Again, another perfect performance. The new NRX+ Saltwater blank is dark gray with dark blue wraps, trimmed in lighter blue and silver on the butt. 4. On the bow of a skiff being poled around the flats in Cuba or on a transfer in a beat-up panga in Southern Sudan. Carpe Diem! The 9 foot #9 and 9 foot #10 have proven to be terrific rods for permit, and for big tarpon I use the 9 foot #11 Asquith most of the time when Im not using my one-piece NRX Pro 1. Durability is an area where many saltwater fly rods fall short. A flat black anodized double uplocking reel seat is used, with two large locking rings that were very easy to grip and tighten. Head rod designer Fred Contaoi reports that they will make a running change to give the SKY G 8-weight more power. You can see which rods have faster actions than others, (the tip bends more) or if a rod possesses a moderate, slower action, (the tip bends less). Normally we wouldnt do two Shootouts in the same year, but after seeing how well the NRX+ rod did, winning our 2020 5-Weight Shootout, we were excited to see how the NRX+ 8-weight would compare to our 2018 8-weight Shootout winner, the G. Loomis Asquith. The one thing that was a negative is the heavier swing weight. This heavy feel in hand and slightly stiffer tip than the old Recon led to less feel and a lower score at 35 feet than other rods. This rod forms nice tight loops effortlessly, and its light swing weight makes it is a joy to fish all day long. When using a freshwater fly rod in the salt, pay special attention to cleaning and maintaining the rod. The key to this power and smoothness is a utilization of three things: Mega modulus + graphite, GL 8 resin, and a new multi-taper design. 1stimpressions:Classic Scott un-sanded blanks. Another great flyshop that will demo rods is the Painted Trout in Dexter. The cork handle is a long, full wells style but designed so that you can grip it either towards the bottom of the grip or closer to the top. The cork handle is a comfortable full wells Rajeff design that is slightly larger ahead of the handle swell. Still surprisingly good, but I can tell it is starting to run out of steam. Orvis Helios 3F Rod Review: A Euro-Nymphing Rod That Can Do It All 4 way rod shoot out - Dedicated To The Smallest Of Skiffs And now, Helios 3 rods take another giant step ahead of other Orvis rods and the competition. Alignment dots are used on the ferrules, a nice touch. The best fly rod suited to your casting style will enable you to deliver a fly to the intended quarry. Performance at 80 feet: 19 points out of 20. Choosing Your Scott Fly Rod: a Series-by-Series Comparison The tracking is fantastic and Im able to fire very tight loops easily and with more accuracy than with the other rods. This term is thrown around very easily these days. It just makes roll casting, water loading, and fishing heavy gear, heavy rigs, heavy nymphs, really, really easy. One of the first things you'll notice on the Helios 3F is the large white logo above the handle, which is somewhat un-Orvis-like in presentation. Scott Meridian 8wt I was able to get good accuracy and didnt have any issue with the distance. Gear Reviews Multiple Fly Rod Weight Rankings Yellowstone Angler These new SKY G rods are composed using G-Tec platelets. The Meridian feels the lightest and has a slight lighter swing weight edge over the Zephyrus. We tried both the Helios 3F and Helios 3D but as in our 2018 Shootout, we picked the Helios 3F as the best Orvis 8-weight. At 60 feet the Meridian was incredible, and super light in hand. 2023's Best Fly Rod for Trout: Sage, Scott & Orvis Reviews - Tackle Village I could cast this rod all day. Table. Still, the Recon would be our choice for the best mid-priced rod if you want something that will perform well at all distances, but is especially good at mid to longer distances, and in the wind. They also have a 3F for finesse and more appropriately, dry fly fishing. New technologies allow Scott to make a fly rod that is thinner, lighter in hand, and yet more durable than any rod that has hit the fly fishing market. A stack of very high-quality thin diameter cork rings are used like on the other best rods. I own several Orvis Clearwaters and like their warranty program. A short one inch extension butt is used with a rubber/cork cap. I love the easy to grip rings that lock up well on heavier saltwater fly reels. These allow the reader to see the manner in which each rod bends, but more importantly, how it bends compared to the others. You can click on the chat button, email us or call any of our stores. It is popular for anglers planning on spending a long time on the casting platform due to it being more forgiving on the arm. They are light in weight, yet have a totally sealed drag system that utilizes four sets of ball bearings and a carbon fiber disc drag that provides very smooth and strong resistance, with a wide amount of adjustment. Performance at 80 feet: 19.5 points out of 20. This is hands down one of my favorite 12-weight rods. A 1 inch fighting butt is used that tapers to a wide base, protected with a rubber cork ring at the bottom. Orvis Recon Review: The 'Do-It-All Fly Rod' - Man Makes Fire A short extension butt is used with a rubber/cork end cap for increased durability. This is a new rod from Douglas that uses their new graphene technology that we saw in their latest SKY G (the winner of our 2020 5-Weight Shootout in the Presentation category). Required fields are marked *, Hey, I'm Ben, a fly fisherman for over 20 years and also an aspiring blogger. In the event of something happening to your primary rod, you have the backup to fall back to. 6 homemade gifts for middle school girls that teen girls can make give friends for any occasion. Scotts latest offering, the Sector, replaces the Meridian that so many of us loved. The Helios 3 Blackout, however, seems to have made a bigger leap than usual. This new resin system, along with a new scrim, results in a lighter but more durable blank. Being comfortable with these heavy rods, especially the 11 and 12-weights, is critical to catch your dream fish. Although you might be able to land a large saltwater fish on a 6-weight, the prolonged fight, due to the low pulling power, will place excessive stress on the fish. Despite how I score the rods at 80 and 100 feet, when we take people out on the lawn they can almost always cast the Meridian farther than anything else. scott meridian vs orvis helios 3 - shantisrl.com I hear the Orvis Helios 3D and Sage X are the cream of the crop, and i am weighing them up closely. The guide set up starts with two large titanium SIC style stripping guides, followed with the best nickel/titanium snake guides as on the Loomis and Scott rods. Combined with the new materials and resin is what Fred calls a G ARMOR coating. The Meridian performed really well at 80 ft. Here is where the Asquith takes the lead. The new Prime is a very light rod, with a nice soft, quick loading tip. a handy guide to help you get the most from your rod. Well come out with you and offer you some help to fine tune your casting stroke or just help you with the basics. Rinse the rod after every days use and thoroughly clean and polish the finish once you arrive back home. The question I can't personally answer is if a Helios 3F or 3D is twice the rod as the Recon.Maybe. These strippers and the snake guides are PVD coated in black. I am also looking at the Sage One, which is now EOL, but i have seen it on sale in places, and some offers 2nd hand on Ebay at good prices. The wraps are gray with attractive two color blue trim on the butt section. But, even in these remote and wild destinations, shots at your dream fish dont swing by every single moment. 243 ammo 75 grain. I do recommend spending as much time as possible casting this rod before going on a fishing trip. With your support we can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head comparisons on tackle and equipment in the future. When it comes to the best saltwater fly rod, the Meridian is hard to beat. Scott uses a stack of thin cork rings to give us the ultimate in a high quality cork grip. Some of them can be found in our 2018-Weight Shootout, but if you dont see the rod you are curious about, please feel free to give us a call. The Asquith, with its softer tip offers the ultimate in power and feel, and was created with the SA Bonefish line in mind. The Asquith is an absolute joy to cast, and for me it stood out from the other rods in our Challenge the second I got it in my hand. This is another great looking rod from Scott, finished in natural graphite gray and only lightly sanded, in typical Scott fashion, so you can still see the tape marks. 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. But it isnt in the same class as the Helios 3F or the Loomis rods. There are many new saltwater lines on the market now, but we have yet to find one that beats our long-time favorite, The Scientific Anglers Bonefish Taper. S det som mange troede var umuligt - at forbedre den ellers nsten perfekte Helios 2 serie - er lykkes. Fast action. These particles are distributed evenly and uniformly, unlike older resins where the particles were mixed in. The Sector is light in swing weight, but slightly heavier than the Scott G, Helios 3F and Asquith. The G-7/8 has the capacity for the S.A. WF-8-F Amplitude Bonefish line and 200 yards of the Hatch 68 lb. The Sector is the your best choice for flats, inshore, offshore and beach fishing. The wraps are black but the one-coat epoxy coatings were just OK, being a little heavy in spots. scott meridian vs orvis helios 3. Orvis uses the very best components on the Helios rods, and the rods are finished beautifully. I know the guys at Orvis in Royal Oak enjoy demo-ing rods. We have employed identical methods and rating categories in this 8-Weight Challenge. Now the lack of overall power is becoming apparent, but it still hits 80 feet easily enough and with decent accuracy. This rod gives me the confidence that I can put the fly right where I want it, right out to 80 feet and beyond. Youre splitting hairs to find a better rod at 60 feet. Helios 3 rods are available in a softer 3F (finesse) series for closer and more subtle presentations, while the 3D (distance) offers more power and distance capabilitiesperfect for my Florida freshwater fishing. What it actually means is that if theres a manufacturing defect, the rod will be fixed free of charge. The epoxy coating over the guides is excellent. Here I had the privilege of experiencing first-hand what all of our oceans once were. Very smooth to cast, with nicely formed loops and very good accuracy. The rest are large diameter black chrome snake guides that will pass line and tangles easily. Best Fly Rods | Switchback Travel