They include a high-quality cork handle (extra flor), an aluminium built and anodised reel seat with a burled black ash spacer and a titanium-frame ceramic stripping guide followed by 11 single foot RECoil guides. Rods with ERN in the middle of the #3 power have a frequency near :76cpm for the Airflo Euro Nymph, 77 cpm for the Baetis Precision 2.0, the Echo Shadow X and the Hanak Superb XP, 78 cpm for the Thomas & Thomas Contact and the Maxia SX4. There is certainly a wow factor too with an expensive rod, when you pull that rod out of its case in front of your fishing buddies. Take one look at the thread wraps and their finish on the Avantt and youll see the ultimate in perfection. Are you comfortable fishing with a $200 rod when all your friends have those hotshot $750-$1100 rods? 10 Wt Fly Rod for sale | eBay Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If current rod sections are no longer available the rod will be replaced with a comparable model. We do like the cork butt, as it provides for good grip, casting, and leverage too. Really, the only real drawbacks are the price at $1100 it is the most expensive rod in our Shootout, $150 more than the Orvis Helios rods, and $300 more than the Sky G, and the replacement cost if you break it. The burled wood insert is combined with gray graphite insert. Impressive tight loops that gave me very good accuracy. With a fly rod, the swing weight is the weight you feel out ahead of your hand, when the rod is held horizontally. This Abel fly reel should provide a lifetime of performance. If you spend a lot of time waiting with your rod in hand and letting the fish come to you, go with a 12 weight. Then before casting, we stretch out the fly lines and leaders so that they will cast and turn over perfectly. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. The rings were a little hard to grip, but use nylon spacers to give a secure lock up. It is the case for the Airflo Euro Nymph, Baetis Precision 2.0, Echo Shadow X, Hanak Superb XP, Sage ESN HD and the Vision Nymphmaniac. Rods that score high in this category are also better for fishing streamers with sink tip lines, and have the backbone to help you land larger fish more quickly on heavier tippets. Alignment dots are used. Words + Photos By: Josh Thelin Saltwater fly rods have a unique place in fly fishing. The wraps are very dark red, trimmed with some bright red on the butt section. This line has a heavier 60-foot head and a short front taper that makes turning over heavy rigs much easier, as well as an uncanny ability to cut through the wind. For this 6-weight shootout, we had ten identical Galvan Torque reels set up with our favorite 6-weight line, the Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX. Now we position the grip over the fulcrum created by the foam pellet so that the pellet is positioned under the midpoint in the swell where you will naturally grip the rod. They must be accurate, especially at the short to medium distances and be able to make delicate presentations when called for. A nice blend of both power and feel. The Greys GR80, la JMC Pure Equipe, la Maxia SX, la Soldarini Hydropsyche Competition, la Syndicate Pipeline and the Thomas & Thomas Contact are moderate-fast action rods. Keep in mind thatfastaction rods are not necessarilystiffrods. Other models reviewed are really close in terms of comfort with marks being between 6.5 and 7.1/10. But if you unexpectedly run into a surprise PMD or Baetis hatch, you dont want to go back to the car for a 4 or 5-weight rod. 2) You love the Meridian, but need more line lifting power for 2nd and 3rd shots. I also am getting a lot of feedback and feel with both the 3F and 3D, which gives me more confidence where Im putting the fly. The brown dull coating of the blank and the red wraps provide an original look. This was ideal, with a much larger casting area covered with synthetic turf, that is used primarily for indoor soccer, football, and lacrosse. I was surprised that both the overall weight and swing weight were slightly heavier than the older Radian, but it does have more usable power. rod shoot out This reel won our 2016 5/6 Reel Shootout. They are dealt a wide variety of environments to accommodate, have to manage larger fish on average than freshwater endeavors, get punished with corroding/damaging salt, and still need to find the balance between powerful, accurate, and responsive. Logan Brown, our guide bookings manager has lived in Montana for over fifteen years now and has become one of the better anglers in our area. The good-looking Hardy Shadow put in a superb performance, and at $389.95, is our pick for the best mid-priced rod. The cork handle is a comfortable half wells shape, with the swell a little forward of the middle of the grip. High Performance The Helios rods really jump out at you on the rod rack. As Tim explains, this rod was designed to be an inexpensive but versatile rod, and in this respect he has hit a home run. I was blown away by such a light rod in swing weight, that has this kind of explosive power. The same is true with the new SKY G 6-weight. For all these reasons, 6-weight rods have proven to be the most popular size with anglers traveling to New Zealand and Argentina to fish for trout. A fast action helps cast through stiff wind but This is a 10 weight fly rod, making it ideal for thick lines, for big fish, and even for saltwater fly fishing too. Surprisingly, this is often true. Tracks beautifully and maintains wonderful loop control and accuracy. The grey aluminium reel seat has a bottle green insert, the shape of the handle stays the same as the MX. Review: Scott Centric fly rod Now I was getting smooth, tight loops with excellent feel and accuracy. Using a T-5 kept the weight down to a light 6.1 ounces, with the reel fully loaded with line and backing. Not only is this rod noticeably lighter in your hand than other top 6-weights, but there is just nothing that can come close to matching it casting at short to medium distances, where Im fishing 90 percent of the time. For our 6-weight Shootout casting, we tie on a fluorescent yarn indicator that approximates the wind resistance of a medium size dry fly, enabling us easily to judge turnover and accuracy, right out to 75 feet. Regarding the look, the Pipeline series is characterised by a dull olive blank, equipped with two starting SIC guidesfollowed by 10 tiCH single leg, a 4A cork handle and an aluminium reel seat with wood insert. We rated it one of the best in our Indicator Nymphing category, just behind the NRX+ and Centric. It is followed by the Echo Shadow X (7.8/10). WebMHX 90 6 wt. The 3F was slightly better as were both Loomis rods and the Sky G. Now the power on tap takes over and the rod tracks beautifully, throwing wonderful tight loops. This particular rod is 9 feet long, which is a moderate length for fly rods, thus offering a fairly good combination of casting distance and maneuverability, although not as maneuverable as a smaller rod. In the modern nymphing technique, the 10 #3 is the most standard fly rod used for white-water fishing. Its also nice to look down at your rod and reel and appreciate the craftsmanship and function of one of the very best rods. WebEach fly rod in the Tradewinds series is fitted with stainless steel snake guides, the new Channel Lock reel seat from Pacific Bay to ensure a tight fit, (TiCh) Titanium hard coated stripping guides, Flor grade full wells cork grips, and a fighting butt. Tropical Saltwater Fly Line Shootout & Buyer's Guide The shorter the rod is, the more maneuverable it is, thus allowing for casting out of cover, plus this is good for short distance casting too. This makes the blank much stronger under a lifting load with less overall material used. Like on the 3F, there is no hook keeper on the Helios 3D. Only then do the subtle differences reveal themselves, and this is what we are doing for you in our Shootouts. We would have liked to see T&T use the flexible nickel/titanium snake guides, similar to the ones Loomis uses on their Asquith. What Does Stingray Taste Like? The Superb XP series has an original look: the matt blank is dark olive green, just like the wraps of the Recoil Titanflex memory guides. We have found that this is the key to getting good accuracy in close. The accuracy was excellent but the rod feels a bit heavier in hand than the Sky G or Asquith. For this 6-weight Shootout we used our Clear Butt 9 foot 4X leaders. This is a 10 foot long rod, making it fine for long distance casts, but beware that this does take away from maneuverability quite a bit. 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. The best fly rods are not always the most expensive. Is It Safe To Eat? They wont throw a heavy articulated fly quite like a 7 or 8-weight, but surprisingly theres a lot you can do with the best 6-weigths. $25 handling fee on current rods. Free Shipping. The cork handle is a half-wells, and this is one of those pre-formed grips of lower quality cork that shows a lot of filler. The answer is the use of Graphene. The T10s is only slightly heavier than the T10, casts just as sweet and is probably still the 2nd lightest 10 weight rod on the market. $35 handling fee. Accuracy with the 3D was excellent, especially at medium and long distance. The Avantt uses T&Ts proprietary Strato Therm Resin, giving the rod incredible strength, low swing weight and lightning fast recovery. Fenwick Lifetime warranty (except for HMG and Eagle models which only carry 5 year warranties). This rod comes in a 3 or 4 piece option, which is also nice in terms of transportation and portability. On the water, the Centic proved to be great for roll casting and mending a lot more powerful than the previous Radian. Here it equals the perfect score of the Asquith. Nevertheless, the Sky Gs performance was an equal sensation with all of our testers, who had no input in the rods design). Fun to Fish/Got to Have 10 points available. Now Douglas gives us another amazing 6-weight that edges all the other 6-weights we tested! Usually takes 4 weeks. Nylon washers on each ring ensure a very secure lock up that wont come loose. To be clear, this rod does come in other models with lengths ranging from 7 feet 6 inches to 9 feet. This year we had to put off our casting until January, in order to get all the newly released rods from the manufacturers. I love these flat, non-glare finishes as youll spook fewer fish while casting, especially when the fish are close. Galvan uses a counterbalance so that the reel runs perfectly smoothly when that big fish is smoking away from you. Its a lightweight and fast action fly fishing rod that is both sensitive and responsive too. The guide set up starts with a hook keeper just above the grip, then a single stripping guide, using a titanium frame and a thin wall SIC ring is used that is slightly smaller than the one used on the Asquith. With larger wind-resistant hoppers here on the Yellowstone River, our guides are normally using a 9-foot 3X leader, or even a 7.5-foot leader when fishing with beginners. For one, this is another 4 piece fishing rod, which means that you can easily break it down to size for easy transportation. The cork handle is a cigar style grip with very little swell and just a little flare on the bottom end over the reel seat. Thomas and Thomas$65 repair charges for the original owner, includes shipping. Like all rods in the Equipe series, a tricolour (blue, white, red) wrap appears at the base of the first guide. In our limited Shootout, it was the heaviest rod in both overall weight and swing weight, but the Carbon XL was still a lot lighter than others that didnt make our top 10. Tracks perfectly but accuracy and feel not nearly as good as the Helios 3F or Centric. A new resin named Powerflux 1000 brings to the blank mechanical properties while fishing. Not the easiest to maneuver due to length. It performed virtually identically to the Sky G, so if you want the number one 6-weight in a saltwater version this is it. People like these for nostalgia and because they look very nice, although the least user friendly of the 3 main kinds. This rod is 4-piece and delivered with a cover and a cordura protecting tube. The blank itself is finished in an attractive flat blue epoxy, with slightly lighter blue wraps. Until Douglas produced their new SKY G, the Asquith would have been the lightest 6-weight rod, even lighter than the new Loomis NRX+. With your new rod they include a FedEx call tag so that it does not cost you anything to return your broken rod.New this year, G. Loomis is offering an Xpeditor Tip Service. You can add a kit of 4 weights (2 of 5g and 2 of 10g), in order to balance the rod, whatever the reel you use. The Best Fly Rods of 2023 | Field & Stream more info. On the cigarcork handle, a green thin ringmarks the first 7.9"from thebuttand graduation goes onfrom 3.9"to 3.9"with green wraps up to 19.7". For rods that retail less than $250, a $35 handling fee is charged. For its Precision 2.0 series, the brand Baetis broke its usual gaudy look of the first generation. The smaller and thinner the line is, the smaller the prey you can go for. Others, who see how this rod performs in their guides hands think that it is going to make them great anglers too, or at least take them to the next level. In my casting, the Sonic actually outscored the Sage X, to make it into our top ten best 6-weights. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. The perfect lines: SA Amplitude MPX (best all around) or the SA Anadro/Nymph (nymph and streamer fishing),both in WF-6-F. Good, but the 3F was much better in close. The quality of the cork in handles varies enormously in fly rods. Knowing the new NRX+ is even tougher than the old NRX is great news! $60 handling fee. As G. Loomis tells it, Spiral-X technology is a complex three-step process. Overall, it finished higher than the Orvis Helios 3D that sells for $949.00. In our 2016 6-weight Shootout, the new Douglas Sky was a surprise winner over a lot of great rods. The rods stiffness hurts the feel a bit in close and Im not getting the kind of feel or accuracy that I had with the Sky G. Im able to form nice loops with ease, and the rod tracks well. If you are thinking about buying a fly rod, we suggest reading one of our Shootouts for the line size rod you want. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. This summer he will be guiding full time as a core guide for the Yellowstone Angler. Regarding the reel seats, the Echo Shadow X, the Baetis Precision 2.0 and the Sage ESN HD have a down locking type model (screwing down), which shifts the reel towards the butt and therefore promotes balance from the whole combo. But The guides are single leg and the penultimate has a shape designed to limit twists in the line when euro nymphing. The choice will be made above all according to fairly subjective criteria (look) and your budget. The cork handle is called a snub nose half-wells, which has a long thin swell, with a little flare at each end. Click here to jump to the rest of the charts. If you feel your rod has broken because of a defect, you pay to send the rod to their warranty department for examination. Long-distance casts with decent precision are easy to achieve. This years 8-Weight Shoot Out focused on most of the new, higher-end rods that entered the market in the last year. Terrific power on tap, when you need it. The epoxy finish on the guides is especially well done. I wish more manufacturers would do the same. $75 on recent rods within 10 years, $125 on classic olderrods. The beauty of this process is that it uses 15-20% less graphite to get the exact same strength as the older NRX rods, which we know from experience are stronger than any other rods weve used. This is measured on a scale of 1 to 12, and it is very important to match the weight class of the fly rod with the weight of the line, at least if you want the best results. Well also ship it to you for free, and since we are in Montana, there is no sales tax. And to help with playing fish, youll find that many of these rods we tested come in models with a short fighting butt. St. Croix15 year warranty on Imperial fly rods and 5 year warranty on Mojo Trout fly rods. At 50 feet you want a rod that will be light and smooth enough to do a lot of false casting, which you will do fishing dry flies like hoppers all day long. This is a medium-fast action rod. Youll find a way to sneak it into your stash without the Mrs. (or Mr.) finding out. WebA 10-weight is not only a great tarpon rod, but works well for permit, roosterfish, milkfish, and most larger tropical species as well as a host of coldwater gamefish like pike and The Avantt is another classy rod from Thomas and Thomas with craftsmanship that is second to none. Fly Regular price $ 499 INFO. Fast action, with the majority of the values being between 68 and 70. The Asquith and NRX+ were far better at long range. This is repeated a half dozen times, zeroing out the scale each time. Micron backing, now the capacity jumps up to 180 yards, but the overall (fully loaded) reel weight goes up to 6.9 ounces. The reel seat mixes black anodized aluminum and cork insert. Two chartreuse trims bring to the first piece a touch of flashy. He has been a very important and integral part of our Shootouts and tackle comparisons over the years. Chloe Nostrant has been working at the Yellowstone Angler now for over 6 years. I especially like the Sky Gs guide set, starting with one of the new CERECOIL stripping guides that use a titanium frame with a super slick Zirconia ring insert that is designed to never come out of the frame, even as the frame flexes. And once youve picked out the perfect rod, stay and enjoy a few days on the water with one of our top guides. The others are standard (between 24 and 26 mm). This is the case of the Echo Shadow X, whose very long handle (7.4") associated with the down-locking reel seat makes it impossible to attach a Vivarelli reel. Since we eliminated the Perfect 6 performance category that rewarded what we felt was the best overall 6-weight, this category more or less does the same thing. Having the difference in colors between the head and running line allows you to judge how much line you have out of the rod in the air, and when casting longer distances using a double haul. Our deflection charts have been so popular that we have worked up more for this 6-weight Shootout. These are tied with Clear Maxima butts and mid-sections and Rio tippets. Douglas, whose Sky won our last 6-weight Shootout, made some dramatic moves with graphene and a re-design to come up with their new Sky G. Hardy also gives us a new and improved top of the line rod, called the Ultralite, which has impressive power and replaced the Zephrus. This 4-piece rod is delivered in a compartmentalised tube and has a lifetime warranty (something rather rare in this price range). For leaders, we used our own Yellowstone Angler 9 foot 4X Clear Butt Leaders. It also comes with a convenient carrying tube, something which also helps make life a little easier. At short distance, the softer tip gave me good feel and accuracy. The 9/10 model is ideal for all but the biggest fish species. A thin nylon washer is used between the ring and hood to secure a very positive lock up. Although the Asquith, Centric, and Ultralite use single locking rings with nylon inserts, they all gave us a very positive lock up. At long distance, this rod fires effortlessly with smooth, tight loops that really cut into the wind. Youll find these on our Yellowstone Angler home page at yellowstoneangler.com. We see a lot of people wishing to economize getting into fly fishing and buying less expensive equipment. Some of the lighter action 6-weights however, dont have this capability. Logically, the highest frequencies are correlated to the weight being a #2 : 81 cpm with a weight of a #2 line and 75 with a weight of a #3 line for the Greys GR80 and the Sage ESN HD, 80 cpm and 74 cpm for the Syndicate Pipeline. This rod allows for fast line speed so it can handle wind with ease. Throws incredibly tight loops with ease, giving me terrific accuracy. The best 6-weight rods have enough power in the butt and mid-section to get the job done easily. Best 10 Wt Fly Rod Top 10 of 2023 Buyers Guide The best rods will have the ability to carry a lot of line in the air, and throw very tight loops at this range with consistent accuracy. The perfect lines: SA Amplitude MPX (best all around) or the SA Anadro/Nymph (nymph and streamer fishing),both in WF-6-F. Tracked well, but the slightly stiffer tip didnt allow as much feel or accuracy as with the Helios 3F or Sky G. Now the Avantt really comes into its own with a perfect mix of power, feel and accuracy. These Helios rods are light in hand and throw impressive loops at all distances. The alignment dots on each section are helpful, and the serial number is inscribed on each section, which helps if you have multiple T&T rods so that you dont accidently mix them up. It uses a dark gray anodized single uplocking skeleton seat with a nylon ring that gives a very secure lock up. more than 6.7"). They are ideal for fishing bigger, more wind resistant dry flies like hoppers or stoneflies. Rods with a heavy swing weight feel like a brick in your hand, and will wear you out casting them all day. A cornerstone of their new technology is using a multi-taper design, a process that removes material from areas where a rod is least likely to break, and adds material to prevent breakage where its more likely to do so. This is a rod that has a lot of beans, and is one of the more powerful 6-weights we had in our Shootout. The best 6-weight rods need to have excellent loop control and the ability to throw very tight loops to get the best accuracy and presentation, and do it even in a strong breeze. He doesnt want to give up his secrets to success and I guess I cant blame him. We have been Scientific Anglers line fans for years, and their Amplitude MPX line is a perfect choice for these 6-weight rods. Here is the most important of all the performance categories for picking the best all around 6-weight rod. The fighting butt is 7/8 of an inch long and tapers out to 1 and inch. Tracked well and felt solid at long distance. A single uplocking, black anodized seat is used with a self-indexing hood and a dark gray micarta insert.