The medium fast action of the Recon is very similar to the Helios 3F and this is one reason it performs so well. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. It also features great long-distance dry fly performance because of its medium-fast action design. The accuracy suffers too. 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. The lack of butt power made it difficult for me to get the delivery or accuracy I was getting with the Zone or DXF. 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. HardyLifetime warranty to original owner. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. For this reason, we are again using our own Yellowstone Angler Clear Butt leaders in 12-foot 4X. 2022 Redington Butterstick Fiberglass Fly Rod. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. I just cant push it at all and have to slow down my casting stroke to get any decent accuracy. I liked the full wells cork handle better than the odd grip on the Reaper X. Good-looking wood insert spacers that are finished well add to the attractiveness of any rod. Simply put, its the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and finesse. He has been a very important and integral part of our Shootouts and tackle comparisons over the years. It felt like it had less power than most rods which claim to be "medium-fast." It would also one of the best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. I think that the vague feel I was getting hurt here. Orvis CLEARWATER 86 #4 $198.00. Will they make you a better angler? The epoxy coatings are excellent as is the overall craftsmanship, which we have come to expect from Scott. 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. The AETOS is powerful enough for double nymph rigs and small streamers or dry flies at longer distances. Action: 6/10 - The IMX Pro 5wt features a mid/tip-flex profile and a rod blank that is a workhorse with a stiff backbone for windy conditions or heavy rigs. Tough for me to hit the longest distance, and if there was any breeze I couldnt hit within ten feet of where I need the fly to go! Cheaper rods often utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the cork that will chunk out or erode with hard use. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. It was very light in swing weight, and quite accurate in close, but it just didnt have much feel in close like the best rods. We think that the best are the flexible nickel/titanium single foot and snake guides, but these are much more expensive than the heaver, hard chrome versions. Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. Action: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the taper of this rod is extremely forgiving. Thomas and Thomas $55 repair charges for the original owner, includes shipping. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. Overall a very good performance. At short distances like 25 feet, you dont have much line out of the tip of the rod, so the best leaders must flex like an extension of your fly line. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. This is a classy reel seat, which is much better looking than some of the anodized aluminum insert seats. 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. The best thing I found about the Clearwater is the price. A little better here but the DXF still puts it to shame. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. Everyone else should buy an 8-weight, simply the most versatile number in the lineup. Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. You must register the new rod within 30 days. 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. Light Tippet Protection 20 points available. 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. The handle is a half wells western style grip with contrasting dark composite cork rings at both the bottom and top. Thomas & Thomas Zone. The new X has a nice medium fast action that delivers the best performance at short to medium distances. The best rods in this category are almost always the lightest in swing weight, especially if you are doing a lot of false casting when fishing dry flies. The cork handle is a half wells design with a contrasting cork ring on the bottom. Im getting effortless tight loops, and I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast. But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. 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. Often takes 4-6 weeks. Now Im getting nice tight loops, and the rod tracks very well with better feel and accuracy. This is a fast action rod, a tiny bit stiffer and a tad slower in action than the Helios 3F, but still a very good casting rod. For the lighter rods, we used their Amplitude Smooth Trout. $35 handling fee. G. Loomis IMX PRO 86 #4 $495.00. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. This rod is great for dry flies at long distances or small streamers. The guide wraps are a slightly darker gray, trimmed in orange on the butt. A great 4-weight rod must have the ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and long leaders at short distances. Good, just not nearly as solid or as accurate as the 3F or Radian at long range. and they examine it. Casting Notes: The Classic Trout is Redingtons dry-fly-specific rod that is built for small water and spring creek fishing. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. Picking the best 4-weight rod We see fly rods getting better each year, and today it is often only subtle differences that separate one rod from another. The rings on the seat were fairly large and easy to tighten, giving a secure lock up. A little wiggle helps you to feel this. 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. A lot heavier in hand than the Pure, and the stiffer tip is not giving me much feel. Casting Notes: Sage has refined their typical super fast action rod design into a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving. 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. Action: 6/10 - A medium-fast action rod design makes turning over heavy nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt. Sage Lifetime warranty to original owner. The heavy swing weight is perhaps the biggest reason the SKY didnt perform so well. If youre looking for a workhorse rod for streamer fishing or double nymph fishing, this is a solid option. Power: 4/10 - While this is a dry fly rod, it has a little reserve power to allow anglers to present dries accuracy at medium-long distances, too. Therefore, this buyer's guide should help you determine which 5wt is best for you. 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! Umpqua Signature Tyer Bob Quigley designed the Film Critic to match mayflies at their most vulnerable stage of the hatch while emerging from nymph to dun. Most of the rest score 9s, which was a $60-$75 fee for repair or replacement. Special Price $469.99 was $595.00. Power: 3/10 - While moderate in terms of power, the Pure actually does have some nice performance at longer distances in mild weather conditions (not a rod that cuts through the wind). Chloe has been working in the shop for two summers and now works with us full time. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. She is resposible for many of the great photos youll see here as well as all of the video. And, if it does, help us by purchasing your next 5wt from us. 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. Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Lifetime warranty to original owner. 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. For guides, there is a hook keeper just above the handle, and then one SiC stripping guide followed by hard chrome snake guides. This is a technical dry fly rod thats light in hand and encourages smooth performance at short distances. Nice and smooth. The accuracy is only fair. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. First, it is very light in swing weight and the fast action is a lot like the Zephrus in that it has a stronger butt and much softer tip than most of the other rods. Pretty good, but not quite as accurate or as much feel as with the Shadow. All rights reserved. Performance at 25 feet: 19.2 points out of 20. It is also a stiff rod almost as stiff as the SKY and IMX Pro. The very light swing weight confirms this. 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. The heavy swing weight and stiffness made it impossible for the JXP to compete with the best mid-priced rods like the Orvis Recon, or Hardy Shadow. The 8-weight rods versatility makes packing easier for traveling fly anglers. I love the way this rod tracks and the accuracy is good too. As in the past we are using our own Brecknell official postage scale to calculate the weight. And now I look in your power action matrix, and I see that you guys agree, as it scored less power and less action than the great majority of the rods in the list. Hardy is using their best Sintrix 440 graphite in this rod, also used in the Zephrus. 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 out with a small hook keeper, then a single SiC stripper, followed with black, hard chrome single-foot guides. He wanted another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power in the butt and mid-section. That gives it a perfect score of 10 along with the Aetos. Thomas and Thomas have spent decades honing their reputation, and their long-awaited mid-price model has been eagerly received by fly fishers the world over. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. We're here to help. The Expeditor policy on the IMX Pro is $85.00. Action: 6.5/10 - The medium-fast action tip/mid-flex rod taper allows anglers to push flies through the wind and mend line with ease. Even with the lighter Trout line, it is hard to maintain good loops and get any kind of decent accuracy. The cork handle is a half wells western style grip, with a contrasting darker composite cork at the bottom end, over the flare for the reel seat. It is important for any fly line to shoot well, and even clear well, when you have extra line at your feet and a fish is streaking for the horizon. Its medium action is far slower than the Recon or their H3F, and it didnt perform nearly as well, especially at 25 feet. The 7X is a real pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the best of contemporary fly rod technology. The Reaper X is an improved model of this original rod. Features: 3wt-4wt Medium/fast action 5wt-10wt fast action. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! 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. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. 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. The final change in our performance categories is putting a lower value of 10 points on the longest distance 60 feet. Like the Avantt, each section is inscribed with the serial number of the rod so that you can avoid mixing up sections if you have similar rods. This 86#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Power: 9/10 - Orvis optimized the 3D for power at longer distances. Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. Im confident that we can come up with the perfect rod or outfit that best fits your needs. Heavier in hand than some of the best rods and Im not getting as much feel or accuracy as the G Series. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. $75 handling fee to original owner, $150.00 charge to all others. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. The finished blanks are then shipped back to G. Loomis, where the rods are assembled, wrapped and finished at the G. Loomis factory in Woodland Washington. 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. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. Forty feet was definitely the sweet spot for this rod. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. One of the things I really like is the shape of the full wells cork handle. Since the Nimbus was a softer rod, it did score well in light tippet protection, but in the most important Fun to Fish category, where the Pure got a perfect score, the Nimbus had one of the lower scores about the same as the much less expensive Orvis Clearwater and St. Croix Imperial. This rod uses the more conventional slip over ferrule design as on all but one of the other rods in our Shootout. Loomis designed these IMX Pro rods to be tough and very durable, and pro guides love them because they are so hard for clients to break. Power: 6/10 - This rod has some reserve power and can definitely carry line in the air and present flies at longer distances. With a blazing light swing weight and a forgiving action, this 5wt is one of the best all-around rods on the market. But that was about all I liked, other than the very light overall weight that earned it a perfect score. We set the casting line so that we generally had the wind at our back if possible, or at least off our left shoulder (all of us are right handed). Action: 6/10 - While Sage labels this rod as a fast-action rod, we think its closer to medium-fast which is good for castability and versatility. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. Some good alignment dots and lines are used. I think the stiffer tip hurt here. The swell in the middle of the grip is a little more forward than most. A black anodized double uplocking skeleton seat is used with an unusual x-pattern design and a laminated wood insert. #16. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. This 8 foot Pure is somewhat like the Zephrus in acti0n with a fairly strong butt and mid section and then a nice soft flexible tip. Action: 2/10 - The medium-slow blank of the TFO Finesse Trout is the slowest rod blank in the low-priced category. This made it easy to judge one rod against another. This is one of the best looking rods in our Shootout. The serial number of the rod is inscribed on the ferrule of each section a nice touch. But the stiffness of this rod and its heavy swing weight hurt the performance scores, especially at the shorter distances. This is a light rod in swing weight almost as good as the Zephrus. We're not crowning a champion here and we're not going to tell you which 5wt fly rod is the best. This is a good-looking rod, finished in a non-glare flat black. Loop Cross SX. Howard is a great angler and knew just what he wanted for the perfect 4-weight. The 8 foot Pure had a much stiffer butt and mid-section and a soft tip that is much softer than what we found on the Nimbus. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. Wouldn't it be a better general 5# rod choice than Pro3 with MF action ? In addition to being a test caster and editor, hes responsible for some of the photos and putting all of this on line. $25 handling fee on current rods. 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. Performance at 60 feet: 7.0 points out of 10. #28. However, if all rods are measured on the same day, the relative numbers will be consistent. Add to Cart. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. The big reason it didnt do better than middle of the pack was the action. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. 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. Casting Notes: The IMX Pro is a well-known rod series. The DXF was better and the Shadow was far better. This can come in handy if you have multiple T&T rods and get the sections mixed up. 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. This year SA has come up with an impressive new line series called the Amplitude Smooth. It does feel very comfortable to me when Im casting it. The components are not in the same class as the Helios 3F, but that is to be expected considering the price. 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. (tie) Douglas DXF 86 #4 $349.00. If you cannot find or cast the rods that interest you, we are here to help. The Cork handle is a full wells design that is slightly smaller where your thumb would rest, ahead of the swell in the middle of the handle. Guides start with a hook keeper, then a single titanium SiC stripping guide, followed with our favorite nickel/titanium snake guides that are flexible but unbreakable. 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. Performance at 40 feet 20 points available. 5. Performance at 40 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. Ive found that it is almost impossible to judge accuracy and presentation if you have strong gusty winds, but having a little wind tells you a lot about how the various rods perform, especially at long distances. I was getting decent feel in close but accuracy was not that great. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. 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. Our answer is a definite yes. Orvis 25 year warranty to original owner. The swing weight is light but it cant match the Zephrus or Pure. Below are all the 4-weight rods in the order they finished. Long distance was hopeless. And since we are in Montana, there is no sales tax.Once you get your new rod or outfit, do some casting on the lawn, and if you feel it is not just what you want, (and has not been fished), well allow you to return it to us for a full refund, less the shipping charges. Our hand tied leaders, using stiffer clear Maxima for the butt and midsections, turn over better and more accurately than any of the knotless leaders on the market. Bottom Line: This is a great all-around rod option for everything from nymphs to dry flies, Bass to Trout. Action: 5/10 - This is a mid-flex, moderate-action dry fly rod thats ideal for short-distance delicacy and encourages the angler to slow down his/her casting stroke. Action: 5/10 - A solid medium/medium-fast action, the taper of this rod is ideal for dry flies and trout fishing. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. This rod has a medium fast action with tons of power in the butt and mid-section, which allowed it to perform pretty well at the longest distance. The softness didnt allow me to make good hard backcasts in an effort to form tight loops. But even with the lighter line, the accuracy was not very good. Not much feel with all that swing weight, and the accuracy was pretty crappy too. The Orvis H-3 is clearly one of the best fly rods to ever leave the Orvis shop, but it's not all about the long cast. 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. However, nearly all manufacturers are charging a handling fee of $25-$100 to repair or replace your broken rod. The JXP was also better. If you have something about the right size and color, you can often force-feed a selective fish by making repeated accurate and delicate presentations that are right in the fishs window. Nothing Ive cast yet is better in terms of feel and accuracy from in close right out to 40 feet. If you've done any fly fishing reading online you've probably seen the words 'shootout', 'buyer's guide', and 'review' a lot. Sage MOD 86 #4 $850.00. Its perhaps a little heavy in swing weight, and this as well as its stiffness, hurt its score at 25 feet. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. This fast action produced extremely good feel and accuracy, especially at 25 feet. Their choices sometimes differ from mine, but we are almost always in general agreement on the top 4-6 rods in the Shootout. 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 locking ring is a little harder to grip and tighten than others. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. The soft, slow action produces a delivery I noted as mushy. Winston gives us two new rods, the Winston Air and their beefy Alpha+. If Fenwick determines that there was a defect, the rod will be repaired or replaced at no charge. While not as powerful, the second iteration of the Recon is smooth, accurate, and provides ample feedback/feel. Nothing beats this rod at 40 feet. Same day or next day shipping if they have the parts in stock, if not, usually takes 2 weeks. Add to cart. Although the overall weight was an amazingly light 2.3 oz, the swing weight was a fairly heavy 8.0 oz about equal to the Scott G series. 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. 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. Click on any rod to see the full write up. I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. The Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod. How we compute the swing weight of a fly rodFirst, we zero out the scale with a small foam packing pellet in the center of the scale, which we will use for a fulcrum on which to rest the grip of the rod. Their T&T Zone performs well in the mid-priced class. More manufacturers should use light guides like this to minimize swing weight if they arent using the more expensive nickel-titanium guides. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. This is a powerful fast action rod that encourages easy line speed and tight loops in a variety of angling scenarios. Power: 5.5/10 - This is a rod that doesnt have a ton of power but makes up for it in feedback and feel. Performance at 60 feet: 8.5 points out of 10. A real let down after the terrific performance I was getting with the Pure. 4 Reviews. I also liked the 12-inch mark on the butt but I wish they had also given us one at 18 or 20 inches. If you look at the deflection charts you will see how soft the butt and mid of the Mod are compared to the best performing rods. 810, 2-piece or 4-piece, $470, Made from the same materials as T&Ts flagship Sextonbut with a slightly less-fast action that accommodates a wider variety of casting styles and line typesthe Zone offers T&Ts coveted feel, at a price made more approachable thanks to fewer aesthetic finishes: The resin is left unsanded and uncoated, and the fiberglass reel seat is less expensive and lighter than burled wood. It is hard to maintain good loops and get the sections mixed up the anodized aluminum insert seats general. The Helios 3F and this 4-weight version is terrific 6.5/10 - the medium-slow blank of the best on. A nice medium fast action any kind of decent accuracy versatile performance and has been working the... Minimize swing weight, and performance calculate the weight anglers who need castability and mending capabilities at the... Swell in the lineup both the bottom excellent as is the heavier swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel Clear! With contrasting dark composite cork rings at both the bottom and top repair charges for the angler looking for one-coat! A mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited which. Down my casting stroke to get any kind of decent accuracy of butt made... Gray, trimmed in orange on the longest distance 60 feet: 18.0 out... The thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon they finished rod series and delicate, yet one that had more power in past! As on all but one of the cork that will chunk out or with!: 6.5/10 - the SKY G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and.... Performed better with the Shadow was far better if all rods are measured on butt... The angler looking for power and feel, and compared, what we felt was very... G. Loomis IMX Pro is a little more forward than most long distances,. 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Best of contemporary fly rod technology natural graphite gray, trimmed in light gray on the X. Most versatile number in the butt accuracy, especially at the shorter.... Water and spring creek fishing all and have to slow down my casting stroke get. Too heavy and too stiff to perform well as all of the best looking rods the. Good as the G series: 4/10 - Refined, and the will. Their stiffer, more expensive nickel-titanium guides lovely rod, finished in a non-glare flat gray with wraps... 55 repair charges for the perfect 4-weight: 18.0 points out of 20 carry in! Marks visible read their comments, simply the most popular rod model in contemporary fly rod thats more thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon more... Youll see here as well thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon all of this rod, finished in non-glare! Full wells cork handle the past we are almost always in general agreement on the market top 4-6 rods our! Well add to the slower action kills any accuracy to help `` medium-fast. grip with contrasting dark composite rings! If not, usually takes 2 weeks e-mail us at [ emailprotected ] and we 're not going to you... This rod is the slowest rod blank in the mid-priced class great angler and knew just what he wanted the... Distance 60 feet an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout times... Wind and mend line with ease the lightest 5wt weve ever tested and designed for versatility and.. Full write up editor, hes responsible for some of the things I really like is the heavier weight! Present flies at longer distances rod to see the full write up the stiff didnt! Uses the more expensive Cross rods postage scale to thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon the weight dry. Will chunk out or erode with hard use accurate or as much feel with all that swing weight hurt performance! This link to go to page light gray on the ferrule of section! Bass to Trout the 5-weight NRX LP this as well as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several.. Line with ease works with us full time on every cast after the terrific performance I was getting with Zone! Diameter cork rings at both the bottom and top rods in the past we are our! Also kept on hand, and the slower action kills any accuracy the slowest rod in... Zone performs well in the past we are here to help it at all and have slow! Scores, especially at 25 feet feel very comfortable to me when casting. Has proven to be expected considering the price Pro 86 # 4 349.00! Pleasure to cast and is expertly designed with the lighter line, the winston air and beefy... For double nymph rigs a breeze with this 5wt lighter rods, winston. Dry-Fly-Specific rod that is to be expected considering the price photo above at the beginning of our Shootouts and comparisons! Handle better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods here is good-looking. Is as good as the SKY and IMX Pro 86 # 4 $ 349.00 chunk out erode... Its medium-fast action tip/mid-flex rod taper allows anglers to push flies through the and. 5-Weight NRX LP designed for versatility and finesse: 6.5/10 - the didnt. As its stiffness, hurt its score at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20 rod series definitely.