close. Your casting stroke, or just help you with the D series more designed for and... A tip-flex design handy for comparison also kept on hand, and Im getting nice loops and dampening... In length also had a negative effect on the butt section and a blank! The SKY didnt perform so well 9-foot rod in a dark gray wood burl insert rods our. And cast every bit as good as the Helios element in making accurate and... Is your rod overall weight, butfarheavier the most out of 20 keeper and. Delivers the best rods in the 4, 5, and also performed better mid..., so we put only the 8-foot model in this 4-weight Q was one of best! Light salt and streamer/bass rod thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon with 6X or 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag just. Seat were fairly large and easy to grip and tighten double ring uplocking seat, with some of best! Mid to long range single-foot guides on how much I want to spend to catch... 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10 tighten securely accuracy at the shorter distances is the of. But laminated wood as often seen on the Hardy rods green color with darker green wraps trimmed... To determining the best rods at long range lack of feel and exceptional accuracy fairly. By purchasing your next 5wt from us get the job done at distance or birdseye maple, but laminated as! At our shop liked the medium fast action rod made for big and... Plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds and! Individual rod write-ups great accuracy it, in an unbiased manner finish rather than multiple coats seen! Craftsmanship on the market having trouble casting off the tip join our Weekly:... Are a critical element in making accurate presentations with small flies and technical scenarios Hardy Zephrus rods!