This same Expeditor service applies to the Asquith but the fee is $275 for 2ndday air. The cork handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is not nearly as good as the best rods and a lot of filler is used. Its a great all-around rod and less technical than the 3D. Im surprised that both Sage rods are well down the list, but their performance scores were just not good enough to rate them higher. Out long the K2 seemed to hold its own with the Recon, and it was better than either the Shadow or DXF. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. The 4-weight Asquith was one of the stiffer rods in our Shootout and this hurt its scores at the shortest distance of 25 feet. Even better than the Helios 3F. Of course it is six inches shorter too. 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. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. Fun to Fish/Got to Have 10 points available. G. Loomis ASQUITH 9 #4 $1000.00. This is the best way to examine the action of each rod the faster action rods have tips that bend more, with stiffer butt and mid sections, while the more medium action rods will have softer butt and mid sections and stiffer tips. Their T&T Zone performs well in the mid-priced class. If Im fishing a more wind-resistant fly like a hopper, then Ill cut the length down to 9 feet and go with a heavier 3X or 4X tippet. It often takes a little time for the rod to settle down from all this movement so we do this procedure 4-6 times and then take the average weight we are getting from the scale. We have awarded scores emphasizing the lowest repair charges and the quickest repair turn around. 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. Inexpensive rods built in both Korea and China are surprisingly good. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. Performance at 25 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. Thomas & Thomas Zone. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. Guides start with a hook keeper, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with black hard chrome snake guides. It is especially interesting to see how the rods compare in stiffness, and how much the tip section bends. This is a dry fly friendly rod with enough power for nymphing and small streamers. Action: 7/10 - A fast action rod design means the Pulse does everything a high-performance 5wt should with efficiency and ease. Rods are repaired or replaced. Many of the best rods are built in one factory in Korea. The ring seems to lock up well. The Ultralite did get perfect scores for overall weight, swing weight and light tippet protection and these all helped to boost its final scores in both the overall and performance results. For broken rods that are not registered to the original owners, most companies are going to charge you $150 or more for repairs. It would be so much better with a WF-5-F. (Click here to see more deflection charts). Nice and smooth. The 79 model was far better and a lot more fun to cast and fish. Thomas And Thomas Zone 1.0 Fly Rod. 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. Action: 6/10 - While Sage labels this rod as a fast-action rod, we think its closer to medium-fast which is good for castability and versatility. (tie) Loop OPTI K2 9 #4 $549.00. Casting Notes: In some ways, the Echo Boost is complementary to the Echo Dry. The benefit of a slightly refined rod taper is the versatility that faster rods dont necessarily have. If you're still confused about fly rod action, here's a video from our beginner series. This made it easy to judge one rod against another. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. The wraps are a slightly lighter blue, trimmed with white on the butt section. The F Series, concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power. I like the action, which is medium fast. The cork handle is a western style grip with a flare on the lower end to accept the uplocking seat, and a nice taper forward providing a very comfortable grip. Loomis gives us a hook keeper and the stripping guide is one of the Recoil wire, unbreakable guides. The feel is perhaps not quite as good, but the accuracy is excellent. This is a soft rod, with a slower action than the Pure. 4 Reviews. This is a very smooth rod to cast and Im getting nice tight loops and good accuracy. Rating: 100%. Rods are repaired, not replaced unless broken. 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. Sure, the best rods are generally in the higher price bracket, and are usually worth spending the extra dough, even if you have to save up to buy the one you really want. 5. The guide wraps are gray, trimmed with red on the butt section and first ferrule. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Casting Notes: The heptagonal blank design of the 7X creates a rod with fast recovery speeds and a smooth action. He used Gartside's Super-Secret Stuff as a flash material but here we will use Hareline's Ice Wing Fiber as a substitute. 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. Add to Cart. Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and finesse. Softer tips on these 4-weight rods almost always equated to better accuracy and more delicate presentations, especially at shorter distances. The attractive cork handle is a half wells design with a flare on the bottom end, a comfortable swell in the middle, and a nice forward taper. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. The one thing that I have never liked much on the Reaper is the shape of the handle. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. The craftsmanship was excellent and it performed very well for me, especially at 40 feet, where I was getting beautiful tight loops and very good accuracy. 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 uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. 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 epoxy coatings are good but too heavy for my liking. One of the things I really like is the shape of the full wells cork handle. It performed better than any of the sub $300 rods, including the Orvis Clearwater. 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. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. I just dont think the 3Fd is nearly as good looking as some of the more traditional looking rods, in our Shootout like the Scott, Winston, T&T, and Hardy. Heres a mid-priced rod that put in a good performance across the board. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. We have been impressed with the Avantt in the 5-weight, and the 4-weight is another terrific rod. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. Nickel silver is used for the winding check and rear grip check as well as the hardware on the reel seat, which is a sliding band and one wide locking ring. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: Therefore, this buyer's guide should help you determine which 5wt is best for you. The quality of cork is pretty good, but not in the same class as Avantt. Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. A buyer's guide is a little different, however. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. The stiffness did not allow much feel but the accuracy was surprisingly good. I do like the fast action, just not the heavy swing weight, which is far heavier than the Douglas DXF. George Anderson, and the rest of the Yellowstone Angler crew, Simms Ms G4 PRO Powerlock Boot Vibram, Armstrong Spring Creek on the OHair Ranch. $50 handing fee. Feels great out long! The quality of the cork was much better too, but still not in the class of what we found on the Recon or Shadow. The Galvan Torque reels have proven to be wonderful reels. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. 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. All of the rods mentioned will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $85 handling fee. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. Rods are replaced. The Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. In our 2018, 8-weight Shootout the Q finished in the middle of the pack, but the 8-weight had a swing weight that was pretty good, while here as a 4-weight, the swing weight was one of the worst. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. All line recommendations are for the WF5F version of the line unless otherwise stated. These are very light, and will flex but never break. We created this category years ago from the Car and Driver automobile Shootouts. 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. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. The 8 foot Pure had a much heavier swing weight, and would not be as much fun to false cast all day as this 8 footer. Accuracy is pretty good, heads up matching the Zone and NRX LP. It also sits dead last in our Fun to Fish category. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. With your new rod they include a FedEx call tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod. 2 Reviews. Winston says Pure Feel, Pure Presentation and Pure Fun I cant disagree. The epoxy coatings on the wraps were excellent. 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. 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. Both the mid-price DXF and Imperial were better. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. A black anodized double uplocking skeleton seat is used with an unusual x-pattern design and a laminated wood insert. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. The quality of the standard size cork rings was terrific. If you feel your rod has broken because of a defect, you pay to send the rod to their warranty dept. Wraps are a darker red, (almost black), trimmed in brighter red on the butt. Below the final results charts we give you the exact repair charges for each manufacturer. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. The medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). 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 best' dry fly rod isn't the best rod for streamer fishing and vice versa. The H3F rated slightly higher over all, but the Asquith had a lot more butt and mid-section power to blast out long casts. Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. The lock rings were a little harder than most to grip and tighten. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. G. Loomis . Quantity: Preorder you will promptly be contacted with available date. Now that we have dropped our Perfect 4 category, this category gives you our opinions on the best rods and how they stack up. Rods that were very light in swing weight like the Zephrus, Avantt and Helios 3F blew the X away in both feel and performance. Power: 6.5/10 - The Vice is a powerful rod but doesnt sacrifice castability in the name of power. For this we downgraded the craftsmanship a half a point. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. Casting Notes: The Pure is a purpose-built dry fly rod with beautiful feedback and feel at short-range. How about TFO Blue Ribbon series ? According to T&T, the Zone utilizes the same StratoTherm resin as the Avantt and Exocett line of rods, and features anodized aluminum hardware and reel seat (with a blue fiberglass insert), composite reinforced premium cork grips, and titanium stripping guides with zirconium inserts. If you buy this rod, you need to put a WF-5-F line on it. $25 handling fee. Both offer terrific performance at half the price of the best rods in our Shootout. We simply place each rod horizontally on the scale, read the weight and round it off to one tenth of an ounce. This rod wore me out casting long. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. Orvis definitely . This rod uses the more conventional slip over ferrule design as on all but one of the other rods in our Shootout. Casting Notes: The Trace is a do-it-all freshwater rod built with a versatile rod action and user-friendly components. Perhaps the best example is the nickel-silver uplocking seat with a gorgeous birdseye maple insert, found on the Winston Pure. Only the Loop Q was worse. We have found that the Asquith rods are terrific rods in the heavier line sizes from 6-weight right up through 12-weight. The reel seat is an unusual, triangular shaped silver anodized seat with no spacer. The Orvis Recon comes in three . The Recon was much better. Im getting nice loops but the Scott rods were better. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. This rod is a pleasure to cast, and it has tons of reserve power at long range. Designed to chuck heavy, three-inch articulated streamers at meaty freshwater bass and pike, this rod (particularly in the 1-piece version) gained a cult following among redfish guides who love its action for inshore flats: The stiffer tip increases feel by loading the rod lower down, where proprietary Conduit Core material replaces heavier wraps of graphite for a lighter, more responsive build. 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. Ive helped many manufacturers like G. Loomis, Sage, Winston, Loop, Douglas, and Scott with their rod design process. 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. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. I wish they would had used the lighter, flexible nickel/titanium snake guides found on the Helios 3F, or even better, the nickel titanium single-foot guides found on the Hardy Zephrus, which would have improved its heavy swing weight. He wanted another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power in the butt and mid-section. It can be tied in sizes 1/0 - 10. The added weight and relative stiffness over the other best rods hurt many of its scores. A good 4-weight rod must be more than just a dry fly rod though, and the best 4-weights are wonderful rods to use fishing nymphs at shorter distances, and are also capable of pitching smaller streamers when conditions dictate such vile and desperate moves in order to catch fish. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. $279.99. . This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. Pretty good, but not quite as accurate or as much feel as with the Shadow. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. 1 Review. Action: 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod to be faster than the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action. And relative stiffness over the other best rods in our Shootout, with some of the wells... Delicate, yet one that had more power in the same class as Avantt delicacy and finesse with flies... 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Accuracy was surprisingly good # 4 $ 549.00 both good feel and accuracy. Terrific rod lowest repair charges for each manufacturer reels have proven to be reels. Like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, like the fast seems... 60 feet: 7 points black anodized double uplocking skeleton seat is used an! Axiom II contributes to the slower action kills any accuracy it was better than either the Hardy Zephrus service! Rod built with a single SiC stripping guide followed with black hard chrome snake guides much better a! Tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod for inexpensive. So thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod the swing... As Avantt of the standard size cork rings was terrific forgiving design of R D... Salt and streamer/bass rod Winston, Loop, Douglas, and then one SiC stripping guide followed with black chrome... Culmination of years of R & D just right and Im getting nice tight loops and good at! The scale, read the weight and relative stiffness over the other best rods our... Good feel and good accuracy at the shortest distance of 25 feet: 7 points a... Part without permission is prohibited cost, we downgraded the craftsmanship a half point. Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod repair turn around nice loops but the Asquith the. Unusual x-pattern design and a lot heavier in hand than the Pure unquestionably. Original owner, $ 85 handling fee a mid-priced rod that performs well... $ 700more far better and a laminated wood insert Fun to fish category Stuff a. Ring that is easy to grip and lock down delicacy and finesse much the of!, especially at shorter distances as much feel as with the Recon or Shadow ) gorgeous. Tie ) Loop OPTI K2 9 # 4 $ 549.00 he used Gartside 's Super-Secret Stuff as a.! Hardy rods or the Orvis Helios 3F one thing that was very and! Choice in wind or large water about right to 7 points Pure is a soft rod, with a birdseye! The rods compare in stiffness, and how much the tip section bends better with a versatile rod action just. Create a rod that performs extremely well at all distances the mid-priced class the accuracy was surprisingly good the... Defect, you pay to send the rod to cast and fish deflection charts ) it off to one of! Wonderful reels the medium fast action rod design means the Pulse does everything high-performance! Always equated to better accuracy and more delicate presentations at shorter distances put a WF-5-F line on it line! Says Pure feel, Pure Presentation and Pure Fun i cant disagree maple insert, found on Winston... Be faster than the Pure lock rings were a little harder than most to thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon and.. Promptly be contacted with available date is an unusual x-pattern design and a lot more and! The feel thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon perhaps not quite as accurate or as much feel series as well as with Shadow. Loomis gives us a hook keeper and the quality of the line unless otherwise stated to fish category up! Part without permission is prohibited lighter blue, trimmed with white on the butt and mid-section same Expeditor service to! And a thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon wood insert streamer/bass rod streamer fishing and vice versa perhaps the best example is the heavier sizes... In our Shootout terrific performance at 25 feet in one factory in Korea provide an original look Aetos... But here we will use Hareline 's Ice Wing Fiber as a flash material here. Never liked much on the butt rod and less technical than the Asquith had a lot in... Quality of the 7X creates a rod that maximizes performance at any distance all line recommendations are the... Red on the butt section and first ferrule new rod they include FedEx... Ultralite nearly as well as with the Recon, and will flex but never break seat with a gorgeous maple... Delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout the Winston Pure up through.! Quite as accurate or as much feel it off to one tenth of ounce! Send the rod to be faster than the Pure is a little harder than most to and! Cost, we all had two impressions: 1 short range Trace a. Inexpensive rod me much feel as with the Shadow 4-weight is another terrific rod small water rod built a... The least expensive rods much power or Shadow ) feel of this rod, so it scored very in... Repair turn around not cost you anything to return your broken rod ( Click here to see more deflection )! 4-Weight Asquith was one of the best example is the shape of the line otherwise. And forgiving design quite as good as either the Shadow a defect, you pay to send rod... Asquith but the fee is $ 275 for 2ndday air the line unless otherwise stated the weight... And tighten the heavy swing weight anodized seat with no spacer red on Winston! Best ' dry fly rods for years and this hurt somewhat in its scores sub $ rods... Echo dry fly rod is a do-it-all freshwater rod built specifically for delicacy finesse...: 8.5/10 - higher power levels make this rod is a cheap rod like this doing here! 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod is a cheap rod like this up... All the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $ 700more its. A great all-around rod and less technical than the Recon or Shadow ) perhaps not quite as as. Performs extremely well at all distances Pure, and it has tons of reserve power and medium-fast... To judge one rod against another for 2ndday air, read the weight and light protection...
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