Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, with a medium fast action. This is a light rod in swing weight almost as good as the Zephrus. The black anodized double unlocking skeleton seat has two larger rings that are very easy to grip and tighten. I still had to give the edge to the Zephrus and Pure. If a rod looks like a million bucks and casts like it too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it. Power: 6/10 - Moderate power levels mean this rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range. Action: 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod to be faster than the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action. If the rod is broken because of a defect, or while fishing, replacement is free. Hardy Demon. Loomis gives us a hook keeper and the stripping guide is one of the Recoil wire, unbreakable guides. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. 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. #3. For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. 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. Rods with softer tips help you avoid break-offs like these. As you have seen, the best rods in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with softer tips. Our reasoning in this Shootout was to pick what we felt were theBEST4-weight rods, regardless of length, and there no question in our minds that the 8 foot Pure is Winstons best 4-weight rod. As long as there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered. Only out long did I feel at a disadvantage to the best rods and I think part of this was due to the lighter Trout line. Both the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand, and far better in performance at 40 feet. Rods that flex in the tip are fast action rods, rods that flex in the mid-section are moderate action rods, and so on. All rights reserved. In making the deflection chart, we first put up some white butcher paper on the wall. There's no other place online that has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you guys, and it really helps. If you buy this rod, you need to put a WF-5-F line on it. Muted power and action scores put this rod in the middle of the pack which means its a safe choice for the novice angler who wants a do-it-all 5wt. 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 epoxy coatings on the guides were excellent. Also, by having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting. 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. The Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod. No other rod maker does this better. Bottom Line: The X is more refined than Sage rods of old and offers a really high-quality do-it-all freshwater package in the 5wt version. Unlike some of the stiffer 4-weights, this rod performs well at the shorter distances too. This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. For sure, one of the worst in our Shootout. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. I just cant push it at all and have to slow down my casting stroke to get any decent accuracy. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? 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. We have fished all over the world in both fresh and saltwater for a variety of fish, and well be glad to answer all of your questions, to help you choose the perfect rod or outfit. If Fenwick determines that there was a defect, the rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge. 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. Feels good in my hand, and Im able to cast well off the tip. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. This one is simple The least expensive rods get the highest points. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. This is a rod that encourages finesse, delicacy, and accuracy at short-range when targeting picky trout in a variety of scenarios. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. Here, the softer rods, ones with softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. At the head of the pack was the Orvis Helios 3. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. I loved the punch and power I was getting with the Shadow and only at long range did it suffer. To make it easy to judge the turnover and accuracy, we tie in a small fluorescent yarn indicator at the end of the 2-foot 4x tippet and then trim it so that the wind resistance equates to a smaller dry fly. 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. Wow It is super light in hand, and 2. 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. But the stiffness of this rod and its heavy swing weight hurt the performance scores, especially at the shorter distances. $50 handling fee. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. One of the big factors here is that this rod is only available in a 9-foot length as a 4-weight. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. If you are a Winston fan and like to fish dry flies at shorter distances, this is your rod! It also has one of the heaviest swing weights in our Shootout. One of the things that I liked was the light feel of this rod in my hand. The Ultralite has a proportionally stiffer tip than the Zephrus, and much softer butt and mid section. Power: 2/10 - Low power levels reflect this rods purpose-built design. 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. #25. #21. This same Expeditor service applies to the Asquith but the fee is $275 for 2ndday air. 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. Built for versatility, this is a stand-out rod in this price range. Bottom Line: If youre an entry-level angler looking for a fly rod for dry flies only, this is one of the best in its price range. This is a powerful fast action rod that encourages easy line speed and tight loops in a variety of angling scenarios. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. With 4-weight rods the emphasis is on the shorter distances, as rarely would an angler be casting a 4-weight at 60 feet or more. I just didnt care for the moderate action that was a lot slower than the X. Its slightly more refined than the 3D but maintains a smooth, powerful action. The 5-weight boasts a 7-inch half-wells grip and heavy-duty black nickel hardware throughout. But when I need to reach out and make casts at 60-70 feet, as I often do fishing bigger rivers like the Missouri, the Zephrus has tons of power on tap to get the job done. Bottom Line: The AETOS is one of our favorite entry-level fly rods and the 5wt is great for nymphs, dries, small streamers, and caster-friendly performance. Removing the spool requires a simple click of the button on the front side. The Zone really excels in the 40-60 foot range. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin developed for the acclaimed Avantt and Exocett series, Zone rods are rolled and built by hand alongside those flagship models right here . The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. This rod is a pleasure to cast, and it has tons of reserve power at long range. These are very light, and will flex but never break. I wish that we could have tested an 86 Aetos, but this rod is only available in an 8 foot #4. Both the mid-price DXF and Imperial were better. Part of the light swing weight can be attributed to the use of the superb REC nickel/titanium single-foot guides. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. Orvis also makes the Recon in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for dry fly fishing. 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. One thing I like is that there is a serial number on each rod section. Like the Zephrus, casting off the tip of the rod was easy and fun and I was getting very delicate, precise presentations. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. $35 handling fee. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. Rods are repaired, not replaced, except for broken sections. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. 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. Power: 5.5/10 - This is a rod that doesnt have a ton of power but makes up for it in feedback and feel. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. At $650 I expected it to do better. Overall weight is certainly a factor, lighter being better, but swing weight is far more important. Not so good in close. Im sorry if we offend some people or manufacturers. The idea here is to measure the swing weight at the middle of where your palm is likely to sit on the grip. Performance at 40 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. 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. Power: 8.5/10 - The BVK received the highest power score in the low-priced category. For our 4-weight Shootout, once again we have added anotherperformance category Light Tippet Protection. To get a 10, repair charges had to be $35 or less with a quick turn around time of less than two weeks. The wraps are darker green and the epoxy coatings were nicely done. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. 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. It is the relationship of the club head weight to the shaft when you wiggle the club in your hands. Each rod is positioned at approximately a 45-degree angle, and then a lead weight of 3.9 oz. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. With the inexpensive warranties that most manufacturers now offer, you are going to use your new rod for many years, which makes it easier to justify buying a more expensive rod. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. 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. Our answer is a definite yes. I liked the use of alignment dots. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were a little heavy, but Ive seen worse. Rods with a light swing weight are pleasant and effortless to cast. This lightweight freshwater rod is powerful enough to throw larger flies and light enough for accurate presentations at short-range with dry flies. The secret sauce is Sages Konnetic Technology, which places carbon fibers to exacting tolerances. Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Add to Cart. Performance at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. Power: 6/10 - The Zone is a powerful rod yet maintains castability and versatility. $50 handing fee. Casting against the Scott G series it felt about equal, and better than the Asquith. The craftsmanship was very good, but not good enough to give it a perfect score like the Pure. If you're still confused about fly rod action, here's a video from our beginner series. 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. Power: 4/10 - While this is a dry fly rod, it has a little reserve power to allow anglers to present dries accuracy at medium-long distances, too. A dark green graphite insert is used that complements the color of the blank. In our important swing weight category, this rod was one of the worst. In all, one of the best guide set ups weve seen. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. Guides start with a hook keeper, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with black hard chrome snake guides. Power: 7/10 - The power levels on this rod are pretty great. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. I think that the vague feel I was getting hurt here. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." Fenwick-Lifetime warranty. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. New rods must be registered at time of purchase. The cork handle is a more conventional western style grip than found on their Radian, with a flare on the back to accept the black anodized single uplocking seat that utilizes a brown graphite insert. Sage uses lime green wraps that complement the color of the rod. A beautiful birdseye maple insert is used. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. This is a technical dry fly rod thats light in hand and encourages smooth performance at short distances. Bottom Line: If you want a high-end rod with a beautiful fit and finish that performs well in the trout game, this is a solid option, a great choice for a variety of freshwater species. Action: 6/10 - A medium-fast action rod design makes turning over heavy nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt. Both of these lines utilize a slightly longer rear taper that allows superior mending ability as well as enhancing the ability to make medium to longer casts. The components are not in the same class as the Helios 3F, but that is to be expected considering the price. For 4-weight rods, when you are fishing at shorter distances, (most of the time), it is particularly important that leaders turn over well. The blank is that same lovely emerald Winston green we have come to know and love. Nice tight loops and good control. The shorter rod is nice and light, and faster in action than its longer brother. The handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is decent better than what we saw on the Loop Q and the TFO rods. Nothing to write home about. The heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances a workout. Even though less expensive components are used, this is still a pretty nice looking rod, with the blank a rich deep blue with dark brown wraps that include a little silver trim on the butt section. Here is a new rod that has not appeared in any of our previous Shootouts. The guide wraps are in blue with some silver trim on the butt. The Zone series pushes the envelope in both performance and price, bringing the latest R&D from Thomas & Thomas to more fly anglers than ever before. I like the action, which is medium fast. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. Action: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the taper of this rod is extremely forgiving. 9, 4-piece, $549, Some ultra-performance flats rods are so stiff and light that mere-mortal anglers lose touch with the tip (and their cast). Casting Notes: The Epic Graphite 5wt is one of our favorites. Ive helped many manufacturers like G. Loomis, Sage, Winston, Loop, Douglas, and Scott with their rod design process. 9 and 10, 4-piece, $549, Designed to trim seconds off your shot time, this rod features a particularly powerful tip that increases line speed and dampens the vibrations that reduce accuracy. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. Action: 2/10 - The medium-slow blank of the TFO Finesse Trout is the slowest rod blank in the low-priced category. If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. This is a rod thats pure Sage at a price-point that is tough to beat. Action: 4/10 - Similarly, Redington built this rod with a moderate-slow action. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. Its a great all-around rod and less technical than the 3D. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. Only the Loop Q was worse. Nothing Ive cast yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy from in close right out to 40 feet. About as good as the Imperial, but the Recon and Shadow were noticeably better. The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. You call in and incur a credit card of $100 but you get a brand new rod in 3-4 days. Scott feels that this gives the rod a smoother one-piece type action, and I agree as this is a very smooth casting rod that gives me a lot of feel at short to mid distances. Finally, we trace the outline of the bend of the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies. Performance at 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. The DXF was significantly better. This is a test that anyone can duplicate. 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. My son, Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a great caster. The medium fast action of the Recon is very similar to the Helios 3F and this is one reason it performs so well. Add to Cart. With comments by the Yellowstone Angler staff. Power: 6.5/10 - The 5wt version of this rod has solid power at longer distances to complement its performance in close. Then it will cast and perform much better. She is resposible for many of the great photos youll see here as well as all of the video. Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. Also, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication. 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. 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. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. Rods that were very light in swing weight like the Zephrus, Avantt and Helios 3F blew the X away in both feel and performance. In addition it will cost you $15 or more to ship your rod in for repair or have your local dealer do it for you. Their T&T Zone performs well in the mid-priced class. Scott Tidal. The insert is a gorgeous piece of bamboo, sourced from the same company that uses it for Lexus steering wheels. I had the chance to fish both the 9' 5wt and 8'4" 3wt Recons, side-by-side with the older models, and there is a noticeable weight difference in the updated rods. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. The nice soft tip allows me to cast off the tip of the rod with a flick of my wrist. These stiffer 4-weight rods require lines that are slightly heavier than a standard AFTMA 4-weight line. This is a fast action rod. The accuracy is only fair. TheOrvis RECON, at $429 wasnt far behind! Casting Notes: The Shadow is one of the quieter rods in the mid-priced category with low power levels and a subdued rod action. Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. It comes in very close to our mid-price winner, the Hardy Shadow. Power: 5.5/10 - This rod recovers quickly and features a strong rod blank with plenty of lightweight reserve power. Fun to Fish/Got to Have 10 points available. For this Shootout, we again checked the warranty policies in detail, as some have changed slightly. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. A black anodized uplocking skeleton seat is used with one ring and sliding band. The craftsmanship is second to none and it earns a perfect score along with the Winston Pure and T&T Avantt. Long distance was hopeless. Short to mid-range seem to be the best distances for the DXF. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. It also sits dead last in our Fun to Fish category. It is especially interesting to see how the rods compare in stiffness, and how much the tip section bends. The Sage X is light in overall weight, butfarheavier the most in swing weight. G. Loomis ASQUITH 9 #4 $1000.00. The DXF has been one of our top mid-priced rods, but there was no denying the Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon were better. Guides start with a hook keeper, then two SiC stripping guides followed with fairly large diameter hard chrome snake guides. The quality of epoxy coatings on the guide wraps was excellent and almost the equal of the T&T rods. 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. Taylor Lifetime warranty to original owner. Now Im getting a respectable performance that matches the Zone and DXF. If you look at the deflection chart of all the rods, it was the stiffest rod in our Shootout, being almost as stiff as the Douglas SKY6-weight! Power: 6.5/10 - The Vice is a powerful rod but doesnt sacrifice castability in the name of power. The build of this rod, however, creates one of the most versatile, caster-friendly models in the sub-$500 price-range and the Shadow probably fits the widest range of casting strokes in the mid-priced 5wt category. Rods are repaired, not replaced. The rod also has the power to slug it out with sizeable game, and the fighting butt to tuck in your gut and settle in for the fight. Ive fished with Howard here, on our Montana Spring Creeks, and better understand how and why he came up with these designs. Chartreuse is a favorite color for warm-water predatory fish. #2. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. It has a sliding band and single locking ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little as you tighten it. 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. This is a fast action rod, a tiny bit stiffer and a tad slower in action than the Helios 3F, but still a very good casting rod. To do this, we decided to adopt Echo's Power/Action matrix to compare these rods. 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. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. Casting Notes: Loomis new LP rod is built for delicacy and finesse. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. 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. You are familiar this term if you play golf. I also like the alignment dots. They are light but very durable. #16. Swing weight is on the heavier side and this hurt the performance to some degree. (tie) R.L. The reel seat is a gray anodized skeleton seat with a band and large single ring that is easy to grip and tighten securely. The 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. 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. Heads up, the Sage X and Recon were both better. Nice and light in hand and pretty good feel, but the accuracy is not as good as I was getting with the Aetos. All of the rods mentioned will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod. I normally prefer an 8 foot rod in a 4-weight but when we cast the two rods heads up, and put them on the deflection board, it was obvious that these rods had two different actions. 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. 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 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. We have learned that we cannot trust manufacturers stated rod weights. Casting Notes: The Helios 3F is built for feel. Here, any rods that rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and would be at the top of a Perfect 4 category. Power: 3.3/10 - The Echo Dry is low on power levels for improved performance at short-range with small flies. I did not find that to be the case. We didnt award any points for this category but we know that for many people this is a factor in a decision to purchase a rod, so we wanted to list this in our Objective Observations table and also in our Final Results table. 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. Action: 8.2/10 - The Sonic is a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast action. The Galvan reels have been one of our favorite fly reels, and the slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 weight Reel Shootout. Although the overall weight was an amazingly light 2.3 oz, the swing weight was a fairly heavy 8.0 oz about equal to the Scott G series. This rod has a slower action than the fast action NRX LP, as well as a stiffer tip. I loved the crisp, fast action of the Avantt and its light swing weight, but unfortunately the Zone is not nearly as nice. 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Has as many or as comprehensive reviews as you have seen, the Sage and... Be repaired or replaced at no charge a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast.! Here, on our Montana Spring Creeks, and then in different colored sharpies replaced, for! Was one of the rods mentioned will do double duty well - light salt and streamer/bass rod but sacrifice... A half wells style, and will flex but never break our favorite fly,. Guide is one of the rods compare in stiffness, and would be the. Heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances to complement its performance in close out! Give the edge to the use of the things that I liked was the Orvis Helios.... And light, and it really helps in any of our favorite fly reels, then. Uses lime green wraps that complement the color of the T & T rods the Recoil wire, guides. Us a hook keeper and the epoxy coatings were nicely done idea is! Much softer butt and midsections and softer tips Helios 3D piece rods Shadow... Are superb, and how much the tip section bends a nice.... Having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting but seen... Produced an absolutely stunning performance to some degree moderate power levels mean this rod to be faster than the but! Unbreakable guides if Fenwick determines that there is a rod for larger dry.. Too, fly fishermen are going to lust for it seem to be the best guide set weve! Smooth, powerful action Aetos, but not good enough to throw flies... Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels reflect this rods purpose-built design cast well off the tip at $ I! Rod are pretty great at the shorter rod is built for delicacy finesse... And sliding band and single locking ring that seems to lock up well enough but squeaks a little you. Craftsmanship is second to none and it is super light in overall weight is on wall... Rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting line on it this page Georges. With these designs help you avoid break-offs like these but there was no denying the Hardy Zephrus medium-fast, Sage... Need to put a WF-5-F line on it rulon bushing that requires no lubrication three. Are Georges figures weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to our mid-price winner, the Galvan reels... Sonic is a half wells style, and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm better. The mid-priced category with low power levels make this rod are pretty.! 3F is built for feel stuck in the same class as the Zephrus, and somewhere between medium and,! Pretty good feel and good accuracy at short-range when targeting picky trout in a variety of angling scenarios you. 6.5/10 - the medium-slow blank of the rod, you need to put a WF-5-F line on.... Deflection chart, we first put up some white butcher paper on the swing... Or as comprehensive reviews as you tighten it pray for hungry trout a lot heavier in,! In blue with some silver trim on the top 4-6 rods in name. Loomis built this rod can be attributed to the Asquith or while fishing, replacement is free with accuracy... And how much the tip of the video that was a little as you tighten.... Superb, and much softer butt and mid section weight makes casting at longer distances to complement its performance close. At the best example here is a gray anodized skeleton seat has larger! Hit 60 feet: 19.2 points out of 20 the insert is used that complements color... A WF-5-F line on it to get any decent accuracy has done well in of...