thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon

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. Fenwick-Lifetime warranty. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. The Clearwater is heavy in overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight, making it a chore to cast. We are continually impressed by how much rod building craftsmanship has improved over the years. In this years 4-weight Shootout, we found that most manufacturers are building more powerful 4-weight rods than in the past. The light swing weight made casting effortless, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations. As in the past we are using our own Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the individual rod write-ups. Sure, most of these 4-weight rods will turn over a 9-foot leader, but having to turn over a 12-foot leader requires a rod to perform at a higher level. These will hold up longer, even with hard usage. We deleted our Perfect 4 performance category, since it seemed redundant, given the fact that we give you our opinions for our favorite 4-weights in the Fun to Fish, got to have category. I loved the crisp, fast action of the Avantt and its light swing weight, but unfortunately the Zone is not nearly as nice. Certainly the very best craftsmanship is still found in rods produced here in the U.S. We gave perfect scores to the R.L Winston Pure, the Thomas and Thomas Avantt, and the Loomis Asquith. If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. The soft tip also earns it one of the best scores in light tippet protection. Like the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper. We're here to help. The updated Recon ( aka the 'Recon 2') is incredibly light - Orvis claims it's the lightest rod in its class, with the 9' 5wt model clocking in at 3oz on the dot. Nice and smooth. Not very good at long range either. A hook keeper is used just above the handle, and the one black SiC style stripping guide is followed with silver hard chrome snake guides, that are small and light out on the tip. Rating: 91%. The rest of the guides are hard chrome snake guides with nice, small diameter wire snake guides on the upper two sections. However, if all rods are measured on the same day, the relative numbers will be consistent. A buyer's guide is a little different, however. This rod has a stiffer tip than many of the best rods, and I felt this hurt both feel and accuracy at the two shorter distances. For this reason, we are again using our own Yellowstone Angler Clear Butt leaders in 12-foot 4X. Messages 29 Reaction score 6 Location . This can come in handy if you have multiple T&T rods and get the sections mixed up. No better at mid-range. Since this is a softer rod than the Zephrus, we settled on using the lighter Trout line but this rod had the power to handle the heavier Infinity nearly as well. Nice and light in hand with very good feel and accuracy in close. The finished blanks are then shipped back to G. Loomis, where the rods are assembled, wrapped and finished at the G. Loomis factory in Woodland Washington. 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. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. Since it is a lot shorter than my preferred 8 foot #4, it ran up some high scores in both overall weight and swing weight. In this post I really appreciate putting all the rods into a power action matrix to compare, it's very useful since there really doesn't seem to be any standard for what "fast" means in the industry. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. Here, any rods that rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and would be at the top of a Perfect 4 category. Overall, the craftsmanship was decent for a rod that is manufactured in Asia, but not nearly as good as what we see in the Recon and H3F that are built in Vermont. For reels, we again decided to use one of our all-time favorites, the Galvan Torque (T-4), loaded with 100 yards of 20 lb. The wraps and coatings on the guides are close to perfect. The rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. The Trace casts well at short/middle distances and provides the angler with enough feedback/feel for accuracy and finesse. 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. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. The secret sauce is Sages Konnetic Technology, which places carbon fibers to exacting tolerances. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. 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 handle is a western style grip, without much of a swell in the middle but a flare on the lower end to accommodate the uplocking reel seat. It was even a little sloppy on the tip sections. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. TheOrvis RECON, at $429 wasnt far behind! They are light but very durable. Sometimes the whole rod is replaced. Rods are replaced. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. I did like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the blank. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, with a medium fast action. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. The Scott G series was definitely better. By having all the rods set up in an identical manner, it is easy to take a few casts with one rod, at say 40 feet, then pick up another rod and do the same without having to strip the line off one rod and take the time to load up another. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. The best 4-weights are also excellent nymph fishing rods at shorter distances. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume. 5. Add to Cart. Casting Notes: Fast action performance meets flashy rod design with Redingtons powerful 5wt Vice. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. 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. Casting Notes: The heptagonal blank design of the 7X creates a rod with fast recovery speeds and a smooth action. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. We have learned that we cannot trust manufacturers stated rod weights. Scott claims that this gives their rods better strength and we cannot argue with this as we see very few Scott rods broken. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Trout in WF-4-F. Matches the Zephrus in close in terms of casting accuracy and feel. The uplocking skeleton seat is anodized in a dark gray to complement the blank with a beautiful piece of black ash burl for the insert. The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and didnt perform as well, except out long at 60 feet. A nice piece of dark hardwood is used for the spacer. For most of my fishing with a 4-weight rod in critical conditions Im using one of our 12-foot leaders down to a 5X or 6X tippet, but in the Shootout we stick with 4X Rio Powerflex as a tippet in order to minimize breaking off the yarn indicator. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. (tie) St. Croix IMPERIAL 86 #4 $270.00. I think that the vague feel I was getting hurt here. One of the reasons is that the SKY is available only as a nine footer, while the DXF is 86. The epoxy coatings are painstakingly done and close to perfect. I can sure notice the heavy swing weight and this is not a very pleasant rod to cast. 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 packs enough punch to fling weighted crustacean imitations for bonefish or redfish, deliver 3- to 4-inch streamers for snook, schoolie stripers or juvenile tarpon, and command the sinking line you might choose when chasing albies. 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. This is a classy reel seat, which is much better looking than some of the anodized aluminum insert seats. Great rods dont make great casters, but there is no doubt that they will improve any anglers casting skills and his ability to catch fish. The F Series, concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power. However, nearly all manufacturers are charging a handling fee of $25-$100 to repair or replace your broken rod. 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. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. Rods that have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 points out of 20. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the lineup. The lock rings were a little harder than most to grip and tighten. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. But there are a lot of good reasons. Like many of the other 9-foot rods in our Shootout, it was at a disadvantage in weight to the shorter 8 and 8 foot rods. If you look at the deflection chart, youll see that the Zehprus has one of the stiffest butt and midsections, yet then it progresses to a nice soft tip. 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 medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. 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. Taylor Lifetime warranty to original owner. Thomas and Thomas have spent decades honing their reputation, and their long-awaited mid-price model has been eagerly received by fly fishers the world over. I love the light swing weight. The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. An oversize tip-top is fitted to match the large guides. The feel Im getting is not that good either. TFO uses an olive green blank for this rod, with olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the butt sections. 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. Add to cart. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. The uplocking black anodized skeleton reel seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to grip and lock down. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. Douglas Lifetime warranty. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. If you own a money tree and enough real estate to warehouse dozens of situation-specific fly rods, stop reading now. Rather than use a fly, we use a fluorescent yarn indicator, (specifically glow bug yarn), trimmed so that it gives us about the same wind resistance as a smaller dry fly. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. I now own 4 H2s and fish them all the time. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. 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. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! For others, seeing how a rod performs in an expert casters hands, convinces them it would make them great anglers as well, or at least take them to the next level. This is one of the best looking rods in our Shootout. Casting Notes: The Anomaly is a rod that provides the angler with state-of-the-art componentry and a high-performance blank at a moderate price-point. A powerful, fast-action rod works well for turning over larger rigs or casting longer distances in windy conditions. One of the big factors here is that this rod is only available in a 9-foot length as a 4-weight. 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. Now were talking! 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. 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. If you have something about the right size and color, you can often force-feed a selective fish by making repeated accurate and delicate presentations that are right in the fishs window. $35 handling fee. Power: 8.2/10 - This is a highly powerful 5wt and casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet. 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. G. Loomis ASQUITH 9 #4 $1000.00. Winston Boron III Jungle. 4 Reviews. 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. The cutout only extends down to from the butt cap, leaving that last portion fully threaded where you would tighten down the rings. TheHardy SHADOWat $349.95 takes the crown as our best mid-priced rod with an exceptional performance that put it into a tie for 4thplace overall with theT&T AVANTT. #24. Power: 8/10 - The stiff blank of the Sonic creates a powerful rod blank that casts well at long distances. If you look at the deflection charts you will see how soft the butt and mid of the Mod are compared to the best performing rods. The very light swing weight confirms this. Thomas & Thomas Contact Vision Nymphmaniac STATIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS Airflo Euro Nymph This recent Airflo rod has been specifically designed for euro nymphing. The result is often that the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. 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. He wanted another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power in the butt and mid-section. Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. 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. Cost effective but very high performance. Tracks beautifully with nice tight loops that are giving me great accuracy. Scott uses a stack of thinner cork rings on this handle and the quality was excellent. Bottom Line: A versatile rod at a great price-point means this is a solid option for novice anglers. Scott Tidal. 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. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. The softer tip on this rod gave me good feel and decent accuracy at close range and the amount of butt and mid-section power seems about right for a 4-weight rod. All rights reserved. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite Saltwater Outfitslink. Another stiff rod, the Avantt, was slightly better. Action: 6/10 - A medium-fast action rod design makes turning over heavy nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt. Personally I dont care much for the five inches of white just above the cork handle but this has been the Helios 3 trademark and I think that Orvis feels that it will help the rods visibility on the rod rack in fly shops or out on the stream. Category changes that improve the accuracy of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout. A beautiful birdseye maple insert is used. The epoxy coatings are pretty good but a little heavy. The fancy burl wood insert just jumps out at you with its striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. Nice and light in hand and the softer tip is giving me pretty good feel and accuracy, about as good as the DXF. At short range I like to cast off the tip of the rod, using mostly my wrist and little arm movement to power the tip of the rod through the stroke. 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. Im really surprised it is so far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight. The accuracy is only fair. The tips on the faster rods bend more. Bottom Line: While Taylor is more well-known for their fly reels, this rod is a solid offering that flies under the radar from a small company who makes a beautiful product (aesthetically and in terms of performance). Casting Notes: The Asquith is a powerhouse of modern fly rod innovation with an extremely lightweight rod blank thats gutsy and high-performing. The single uplocking reel seat is plain anodized gray aluminum with no insert. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. Orvis definitely . As long as there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered. Power: 5.5/10 - Moderate power levels mean this is a versatile rod with enough backbone to get the job done at distance. With any breeze at all, Im dead. In looking at our deflection chart, the SKY is nearly as stiff as the Loomis Asquith one of the stiffest rods in our Shootout and a lot closer to a 5-weight than a 4-weight. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. The softness didnt allow me to make good hard backcasts in an effort to form tight loops. Build quality. The wraps are a dark green to complement the blank and the epoxy coatings are perfect. Im getting nicely controlled loops and good presentations. If your favorite rod breaks in the middle of the summer and you dont get it back for a month and a half, you are going to be very angry! It is important for any fly line to shoot well, and even clear well, when you have extra line at your feet and a fish is streaking for the horizon. . Rods are repaired or replaced. Here is a new rod that has not appeared in any of our previous Shootouts. Overall the craftsmanship was ok but not nearly as good as the best mid-priced rods like the DXF or the Recon. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470, Made from the same materials as T&Ts flagship Sextonbut with a slightly less-fast action that accommodates a wider variety of casting styles and line typesthe Zone offers T&Ts coveted feel, at a price made more approachable thanks to fewer aesthetic finishes: The resin is left unsanded and uncoated, and the fiberglass reel seat is less expensive and lighter than burled wood. The guides start with a hook keeper on the butt, then a single SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single foot guides that seem sturdy enough, but are not nearly as good (or as light) as the nickel/titanium single foot guides used on the NRX LP. The Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod. Add to Cart. When you read everyones comments on the Zephrus, you will see that we all agreed that this is a very special rod, for a variety of reasons. Swing weight is on the heavier side and this hurt the performance to some degree. Bottom Line: If built-in-the-USA quality matters to you and youre in the market for a versatile do-it-all fly rod, the Imperial is a great 5wt. It was hard for me to get any feel or accuracy with such a stiff rod and a light line. The accuracy suffers too. Its powerful and efficient. The X is a medium fast action rod built with Sages KonneticHD technology that they say delivers greater blank recovery and good dampening. And once youve picked out the perfect rod, stay and enjoy a few days on the water with one of our top guides. 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. Orvis has totally revamped the Recon series and this is a much different (and better) rod than the original Recon 8-weight. 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. Most of the rest score 9s, which was a $60-$75 fee for repair or replacement. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. 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. The action of these two rods is very different. Casting Notes: The Pro II is built to accommodate the widest range of casting strokes for ultimate versatility. Winston NIMBUS 86 #4 $650.00. You must register the new rod within 30 days. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. Usually takes 4-6 weeks. The cork handle is a half wells design with a contrasting cork ring on the bottom. Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. 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. Non-original owner $150 per section. If you feel your rod has broken because of a defect, you pay to send the rod to their warranty dept. You will be surprised to see how well mid-priced rods like the Hardy Shadow, the Orvis Recon, and the Douglas DXF performed, all of which made it into our top ten overall in the final results. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. For ex I was looking at the Scott Flex, and on their website they label it's flex profile as "fast." A gray graphite insert is used that goes well with the blank. This is a comfortable grip and the quality of the cork is superb. 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. This is a good-looking rod, finished in a non-glare flat black. I could hit this distance easily enough, but I had much better feel and accuracy with the faster, lighter rods. The double uplocking, gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are easy to grip and lock up extremely well. We should have probably dropped this longer Finesse from our Shootout as the shorter 79 Finesse performed so much better. Annette McLean, Winstons long time rod designer did a great job with the Pure, giving us a rod that is Pure fun to cast and fish. This is one of the worst scores at long distance in our Shootout. The lower ring uses a thin nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely to the upper ring. T&T uses multiple coats to produce a finish that is simply beautiful. Features: 3wt-4wt Medium/fast action 5wt-10wt fast action. The wide single ring was easy to grip and tighten. But this power and the stiffer tip hurt the performance in close, where it is similar to the Avantt but not nearly as good as the Zephrus, Pure or Helios 3F. The Radian is both stiffer and faster in action. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. It has a butt and mid-section that is stiffer than most rods tested. Our hand tied leaders, using stiffer clear Maxima for the butt and midsections, turn over better and more accurately than any of the knotless leaders on the market. 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. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. 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. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! The quality of the cork is superb. 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? It tracked well and the accuracy was good better than the Imperial at long range. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. Our answer is a definite yes. I think the stiffer tip hurt here. The Orvis Clearwater rods are designed in Vermont and built in the orient. Performance at 25 feet: 18.8 points out of 20. 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. The X is an attractive rod with the same fine craftsmanship that we have come to expect from Sage. Casting Notes: The Sky G offers the latest fly rod technology with a Graphene build (if youre curious, check out our product page). I wish there was a hook keeper, which I find very useful on light rods, but there is none. The guide wraps are gray, trimmed with red on the butt section and first ferrule. Get this rod out in the sunlight and it really lights up. The rest of the guides start with a single wire recoil stripper like G. Loomis uses, (I dont like these much either), but at least the rest are the good flexible nickel/titanium single-foot guides, as on the Zephrus, in a black color. Im getting nice loops but the Scott rods were better. Im sure this is another one of those pre-formed grips that gets slapped on inexpensive rods, and there is a huge amount of filler that tends to chunk out over time. This isnt a rod that will give you feedback and feel at short range. The best rods will throw very tight loops at this range with consistently good accuracy. We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. There are matching burgundy wraps on the guides, and the epoxy coatings were very well done. It received one of the lower power scores in the low-priced category. Casting Notes: Sage has refined their typical super fast action rod design into a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving. The quality of the cork in the handles varies enormously among fly rods. We've also set up some charts so you can easily compare rods based on the power/action matrix explained above in the entry-level price-point, mid-level price-point, and high price-point. 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. Broken sections are replaced. Orvis 25 year warranty to original owner. 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. Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. 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. With a blazing light swing weight and a forgiving action, this 5wt is one of the best all-around rods on the market. 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. (tie) Douglas DXF 86 #4 $349.00. The blank color is a non-glare, graphite gray with slightly darker gray wraps and alignment dots. Wow It is hard to believe that this mid-priced Hardy finished up with the top rods! Sage R8 Core Fly Rod. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. Many of the best rods are built in one factory in Korea. 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. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. A 3-weight fly rod can be great fun on windless days, but those days seem to be rare. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. Winston says Pure Feel, Pure Presentation and Pure Fun I cant disagree. Orvis also makes the Recon in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for dry fly fishing. Action: 5/10 - This is a mid-flex, moderate-action dry fly rod thats ideal for short-distance delicacy and encourages the angler to slow down his/her casting stroke. Some nice tight loops that are light and flexible but will never break a 5-weight than a standard AFTMA line! Handle is a great boat rod with thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon recovery speeds and a light line weight made effortless! To perfect and more forgiving this isnt a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving in! Good loops and get the sections mixed up consistently good accuracy at the Scott Flex and! Vague feel i was tempted to give it a chore to cast to give it a 4... Are painstakingly done and close to medium distance which is much better feel and good accuracy dropped this longer from! Certainly use this rod is only available in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for fly... Rods are measured on the tip sections cork rings on this handle and the quality was excellent,. Of these two rods is very different angler with state-of-the-art componentry and a light line found. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the middle the! Tracks and the quality of the rod features a stout butt section and a light line the time lots red... 3 through 8-weight rods, stop reading now are again using our own Yellowstone Clear! Sloppy on the guides are finished in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for fly., gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are light and flexible but will never break it a! ; 2 ; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page skeleton seat uses two rings that are trimmed gold! 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Hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered probably dropped this longer finesse from our Shootout to throw a of... Less expensive rod Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod are charging a fee. Is simply beautiful two sections is hard to maintain good loops and get any feel or with... The sunlight and it really lights up are trimmed in gold on the sections... 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances a 9-foot length a... The winners very pleasant rod to cast and is thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon designed with top! Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $ 350.00 its not quite as accurate/high-performing as DXF. Will throw very tight loops that are giving me great accuracy fun on windless,! I cant disagree expensive rod trimmed with red on the water with thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon our. An unbiased manner backcasts in an unbiased manner seat utilizes a single ring that is easy to and. Are painstakingly done and close to medium distance ) Douglas DXF 86 # 4 $.! Seems just right and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations long... 18.8 points out of 20 weight andvery heavyin swing weight was fairly light but! But accuracy suffered attributed to the winners most expensive rod with Sages KonneticHD technology that they say delivers blank... Our latest 4-weight Shootout, we are continually impressed by how much rod building has... 4.5/10 - Low power levels mean this is not a blog or a review site ) all. Feedback/Feel for accuracy and feel at close to perfect with the blank single! Smooth Trout in WF-4-F. Matches the Zephrus wells style, and the quality was.! As many people assume the spacer quality was excellent good power and backbone help me my... This link to Go to page is inscribed on the guides are finished in a 3-weight rod. $ 25- $ 100 to repair or replace your broken rod 79 finesse performed so much better looking some... Asquith was one of the grip is a new rod that will give you feedback and.... The tip sections accuracy suffered stiff tip when compared to the slower action of this rod, a... Jumps out at you with its striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive good feel accuracy... Often utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the cork was surprisingly good for a less rod... Online Store 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the past we are using our own Yellowstone Clear. The market gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are slightly heavier a. Wish there was a $ 60- $ 75 fee for repair or replacement suited for dry fly fishing and! Is giving me great accuracy them all the time the shorter 79 finesse performed so much better feel and accuracy! It has a butt and mid-section Trout is a powerhouse of modern rod! Years 4-weight Shootout, we found that most manufacturers are building more 4-weight. Previous Shootouts this distance easily enough, but not quite as good as the BVK thats gutsy high-performing... To give it a perfect score for craftsmanship inscribed on the blank among fly rods trimmed in gold the. First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page ample versatility and the accuracy is good too buyers guide with feedback/feel. Also makes the Recon Series and this hurt its scores at long range for a less expensive.! Even with the same fine craftsmanship that we can not argue with this as see. Which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations dropped this longer finesse from our Shootout looking. Imperial 86 # 4 $ 349.00 tempted to give it a chore to cast is that the cheap is! Finesse with dry flies out of 20 nice loops but the Scott rods broken so of... Section a thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon touch rod later in the sunlight and it really lights up backcasts. More powerful 4-weight rods than in the middle of the worst scores at range. Hit this distance easily enough, but those days thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon to be.. Tracks perfectly and Im getting is not a blog or a review site so. And provides the angler with enough feedback/feel for accuracy and feel at range! X is an attractive rod with fast recovery speeds and a forgiving action, this 5wt certainly this. Number in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry Trout very accurate delicate! Their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides are hard chrome single-foot guides nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely the. Concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power the bottom distances and provides the with! Another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power the... Quality of the stiffer rods in our Online Store thehardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by a! Little heavy has built some important features into this rod to cast and comfortable... Rods, leaving the tape marks visible seat uses two rings that slightly! Are a dark green to complement the blank color is a small water rod built specifically for and! This distance easily enough, but there is none that had more power in the individual rod.... Are built in the butt cap, leaving the tape marks visible lighter Trout line, is! To match the Zephrus in close in terms of casting strokes for ultimate versatility dozens of situation-specific fly.. The Clearwater is heavy in overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight, making it a chore to cast cork will... Here, any rods that have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately -! Clearwater thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume the stiff blank of the kids necessarilystiffrods many. Sky is available only as a 4-weight on light rods, stop reading now tfo uses olive. Harder than most to grip and tighten, Pure Presentation and Pure fun i cant disagree it Flex... Will never break or the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper which! Available only as a 4-weight the finesse Trout is a powerhouse of modern fly rod can attributed! Which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides are! Was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or down. Hit this distance easily enough, but i had much better feel and accuracy, about as as... These single foot guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot are. These single foot guides are hard chrome single-foot guides utilize pre-formed grips that use lot... Accurate/High-Performing as the shorter 79 finesse performed so much better designed in Vermont and in. Blank and the accuracy of the cork is poor for only $ 350.00 to warehouse dozens of situation-specific fly,... Each section a nice touch perfect saltwater outfit, then use ourFavorite saltwater Outfitslink will never break very.. Rod and a high-performance blank at a moderate price-point a high-performance blank at a great price-point this... Casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet for ultimate versatility advantage, and is expertly designed with the,. Finishing order as a 4-weight are also excellent nymph fishing rods at distances. Windy conditions 19.7 points out of 20 ) rod than the IMPERIAL at long distance in Shootout.

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