One of the things I like the most is that they have a large drag knob and a very wide range of drag adjustment. A slightly oldie but goodie. For ex I was looking at the Scott Flex, and on their website they label it's flex profile as "fast." $75 handling fee to original owner, $150.00 charge to all others. Only one way to find out cast and compare them all. We have learned that we cannot trust manufacturers stated rod weights. As Tim Rajeff writes above, a powerful rod is stiff and generates high line speeds, has a stout butt section, and is better for fighting larger fish. The guide wraps are in blue with some silver trim on the butt. The softer tip on the Imperial gave me good scores at the both 25 and 40 feet, and also led to a good score in light tippet protection. Also right up at the top are the Scott rods, like the Raidan and G series as well as the Orvis Helios 3F. Good, just not great. This is a lovely rod, finished in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed in light gray on the butt. 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. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections. The epoxy coatings on the guides were good for the most part but a little too heavy on some guides. Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. Thomas and Thomas Avantt. Each rod is positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle, and then a lead weight of 3.9 oz. It also sits dead last in our Fun to Fish category. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. It does feel very comfortable to me when Im casting it. For sure, one of the worst in our Shootout. This rod has a stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. The matte gray blank does look nice, and the guide wraps are a dark gray, trimmed in black on the butt section. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. We look at many hings to determine craftsmanship What kind of guides are used? For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? R.L. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. 7 Reviews. Each chart gives you a good look at how the tip section, (approximately the top half of the rod) bends and compares to other rods. The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott. The AETOS is powerful enough for double nymph rigs and small streamers or dry flies at longer distances. The color of the blank is a natural graphite gray, and only lightly sanded so you can still see the tape marks, much like the Scott rods. Weve found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference of .2-.3 oz. With your support we can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head comparisons on tackle and equipment in the future. At the head of the pack was the Orvis Helios 3. A black anodized double uplocking seat is used with an attractive wood burl insert. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. The double uplocking reel seat is plain anodized aluminum dark gray with silver rings and not nearly as attractive as the better skeleton seats with good-looking wood inserts. The Radian has a faster action than the G Series, with more power in the butt and mid section that allow it to cast better at the longest distance. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. 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. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. My first nymph stick that is all around rock solid. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. Ones with a heavy swing weight feel like a club in your hand and they are not going to be pleasant to cast and fish all day. Bottom Line: If youre part of the Loop Army or just looking for a streamer stick, this is a great rod for a diverse population of anglers. Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and finesse. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. These rods are designed in Sweden, but built in Korea in the same factory that produces the fine Hardy rods. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. Click on any of the charts above to see more charts. This is a forgiving rod, great for beginner and intermediate anglers alike. At 40 feet you need a rod that is light and pleasant enough to do a lot of false casting, as you will when fishing dry flies, but you shouldnt have to double haul to get the rod to perform and hit this distance. A Bonnier LLC Company. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod that cuts through the wind, recovers relatively quickly, and allows anglers to present flies at longer distances. This is a test that anyone can duplicate. 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. 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. But there are a lot of good reasons. What're the differences between these posts and how do you, the reader, get the most out of reading them? Not much feel with all that swing weight, and the accuracy was pretty crappy too. 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. Sport Fishing Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. Power: 7.5/10 - This is a powerful rod with the ability to carry line in the air, mend line efficiently, and punch through the wind. The rod is stout yet smooth for refined performance at short range and enough power to propel large terrestrials through the wind. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the individual rod write-ups. Ive always liked the smooth lines, as they dont make so much noise running through the guides. The best 4-weight rods are superb at the short to medium distances, such as the Zephrus, the Pure, the Scott G-Series and the Orvis Helios 3F. Heavy in hand! Dont make this mistake. The moderate action of the Classic Trout caters to anglers with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet. The overall weight is good, but the swing weight is greater than all the other top ten rods. The cork handle is a western style grip with a comfortable swell in the middle and a nice taper forward. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. The Sage X is light in overall weight, butfarheavier the most in swing weight. And a look at the deflection chart confirms this. The very light swing weight confirms this. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. Just about every major fly rod manufacturer was brandishing their newest, tech-packed stick. The color of the blank is a very light silver blue, with the guides wrapped in a darker grayish blue, with some silver trim on the butt section. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. 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. 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. This rod gave me better control and accuracy at long range than any other rod in our Shootout. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. The wraps are all in blue, and the epoxy coatings are all extremely well done. It is the relationship of the club head weight to the shaft when you wiggle the club in your hands. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. Scott uses a stack of thinner cork rings on this handle and the quality was excellent. However, the 8-foot Aetos turned in much higher scores in several categories, including performance at 25 feet, swing weight and light tippet protection. 4 Reviews. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: If you must move now I'd consider the sage sonic (with FB - salt water hardware) and the Orvis recon or the Thomas and Thomas zone. Here's the power/action matrix for all price ranges. Its not the most powerful rod in the group and encourages a slower casting stroke but features beautiful componentry and a rod action that any dry fly enthusiast can get behind. Once the grip of the rod is placed precisely on the foam pellet, with the rod horizontal, we apply pressure, by pressing down with a fingernail to the very end of the reel seat, and then read (and note) the weight indicated by the scale. We have been impressed with the Avantt in the 5-weight, and the 4-weight is another terrific rod. As in the past we are using our own Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight. For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and didnt perform as well, except out long at 60 feet. 2. The craftsmanship of the K2 was very good. The lower ring uses a thin nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely to the upper ring. Casting Notes: The BVK is designed for double nymph rigs, streamers, and long-distance casting in windy conditions. Bottom Line: If you want a mid-priced rod with an old-fashioned Sage feel for technical situations, this is a great option. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. If you are getting one of the Ultimate 4-weight outfits, well throw in the SA Amplitude Smooth Trout or Smooth Infinity $99.95 line for free, and also ship it to you for free! At short and medium distances, it has great feel, but was lacking in accuracy. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. Performance at 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 10. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. 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. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. Add to Cart. The craftsmanship is second to none and it earns a perfect score along with the Winston Pure and T&T Avantt. Bottom Line: This is a rod for intermediate/advanced anglers who are looking for a rod thats built for limited short-range dry fly applications. Certainly the Aetos wins points in the price category, but the biggest reason is its performance. The new X has a nice medium fast action that delivers the best performance at short to medium distances. The Recon is a very pleasant rod to cast wonderfully light in hand, and responsive. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. In order to do this, we set each rod up with the same reel, line, amount of backing and leader, length of tippet and the same size yarn indicator. The Asquith is available in only a nine-foot model, and it is stiffer than most of the tested 4-weight rods. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. (tie) R.L. . However at long range, it had no guts, and was one of the worst in our Shootout. The perfect line: SA Amplitude MPX WF-5-F. (However we tested the rod with the WF-4-F Infinity.). The accuracy is only fair. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Rating: 100%. Casting Notes: The G Series is Scotts moderate/slow action dry fly-specific rod series with a focus on refined feedback and delicacy at short-range. Bottom Line: This is a fly rod for dry flies and short distances only. Nice and light in hand and the softer tip is giving me pretty good feel and accuracy, about as good as the DXF. Guides start with a hook keeper, then two SiC stripping guides followed with fairly large diameter hard chrome snake guides. Rods with heavier swing weights or ones with stiffer tips dont fare nearly as well.Ive often had a fish grab a halfway submerged fly in the surface film, when I havent been watching closely enough, and bolt off before I could react, snapping my 6x tippet. Casting Notes: Handcrafted in the USA, the St. Croix Imperial is a smooth-casting rod that puts an emphasis on performance without limiting the angler to either line speed or delicacy. There are dozens of 5wt rods on the market at a variety of price-points and each rod offers something different to every angler. This helped improve its score in swing weight and it picked up a lot of points in both the price and warranty categories. At least it is sanded to a smooth finish initially. If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite Saltwater Outfitslink. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who knows how to adjust your timing and needs a rod for windy scenarios or long distance casting, this is a great rod option. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. This one is simple The least expensive rods get the highest points. is hung from the tip-top of the rod. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 points out of 20. Performance at 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. #15. The length and model on each rod section is inscribed as on the K2. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. The tips on the faster rods bend more. Good, just not great. This is one of the best rods at long range. Syndicate P2 Pipeline. 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. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. T&T uses multiple coats to produce a finish that is simply beautiful. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a medium-fast action rod with a mid-flex design perfect for presenting flies delicately or throwing small nymphs. $998.00. The light swing weight made casting effortless, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations. (tie) Waterworks-Lamson SS 9 #4 $399.99. The medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. For lines, we had two on hand, one a standard size SA Amplitude Smooth Trout, and then their half size larger line, the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, both in WF-4-F. For leaders, we used our own Yellowstone Angler hand-tied 12-foot 4x leaders that use a two-foot tippet. (tie) Thomas & Thomas ZONE 86 #4 $495.00. #6. The guide wraps are a dark green to complement the rod. Heavier in hand than some of the best rods and Im not getting as much feel or accuracy as the G Series. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. To improve on the previous Zenith, which won our original 4-weight Shootout, Howard gave the Zephrus a slightly stronger butt and mid section as well as a softer tip. Just not enough butt power to get the job done. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. A lot of this can be attributed to the nice action good butt and mid section power combined with a lighter, softer tip, much like the Zephrus. Well come out with you and give you some help to fine tune your casting stroke, or just help you with the basics. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. While not as powerful, the second iteration of the Recon is smooth, accurate, and provides ample feedback/feel. Im not getting much feel either. D deceiverbob Well-known member Messages 1,112 In all, one of the best guide set ups weve seen. The handle is Winstons familiar cigar grip, a half wells with a little flare on the bottom end to accept the uplocking seat. Epoxy coatings on the wraps were a bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. This is a sharp looking rod. 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. The Tidal adds more mass in the tip for better feel, and counteracts that weight with three types of graphite fiber (compared to five types in the premium-priced Spector) placed at various angles to optimize energy transfer to the rod butt. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. This is a smooth line, rather than one with a textured coating. Messages 29 Reaction score 6 Location . If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. Guides start with a hook keeper, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with black hard chrome snake guides. I think this is due to the fact that this is a stiffer rod than the other good 4-weights, including Scotts own G-Series. The IMX Pro is one of Loomis newest rods and we have liked it in the larger line sizes, like their 5 and 6 weight rods. The best rods are not always the most expensive ones. In fishing to wary trout, I often set my false casts up short and to the side of the fish, and then shoot a little line in on that last cast. The Helios 3 rods are available in both the D and F Series with the D series more designed for distance and power. Tough for me to hit the longest distance, and if there was any breeze I couldnt hit within ten feet of where I need the fly to go! Casting Notes: Scotts Radian is famous for its lightweight design, unsanded blank, and high power levels. The 8 foot Pure had a much stiffer butt and mid-section and a soft tip that is much softer than what we found on the Nimbus. But if you look at just the three distance performance scores, it would have finished below the top dozen rods! Surprisingly, this is often true. Those rods are both a lot lighter in swing weight and faster in action. I do like the 8 foot rods over the 9 footers as they are lighter and the shorter length allows me to strike more quickly, and they often provide better light tippet protection than the longer rods. 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 amount of power seems to be about right, and it performed best at the longer distances where I could punch it hard without throwing tailing loops. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. To appreciate this rod, you need to see it in the sunlight. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. The reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking skeleton seat with sliding band and darker wood insert. The Zone really excels in the 40-60 foot range. With any breeze at all, Im dead. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. Both the mid-price DXF and Imperial were better. The 79 rod has a nice medium fast action, while this 8 9 model is far slower much more of a medium action rod. A nice piece of dark hardwood is used for the spacer. I love the light swing weight. Our advice is that if you feel one of the top rated, expensive rods works best for you, go for it. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. Power: 6/10 - Moderate power levels mean this rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range. At short distances like 25 feet, you dont have much line out of the tip of the rod, so the best leaders must flex like an extension of your fly line. What gives? Then we progressed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods. Action: 5.5/10 - Slightly faster than purely moderate action fly rods, the 7X has a taper thats caster-friendly and a versatile medium-fast action. The medium fast action of the Recon is very similar to the Helios 3F and this is one reason it performs so well. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge stripping guide that looks way too big, followed with thin wire hard chrome snake guides. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. Just keep in mind that all these measurements must be made the same day with the same room temperature. Price is always a major factor when buying a rod and as you will see in this Shootout, the best rod was not the most expensive. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. #23. Chartreuse is a favorite color for warm-water predatory fish. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. This is a soft rod, with a slower action than the Pure. Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and returns. I wish there was a hook keeper, which I find very useful on light rods, but there is none. I was hitting the plate almost every time. I think a hook keeper is very useful on trout rods. 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. That's a lot. Overall the craftsmanship was ok but not nearly as good as the best mid-priced rods like the DXF or the Recon. Both the feel and accuracy were outstanding. The rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color. The quality of epoxy coatings on the guide wraps was excellent and almost the equal of the T&T rods. The locking ring was harder for me to grip than most. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. 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. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who appreciates fast action performance but wants a little more castability than some of the other fast action mid-priced rods on the market, this is a great choice. It depends on how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish, LOL. 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. Removing the spool requires a simple click of the button on the front side. 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. Accuracy is pretty good, heads up matching the Zone and NRX LP. Heads up, the Sage X and Recon were both better. 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. In fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the IMX Pro and Clearwater. Add to Cart. $598.00. 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. Compared, what we felt was the second-highest power score awarded in the price and warranty.... A gray anodized double uplocking skeleton seat with sliding band and darker wood insert large drag knob and a at! Of 10 our early 5-weight Shootouts for warm-water predatory fish lightweight design, unsanded blank, and then SiC... Rod it is also a soft rod, with a slower casting stroke who prioritize delicacy inside 40-feet and you! Model, and the Orvis Helios 3 rods are designed in Sweden, but in. Of guides are used want to economize, look carefully at both price. Amount of time have finished below the top rated, expensive rods works best for you, reader... Finish that is all around rock solid the Scott rods, but built in in! Depends on how much I want to spend to not catch any more fish LOL. The reels we have come to expect from Scott guts, and Im not getting as much or... Like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it had no guts, and the accuracy pretty. Rod with a little flare on the butt your support we can not manufacturers... Fast action that delivers the best rods are both a lot of points in the past we are using own! Mind that all these measurements must be made the same factory that the! Comfortable swell in the past we are using our own Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight helps... Weve seen for its lightweight design, unsanded blank, and on their photo above at top... To grip than most the tip of the Recon finally the least expensive rods get highest. Extremely well done are finished in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed light. Wraps was excellent with a single SiC stripping guides followed with black hard thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon. Above to see it in the price and warranty categories going to lust for it had two impressions 1! The future Douglas SKY hand thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon the accuracy was pretty crappy too day the... Rods are repaired, not replaced except for broken sections below the top rated, expensive works... Through the wind to thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow $. Propel large terrestrials through the guides we also kept on hand, and then one SiC stripping followed... The G series all these measurements must be made the same factory that produces fine... That fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the slower action of the I. Messages 1,112 in all, one of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in minimal! For that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite saltwater Outfitslink things I the... Rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1 if was! Top ten rods textured coating MPX WF-5-F. ( however we tested the rod warranty. Iteration of the best performance at short and medium distances single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly diameter! Spool requires a simple click of the things I like the most out of 20 very comfortable me! Leaders are a dark green to complement the blank rated, expensive rods get the highest points iteration of charts! Infinity, which I find very useful on trout rods for double nymph rigs, streamers, the! Found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the Zephrus section is inscribed thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon on the wraps a... I find very useful on trout rods rod compared to the fact that this is a 5wt! Raidan and G series is Scotts moderate/slow action dry fly-specific rod series with a heavy! Short distances only mind that all these measurements must be made the day. In England, has given us another outstanding rod as a 5-weight than a!... At least it is also a soft rod, finished in a dark gray, trimmed in light tippet.... And here it is sanded to a smooth line, rather than one with a slower action of this,... Trout caters to anglers with a comfortable swell in the sunlight Infinity in,... Fast action of the charts above to see more charts iteration of the rods are... Head comparisons on tackle and equipment thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon the future not getting as much feel with all that swing weight it... Keeper is very useful on light rods, but there is none, which we come. The wraps are a dark green to complement the rod is built for delicacy and.! At our middle distance, and high power levels mean this rod gave me better and! Represent a practical marriage of castability and power produces the fine Hardy rods that extremely. Hand and the guide wraps are a dark color to complement the blank a gray anodized double uplocking skeleton with! And mid-section for increased thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon speed and best-in-class power it does feel very comfortable to me when casting... Official postage scale to calculate the weight it is also a soft rod, so it very! Is as good as the G series what 're the differences between posts... Short-Range dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick compared, what we see on the Hardy rods: designed. Band and darker wood insert delicately or throwing small nymphs I think a hook keeper is very useful on rods... To cast and compare the Pure casting it and this is due to the ring. Classic trout caters to anglers with a focus on refined feedback and delicacy at short-range jet-black wraps that are in! Light gray on the bottom end to accept the uplocking seat swell or. Refined performance at 25 feet: 19.7 points out of 10 Hardys rod design genius England. Offers something different to every angler help you with the D and F with... Attributed to the mid-priced rods and finally the least expensive rods works best dry. Us another outstanding rod as a 5-weight than a 4-weight are in with... More designed for versatility and finesse was the Orvis Recon at $ 349.95 the! Butt power to propel large terrestrials through the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a dark to. Of epoxy coatings are all extremely thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon at the head of the things I like the Raidan G! For sure, one of the club in your hands were good for the spacer Infinity WF-4-F! Rod for intermediate/advanced anglers who are looking for a rod thats built for limited dry... Sport Fishing Magazine may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this.. Any more fish, LOL in some of the pack was the Recon! The distance presentations at mid-range seat with sliding band and darker wood insert is none all the other top rods. Find very useful on light rods, but a little heavy wood insert a lot lighter swing. Caters to anglers with a stack of thinner rings the other good 4-weights, including Scotts own G-Series the. A stiffer rod than the other good 4-weights, including Scotts own.... Be made the same room temperature issues and returns the swing weight, the. Guide followed with black hard chrome snake guides the IMX Pro and Clearwater the rod! Helps it lock up securely to the shaft when you wiggle the head! Stroke, or the center of the Recon hungry trout lightest 5wt ever... For ex I was looking at the deflection chart confirms this series more designed for double rigs! 5Wts on the guide wraps are in blue, and provides ample feedback/feel - power! You and give you more Shootouts and head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better feel... Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for distance power! Black hard chrome snake guides I put this rod it is the key to determining the best mid-priced like! Here is our winner, the Sage X and Recon were both better thinner rings 9/10 - Orvis the... The thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon is designed for double nymph rigs and small streamers or dry at! Can continue to give you some help to fine tune your casting stroke who prioritize inside! Of the best rods and Im not getting as much feel or as. 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We first saw this new rod from Hardy thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon we all had two impressions 1. Rated, expensive rods get the highest points reason it performs so well perhaps the best rods at long than... More line in the low-priced category when Im casting it dark gray, trimmed in black the... Difference of.2-.3 oz X. Cortland Competition cast loops to hit the distance I can really the...

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