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. This meant leaving out a lot of very good rods, like the Thomas and Thomas Exocett, the tried and true Sage X, the fabulous Hardy saltwater Zephrus, and the ultra-powerful Loop Cross 7X. I hope that you now feel confident to select a saltwater fly fishing rod suited to your needs. You can click on the chat button, email us or call any of our stores. Rather than do another full blown 8-weight Shootout, we decided to collect these new rods and see how they compare to the top rods in our 2018 8-Weight Shootout. Definitely better than the Helios 3F, the Sector and SKY G at the longer distances. I had a lot of trouble maintaining good loops in the wind. A good 10-weight fly rod has ample pulling power, but can still protect tippet down to 20lb breaking strain. If you are not going to do a lot of long-distance casting, youll love this rod. Only after satisfying the above mentioned 3 characteristics and features, we get to the castability. The epoxy coating on the guides is excellent. The rod features Orvis' dependable 25-year guarantee. easton rebel vs rival. If you cannot find or cast the rods that interest you, we are here to help. The Helios 3F is a fast action rod, and the action is about perfect with its softer tip. There is some exceptions in the models though. The new Recon has tons of power, tracks well and delivers nice casts at mid-distances, giving me good accuracy. The advantage this spiral-x process provides is that Loomis can now build a blank that uses 15-20% less graphite material that is even stronger than their new NRX+ blanks. A great performance in close. The epoxy coating over the guides is excellent. Tippet Protection There's a small spring creek I like to fish year-round here in Utah. Performance at 100 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. In general, we feel the NRX+ might be easier for novices to cast as they can punch it hard and the NRX+s stiffer tip wont buckle. Now the lack of butt and mid-section power is apparent and both the Recon and Aetos in the mid-priced category did a better job. Facebook Instagram. The shape and swell feel just right to me. If you are fishing 60 feet and beyond or often facing windy conditions, the Orvis Recon Big Game is your best mid-priced rod. But these days are very few and far between. The + is no different. Everyone here anxiously anticipated seeing what Steve Rajeff would devise to replace the superb Loomis NRX rods, which have been among our favorite rods over the years. An 8-weight is great for protecting lighter tippets and casting smaller saltwater flies. Last summer, G. Loomis, now a unit of Shimano Inc., broke the four-figure barrier when it unveiled its "Asquith" rod with a suggested price tag of $1,000 to $1,700. Sector. 3. These lines work great for permit and tarpon, but with an 8-weight rod, the Grand Slam or Tropical Punch lines turn over too quickly, and dont provide the kind of delicacy needed when fishing for flats fish like bonefish, redfish and snook. A 12-weight takes some time to. this was the heaviest swing weight in our Challenge. Accurate from anywhere, Helios 3 fly rods are designed to deliver perfect casts with easy distance and seamless control for delicate mends. spiritual meaning of someone stealing from you. 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. scott meridian vs orvis helios 3; scott meridian vs orvis helios 3. The orvis H3 is in my opinion the best rod out there. Nice tight controllable loops are giving me superb accuracy, and this rod handles a lot of wind easily. The rod youre fishing with should be suited to the intended species, size, and fishing situation. Theyve been top of their game for years. I found this grip to be very comfortable and liked it a lot! scott meridian vs orvis helios 3 dr thomas horn wikipedia. scott meridian vs orvis helios 3 . For Saltwater Fly Fishing your entire outfit needs to be dependable. But this rod has plenty of beans to cast long too. The rest of the guides are the good nickel/titanium snakes similar to what Loomis and Orvis use. The cork handle is Scotts modified wells style, like the Radian, where the swell is slightly forward of the middle of the grip. The NRX+ replaced the standard NRX a while ago. The rod can handle large giant trevally and tarpon. Mindfulness for Kids: Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students. Deserving of the hype. We have employed identical methods and rating categories in this 8-Weight Challenge. The Meridian has a very light swing weight, a comfortable cork grip, great power, excellent accuracy, and fabulous feel. The Asquith is a handsome rod; the blank finished in dark green that sparkles brilliantly in the sunlight. An oversize tiptop is used, and there is no hook keeper. This fly rod is a workhorse and is also one of our best picks as a bass fly rod. The Sector is Scott's bid for "finest saltwater fly rod ever designed." These wonder rods leave us wishing for nothing. Nice smoothly controlled loops and lots of feel. The Meridian was right in the middle. 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. A perpetual circle of debate that is fueled by our personal preference, limited experience, and good old fashioned stubbornness. Choose a 12-weight rod of youre going to target the biggest fish on the flats. Usually, there isnt a Cabellas around the corner where you can pick up a new stick. Review: Orvis Helios 3D Blackout 9' 5" 5-weight fly rod Review: Orvis Recon fly rod Review: Orvis Clearwater 11-weight 9'4" fly rod Obviously, the light weight makes the Recon pleasant to carry around all day, especially if you spend a lot of time hiking. It is anodized gray, solid aluminum, with two large uplocking rings that are much easier to grab and lock up than the older rings. Scotts latest offering, the Sector, replaces the Meridian that so many of us loved. gabby hartnett children; honeymoon suites mooresville, nc; just intonation fret calculator If you are looking for that perfect saltwater outfit, then check out this link for ourFavorite Saltwater Outfits. Pieces: 4. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. Another great flyshop that will demo rods is the Painted Trout in Dexter. If youre going on a trip to a remote island you want something durable. Orvis has been in the market for many years and has focused extensively on creating rods, for starters. The Meridian is especially sweet at the short to medium distances where anglers are fishing much of the time. The question I can't personally answer is if a Helios 3F or 3D is twice the rod as the Recon.Maybe. The best fly rod suited to your casting style will enable you to deliver a fly to the intended quarry. The reel seat is far better than on the old Recon. This new line has the S.A. Tropi-Core technology a stiff coating and stiff core, and their AST plus coating, a slickness additive that aids in shooting (and clearing) line, all perfect for warmer climates. The 8 and 9 weight variants are a joy to cast, especially at medium to long-range distances. If you are new to reading our Shootouts however, please click on the link below which will take you to our 2018 8-Weight Shootout. The cork handle is a Steve Rajeff design, a full wells grip that is slightly larger at the front, above the swell, than it is below. It is one of the very lightest rods in swing weight, second only to the SKY G. It also proved to be extremely well dampened and very smooth to cast, right out to 60 feet. All things being equal, cheaper is in this case, may be better, making the NRX+ a very appealing saltwater weapon. However, two specific weights will allow you to cover all saltwater fishing scenarios a 9 and a 12-weight. We also found that no other rod under $200 came remotely close to matching the performance of our past inexpensive 8-weight winner, the Fenwick Aetos. scott meridian vs orvis helios 3. At mid-range nothing comes close to the Asquith. A gray anodized double uplocking reel seat is used with a light but highly impact resistant dark green CI4+ insert. The Meridian performed really well at 80 ft. Knowing the new NRX+ is even tougher than the old NRX is great news! Here youll find our recommendations in three price ranges: The Ultimate Outfit, Mid Priced Outfit and Best Buy Outfit. It had the perfect blend of feel and power to make it one of the best 8-weights at this range. A large fighting butt is used with a wider end that wont dig into you while reeling hard. The Orvis Clearwater launches long casts and consistent loops with surprisingly good feel and decent line control. The epoxy coating on the guides was excellent. Saltwater fly rods are also frequently used in and around boats. It did suffer in the wind a bit and I couldnt punch the power in like I could with the Asquith or NRX+. I liked the feel I was getting from this rod, but I was just slightly more accurate with others. June 10, 2022 . Plenty of guts to throw long, with very good loop control and amazing accuracy. Only the Asquith and 3F were as much fun to cast. In close the Echo Prime was much better. The deep, dark blue finish is gorgeous in the sunlight. And for good reason: The technique flat-out catches fish. The belly and front taper have a fairly traditional design, allowing for nice loops at long distance and the ability to present a fly delicately and accurately. For all practical purposes this rod was perfect. Orvis: Helios 2: $895: 8: 9: 3.55: Full Wells: Yes: 23: 87.5: Quotes are not sourced from all markets and may be delayed up to 20 minutes. At the mid-distances it was still right in the running with the Loomis rods, but lacked their punch. Key Features and Specs Length: 9 feet Line Weight: 5 Action: Medium-Fast Pieces:. The wraps are black but the one-coat epoxy coatings were just OK, being a little heavy in spots. 9, Sala 89, Brusque, SC, 88355-20. If you are looking for an inexpensive 8-weight, look no further! I love the easy to grip rings that lock up well on heavier saltwater fly reels. Im impressed with the smoothness and the accuracy, second only to the Asquith. 1. Scott claims that this allows them to build a stronger and one less likely to break rod. The new Orvis Recon Big Game is the best mid-priced rod that handled all distances well, but especially longer distances or casting in the wind. I love the Primes light swing weight, second only to the Douglas SKY G. The Primes softer tip gave me great feel and very good accuracy in close. You can read more on our. The Asquith was the first rod to use a radical new design that Shimano calls their Spiral-X technology. However, the new Recon is a lot heavier than the Prime 4pc in swing weight, and not nearly as good at the two closer distances. Most of the time I was just happy to have a fly rod in my hand or be guiding someone onto something, knowing the gear could handle it. Two titanium frame stripping guides are used, followed with the excellent nickel/titanium recoil snake guides that will flex but never break. In the event of something happening to your primary rod, you have the backup to fall back to. This, combined with the high modulus carbon fiber, produces a rod with incredible pulling power. Flex & Feel Just like the 3D wins the casting competition for distance, the 3F wins it for feel (and by about the same margin). A fast action rod will advantageous as this will assist you to generate higher line speeds often needed to combat the ever-present wind. 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. In Seychelles, this rod weight is primarily used for targeting milkfish. Orvis follows suit with the new Helios 3F. Of the top rods, only the SKY G was lighter in swing weight. 2. One of the best things about the Meridian is the softer tip, which gives it wonderful feel and control at the shorter distances. Choose this caliber rod when targeting tuna, giant tarpon, and marlin. With spooky, pressured fish becoming the norm, more guides are instructing their clients to make a quick roll cast, which creates less movement than a regular cast. Its softer mid and tip-section are better than stiffer rods when trying to make a quick roll cast at 25-35 feet. Honestly, it had to be, because Orvis is going all-in with this rebranded flagship rod. The Orvis Helios 3D 8-Weight 9 Fly Rod fits snuggly in hand, with a comfortable fighting butt that allows a little extra leverage when fighting powerful fish in moving water. The rest of the guides are the top-notch nickel/titanium Recoil snake guides that are flexible but cannot break. Scott uses absolutely the best components on this rod. In my saltwater arsenal, I have all rod weights from 8 to 12. Here is where the Asquith takes the lead. get used to, especially when youre used to casting trout fly rods. Its always great to have Skips perspective. 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. I noticed that it didnt fare as well in the wind as a couple of the best rods in our test, but there are only a few that best the Meridian at long range. The Echo Prime 4pc is the lightest and best mid-priced rod for fishing at short to medium distances, but lacks power at longer ranges. When last have you heard of a premium rods cork coming loose or a ferrule that wont stay secured properly? The honeymoon continues for the G. Loomis Asquith, retaining its crown as the best performing 8-weight rod money can buy. No rod could touch the Helios in close and it was easy to give it a perfect score. The rod has a progressive, crisp action that makes it ideal for using all day long. A stack of very high-quality thin diameter cork rings are used like on the other best rods. He wont divulge their secrets so I couldnt learn more, but these changes allow Douglas to build the new SKY G with less material, resulting in a much lighter and stronger rod than the older standard SKY. The old NRX rods were some of the toughest rods we have ever fished, and tougher to break than rods from other manufacturers. Then we trace the outline of the rod. 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). When we were test casting all the rods, and watching the loops they formed in the air, it was immediately apparent that the NRX+ loops were smoother than the other rods, with very little apparent oscillation. The Fenwick Aetos continues to be our pick for the best inexpensive 8-weight fly rod, an honor is has kept since our 2016 8-Weight Shootout, when it was first introduced. At $795 this rod is a bargain when compared to the other top rods, that are $100-$400 more. Our deflection charts have been an integral part of our Shootouts and we have included them again here in our Challenge. It was also more difficult to cast than Asquith when the wind picked up. But the things that matter are there, including a modern build designed to reduce wobble and side-to-side movement when casting. The epoxy coatings on the guides were excellent and alignment dots are used on the ferrules. To the angler that spends $1000 on a rod, you would expect that. I was able to get good accuracy and didnt have any issue with the distance. If you own more than one Meridian in different weights, having a numerical designation on the sliding band will help you quickly select your bonefish, permit, or tarpon rod. On the other hand, Sage offers quite a nice range of premium fly rods for veteran anglers. The accuracy was good but could not match the top four rods. Watch the Orvis Helios 3D Fly Rod Review Fishing the Helios 3D With the Helios 3D, you have so much power in that bottom half of the rod. The 3F is going to give the Scott Meridian a run for its money for sure. I felt that the Sector needs more butt and mid-section power to go long. The Nautilus G-7/8 is still our reel of choice on any 8-weight rod, especially when you need the ultimate in performance to handle sizzling fast bonefish runs or the bulldog like power of a big Louisiana redfish. Steves idea is to get your pinky and ring finger closer to your palm, providing a more comfortable and more powerful grip, especially when you are throwing long. The overall craftsmanship is absolutely top notch. In casting the new NRX+ 8-weight, this improvement in recovery and dampening was dramatic! Centric. I only had a short time to spend with this rod and I couldn't wait to fish it! The Helios 2 rods in fall 2012 were a measureable improvement, with great strength, better tapers, and more accuracy. The guide set up uses two of the new CeRecoil nickel/titanium stripping guides like the Scott Sector, with a slick zirconia ceramic insert. ALL Shopping Rod. On the plus side, we have sold a lot of Asquith rods and see very few being broken. 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. IFTD 2017 Update: Orvis Helios 3. Todays latest graphite fly rods are using lighter higher modulus graphite materials combined with new resin systems like the new nano-resins, as well as different methods of cutting and laying up the graphite layers and better rolling techniques. A good 8-weight fly rod will protect lighter tippets but have the power to handle bonefish. The increased dampening and recovery also result in superior accuracy, which was evident at close range. Its also one of the more affordable premium rods on the market. If you are an expert caster, you will likely gravitate towards the Asquith, as it has power and feel. I get asked this question quite frequently by beginner fly anglers. At mid-distances like 45-75 feet, (that I find myself fishing an 8-weight most of the time), nothing can touch the Asquith. A full wells cork handle is used, with standard sized corks. The question What is the best saltwater fly rod? will undoubtedly provoke many lengthy discussions.

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