thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon

This is the most technical rod in this price range and offers high performance to anglers who prefer an ultra-fast action rod. G. LoomisLifetime warranty to original owner. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. Action: 5/10 - A solid medium/medium-fast action, the taper of this rod is ideal for dry flies and trout fishing. This rod is absolutely the winner for our Best Buy (best inexpensive) 4-weight Rod. Im having trouble casting off the tip well and this is hurting the accuracy. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Here, any rods that rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and would be at the top of a Perfect 4 category. This rod gave me better control and accuracy at long range than any other rod in our Shootout. Casting Notes: The DXF is Douglas fast action rod series and includes a 5wt thats high-performing, lightweight, and powerful. If you must move now I'd consider the sage sonic (with FB - salt water hardware) and the Orvis recon or the Thomas and Thomas zone. Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the lineup. The Pure is a brand new rod from Winston. The wraps are dark blue to match the blank and the epoxy coatings are excellent. This rod encourages high line speed and wind-cutting power in technical situations. Performance at 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. 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. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. These will hold up longer, even with hard usage. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. The locking ring is easy to grip, but Id prefer a double ring seat as this one looks like it will loosen up more easily than most. Cost effective but very high performance. This is also a great rod for terrestrials from a boat or smaller dries at long range. The guide wraps are a dark green to complement the rod. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. 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. The epoxy coatings on the wraps are a little heavy, but Ive sure seen worse. 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. To read each staff members casting notes and performance finishing order, please click on their photo above. 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. In close, I could not cast off the tip of the Ultralite nearly as well as with the Zephrus. Once again we give you a Performance Only chart, which zeros in on the very best performing rods, which is the real meat of our Shootout. The Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod. 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. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 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. This isnt a rod for beginners or anglers who are looking for a lot of feedback, feel, forgiveness. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. The thing that amazes me is how perfect the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings are, compared to other rods. I loved the punch and power I was getting with the Shadow and only at long range did it suffer. The Scott G series was definitely better. Very tricky and very attractive. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. 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. Accuracy is pretty good, heads up matching the Zone and NRX LP. When you read everyones comments on the Zephrus, you will see that we all agreed that this is a very special rod, for a variety of reasons. He used Gartside's Super-Secret Stuff as a flash material but here we will use Hareline's Ice Wing Fiber as a substitute. 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. Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and returns. In fishing to wary trout, I often set my false casts up short and to the side of the fish, and then shoot a little line in on that last cast. The top three rods were a lot better. Of the two TFO Finesse rods, I like this 79 rod as a 4-weight a whole lot better than the longer 89 model. Just not enough butt power to get the job done. Click on any of the charts above to see more charts. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. We have found that the Asquith rods are terrific rods in the heavier line sizes from 6-weight right up through 12-weight. But the accuracy was still not as good as the best rods. The other reason is that this 9 #4 SKY is just too stiff for a 4-weight. A black anodized uplocking skeleton seat is used with one ring and sliding band. Casting Notes: Sage has refined their typical super fast action rod design into a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving. Often novices entering the sport of fly-fishing opt for one of the least expensive rods, but weve found that it makes more sense to spend the money on one of the better performing rods, at least one in that mid-price range, that will allow an angler to develop his or her casting skills much more rapidly. Casting against the Scott G series it felt about equal, and better than the Asquith. We liked this rod a lot in our last 4-weight Shootout, and for the price, this is a very pleasant rod to cast and fish. For most grips this will be at the midpoint in the swell, or the center of the grip. And what about the new Hardy Zephrus Ultralite, which is insanely light, and on paper looks like it could be the possible winner? Im amazed that I can cast off the tip nearly as well as the Zephrus. For others, seeing how a rod performs in an expert casters hands, convinces them it would make them great anglers as well, or at least take them to the next level. I still had to give the edge to the Zephrus and Pure. If you find the 5wt you've always wanted through this post, help us keep the reviews/shootouts/guides coming by purchasing your gear from us. The Loomis NRX LP gets a perfect score of 10 for their excellent Expeditor repair program which costs $100, but returns the angler a brand new rod, not a repaired one, in just a few days! 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. Sage R8 Core Fly Rod. 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. Casting Notes: Orvis has paired down the original fast-action Recon and built a more caster-friendly, versatile rod thats built for a wide variety of angling scenarios. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. At $650 I expected it to do better. The buzz around IFTD this year was heavy on the rod-talk. These come in two models, the Amplitude Smooth Trout, which is a standard size line, and the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. The big reason it didnt do better than middle of the pack was the action. Orvis CLEARWATER 86 #4 $198.00. Rating: 100%. A half wells handle is used and the quality of the cork is only fair to good compared to the best rods. Messages 29 Reaction score 6 Location . 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. Casting Notes: Distance and power are the name of the game with the Helios 3D. Power: 5/10 - Low power levels reflect Scotts intentional design; this isnt a versatile rod or a rod for streamers/heavy nymph rigs. The blank itself is a deep burgundy color, with dark gray wraps. Its a great all-around rod and less technical than the 3D. The stiffness is a bonus at long range. The rings on the seat were fairly large and easy to tighten, giving a secure lock up. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. With any breeze at all, Im dead. 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. Softer tips on these 4-weight rods almost always equated to better accuracy and more delicate presentations, especially at shorter distances. Thomas and Thomas Avantt. 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. I just didnt care for the moderate action that was a lot slower than the X. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. Heres a mid-priced rod that put in a good performance across the board. 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. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. The wraps and coatings on the guides are close to perfect. In addition to my comments in the main Shootout, youll want to read the comments from Jamie and our other Yellowstone Angler staff members, Logan Brown, Francis Clougherty and Chloe Nostrant. That gives it a perfect score of 10 along with the Aetos. This one is simple The least expensive rods get the highest points. Then the dark green finish just sparkles. This was the best distance for me with the Zone. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Unlike some of the stiffer 4-weights, this rod performs well at the shorter distances too. (Click here to see more deflection charts). Power: 5/10 - This is a rod that accommodates a variety of casting strokes but doesnt provide the expert angler a ton of power at longer distances. This is one fantastic looking rod one of the very best in our Shootout. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. A single uplocking, gray anodized skeleton seat is fitted with an attractive burled wood insert. Sage uses lime green wraps that complement the color of the rod. 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. Winston BIIIX 5wt. The action is medium fast not as fast as the Pure but still feels very nice in my hand and produced some respectable performance scores. The cork handle is a half wells design with a contrasting cork ring on the bottom. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. $598.00. 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. Power: 4/10 - The Classic Trout is low on power and isnt built for high line speed or distance casting. Alignment dots are placed at the ferrules, which is handy. Performance at 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. Pretty good, but not quite as accurate or as much feel as with the Shadow. However, as youll see in the Performance Only scores, it finished much higher in 12thplace. At 40 feet you need a rod that is light and pleasant enough to do a lot of false casting, as you will when fishing dry flies, but you shouldnt have to double haul to get the rod to perform and hit this distance. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. Better now, with more line in the air, but the G series was still a little better in both feel and accuracy. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. I like a lot of things about this rod. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. If you look at the deflection chart, youll see that the Zehprus has one of the stiffest butt and midsections, yet then it progresses to a nice soft tip. Once we determine how the rods perform at the various distances and compile these point values, we then add in points earned from all the other categories to determine the final finishing order. Orvis also makes the Recon in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for dry fly fishing. Action: 7/10 - A fast action rod design means the Pulse does everything a high-performance 5wt should with efficiency and ease. Most of the rest score 9s, which was a $60-$75 fee for repair or replacement. The stiffness did not allow much feel but the accuracy was surprisingly good. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. Both feel and accuracy are poor. Conversely, looking at the most expensive rods in our Shootout, the G. Loomis Asquith and the Sage X, that are in the $900-$1000 range, both finished well down in the pack. The Expeditor service for the NRX or NRX LP rods is $100, while the IMX Pro rods are $85.00. $279.99. Rods are repaired, not replaced unless broken. 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. Rods are repaired, not replaced, except for broken sections. 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! A little better here but the DXF still puts it to shame. 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. 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. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a rod design thats optimized for distance casting, versatility, and chucking double nymph rigs, the Crux is one of the best in its price range. 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. The soft tip also earns it one of the best scores in light tippet protection. This made it easy to judge one rod against another. Action: 9/10 - The fast action build of this rod encourages tip-flex performance and efficient accuracy at any distance. Its perhaps a little heavy in swing weight, and this as well as its stiffness, hurt its score at 25 feet. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. A slightly oldie but goodie. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. I do like the 8 foot rods over the 9 footers as they are lighter and the shorter length allows me to strike more quickly, and they often provide better light tippet protection than the longer rods. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. Consider these mid-priced 8-weights, which get er done in virtually all shallow-water situations. For this Shootout, we again checked the warranty policies in detail, as some have changed slightly. I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. Doing this with 6X or 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag with just the right amount of drag adjustment. 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. Annette McLean, Winstons long time rod designer did a great job with the Pure, giving us a rod that is Pure fun to cast and fish. 5. Now I can really feel the heavy swing weight. I wish they would had used the lighter, flexible nickel/titanium snake guides found on the Helios 3F, or even better, the nickel titanium single-foot guides found on the Hardy Zephrus, which would have improved its heavy swing weight. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. The epoxy coatings on the wraps were not so good too heavy and about like what we saw on the X. We should have probably dropped this longer Finesse from our Shootout as the shorter 79 Finesse performed so much better. A moderate action rod with low power levels is best for dry flies at close range. Light in hand but the stiffness in the tip is not giving me as much feel in close as the Zephrus, and the accuracy is not as good as the best rods. Nothing Ive cast yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy from in close right out to 40 feet. The JXP was also better. For lines, we had two on hand, one a standard size SA Amplitude Smooth Trout, and then their half size larger line, the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, both in WF-4-F. For leaders, we used our own Yellowstone Angler hand-tied 12-foot 4x leaders that use a two-foot tippet. The Orvis Clearwater rods are designed in Vermont and built in the orient. The rod itself is finished in a blue/gray color, Big Sky Blue but it doesnt jump out and grab you like the gorgeous Winston emerald green. 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. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! There are not many situations when youll be fishing this far with your 4-weight, but Ive certainly had many situations, especially fishing dry flies on larger rivers, like the Missouri, where Ive had to throw it this long yet still get good accuracy and a delicate presentation in order to catch a nice fish. This is not a pleasant rod to do a lot of false casting with, as you would fishing dry flies. 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. Action: 7/10 - This is a rod with a medium-fast action that provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at short-range. 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. 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. Here is a new rod that has not appeared in any of our previous Shootouts. Rods are repaired or replaced. Add to Cart. We were all especially anxious to see how the Orvis Helios 3F and the new Winston Pure would fare, compared to our favorite 4-weight, the Hardy Zephrus. Bottom Line: This is a great all-around rod option for everything from nymphs to dry flies, Bass to Trout. Rating: 91%. If you think you'll ever fish in the salt - I'd get one with salt water hardware. 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. This rod is nice and light in hand, and performed well in close, where I was getting pretty good feel and decent accuracy. It also features great long-distance dry fly performance because of its medium-fast action design. Orvis Recon. 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. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. A stack of thin diameter corks is used and the quality is good. $75 handling fee to original owner, $150.00 charge to all others. Those ravings were well warranted, given that the original Contact was a superb example of what a thoughtfully designed Euro rod could be. It also lost a huge number of points in the price and warranty categories that it couldnt pick up in the casting distance performance categories. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. The quality of the standard size cork rings was excellent. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. 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. Action: 8.5/10 - The Cross SX is a tip-flex rod built for larger flies and larger rivers. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. The reel seat is an unusual, triangular shaped silver anodized seat with no spacer. The accuracy was good but not as good as the DXF or all of the best rods. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. I was tempted to give it a perfect score for craftsmanship. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? The updated Recon ( aka the 'Recon 2') is incredibly light - Orvis claims it's the lightest rod in its class, with the 9' 5wt model clocking in at 3oz on the dot. R.L. HardyLifetime warranty to original owner. Sage Lifetime warranty to original owner. 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. 'The best' dry fly rod isn't the best rod for streamer fishing and vice versa. 1 Review. A Bonnier LLC Company. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. And for a rod that is half the cost of the Helios 3F, the overall weight and swing weight are actuallylower! I now own 4 H2s and fish them all the time. D deceiverbob Well-known member Messages 1,112 The Q was not nearly as good as their new Opti K2. The double uplocking, gray anodized reel skeleton seat uses two rings that are easy to grip and lock up extremely well. The reel seat is a gray anodized skeleton seat with a band and large single ring that is easy to grip and tighten securely. Both the newWinston PUREandOrvis HELIOS 3F put in impressive performances, securing podium finishes. Im impressed with the guide set up, starting with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide, followed with the best nickel/titanium and flexible single-foot guides as on the Zephrus and Sky. TheFenwick AETOS, at $179.95 is unquestionably our best performing inexpensive rod. As in the past we are using our own Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight. One SiC stripping guide is used and the rest are the best nickel/titanium and flexible snake guides in a gray color which complement the blank. 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. No other rods were as good. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. Power: 7/10 - This rod is powerful enough to throw a variety of flies and is highly accurate at all distances. The stiffer clear Maxima butt sections on our leaders achieve this. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume. Casting Notes: The Anomaly is a rod that provides the angler with state-of-the-art componentry and a high-performance blank at a moderate price-point. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. The Helios 3F and G Series Scott were also slighty better at mid-distance. Carbon XL. It does feel very comfortable to me when Im casting it. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. Inexpensive rods built in both Korea and China are surprisingly good. 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. 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. Im not getting much feel either. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. The quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot of filler. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. At short and medium distances, it has great feel, but was lacking in accuracy. Add to Cart. The medium fast action seems just right and Im getting both good feel and good accuracy at the shorter distances. Bottom Line: This isnt a rod for everyone, but if you need extra power and can adjust the timing of your casting stroke, this is a great rod in technical situations for advanced anglers. Chloe has been working in the shop for two summers and now works with us full time. However, if all rods are measured on the same day, the relative numbers will be consistent. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. But confirmation arrived when we were able to cast and compare the Pure with all the other top 4-weight rods. If you look at the best performing rods in general, they have stiffer butt and midsections and softer tips. The epoxy coatings on the guides are pretty good but a little heavy in spots. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." In our important swing weight category, this rod was one of the worst. Casting Notes: The Foundation is Sages entry-level rod series built with a classic medium-fast action Sage design and relatively high power levels. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a high-performance rod in the sub-$700 range and youre an angler who appreciates power and efficiency, the Sky is a great rod series.

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