The best rings use thin nylon spacers between them to assure a positive lock up. But that nice soft tip produces great feel and exceptional accuracy. 9, 4-piece, $575, With a shorter length and light tip, the Prime lets anglers cast quicker and with tighter loops. Guides start with a hook keeper on the butt, and then two SiC stripping guides, followed with hard chrome snake guides that are large in diameter but thankfully use smaller diameter wire. I did like the flat, non-glare black finish used on the blank. If Fenwick determines that there was a defect, the rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge. Here it matches the NRX LP and the Recon. 4 Reviews. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. 3. New rods must be registered at time of purchase. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. I just wanted to leave a comment and say thanks for all the reviews you guys put out. The wraps are a slightly lighter blue, trimmed with white on the butt section. This rod has a slower action than the fast action NRX LP, as well as a stiffer tip. The black anodized double unlocking skeleton seat has two larger rings that are very easy to grip and tighten. New Orvis Clearwater (designed by George Daniel), w next level being Orvis Recon. This is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. The IMX Pro is one of Loomis newest rods and we have liked it in the larger line sizes, like their 5 and 6 weight rods. Here's an example from Echo's website. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. 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. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. It tracked well and the accuracy was good better than the Imperial at long range. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume. 5. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. If youre looking for a workhorse rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this is a solid option. It has been several years now since our last 4-weight Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods. If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. Fly rod action, on the other hand, is how a fly rod flexes when cast. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. Performance at 40 feet: 19.7 points out of 20. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. The handle is a half wells western style grip with contrasting dark composite cork rings at both the bottom and top. $35 handling fee. Performance at 60 feet 10 points available. But in looking closely at the Hardy Zephrus, Ultralite, and the Douglas SKY, they are also definitely near the top end of the craftsmanship ladder. Just about any rod can turn over a 9-foot leader, but only the best casting rods can turn over a 12 footer at short distances. 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. 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. 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 epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. The stiff tip and heavy swing weight both contributed to a lack of feel and accuracy in close. My son, Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a great caster. Nothing beats this rod at 40 feet. Feel is good and the rod is very light in hand. We felt the 86 Helios 3F was the best rod to test since the 3D is available only in a 9-foot model. 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. Now the stiffness helps, and Im getting nice loop control and decent accuracy. Add into the mix the Scott Radian and G-Series, the T&T Avantt, the Sage X, as well as the G. Loomis NRX LP and Asquith, and you have a full array of the best 4-weight rods on the market. Good, just not nearly as solid or as accurate as the 3F or Radian at long range. That gives it a perfect score of 10 along with the Aetos. Rating: 100%. The quality of the cork is not so hot though, and a lot of filler is present. While the AETOS is built on a fast action blank, its more forgiving than other rods in its price range and is designed to provide the novice angler with versatility and fast-action performance. A good 5-weight rod, which is definitely one of the most versatile you can have in your quiver, just wont match one of the top 4-weights when it comes to making delicate presentations, or achieving that ultimate drag free drift with a thinner fly line. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. The locking ring is a little harder to grip and tighten than others. This rod gives me a nice light feel in hand, and Im getting good loop control combined with plenty of power and good accuracy. Power: 7/10 - This is a powerful rod that cuts through the wind, recovers relatively quickly, and allows anglers to present flies at longer distances. The epoxy coatings are pretty good but a little heavy. The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). And a look at the deflection chart confirms this. Epoxy coatings on the wraps were a bit too heavy, adding unnecessary weight. The X provides the angler with finesse in close and power when you need it, a nice combination of feedback and backbone. Taylor Lifetime warranty to original owner. You must register the new rod within 30 days. Hardy ZEPHRUS ULTRALITE 89 #4 $679.95. Next, holding the rod in a horizontally, we position the grip over the foam pellet so that the pellet is centered under the exact spot where you will most likely hold the rod with your hand. At short distances like 25 feet, you dont have much line out of the tip of the rod, so the best leaders must flex like an extension of your fly line. The swing weight was fairly light, but not quite as good as either the Hardy rods or the Orvis rods. The double size uplocking ring was easy to grip and tighten. The length and model on each rod section is inscribed as on the K2. These will hold up longer, even with hard usage. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. For guides, there is a hook keeper followed by a single SiC stripping guide, then hard chrome snake guides. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. Picking the best 4-weight rod We see fly rods getting better each year, and today it is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from another. Feels great out long! The accuracy was good but not as good as the DXF or all of the best rods. The Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP rods is $100, while the IMX Pro rods are $85.00. Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and returns. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? TheOrvis RECON, at $429 wasnt far behind! Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. Casting Notes: The Classic Trout is Redingtons dry-fly-specific rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing. For some reason they dont use a hook keeper on this rod, maybe another way to cut the cost? 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. Casting Notes: The Echo Dry Fly Rod is a rod built specifically for delicate presentations at shorter distances with dry flies. It is especially interesting to see how the rods compare in stiffness, and how much the tip section bends. This year, as is the norm in the industry, all of the rods tested are 4 piece rods. Its moderate-fast action is optimized for the 40- to 60-foot shots that most anglers make in most situations, and its unique handle gives anglers different gripping choices. 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. Action: 3/10 - This is a truly moderate/slow action rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy. Like the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper. 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. The Q was not nearly as good as their new Opti K2. We make a note of which was the best line with the write up on each rod. Usually takes 4-6 weeks. Nice and smooth. Now Im getting nice tight loops, and the rod tracks very well with better feel and accuracy. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. It would be so much better with a WF-5-F. That's a lot. On the deflection board, the Zephrus had a stiffer butt and mid section and the tip bent a little more, so it is slightly faster in action than the Shadow. The uplocking skeleton reel seat is silver anodized aluminum, with one good-sized locking ring and sliding band, similar to the Avantt. More Like This Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. 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. My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. 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. This is a sharp looking rod. (tie) TFO FINESSE TROUT 79 #4 $229.95. Category changes that improve the accuracy of the results in our latest 4-weight Shootout. Nice tight loops and good control. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. It performed better than any of the sub $300 rods, including the Orvis Clearwater. We simply place each rod horizontally on the scale, read the weight and round it off to one tenth of an ounce. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! 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 single uplocking reel seat is plain anodized gray aluminum with no insert. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. The tips on the faster rods bend more. This rod is a pleasure to cast, and it has tons of reserve power at long range. The wraps are also black, nicely trimmed in light gray on the butt sections. #2. Performance at 60 feet: 8.5 points out of 10. In the 4, 5, and 6-weights, the DXF is a great casting rod. First, it is very light in swing weight and the fast action is a lot like the Zephrus in that it has a stronger butt and much softer tip than most of the other rods. Rods are repaired or replaced. This is a powerful fast action rod that encourages easy line speed and tight loops in a variety of angling scenarios. I loved the look of the Mod, with its standout, jazzy lime green color. In our 2018, 8-weight Shootout the Q finished in the middle of the pack, but the 8-weight had a swing weight that was pretty good, while here as a 4-weight, the swing weight was one of the worst. Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. Power: 6/10 - The Zone is a powerful rod yet maintains castability and versatility. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. Performance at 40 feet: 19.3 points out of 20. The stiffer clear Maxima butt sections on our leaders achieve this. 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. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. The heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel. Orvis 25 year warranty to original owner. The guides start out with a small hook keeper, then a single SiC stripper, followed with black, hard chrome single-foot guides. The new rod is a lot more powerful and handles those mid to long distances with ease, tracking well and giving me nice tight loops. Power: 5.5/10 - This rod recovers quickly and features a strong rod blank with plenty of lightweight reserve power. If you want to economize, look carefully at both the Hardy Shadow at $349.95 and the Orvis Recon at $429.00. Both the newWinston PUREandOrvis HELIOS 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes. The accuracy suffers too. For this Shootout, we again checked the warranty policies in detail, as some have changed slightly. If you are a Scott fan and want a rod for fishing at short to medium distances, youll likely prefer this rod over the Radian. A Bonnier LLC Company. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. Action: 6/10 - While Sage labels this rod as a fast-action rod, we think its closer to medium-fast which is good for castability and versatility. Rods that are light in overall weight and swing weight, and ones that have softer tips, eliminate a lot of break offs caused by an inadvertent heavy-handed hook set. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. Just not enough butt power to get the job done. 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. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. Thomas & Thomas introduced the Contact series of Euro-nymphing rods a handful of years ago and they almost immediately garnered a cult-like following, with many an experienced nymph angler raving about their performance and build quality. $60 handling fee. This was one of the rods that we felt needed the lighter Trout line. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. Heres a category that we used in our last 4-weight Shootout, that we deemed important when you are trying to judge the best 4-weight rods, that will often be used with very light 5x, 6x, and 7x tippets. The guides start with one SiC stripping guide followed with very large diameter hard chrome snake guides. Im getting nice loops but the Scott rods were better. This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. I just dont think the 3Fd is nearly as good looking as some of the more traditional looking rods, in our Shootout like the Scott, Winston, T&T, and Hardy. If you look at the performance scores, youll see that the Aetos finished in 11thplace here also. As you have seen, the best rods in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with softer tips. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a 5wt with boosted power levels and increased line speed capabilities, this rod is a great option. Although we thought that the Winston 8 foot Pure was a fantastic 4-weight, the Nimbus didnt get us too excited. The result is often that the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. Only the Zephrus and Pure were better at mid-distance. Product Description. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. The Avantt tied the Pure for the only perfect scores in Craftsmanship. Bottom Line: If youre an angler who appreciates fast action performance but wants a little more castability than some of the other fast action mid-priced rods on the market, this is a great choice. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. 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. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Performance at 25 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. The buzz around IFTD this year was heavy on the rod-talk. Thomas and Thomas just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. Power: 2/10 - Low power levels reflect this rods purpose-built design. The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. 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