If you look at the deflection chart of all the rods, it was the stiffest rod in our Shootout, being almost as stiff as the Douglas SKY6-weight! It has a pronounced swell that is slightly forward of the center of the grip much different from the more standard western style grip of the G Series. Action: 5/10 - The Sky G falls into the medium-fast category which widens its application and castability. Finally, we trace the outline of the bend of the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies. Quick recovery speeds and a stiff rod blank make this 5wt a line mending, dry fly casting, streamer stripping stick. Pros There's no doubt the Recon is a handsome rod-the olive blank built with Orvis' new ferrule design is nice to look at, as is the black nickel uplocking reel seat complete with a dark burl wood insert. The light swing weight made casting effortless, and Im getting excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations. With the Infinity it cast better long, and I would have scored it closer to 9 at long range. Feels great out long! The Ultralite is a very attractive rod. Flex and Feel The Zone feels like most 'fast action' saltwater rods today. I was getting decent feel in close but accuracy was not that great. The Asquith tracks beautifully and is giving me nice accurate tight loops. The softer tip is giving me a good amount of feel and the accuracy was better than the Zone or Nimbus. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. 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. Better than the Sky but cant match the Shadow. I love the appearance of the DXF, with the blank finished in a flat, non-glare dark green. This rod is nice and light in hand, and performed well in close, where I was getting pretty good feel and decent accuracy. Add to Cart. Ive always liked the smooth lines, as they dont make so much noise running through the guides. Bottom Line: The Radian marries lightweight design with versatile performance and has been a best-seller for years. The Asquith is available in only a nine-foot model, and it is stiffer than most of the tested 4-weight rods. Here, the softer rods, ones with softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores. Sure, most of these 4-weight rods will turn over a 9-foot leader, but having to turn over a 12-foot leader requires a rod to perform at a higher level. You can read about these warranty policies later in our Shootout. This fast action produced extremely good feel and accuracy, especially at 25 feet. 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. $35 handling fee. These Shootouts take a lot of time and effort. While the AETOS is built on a fast action blank, its more forgiving than other rods in its price range and is designed to provide the novice angler with versatility and fast-action performance. The craftsmanship on the LP is typical Loomis excellence. My advice has always been if you can afford it, buy the best performing rod you can find. The Pure is unquestionably one of the best looking rods in our Shootout, with some of the best craftsmanship. Keep in mind that what you will read here are only our opinions. 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. Performance at 40 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. Nice and smooth. Youll find these on our Yellowstone Angler home page atyellowstoneangler.com.If your favorite local shop stocks the rods you are interested in, by all means visit them, try a few rods and purchase an outfit from them. Like many of the other 9-foot rods in our Shootout, it was at a disadvantage in weight to the shorter 8 and 8 foot rods. Why? Bottom Line: If youre part of the Loop Army or just looking for a streamer stick, this is a great rod for a diverse population of anglers. He wanted another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power in the butt and mid-section. The color of this rod is an attractive olive, with the guides wrapped in dark brown. Casting Notes: The IMX Pro is a well-known rod series. The blank itself is unsanded natural graphite gray, much like the Scott rods, leaving the tape marks visible. In the past we have used the Scientific Anglers lines since they shoot better and hold up longer than any other line we have found. The Ultralite has a proportionally stiffer tip than the Zephrus, and much softer butt and mid section. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. One thing I like is that there is a serial number on each rod section. It had the power to hit 60 feet easily enough but my accuracy was not very good. Action: 8.2/10 - The Sonic is a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast action. 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. 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. 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. Bottom Line: Weve been recommending the DXF 5wt in this price range for a while and think it provides the most performance for the lowest cost in the mid-priced category. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. To read their comments, simply click on their photo above at the beginning of our Shootout. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. Softer tips on these 4-weight rods almost always equated to better accuracy and more delicate presentations, especially at shorter distances. To see perfection, take a look at the guide wraps on the T&T rods they are stunning, but they require multiple coats, carefully applied. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods as many people assume. 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. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. 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. Special Price $469.99 was $595.00. St. Croix Lifetime warranty to original owner, $85 handling fee. Power: 6/10 - The Zone is a powerful rod yet maintains castability and versatility. Both the Zephrus and Pure were far lighter in hand, and far better in performance at 40 feet. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). But the accuracy was still not as good as the best rods. I just didnt care for the moderate action that was a lot slower than the X. 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. Sage MOD. 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. Nice tight loops and good control. 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. Power: 4.5/10 - Low power levels and a medium-fast action design create a rod that maximizes performance at any distance. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Some people might consider high priced rods status symbols. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. The Clearwater is heavy in overall weight andvery heavyin swing weight, making it a chore to cast. It is also heavier in swing weight and it is noticeably heavier in my hand, than the Avantt. The best 4-weights are also excellent nymph fishing rods at shorter distances. Power: 6/10 - This rod has decent power levels without sacrificing castability. 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. Im getting nicely controlled loops and good presentations. Performance at 25 feet 20 points available. These are very light, and will flex but never break. Doing this with 6X or 7X tippet demands a good smooth drag with just the right amount of drag adjustment. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. The stiff tip didnt allow me much feel but the accuracy was decent. Orvis HELIOS 3F 86 #4 $849.00. 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. Makes sense because its the most expensive rod in our buyers guide. Here's the power/action matrix for all price ranges. No other rods were as good. Thomas and Thomas Contact 10'8" . Line Recommendation: RIO Gold Elite Fly Line. Feel is good and the rod is very light in hand. Thomas and Thomas just introduced a very light presentation rod called the Paradigm, which complements their outstanding Avantt. Casting against the Scott G series it felt about equal, and better than the Asquith. It performed better than any of the sub $300 rods, including the Orvis Clearwater. Pay in 4 interest-free installments of $149.50 with. Hardy ZEPHRUS ULTRALITE 89 #4 $679.95. TheHardy ZEPHRUSsteamrollered all contenders by combining a very light swing weight with unmatched accuracy and feel at close to medium distance. This is a rod that encourages finesse, delicacy, and accuracy at short-range when targeting picky trout in a variety of scenarios. 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. Now Im getting nice tight loops, and the rod tracks very well with better feel and accuracy. The cork handle is too thin, (for most anglers). The reel seat is a single uplocking skeleton seat in anodized gray that has a very attractive burled wood insert. Copyright 2023 Sport Fishing Magazine. 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. When I put this rod in my hand it feels more like a 5-weight than a 4-weight! Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. 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. Thomas & Thomas introduced the Contact series of Euro-nymphing rods a handful of years ago and they almost immediately garnered a cult-like following, with many an experienced nymph angler raving about their performance and build quality. . However, the 8-foot Aetos turned in much higher scores in several categories, including performance at 25 feet, swing weight and light tippet protection. My first nymph stick that is all around rock solid. Mystic Reaper X 86 #4 $299.00. #15. This makes it easier to justify buying the best performing rod. Non-original owner $150 per section. The idea here is to measure the swing weight at the middle of where your palm is likely to sit on the grip. The best 4-weights must be able to cast well at longer distances too, and the best rods had excellent loop control and the ability to throw nice tight loops with good accuracy at 60 feet. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. In fact the JXP had one of theheaviestswing weights in our Shootout, tied with the IMX Pro and Clearwater. The Boost is features a crisp, fast-action design thats better suited for anglers fishing heavy flies or casting at longer distances. Alignment dots are placed at the ferrules, which is handy. 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. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. #21. Instead, we've created this buyer's guide to show you the strengths and weaknesses of every rod so that you can choose the rod that best fits your desired angling method. This is a solid rod option for picky fish on smaller rivers and the Echo Dry allows anglers to slow down their casting stroke and focus on delicacy and finesse. How about TFO Blue Ribbon series ? My favorite length for a 4-weight rod is 8 feet. #24. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. The epoxy coatings are painstakingly done and close to perfect. In our important swing weight category, this rod was one of the worst. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Bottom Line: If youre looking for power and feel, this is one of the better 5wts on the market. Stiff, slower action rods are NOT what you are looking for in a 4-weight, where accurate, delicate presentations are the keys to success. Performance at 60 feet: 9.3 points out of 10. The Zone really excels in the 40-60 foot range. This was one of the rods that we felt needed the lighter Trout line. To improve on the previous Zenith, which won our original 4-weight Shootout, Howard gave the Zephrus a slightly stronger butt and mid section as well as a softer tip. For our 4-weight Shootout, once again we have added anotherperformance category Light Tippet Protection. If you do a lot of nymph fishing, the extra length will help, and this rod has enough butt and mid-section power to also chuck some smaller streamers. This had a negative effect on its scores, trying to compete with the best 8 foot and 86 rods. Just about every major fly rod manufacturer was brandishing their newest, tech-packed stick. 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. A dark green graphite insert is used that complements the color of the blank. Performance at 40 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. For this reason, we are again using our own Yellowstone Angler Clear Butt leaders in 12-foot 4X. As you have seen, the best rods in this 4-weight Shootout are medium fast or fast action rods with softer tips. 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. 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. Swing weight is on the heavier side and this hurt the performance to some degree. 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. 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). JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Its also nice to look down at your rod and appreciate the craftsmanship as well as its performance. Rather than use a fly, we use a fluorescent yarn indicator, (specifically glow bug yarn), trimmed so that it gives us about the same wind resistance as a smaller dry fly. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. We can attest to this as these lines shoot like crazy! Cost effective but very high performance. Both the mid-price DXF and Imperial were better. What're the differences between these posts and how do you, the reader, get the most out of reading them? The G. Loomis Asquith rods are designed here in the U.S. but the blanks are rolled in Japan and then the rod is completed here in the U.S. Performance at 60 feet: 8.8 points out of 10. Fly selection is far less important. I thought the larger, wider single ring on the Helios 3F was much easier to grip and seemed to lock up better. The Pulse is a smooth-casting 5wt that works well for anglers carrying a lot of line in the air and delivering flies with accuracy at longer distances. A sliding band and wide locking ring is used that is easy to grip and seemed to lock up well. 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: 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. I didnt have the confidence I could put my fly exactly where I wanted it, as I do with the 5-weight NRX LP. 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. Casting Notes: The SX is a beefy 5wt built into a series designed for saltwater fly fishing. Nice and light in hand and the softer tip is giving me pretty good feel and accuracy, about as good as the DXF. The cork handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is not nearly as good as the best rods and a lot of filler is used. Excellent accuracy combined with delicate presentations, especially at shorter distances is the culmination of of. Because its the most out of 20 site were editorially chosen to compete with the best performing rod can. 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