I could really notice the heavy swing weight in my hand. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The craftsmanship was excellent and it performed very well for me, especially at 40 feet, where I was getting beautiful tight loops and very good accuracy. Because of the cost, we downgraded the Asquith to 7 points. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. No handling fee. I really expected to see this new G Series 4-weight challenge the best rods. It performed better than any of the sub $300 rods, including the Orvis Clearwater. Like the K2, the Q is only available as a 9-foot rod in a 4-weight. The best rods are not always the most expensive ones. Slower action rods with a heavy swing weight are not much fun to cast and as youll see the performance figures for this rod are dismal. All line recommendations are for the WF5F version of the line unless otherwise stated. The all-new Sage Maverick fits into a more moderate price-point with other fly rods like the T&T Zone and the Orvis Recon 2. Chartreuse is a favorite color for warm-water predatory fish. Bottom Line: This isnt the best rod for a novice angler who needs a forgiving rod action, but its a great option for the intermediate angler looking for a budget rod. This made it easy to judge one rod against another. Performance at 40 feet: 19.3 points out of 20. The feel was also superb, giving me confidence in the direction of my cast. Unlike some of the stiffer 4-weights, this rod performs well at the shorter distances too. Thomas & Thomas Avantt - $845 Thomas & Thomas Zone - $499 Winston Alpha - $935 To find out which 5-weights took home the top rung in each category, check out the Shootout results on the Yellowstone Angler's page, here! A little better here but the DXF still puts it to shame. For the price, it cant be beat. This rod has a slower action than the fast action NRX LP, as well as a stiffer tip. Here is a recap of each manufacturers current policy, their latest fees and what we have experienced for repair time required. The wraps are dark blue to match the blank and the epoxy coatings are excellent. Wraps are a darker red, (almost black), trimmed in brighter red on the butt. Sage R8 Core Fly Rod. In the performance distance categories it was better at 60 feet than at the closer distances, but the overall weight and swing weight made it a workout to cast. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a lightweight 5wt with contemporary fly rod technology thats tough to beat, some say this is the best 5wt on the market (Yellowstone Angler 5wt Shootout). We make a note of which was the best line with the write up on each rod. This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. Casting Notes: The BVK is designed for double nymph rigs, streamers, and long-distance casting in windy conditions. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. Ive helped many manufacturers like G. Loomis, Sage, Winston, Loop, Douglas, and Scott with their rod design process. Just keep in mind that all these measurements must be made the same day with the same room temperature. The X provides the angler with finesse in close and power when you need it, a nice combination of feedback and backbone. Certainly the Hardy Zephrus is a bargain as our choice for as the number one 4-weight rod. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $85 handling fee. 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. In Livingston we usually have plenty of wind, so we had to wait until we got some fairly calm days, to do the casting. Rods are repaired, not replaced, except for broken sections. $25 handling fee. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. The Fenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. The Recon is a very pleasant rod to cast wonderfully light in hand, and responsive. #27. 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. 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. It was hard for me to get any feel or accuracy with such a stiff rod and a light line. The other reason is that this 9 #4 SKY is just too stiff for a 4-weight. Logan and Francis have worked here for many years and are both great casters and anglers. And a look at the deflection chart confirms this. The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. There are dozens of 5wt rods on the market at a variety of price-points and each rod offers something different to every angler. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. Thomas And Thomas Zone 1.0 Fly Rod. Good, just not nearly as precise but the Zephrus and Pure. Performance at 25 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. When Im fishing dry flies Ill use a 12-foot leader most of the time as this keeps the fly line farther away from the fish, minimizing the number of fish you spook while casting. Chloe has been working in the shop for two summers and now works with us full time. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. This rod is so soft that I just dont have the power in the butt and mid sections to get good tight back cast loops, or the line speed I need to get the job done. The guides start out with a small hook keeper, then a single SiC stripper, followed with black, hard chrome single-foot guides. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 points out of 20. If you are a Winston fan and like to fish dry flies at shorter distances, this is your rod! I found the alignment dots handy. Our answer is a definite yes. 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. The wraps are all in blue, and the epoxy coatings are all extremely well done. One of the things I like the most is that they have a large drag knob and a very wide range of drag adjustment. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. Mayfly emergers are often stuck in the film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry trout. Performance at 60 feet: 9.5 points out of 10. We're a retailer (not a blog or a review site) so all of our funding comes from your gear purchases. $75 handling fee. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. 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. Ive found that it is almost impossible to judge accuracy and presentation if you have strong gusty winds, but having a little wind tells you a lot about how the various rods perform, especially at long distances. Casting Notes: Sage has refined their typical super fast action rod design into a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving. 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. For this reason, we are again using our own Yellowstone Angler Clear Butt leaders in 12-foot 4X. Certainly the Aetos wins points in the price category, but the biggest reason is its performance. In all, one of the best guide set ups weve seen. This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. Go. It is also a stiff rod almost as stiff as the SKY and IMX Pro. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. Those ravings were well warranted, given that the original Contact was a superb example of what a thoughtfully designed Euro rod could be. A contrasting dark composite cork ring is used at the top of the grip. Accuracy is pretty good, heads up matching the Zone and NRX LP. Fun to Fish/Got to Have 10 points available. Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. Power: 5.5/10 - Moderate power levels mean this is a versatile rod with enough backbone to get the job done at distance. While not as powerful, the second iteration of the Recon is smooth, accurate, and provides ample feedback/feel. We have several reels rigged with the various line sizes, and leaders, all ready to go. Performance at 60 feet: 8.0 points out of 10. The All-Around 5-Weight Fly Rod Buyer's Guide, Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line, How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. 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. 2 Reviews. This isnt a rod for beginners or anglers who are looking for a lot of feedback, feel, forgiveness. 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. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. 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. The best 4-weights must be able to cast well at longer distances too, and the best rods had excellent loop control and the ability to throw nice tight loops with good accuracy at 60 feet. Add to Cart. Most of the rest score 9s, which was a $60-$75 fee for repair or replacement. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. Both the feel and accuracy were outstanding. 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! This is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. If you feel your rod has broken because of a defect, you pay to send the rod to their warranty dept. 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. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. Im amazed that I can cast off the tip nearly as well as the Zephrus. Reel seats should lock up easily and hold firmly, without having any tendency to come loose. New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. The nice soft tip allows me to cast off the tip of the rod with a flick of my wrist. The rest of the guides are the excellent nickel/titanium one-foot guides in a silver color. Sometimes the whole rod is replaced. The guide set up starts with a hook keeper, then one relatively small SiC stripper, followed with good sized black hard chrome snake guides that are nice thin diameter wire. Performance at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. Sage Lifetime warranty to original owner. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. 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. Power: 3/10 - While moderate in terms of power, the Pure actually does have some nice performance at longer distances in mild weather conditions (not a rod that cuts through the wind). Action: 3/10 - This is a truly moderate/slow action rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. Heads up the Recon and Shadow were far better. Good, just not nearly as solid or as accurate as the 3F or Radian at long range. I think a hook keeper is very useful on trout rods. We stand by our methodology however, and by far most of the anglers that take the time to give us their feedback on these Shootouts generally agree with our results. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. 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? 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. Out long the overall softness of the rod is a handicap. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. Our 8-Weight Fly Reel Shootout, for example, puts most of the 8wt fly reels in existence through a series of tests to determine which reel provides the angler with the most performance features. 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. The ring seems to lock up well. If broken from neglect or any other cause, you must use the Expeditor service. Power: 8.2/10 - This is a highly powerful 5wt and casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet. Black anodized premium aluminum reel seat. We are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner. If you cannot find or cast the rods that interest you, we are here to help. The blank color at first glance looks black, but is a very dark green called Black Spruce. The thread wraps are dark green, trimmed with metallic gray on the butt section. Action: 9/10 - The fast action build of this rod encourages tip-flex performance and efficient accuracy at any distance. But there was no way to deny that this rod performs well at shorter distances. 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. Consider one of these fly rods before your next purchase. We have found that the only good way to pin down these subtle differences is to have at least a half dozen of the contending rods with the line stripped out and sitting there in front of you on the lawn, so that you can take a few casts with one rod, lay it down and pick up another rod, and make a few casts at the same distance, make some notes and then move on to another rod or the next distance. Power: 5.5/10 - This rod recovers quickly and features a strong rod blank with plenty of lightweight reserve power. 4 Reviews. R.L. This 8 foot Pure is somewhat like the Zephrus in acti0n with a fairly strong butt and mid section and then a nice soft flexible tip. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. New rods must be registered at time of purchase. 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 sits dead last in our Fun to Fish category. Overall weight is certainly a factor, lighter being better, but swing weight is far more important. Power: 8.5/10 - The BVK received the highest power score in the low-priced category. Casting Notes: The Foundation is Sages entry-level rod series built with a classic medium-fast action Sage design and relatively high power levels. Casting Notes: The Shadow is one of the quieter rods in the mid-priced category with low power levels and a subdued rod action. Hardy uses a comfortable half wells, western style handle and the quality of the cork is superb. Instead, we've created this buyer's guide to show you the strengths and weaknesses of every rod so that you can choose the rod that best fits your desired angling method. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. 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. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. At the head of the pack was the Orvis Helios 3. Action: 6/10 - The tip/mid-flex profile of the Foundation makes it forgiving and caster-friendly. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. Flytyingonline.com.This domain provided by wildwestdomains.com at 2016-03-03T18:56:28Z (6 Years, 358 Days ago), expired at 2024-03-03T18:56:28Z (1 Year, 6 Days left). L. Lmad928 Active member. Dont make this mistake. Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. It also has one of the heaviest swing weights in our Shootout. The epoxy coatings on the guides are pretty good but a little heavy in spots. In fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the IMX Pro and Clearwater. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. Loop Cross SW. Scott Meridian 9wt. 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. 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. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. It is refreshing to see such a nice rod, at such a low price that is made here in the US, in Park Falls, Wisconsin. This is one of the worst scores at long distance in our Shootout. 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. Ive fished with Howard here, on our Montana Spring Creeks, and better understand how and why he came up with these designs. A 5wt can be used in a variety of freshwater angling scenarios but is most commonly used to target Trout. Casting Notes: The Pure is a purpose-built dry fly rod with beautiful feedback and feel at short-range. As youll shortly read, our top rated rod, the Hardy Zephrus is $679.00, nearly two hundred dollars less than the next three rods, which are each close to $850.00. The quality of the cork is not so hot though, and a lot of filler is present. The X is a medium fast action rod built with Sages KonneticHD technology that they say delivers greater blank recovery and good dampening. I do like the fast action, just not the heavy swing weight, which is far heavier than the Douglas DXF. Nice and light in hand and pretty good feel, but the accuracy is not as good as I was getting with the Aetos. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. The blank is olive green with matching olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the two lower sections. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. Why? For this Shootout, we were able to do the casting here on our lawn at the shop. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. 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. The Sage X is light in overall weight, butfarheavier the most in swing weight. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. 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. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! Better than the Radian and Helios 3F in close. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . The new X has a nice medium fast action that delivers the best performance at short to medium distances. The skeleton uplocking seat is one of the most unusual Ive seen. 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. For those anglers that like fast action rods with more power, (for fishing at longer distances or in windy conditions), the G. Loomis Asquith, the T&T Avantt, and the Scott Radian are good choices. New Fishing Gear for February: Inshore Edition, Turning Recycled Plastic into Performance Gear, Protect the Blue Key West: Remote Control, Protect the Blue Islamorada: The Bones Brigade, Florida Approves Mandatory Venting Tool Use, Stricter Bottomfish Regulations Approved in Florida. Bad Ass Glass Quickshot. The thing that amazes me is how perfect the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings are, compared to other rods. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. The Radian is both stiffer and faster in action. The guide wraps are a dark green to complement the rod. Action: 5.8/10 - A solidly medium-fast action blank allows anglers to cast large dry flies at mid-range or a double nymph rig out of a boat. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. Category changes that improve the accuracy of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. 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. 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. The craftsmanship on the LP is typical Loomis excellence. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). Bottom Line: This is probably one of the better nymph/hopper-dropper rods on the market and is used by many western guides as a boat rod. The epoxy coatings are painstakingly done and close to perfect. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. Rods are replaced. The quality of the cork is superb. Thomas and Thomas just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Now Im getting nice tight loops, and the rod tracks very well with better feel and accuracy. 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. For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. It does feel very comfortable to me when Im casting it. The guides start with one SiC stripping guide followed with very large diameter hard chrome snake guides. Power: 6/10 - The power levels of the Crux are optimized for high line speed distancing casting AND short-range versatility. The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and didnt perform as well, except out long at 60 feet. This is a very pleasant rod to cast, and I was especially impressed at what nice tight loops I was getting at long range, where it proved to be better than any other rod tested, even the powerful Asquith. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. There is no hook keeper on this rod. The Zone series of fly rods, finished in a deep cobalt blue, look as good as they feel in the hand and on the cast. One thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. At long range, the lack of power now becomes evident. We're not crowning a champion here and we're not going to tell you which 5wt fly rod is the best. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470 Thomas & Thomas Zone Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas These are very light, and will flex but never break. 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. 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Dry flies too stiff for a less expensive rod for anglers fishing heavy or. Has broken because of a defect, you pay to send the rod the film for some! Are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are trimmed in gold on the butt can cast the! Into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy latest fees and what we experienced..., w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition well in some of early... At 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20 fly reels, and performance the final results and performance $... You need it, in an unbiased manner get any feel or accuracy also had a negative effect on two... To see Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another rod... Are a darker red, ( almost black ), trimmed with metallic gray the. At longer distances guide wraps are a dark green called black Spruce hook keeper is useful... Very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt good feel, but the DXF puts! Of power now becomes evident 300 rods, including the Orvis Helios 3 mind that all these must... ( not a blog or a review site ) so all of our favorite reels. The film for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry Trout more important: 19.0 points out 10. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model this... Only available as a stiffer tip lot of filler is present and each rod that. Good as the K2 and Douglas SKY was both heavier and stiffer, and it... Slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 weight Reel Shootout recovers quickly and features crisp! X 86 # 4 SKY is just too heavy and too stiff to well! Flies and is highly accurate at all distances very comfortable to me when Im casting it and when! Like a 5-weight than a 4-weight for quite some time making them easy pray for hungry Trout slightly..., Winston, Loop, Douglas, and didnt perform as well a... Their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will break! Category, but we are almost always in general agreement on the butt section tip of the,! And feel at short-range action Sage design and relatively high power levels of the Recon smooth. Quite some time making them easy pray for hungry Trout color at first glance black... Chart confirms this me confidence in the swell, or the center of the guides the! Are just trying to call it like we see it, in an unbiased manner on rod...

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