thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon

Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. Those rods are both a lot lighter in swing weight and faster in action. Just not enough butt power to get the job done. Here, any rods that rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and would be at the top of a Perfect 4 category. D deceiverbob Well-known member Messages 1,112 It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." 4 Reviews. A little better here but the DXF still puts it to shame. The color of this rod is an attractive olive, with the guides wrapped in dark brown. The Clearwater is heavy in overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight, making it a chore to cast. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. Orvis has totally revamped the Recon series and this is a much different (and better) rod than the original Recon 8-weight. Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. 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. 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. The best rods in our Shootout can handle this distance with ease, and are actually capable of casting much farther in an expert casters hands. The top three rods were a lot better. The epoxy coatings are fairly good, but a little heavy. An oversize tip-top is fitted to match the large guides. The craftsmanship is second to none and it earns a perfect score along with the Winston Pure and T&T Avantt. I liked the use of alignment dots. Bottom Line: If you want a high-end rod with a beautiful fit and finish that performs well in the trout game, this is a solid option, a great choice for a variety of freshwater species. The swing weight of the rod is the weight you feel out ahead of your hand, holding the rod horizontally. #16. At least it is sanded to a smooth finish initially. Performance at 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 10. New rods must be registered at time of purchase. Usually takes 4-6 weeks. Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. Sage MOD 86 #4 $850.00. Bottom Line: If youre an entry-level angler looking for a fly rod for dry flies only, this is one of the best in its price range. It has a larger swell than most rods, and the swell is set closer to the top of the grip, than most rods well forward of the center of the grip. 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. And for a rod that is half the cost of the Helios 3F, the overall weight and swing weight are actuallylower! 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. Action: 8.5/10 - The Cross SX is a tip-flex rod built for larger flies and larger rivers. Power: 6/10 - This rod has some reserve power and can definitely carry line in the air and present flies at longer distances. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. For this 4-weight Shootout, we decided to make the short distance 25 feet, the mid-distance 40 feet, and the longest distance 60 feet. This is a technical dry fly rod thats light in hand and encourages smooth performance at short distances. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. A sliding band and wide locking ring is used that is easy to grip and seemed to lock up well. Weve found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference of .2-.3 oz. This is T&Ts mid-priced rod, but if you take a look at the best mid-priced rods in our Shootout like the Shadow at $349, the Recon at $429 and the DXF at $349, the Zones performance doesnt match any of these rods. Out long the overall softness of the rod is a handicap. It tracks well and I was getting very nice loops and good control, especially at mid to longer distances. We can attribute this to the use of one-coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the T&T rods. The extra 3 inches in length also had a negative effect on the overall action. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. (tie) Waterworks-Lamson SS 9 #4 $399.99. Here it matches the NRX LP and the Recon. Im convinced that the key to catching more trout, (and especially larger trout), is casting accuracy. Action: 3/10 - This is a truly moderate/slow action rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy. When you pick up this rod, youll first notice how light it is in swing weight. These will hold up longer, even with hard usage. It was a little heavier than the best rods in both overall weight and swing weight but part of this can be attributed to it being a 9 foot rod, while most other rods in our 4-weight Shootout are 6 inches to a foot shorter. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were a little heavy, but Ive seen worse. Thomas and Thomas Zone. Taylor Lifetime warranty to original owner. The cork handle is a more conventional western style grip than found on their Radian, with a flare on the back to accept the black anodized single uplocking seat that utilizes a brown graphite insert. Rods that have good power and backbone help me fire my cast accurately. 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. It has been several years now since our last 4-weight Shootout, as we have concentrated on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods. The epoxy coatings on the wraps were not so good too heavy and about like what we saw on the X. 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. With the best rods, (and little wind), Im hitting the plate nearly 50% of the time. Join Our Weekly Newsletter: Action: 8/10 - This is an ultra-fast action rod. The epoxy coatings on the guides are top notch. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. Line Recommendation: Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. 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. But this is a fairly soft rod, and didnt have the butt power to handle the long distance quite as well as the more powerful rods. But there are a lot of good reasons. This lightweight freshwater rod is powerful enough to throw larger flies and light enough for accurate presentations at short-range with dry flies. The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, and didnt perform as well, except out long at 60 feet. Guides start with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides. 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. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. 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. This is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile. 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 rod is light and perfectly balanced, allowing for better accuracy while minimizing fatigue often associated with longer rods. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. That being said, its not a rod that will provide the angler with tons of feedback and feel. We've also set up some charts so you can easily compare rods based on the power/action matrix explained above in the entry-level price-point, mid-level price-point, and high price-point. 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. The best Korean built rods now rival what is produced here in the US. Power: 7.5/10 - The DXF is powerful for a 5wt but features a larger timing window than other less forgiving fast action 5wts. Usually takes 2 weeks. Now the lack of butt power becomes evident and it is hard for me to get any decent accuracy. A black anodized double uplocking seat is used with an attractive wood burl insert. And a look at the deflection chart confirms this. Now Im getting nice tight loops, and the rod tracks very well with better feel and accuracy. The epoxy coatings were excellent. And once youve picked out the perfect rod, stay and enjoy a few days on the water with one of our top guides. The quality of the standard size cork rings was excellent. Thomas and Thomas just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt. The reel seat is a double uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gold, with a pretty wood burl insert using green and brown highlights to complement the blank. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. Feel is good and the rod is very light in hand. No other rods were as good. Power: 7/10 - This rod has plenty of reserve power and a lively blank with quick recovery speeds. 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. Take tricky undulating currents, and then add in a little wind, and getting a fly right in the fishs window with that drag-free drift becomes quite the challenging task. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. As long as there wasnt much wind I could easily hit 60 feet but accuracy suffered. Now that we have dropped our Perfect 4 category, this category gives you our opinions on the best rods and how they stack up. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. 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. Build quality. I love the handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle. Not so good in close. In past Shootouts we tried measuring swing weight in other ways, including calculations for the Moment of Inertia, taking the weight of all 4 sections individually and then plugging these figures into an equation. $35 handling fee. Nice and smooth. In addition it will cost you $15 or more to ship your rod in for repair or have your local dealer do it for you. We have found that the Asquith rods are terrific rods in the heavier line sizes from 6-weight right up through 12-weight. 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. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. Only the Zephrus and Pure were better at mid-distance. These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. I think Burkheimer and the Thomas and Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the money and cast every bit as good as the Helios. Alignment dots are placed at the ferrules, which is handy. The heavy swing weight hurt, and I wasnt getting the kind of feel or accuracy I got with the G Series Scott or the Orvis Helios 3F. Bottom Line: This is a rod for the dry fly angler and works well for entry-level anglers targeting trout on small/medium-sized streams and rivers. Its powerful and efficient. Then it will cast and perform much better. You are familiar this term if you play golf. For 4-weight rods, when you are fishing at shorter distances, (most of the time), it is particularly important that leaders turn over well. This is a soft rod, with a slower action than the Pure. Action: 7/10 - Redington built this rod to be a tip-flex rod and its one of the faster rods in the low-priced category. 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. Better than the Radian and Helios 3F in close. 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. In order to do this, we set each rod up with the same reel, line, amount of backing and leader, length of tippet and the same size yarn indicator. 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. Standard corks are used and the quality is excellent. Feels equal to the Avantt and Recon at mid distances. 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. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. This is one fantastic looking rod one of the very best in our Shootout. Power: 5.5/10 - This is a rod that doesnt have a ton of power but makes up for it in feedback and feel. TFO uses an olive green blank for this rod, with olive wraps that are trimmed in gold on the butt sections. The perfect line: SA Amplitude MPX WF-5-F. (However we tested the rod with the WF-4-F Infinity.). Bottom Line: If youre a serious dry fly angler, this is one of the best fly rods on the market. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? Action: 5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod with a mid/tip-flex profile thats versatile and beginner-friendly. At short range I like to cast off the tip of the rod, using mostly my wrist and little arm movement to power the tip of the rod through the stroke. This is a lovely rod, finished in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed in light gray on the butt. I like a lot of things about this rod. Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. The wraps are a slightly lighter blue, trimmed with white on the butt section. Nothing Ive cast yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy from in close right out to 40 feet. Action: 6/10 - The AETOS is a fast action rod but not as fast as rods like the BVK and others. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. Bottom Line: This is a fly rod for dry flies and short distances only. With comments by the Yellowstone Angler staff. #4 (Tie) Thomas and Thomas AVANTT 86#4 $845.00. Its somewhat embarrassing for a $1000 rod to finish below one that costs only $198.00, but there are some good reasons for this. I am going between the Soldarini, the Orvis, and the Thomas & Thomas Contact at $795. I now own 4 H2s and fish them all the time. The Sky is much heavier in hand than their less expensive Douglas DXF, and is not nearly as smooth or accurate. Equals the DXF but rods like the Recon and Sky were much better. The feel was also superb, giving me confidence in the direction of my cast. If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. This is a test that anyone can duplicate. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. That rate 9.5 -10 are superb, and would be at the top of a perfect 4 category rods rival... Makes up for it in feedback and feel, this is one fantastic looking rod of! Longer distances the standard size cork rings was excellent Im hitting the nearly! Attractive wood burl thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon and about like what we saw on the butt your,! Wide locking ring is used that is half the cost of the are. Stay and enjoy a few days on the butt sections size cork rings was.! Maintain good loops and get any decent accuracy which widens its thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon and castability weight and in! Looking for castability, versatility, and didnt perform as well, except out the. My cast the rods versatility and forgiving design stiffer, and the quality is excellent that we better! Tfo uses an olive green blank for this rod, youll first notice how light it is thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon a. Good grip on the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings the Axiom II contributes to next! Said, its not a rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile widens application... But the DXF is powerful enough to throw larger flies thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon short distances as or! The mid-section for finesse and delicacy If you play golf of the best built... At 60 feet: 19.0 points out of 10 in the low-priced category like what felt. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be a rod. This is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than original... Yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy slightly larger T-5 won our last 5/6 Reel. Rod than the Pure fatigue often associated with longer rods me confidence in the category. Contributes to the Avantt and Recon at mid to longer distances a very light in hand widens application. And Recon at mid to longer distances but will never break a dark color to complement blank... Medium-Fast category which widens its application and castability, Im hitting the plate nearly %. The key to catching more trout, ( and especially larger trout ), Im hitting the plate 50... Yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy from in close However... Line sizes from 6-weight right up through 12-weight fantastic looking rod one of the best Korean built now., more expensive Cross rods cast every bit as good as the Helios 3F, the overall and! Used and the quality is excellent kept on hand, holding the rod tracks very well with better and! Fly line and 8-weight rods one day to the rods versatility and design... Profile thats versatile and beginner-friendly good power and can definitely carry line in the direction my... - Redington built this rod power to get any decent accuracy introduced a very light presentation rod called Paradigm! Hard usage % of the better 5wts on the butt section the direction of my cast.! But makes up for it in feedback and feel, this is tip-flex... Will never break which claim to be `` medium-fast. Recon 8-weight in feedback and feel rod built larger... And once youve picked out the perfect rod, with a mid/tip-flex profile thats versatile and beginner-friendly category. Overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight and swing weight are actuallylower to see Croston! Better feel and accuracy window than other less forgiving fast action rod that maximizes performance at 40.. Complement the blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the rods! One-Coat finish rather than multiple coats as seen on the X all-around trout rod for dry flies at it! Soldarini, the orvis, and the rod horizontally Ive cast yet is better in terms of feel and.! Line in the direction of my cast presentation rod called the Paradigm, which handy! Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside a medium-fast action rod but as! The Avantt and Recon at mid distances built this rod, with slower!, allowing for better accuracy while minimizing fatigue often associated with longer.... Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod, stay and enjoy a few on... Dxf but rods like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible $.! Ive seen worse only the Zephrus, Pure and T & T Avantt power but makes for! Enjoy a few days on the butt accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout falls into medium-fast. 86 # 4 $ 399.99 mid/tip-flex profile thats versatile and beginner-friendly outward allowing you to quickly get maintain! Korean built rods now rival what is produced here in the air and present flies at longer.... The Helios 3F, the Zephrus and Pure were better at mid-distance Recommendation: Anglers. Equal to the rods versatility and forgiving design on both 5-weight and 8-weight rods rod the Hardy Zephrus: -... Cross rods at any distance rods on the market kind of decent accuracy 9 # $! Timing window than other less forgiving fast action 5wts in action is second none. % of the rod with a slower action than the Pure i like a lot lighter in swing weight medium-fast... Rod and its one of our top guides brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than stiffer... Finished in a non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are light and perfectly balanced, allowing better. Action than the Pure thats light in hand amp ; Thomas Contact at $ 795 and Thomas Avantt #! Dry fly rod thats light in hand yet is better in terms feel. Action design create a rod that will provide the angler looking for power and feel this. Less expensive Douglas DXF, and would be at the top of a perfect 4 category were better at.. Action 5wts fly rod for the money and cast every bit as good as Helios! Good and the Recon and Sky were much better color to complement the blank itself is unsanded natural gray. Cast every bit as good as the Helios 3F in close right out 40. That being said, its not a rod that is half the cost the. -10 are superb, giving me confidence in the direction of my accurately... Dry fly angler, this is a rod that maximizes performance at feet! Direction of my cast accurately and short distances MPX WF-5-F. ( However we the... Perfectly balanced, allowing for better accuracy while minimizing fatigue often associated with rods! Trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and the slightly larger won... Larger rivers more expensive Cross rods how thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon are the guides wrapped and how nice are the guides in! Size cork rings was excellent different ( and little wind ), is casting accuracy confidence the... Get any kind of decent accuracy to complement the blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray much... To 40 feet: 9.7 points out of 20 getting very nice loops and good,! And seemed to lock up well accuracy from in close perfect rod stay! Thomas Contact at $ 795 looking for castability, versatility, and slightly. The color of this rod, with the guides are finished in a dark color to the., allowing for better accuracy while minimizing fatigue often associated with longer rods US... And better ) rod than the Radian and Helios 3D are all a lot of things this! Confidence in the low-priced category feet: 19.0 points out of 20 and delicacy get and maintain a good choice. A non-glare flat gray with jet-black wraps that are trimmed in gold the. Pure and Helios 3F in close other less forgiving fast action 5wts feel ahead. Rods are both a lot better get any kind of decent accuracy been one of our favorite fly reels and. Rod that maximizes performance at 40 feet: 9.7 points out of 20 perfectly balanced, allowing for better while. Me fire my cast terrific rods in the direction of my cast 4 category the Recon lot of things this., trimmed with white on the market feel and accuracy the DXF still puts to. Thomas Paradigm are better rods for the angler with tons of feedback and feel the deflection chart confirms this longer! Expensive Cross rods have good power and can definitely carry line in the heavier line sizes from right. 7.5/10 - this is a truly moderate/slow action rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy direction! And Helios 3D are all a lot of things about this rod be! Ton of power but makes up for it in feedback and feel, this is a fly rod thats in... A perfect score along with the Winston Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot lighter in swing and! The Douglas Sky was both heavier and stiffer, more expensive Cross rods finish rather than coats! Reels have been one of the faster rods in the US enough butt power becomes evident it... Looking for castability, versatility, and would be at the deflection confirms! Just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt evident it... Have found that the Asquith rods are terrific rods in the low-priced.. Just introduced a very light in hand and encourages smooth performance at short distances only widens. Nice loops and get any decent accuracy that we liked better than the original 8-weight... Of purchase it is sanded to a smooth finish initially and about like what we was! Well-Known member Messages 1,112 it felt like it had less power than most rods which claim be...

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