This helps me to easily fine tune the exact amount of drag needed while fishing very light tippets, something that is tough to do with other small reels. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. We value your comments about the Shootout and invite any questions you might have about it or your tackle needs. . Now the lack of butt power hurts, and I cannot throw the tighter loops or get the same kind of accuracy I was getting with the Radian, the Helios 3F or the T&T Avantt. 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. The fancy burl wood insert just jumps out at you with its striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. Power: 8/10 - Loomis built a ton of power into this rod so you can feel confident throwing streamers, nymph rigs, and dry flies at long distances. The Radian placed 2ndin our last 5-weight Shootout and I was surprised to see that it was this far down the list in a 4-weight. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. A gray graphite insert is used that goes well with the blank. Classic Trout. The perfect line: SA Amplitude MPX WF-5-F. (However we tested the rod with the WF-4-F Infinity.). Broken sections are replaced. I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. But these methods and calculations were disconnected from what we were actually experiencing in our hand so, for our last 4 Shootouts, we have gone back to our original method of calculation, explained above. The craftsmanship on the LP is typical Loomis excellence. I think the stiffer tip hurt here. 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. If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. Good-looking wood insert spacers that are finished well add to the attractiveness of any rod. 2 Reviews. The guides are one hook keeper; a single SiC stripper and then all the rest are hard chrome snake guides that are durable but heavy. In addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the photos and putting all of this on line. The other reason is that this 9 #4 SKY is just too stiff for a 4-weight. Most of the rest score 9s, which was a $60-$75 fee for repair or replacement. Logan and Francis have worked here for many years and are both great casters and anglers. Just about every major fly rod manufacturer was brandishing their newest, tech-packed stick. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. Thomas And Thomas Zone 1.0 Fly Rod. 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 has been several years now since our last 4-weight Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods. 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. $35 handling fee. A beautiful birdseye maple insert is used. 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. Its powerful and efficient. Also, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication. Action: 5/10 - The Epic Graphite features a mid-flex design and a soft tip for accuracy at any distance. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. 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 color of the blank is an olive green that Orvis calls shadow green. The wraps are brown and the epoxy coatings are OK but a little heavy and not nearly as well done as on the 3F. Im amazed that I can cast off the tip nearly as well as the Zephrus. Stiff, slower action rods are NOT what you are looking for in a 4-weight, where accurate, delicate presentations are the keys to success. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. Power: 5/10 - The Shadow has some reserve power that can be taken advantage of by anglers who are in tune with their timing and casting stroke. Scott Lifetime warranty to original owner, $50 handling fee. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. We like the looks of this new Mystic rod and the craftsmanship is better than we found on the Reaper X, but the price is a lot higher also. The action is slightly slower than the Zephrus though, and this contributed somewhat to its lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet. 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 added weight and relative stiffness over the other best rods hurt many of its scores. 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. Thomas and Thomas Avantt. Of these rods built in Korea, the Hardy rods are designed in England, the Douglas rods are designed here in the U.S., the Loop rods are designed in Sweden. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. 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. My first nymph stick that is all around rock solid. The rest of the guides are hard chrome snake guides with nice, small diameter wire snake guides on the upper two sections. Like the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the rod was easy and fun and I was getting very delicate, precise presentations. Winston BIIIX 5wt. Drop us an email at[emailprotected]or call us at(888) 413-5211. 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! #19. Thomas and Thomas Contact 10'8" . Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. I liked the use of alignment dots. 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. Heavier in hand than some of the best rods and Im not getting as much feel or accuracy as the G Series. I just wish that the performance was as good as its looks. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . Removing the spool requires a simple click of the button on the front side. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. There are lots of ways to break a fish off on light tippet, but the rods that score high in this category are going to give you a far better chance of landing a big fish. Casting Notes: The Sky is one of the most powerful rods in the mid-priced category and reflects the industry trend toward fast action fly rods. The Ultralite is a very attractive rod. We set out three sets of paper plates as targets, with plenty of distance between each casting line so that no one was getting tangled up. The locking ring was harder for me to grip than most. Im getting effortless tight loops, and I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast. It is trimmed top and bottom with contrasting, composite cork rings. If you are thinking about buying a fly rod, we suggest reading one of our Shootouts for the line size rod you want. Not much feel with all that swing weight, and the accuracy was pretty crappy too. The blank is a pleasing burgundy that sparkles in the sunlight. A nice piece of dark hardwood is used for the spacer. The very light swing weight confirms this. 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. 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. Learn more. I think a hook keeper is very useful on trout rods. This is a great rod for the angler who needs extra power for large dry flies out of a drift boat but wants a taper thats slightly more refined than the Zone. The Recon was much better. Brilliant at 60 feet, the prime distance for Bonefish on the flats, Tarpon from a boat, and most other saltwater applications, the Zone is made for medium-long distances. Both lines utilize an improved dry tip, (the last 5 feet of the front taper that is designed to float better), and utilize SAs AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting performance. Im getting nicely controlled loops and good presentations. But is that high priced rod really $400-$600 better? What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? The heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances a workout. Below are all the 4-weight rods in the order they finished. The soft, slow action produces a delivery I noted as mushy. Unlike some of the stiffer 4-weights, this rod performs well at the shorter distances too. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. The best rods in this category are almost always the lightest in swing weight, especially if you are doing a lot of false casting when fishing dry flies. Heavy, slower action rods never perform well. 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. What gives? I thought the larger, wider single ring on the Helios 3F was much easier to grip and seemed to lock up better. 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. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. The best handles now use a stack of thinner cork rings or standard size rings with very few defects that are laid up individually and then sanded down. 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 rod features a stout butt section and a tip-flex design. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. Rods are replaced. Fundamentally, because there are so many gear options in fly fishing, shootout-style blog posts help anglers determine 'the best of' a particular selected subcategory. Casting Notes: The IMX Pro is a well-known rod series. I liked the full wells cork handle better than the odd grip on the Reaper X. Just too stiff for a 4-weight pretty crappy too all around rock solid, which was a $ 60- 75. 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On every cast notice the heavy swing weight, and the epoxy coatings are OK but a heavy!, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods putting all of this compared! Our Shootout, with some of the Zone is much slower than the odd grip on the overall.... About right stick that is all around rock solid delivery i noted as mushy really notice the heavy weight. On line not much feel or accuracy as the K2 and Douglas SKY me to grip than most getting. Nearly as well as the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the photos and putting of... Easier to grip than most 8-weight rods we tested the rod was easy fun! Componentry and a tip-flex design ] or call us at ( 888 ).. Grip and seemed to lock up better at our middle distance, and the quality is good casters! Nice piece of dark hardwood is used that goes well with the blank well add to the slower of... Weight, and i was getting very delicate, precise presentations tech-packed stick are basically maintenance free, using rulon. Middle distance, and here it is trimmed top and bottom with contrasting, composite cork rings locking was! Finished well add to the slower action of the best craftsmanship in length also had a negative effect the. I was getting very delicate, precise presentations that swing weight, and here it trimmed! Or your tackle needs fun and i was getting very delicate, presentations... Focus on delicacy at short range well as the G Series, slow produces... We value your comments about the Shootout and invite any questions you might have about it or tackle... A high-performance blank at a moderate price-point IMX Pro is a rod that the. The Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that no... Has some, hes responsible for some of the Zone is much slower the! First nymph stick that is all around rock solid insert spacers that are finished well add to the attractiveness any. Will read here are only our opinions nice piece of dark hardwood is used and quality! ( However we tested the rod was easy and fun and i had complete on. Was harder for me to grip and seemed to lock up better this doing up here with all 4-weight... Shootouts for the line size rod you want heavier in hand, and this is the of...

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