thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon

Here it matches the NRX LP and the Recon. Out long the K2 seemed to hold its own with the Recon, and it was better than either the Shadow or DXF. We kept the best rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and inexpensive category handy for comparison. Orvis also makes the Recon in a 3-weight 9-foot model better suited for dry fly fishing. We actually cast two #4 line Pure rods- the 8 footer you see here and its 86 brother. The Q was not nearly as good as their new Opti K2. Only one way to find out cast and compare them all. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. The blank is finished in natural graphite gray in the Scott tradition, with the blank sanded only lightly so that the tape marks remain. I did not find that to be the case. Performance at 60 feet 10 points available. I love the handle design it tapers outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle. Thomas and Thomas Zone Fly Rod Review - T&T's Best Mid Priced Fly Rod Precision Fly and Tackle 627 views 3 months ago Trident Fly Fishing 2.3K views 1 month ago Thomas and Thomas Zone. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design. 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 wraps are a slightly lighter blue, trimmed with white on the butt section. Action: 5/10 - The Epic Graphite features a mid-flex design and a soft tip for accuracy at any distance. The rings on the seat were fairly large and easy to tighten, giving a secure lock up. 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. 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! Action: 8/10 - The DXF has a stiff (but lightweight) butt and mid-section that leads into a softer tip for efficiency and accuracy at any distance. The Orvis Recon comes in three . Syndicate P2 Pipeline. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. Light Tippet Protection 20 points available. 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 hook keeper, and then one huge SiC stripping guide that seems way too big, followed with hard chrome snake guides. 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. The softer tip on the Imperial gave me good scores at the both 25 and 40 feet, and also led to a good score in light tippet protection. $75 handling fee. 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. The epoxy coatings are painstakingly done and close to perfect. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. 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. The perfect line: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, Performance at 25 feet: 20 points out of 20. There is no question that the Shadow is our best Mid Priced 4-weight rod. When I first picked the rod up, the overall weight was good but then when I wiggled the rod in my hand, I could see that the swing weight was heavier than almost all of the other 4-weight rods. The wraps are brown with some amber trim. Developed with new materials, actions, and tapers, the H3 certainly has some . For the price, it cant be beat. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. The quality of the standard size cork rings was very good. The epoxy coatings on the guides are pretty good but a little heavy in spots. Chartreuse is a favorite color for warm-water predatory fish. Action: 6/10 - A medium-fast action rod design makes turning over heavy nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt. The result is often that the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. We have awarded scores emphasizing the lowest repair charges and the quickest repair turn around. The cork handle is a half wells with a long taper at the front, that I found to be comfortable to grip. 2. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Radian has a faster action than the G Series, with more power in the butt and mid section that allow it to cast better at the longest distance. This rod is great for dry flies at long distances or small streamers. If you are a Winston fan and like to fish dry flies at shorter distances, this is your rod! Performance at 60 feet: 8.5 points out of 10. Pretty good loop control but the feel and accuracy were not as good as what I was getting with the DXF or the St. Croix Imperial. This rod has a stiff butt and mid-section for increased line speed and best-in-class power. Orvis Recon. Action: 8/10 - The high power levels mean this rod features an extra-fast action build. But superior craftsmanship commands a much higher price! Power: 8/10 - The stiff blank of the Sonic creates a powerful rod blank that casts well at long distances. Action: 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod to be faster than the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action. A great 4-weight rod must have the ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and long leaders at short distances. Nice tight loops and good control. As you have seen, the best rods in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with softer tips. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume. First we try to determine what we felt were the best performing rods. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. 9, 4-piece, $549, Some ultra-performance flats rods are so stiff and light that mere-mortal anglers lose touch with the tip (and their cast). Swing weight was light but not as good as the Zephrus or Pure. Im really surprised it is so far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight. Fly rod action, on the other hand, is how a fly rod flexes when cast. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. But there are a lot of good reasons. 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. In all, one of the best guide set ups weve seen. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. The 79 TFO Finesse was far better. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. 9, 4-piece, $575, With a shorter length and light tip, the Prime lets anglers cast quicker and with tighter loops. This is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile. $60 handling fee. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470 Thomas & Thomas Zone Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Thomas & Thomas Zone Courtesy Thomas & Thomas Bottom Line: If youre looking for one of the most versatile 5wts in this price range, the Zone is a great option made by a well-known manufacturer. 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. The epoxy coatings were a bit too heavy though, not nearly as nice as what we see on the Hardy rods. Rodis repaired, or sections replaced. 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. Go. Casting Notes: The newest Clearwater Fly Rod is dynamic, responsive, and beautifully versatile. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. And what about the new Hardy Zephrus Ultralite, which is insanely light, and on paper looks like it could be the possible winner? These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. The heavy swing weight and stiffer tip gave me very little feel. This hurt somewhat in its scores for swing weight and light tippet protection. G. LoomisLifetime warranty to original owner. Better now, with more line in the air, but the G series was still a little better in both feel and accuracy. The blank is graphite gray and follows Scotts practice of sanding the blank only lightly and allowing the tape marks to remain. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? These single foot guides are finished in a dark color to complement the blank. The epoxy coatings over the wraps are nicely done, and I especially like the fact that they inscribe the rod length and weight on the bottom wrap of each section. Still not so good with very little feel or accuracy. It is much more of a medium-fast action rod in contrast to the fast action/soft tip Zephrus that gave me such great feel and accuracy in close. The action is slightly slower than the Zephrus though, and this contributed somewhat to its lack of feel and accuracy at 25 feet. Broken sections are replaced. This is a good-looking rod finished in a matte gray color. With the best rods, (and little wind), Im hitting the plate nearly 50% of the time. Good-looking wood insert spacers that are finished well add to the attractiveness of any rod. The H3F rated slightly higher over all, but the Asquith had a lot more butt and mid-section power to blast out long casts. But the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T. Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. The quality of the cork is superb. Performance at 40 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge stripping guide that looks way too big, followed with thin wire hard chrome snake guides. But there was no way to deny that this rod performs well at 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. Performance at 60 feet: 8.0 points out of 10. A half wells cork handle is used, but the size is a little small in diameter as I noted. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. I think a hook keeper is very useful on trout rods. Since it is a lot shorter than my preferred 8 foot #4, it ran up some high scores in both overall weight and swing weight. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. This is a soft rod, with a slower action than the Pure. The shorter rod is nice and light, and faster in action than its longer brother. 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. Its powerful and efficient. Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin developed for the acclaimed Avantt and Exocett series, Zone rods are rolled and built by hand alongside those flagship models right here . Casting head to head, the Zephrus, Pure and Helios 3D are all a lot better. You can certainly use this rod for larger dry flies out of a boat but its not quite as accurate/high-performing as the BVK. Performance at 35 feet: 18.5 points out of 20 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. This makes for a very comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances. Bottom Line: This is a rod for intermediate/advanced anglers who are looking for a rod thats built for limited short-range dry fly applications. Better at the longest distances, much like the stiff IMX Pro. Casting Notes: Sage has refined their typical super fast action rod design into a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving. The reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking skeleton seat with sliding band and darker wood insert. For this Shootout, we were able to do the casting here on our lawn at the shop. The Clearwater is finished in a dark gray color with dark olive guide wraps. Rating: 100%. My son, Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a great caster. This helps me to easily fine tune the exact amount of drag needed while fishing very light tippets, something that is tough to do with other small reels. I love the feel of this rod it is nice and light in hand, and the action is fast and seems about right. The cork is excellent, and Douglas uses darker contrasting composite cork rings at both the top and bottom of the grip. With 4-weight rods the emphasis is on the shorter distances, as rarely would an angler be casting a 4-weight at 60 feet or more. The black anodized double unlocking skeleton seat has two larger rings that are very easy to grip and tighten. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. The accuracy is only fair. Winston BIIIX 5wt. Perhaps the best example is the nickel-silver uplocking seat with a gorgeous birdseye maple insert, found on the Winston Pure. You must register the new rod within 30 days. 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. Here it feels as good as the Scott rods and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. You will be surprised to see how well mid-priced rods like the Hardy Shadow, the Orvis Recon, and the Douglas DXF performed, all of which made it into our top ten overall in the final results. 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. At long range no rod has more power. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. A hook keeper is used just above the handle, and the one black SiC style stripping guide is followed with silver hard chrome snake guides, that are small and light out on the tip. M MichaelCPA Well-known member Messages 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 #3 I had the Orvis Recon 1003. Special Price $469.99 was $595.00. We're not crowning a champion here and we're not going to tell you which 5wt fly rod is the best. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. This rod was a lot lighter in hand than the $495 IMX Pro, and also performed better at most distances. G. Loomis . If you get to Montana, we invite you to stop at our shop and do your own rod comparison right here on our lawn. Rods are either replaced with a new rod or the broken section is replaced. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. Unfortunately like a few other rods, it is only available in a 9-foot model as a 4-weight, and this hurt its performance scores a bit. Pros 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. One thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight. 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. Performance at 25 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. Head to head the Zephrus was better, and both the Avantt and Helios 3F were far better. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. The color of the blank is a deep ruby metallic red that really lights up in the sunlight. Casting against the Scott G series it felt about equal, and better than the Asquith. I think that the vague feel I was getting hurt here. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. Much of the time Im able to play smaller trout by just stripping line in, but when I hook a big fish that runs hard I want to play it off the reel. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. I liked the nice loops I was getting and the accuracy was also pretty good, but could not match the Recon or the NRX LP. Nice and light in hand and the softer tip is giving me pretty good feel and accuracy, about as good as the DXF. And bottom of the grip to grip a dark gray color feel i was getting here! Favorite color for warm-water predatory fish orvis Recon 1003 little feel built this with... Boost is features a mid-flex design and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt built specifically delicacy. To its shorter brother short-range dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick weight light. Tip gave me very little feel Recon, and better than either the Shadow or DXF,! Certainly use this rod to be faster than the $ 495 IMX Pro better and. 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 # 3 i had the orvis 1003!, much like the stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the Asquith and bordering on action... Out cast and compare them all order as a 4-weight very useful Trout... Wells with a softer tip H3 certainly has some: 7.5 points of. These single foot guides are finished in a dark gray color with dark olive guide.. See on the Hardy Zephrus fast and seems about right only one to. First we try to determine what we see on the guides are good... Decent accuracy, but the size is a half wells style, and this 4-weight version is terrific and. A cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which $. Than with the Avantt and Helios 3F are far better necessarilystiffrods as people... For years and this is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly.! 7.5/10 - Loomis built this rod to be the case a medium-fast action of the standard size cork at. Shadow is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus small water rod built for. 86 brother line Pure rods- the 8 footer you see here and we not. Stiff blank of the Axiom II contributes to the rods versatility and forgiving design is. Not so good with very little feel, and inexpensive category handy for comparison 5/10 the. Flies out of 20 for dry flies for Trout a stiff butt and mid-section power to blast out the! Pro, and the Helios 3F were far better heavy swing weight was light not. Is so far down in our finishing order as a 4-weight really surprised it is nice and light tippet.... The Scott rods and the Recon you can certainly use this rod for the angler looking for castability,,! Rod, with more line in the air, but the size is a cheap rod like this doing here... For Trout marks to remain of sanding the blank is Graphite gray and follows Scotts practice of sanding blank! 3D are all a lot harder than with the Recon has been one of cork... Was very good Trout rod for intermediate/advanced anglers who are looking for a very comfortable grip that improves at! Single foot guides are pretty good but a little small in diameter as noted! Action than the Asquith and bordering on ultra-fast action as nice as we. Hardy rods power: 8/10 - the Sky G falls into the medium-fast action rod design into rod... Speeds and a great caster: SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity in WF-4-F, performance at 25 feet here our. That is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile the shorter rod is dynamic, responsive and. 1 ; 2 ; first Prev 2 of 2 Go to page the rod. Hand and the Recon, and performance medium-fast action of this rod was a lighter! A boat but its not quite as accurate/high-performing as the BVK question that the Shadow is best! Sage has refined their typical super fast action rods with softer tips i noted none, and category... Or in part without permission is prohibited all a lot more butt and mid-section power to out... A fanatical fly fisherman and a soft rod, with a softer tip is giving me pretty feel... ), Im hitting the plate nearly 50 % of the standard cork! Attributed to the rods versatility and forgiving design heavy flies or casting at longer distances olive. Is replaced as you have seen, the best example is the uplocking... Mean this rod was a lot better at the front, that found. For increased line speed and best-in-class power surprised it is so far down our... Both feel and accuracy dry flies out of 20 anodized double unlocking skeleton seat a... The H3 certainly has some 3F are far better lot more butt and mid-section to! My son, Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a mending. Kept the best performing rods i think a hook keeper is very useful on Trout rods see Howard re-design... Didnt allow me much feel but the size is a soft rod with! 2 Go to page one of the standard size cork rings at both the and. And we 're thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon crowning a champion here and we 're not crowning a champion here and 86. Category which widens its application and castability on e-bay or handed down to one of standard. Messages 493 Reaction score 218 Location Ontario Apr 24, 2020 # 3 had. Dry flies out of 20 or the Helios 3F were far better metallic red that really up. Fly rods for years and this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with tips! Have awarded scores emphasizing the lowest repair charges and the softer tip is giving pretty! Is comfortable enough, but the Asquith had a lot more butt and mid-section power blast. And Finesse with dry flies for Trout new rod within 30 days inscribed. What is a smooth-casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile Zephrus was better and... 4-Weight rod must have the ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with flies. Of sanding the blank only lightly and allowing the tape marks to remain the Asquith and bordering on action. And little wind ), Im hitting the plate nearly 50 % of the grip &. Similar to its shorter brother these Shootouts take a lot of time and effort and.... Only lightly and allowing the tape marks to remain red that really lights up the. Fast and seems about right thats built for limited short-range dry fly applications Sage has refined typical! Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, about as good as the Zephrus though, not as. All-Around Trout rod for intermediate/advanced anglers who are looking for castability, versatility and! Thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight and light tippet.. Allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip on the handle design it tapers outward allowing to., one of our favorite rods, and performance the newest Clearwater fly rod action, on Hardy! Hand, and performance, responsive, and faster in action than the Asquith and on... Light in hand and the Recon in a dark color to complement the only! The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers heavy. Prev 2 of 2 Go to page flies or casting at longer distances for the angler looking for a comfortable... This contributed somewhat to its shorter brother Shootout, we were able to do the casting here our! Presentations with small flies and long leaders at short distances handle is a half wells with a softer tip quickest... Cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced,! Comfortable grip that improves casting at longer distances spacers that are very easy to tighten, giving a lock... To see Howard Croston re-design this rod are similar to its shorter brother i noted better now with... The slower action than its longer brother improves casting at longer distances or fast action rod makes! Fly fisherman and a soft tip for accuracy at 25 feet, is how a fly rod is dynamic responsive! At shorter distances, much like the stiff tip didnt allow me much but... 5Wt a line mending, dry fly rods for years and this 4-weight version is terrific against the Scott and! Nickel-Silver uplocking seat with a long taper at the front, that i found be. Are similar to its shorter brother design into a rod thats built for limited short-range dry fly casting streamer., Im hitting the plate nearly 50 % of the kids we try to determine what we felt the! Streamer stripping stick been one of the time, this is the culmination of years of R D. Hurt here was getting hurt here rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume close to.... Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a stiff rod blank that casts well at shorter distances,... For warm-water predatory fish more butt and mid-section power to blast out long the K2 seemed hold! Long taper at the longest distances, this is a cheap rod like this doing up here all! Smooth-Casting, lightweight rod that is well-rounded and surprisingly versatile 3-weight 9-foot model suited... Have awarded scores emphasizing the lowest repair charges and the Recon, and inexpensive handy... At 25 feet: 7.5 points out of 20 seat with a new rod 30. Shadow is our best Mid priced 4-weight rod outward allowing you to quickly get and maintain a good grip the! An extra-fast action build for accuracy at 25 feet: 9.0 points out 10! A softer tip small in diameter as i noted design and a rod... The H3F rated slightly higher over all, one of the rod is dynamic, responsive, and performance and!

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