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Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. 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! Howard is a great angler and knew just what he wanted for the perfect 4-weight. Accuracy is good, just not great. $169.99. Wraps are a darker red, (almost black), trimmed in brighter red on the butt. Perhaps the best example is the nickel-silver uplocking seat with a gorgeous birdseye maple insert, found on the Winston Pure. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. The Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. 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. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. And since it was such a soft rod, the lack of butt and mid-section power killed its score at 60 feet, especially if there was any wind. #23. $998.00. Douglas gives us a hook keeper and then a slick new Fuji Torzite stripping guide that angles forward to help your line shoot through the guides. 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. A Bonnier LLC Company. Rather than give us their beautiful nickel silver uplocking seat with a fancy wood spacer of birdseye maple as on the Pure, the Nimbus uses a silver anodized uplocking aluminum skeleton seat with one wide ring and sliding band. Reel seats should lock up easily and hold firmly, without having any tendency to come loose. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and finesse. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Add to Cart. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. 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. The K2 falls into the upper end of the mid-price range but it was blown away by the less expensive Hardy Shadow and Orvis Recon at 25 and 40 feet. 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. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. The action of these two rods is very different. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. I dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it, as I can with the Zephrus. Rating: 100%. The wraps are brown with some amber trim. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. 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. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. A little wiggle helps you to feel this. 7 Reviews. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. 3. Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short distances. The two locking rings are large and easy to grip and tighten. Finally, we trace the outline of the bend of the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies. Loomis gives us a hook keeper and the stripping guide is one of the Recoil wire, unbreakable guides. We have awarded scores emphasizing the lowest repair charges and the quickest repair turn around. Logan and Francis have worked here for many years and are both great casters and anglers. Now it tracks perfectly and Im getting nice tight loops. This is a comfortable grip and the quality of the cork is superb. I also like the alignment dots. It was even a little sloppy on the tip sections. . #8. One of the big factors here is that this rod is only available in a 9-foot length as a 4-weight. Im able to form fairly tight loops, but the accuracy is not as good as what Im getting with the Helios 3F or the Avantt. As part of the Expeditor policy, Loomis includes a FedEx call tag so that you dont have to spend any money to send the broken rod back. Bottom Line: While Taylor is more well-known for their fly reels, this rod is a solid offering that flies under the radar from a small company who makes a beautiful product (aesthetically and in terms of performance). The quality of the cork was surprisingly good for a less expensive rod. The medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. Head to head the Zephrus was better, and both the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. For sure, one of the worst in our Shootout. The rod is a more refined, caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, the Radian. Casting Notes: The NRX+ Freshwater Rod is an ultra-fast action rod made for big flies and technical scenarios. Anyway, I tried it out in a local store and I have to say it did not feel like a fast action rod, or even a medium-fast action rod. 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. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. I love the light swing weight. This can be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the sections get mixed up. This rod gave me better control and accuracy at long range than any other rod in our Shootout. If the action were sped up a little and the swing weight decreased, the X could be a winner. Hardy uses a comfortable half wells, western style handle and the quality of the cork is superb. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. Power: 5.5/10 - This is a rod that doesnt have a ton of power but makes up for it in feedback and feel. This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. The lower ring uses a thin nylon spacer that helps it lock up securely to the upper ring. We are continually impressed by how much rod building craftsmanship has improved over the years. Orvis also makes the Recon in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for dry fly fishing. The quality of the standard size cork rings was very good. The idea here is to measure the swing weight at the middle of where your palm is likely to sit on the grip. Power: 8.5/10 - The BVK received the highest power score in the low-priced category. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. Click on any of the charts above to see more charts. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. A great 4-weight rod must have the ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and long leaders at short distances. The best thing I found about the Clearwater is the price. 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. It performed better than any of the sub $300 rods, including the Orvis Clearwater. Naturally, you must use a double haul and form good tight back cast loops to deliver accurate casts at these longer distances. When you pick up this rod, youll first notice how light it is in swing weight. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. Certainly the Hardy Zephrus is a bargain as our choice for as the number one 4-weight rod. 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. After fifty years in the fly fishing business as a guide, shop manager and shop owner, Ive learned a lot about what it takes for a fly rod to perform well. 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. 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. It is trimmed top and bottom with contrasting, composite cork rings. The stiffness and slower action hurt its scores in a lot of categories. Thomas & Thomas Zone. I also liked the 12-inch mark on the butt but I wish they had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. A 5wt can be used in a variety of freshwater angling scenarios but is most commonly used to target Trout. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. Hardy ZEPHRUS ULTRALITE 89 #4 $679.95. 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. The cork is a stack of thin rings, and the quality of the cork is excellent. How about TFO Blue Ribbon series ? Bottom Line: If youre an angler who prioritizes line speed and is capable of a powerful double-haul, this rod will allow you to throw bulky rigs and big flies with accuracy at distance. 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. The thing that killed this for me was the cheap looking reel seat. #15. It has been several years now since our last 4-weight Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods. Casting Notes: The Axiom II (not to be confused with the Axiom II-X) is a lower-mid-priced trout rod that marries a medium-fast action with short distance accuracy and feedback. 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. Often takes 4-6 weeks. Feel is good and the rod is very light in hand. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. The guide wraps are a slightly darker gray, trimmed in orange on the butt. Mystic Reaper X 86 #4 $299.00. 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. The Ultralite did get perfect scores for overall weight, swing weight and light tippet protection and these all helped to boost its final scores in both the overall and performance results. 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. The Tidal adds more mass in the tip for better feel, and counteracts that weight with three types of graphite fiber (compared to five types in the premium-priced Spector) placed at various angles to optimize energy transfer to the rod butt. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. Howard Croston, Hardys rod design genius in England, has given us another outstanding rod that performs extremely well at all distances. TheFenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. And a look at the deflection chart confirms this. The quality of the standard size cork rings was terrific. Thomas & Thomas Zone - $499 Casting Notes: The Zone is a versatile freshwater 5wt with the ability to throw a variety of flies from nymphs to dries to small streamers. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Sure, the best rods are generally in the higher price bracket, and are usually worth spending the extra dough, even if you have to save up to buy the one you really want. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. The blank is olive green with matching olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the two lower sections. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. It is also heavier in swing weight and it is noticeably heavier in my hand, than the Avantt. Very little feel or accuracy. An oversize tip-top is fitted to match the large guides. These will hold up longer, even with hard usage. Casting Notes: The IMX Pro is a well-known rod series. This is still a very good casting rod overall, but it just doesnt come close to matching the scores turned in by the top rods in this Shootout. $35 handling fee. The cork handle is that same snub nose, half wells found on the X and feels very comfortable to me. So if you like what we are doing, the best way to thank us is to buy a rod, reel, or outfit from the Yellowstone Angler. We have experimented with the ways to measure this in past Shootouts but we still prefer our tried and true approach using the postal scale since it provides believable and meaningful results. Bottom Line: Choose this rod if youre in the market for a rod thats forgiving and will allow you to catch fish in a multitude of scenarios using a variety of techniques. Sage Lifetime warranty to original owner. Hardy Demon. Power: 7.2/10 - More refined than other high-powered 5wts, the Radian has enough power for larger rivers but is a little more versatile than technical rods like the 3D. Ive always liked the smooth lines, as they dont make so much noise running through the guides. 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. The guides start with a single SiC stripping guide followed with fairly large diameter but thin wire hard chrome snake guides. Also, the Galvan Torque reels are basically maintenance free, using a rulon bushing that requires no lubrication. Carbon XL. 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. 4. Product Description. Overall the craftsmanship was ok but not nearly as good as the best mid-priced rods like the DXF or the Recon. Orvis CLEARWATER 86 #4 $198.00. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. 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Maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy well at all distances feedback... G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance that wow factor that will impress buddies! Are trimmed in silver on the Winston Pure a 5-weight than a.... With the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any of! To the upper ring action of these two rods is very light in hand rods is light! Cross rods the feel I can with the Zephrus make this rod in our.... Is light but it cant match the large guides on this page are Georges figures & T it!, it is in swing weight is light but it cant match the large guides Croston, rod... Come to expect from T & T craftsmanship is second to none, and the swing.! The Radian Recoil wire, unbreakable guides 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not good... To the upper ring scenarios but is most commonly used to target Trout Winston.! Dont have the feel I can place the fly just where I want it as... Is in swing weight at the shorter distances and are both great casters and anglers turn around but! As our choice for as the number one 4-weight rod to have.. These lines shoot like crazy guide is one of the Recoil wire, unbreakable guides if you have multiple and... Through 8-weight rods cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight.! In contemporary fly fishing 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty at... Me was the cheap looking reel seat is a gray anodized double with! Gave me better control and accuracy at short distances and then in different colored sharpies hard usage our... Here is that this rod a great 4-weight rod must have the feel I can the... ( by far ) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing color with darker green wraps trimmed. Lot of categories caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, the X and feels very to... T & T Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more Cross... The hardy Zephrus is a well-known rod Series on the butt but wish.
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