Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. The Hardy Zephrus comes in a hard rod tube and wrapped in a nice rod sock. We have several reels rigged with the various line sizes, and leaders, all ready to go. How well are the guides wrapped and how nice are the coatings? Yet Hardy is within its rights to brag about the weight of the Zephrus Ultralite because its ultra-light Ultratelite-ness is immediately evident from the second you pick it up. The 8'6 4wt Sky G is accurate at all the important trout distances. The epoxy coatings over the wraps were surprisingly good for a one-coat finish. Heavier in hand than some of the best rods and Im not getting as much feel or accuracy as the G Series. This goes to show what a rod with a softer tip and stiff butt section can do. $75 handling fee. The F Series, concentrates more on finesse, without sacrificing too much power. (tie) TFO FINESSE TROUT 79 #4 $229.95. I still had to give the edge to the Zephrus and Pure. We found most rods performed better with the Amplitude Smooth Infinity, which is a half line size heavier. Performance at 60 feet: 9.5 points out of 10. For this 4-weight Shootout, we decided to make the short distance 25 feet, the mid-distance 40 feet, and the longest distance 60 feet. In the 4, 5, and 6-weights, the DXF is a great casting rod. Of the two TFO Finesse rods, I like this 79 rod as a 4-weight a whole lot better than the longer 89 model. Performance at 60 feet: 7.5 points out of 10. Hardy Ultralite NSX DH Fly Rod. The Recon has been one of our favorite rods, and this 4-weight version is terrific. Performance at 60 feet 10 points available. Overall weight is certainly a factor, lighter being better, but swing weight is far more important. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. Nice tight loops and good control. Here Im getting nice loops and decent accuracy, but Im working a lot harder than with the Avantt or the Helios 3F. $895.00. Year after year the Zephrus manages to maintain its top position. The Aetos was dramatically better for an inexpensive rod. 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. It is refreshing to see such a nice rod, at such a low price that is made here in the US, in Park Falls, Wisconsin. We have awarded scores emphasizing the lowest repair charges and the quickest repair turn around. Scott feels that this gives the rod a smoother one-piece type action, and I agree as this is a very smooth casting rod that gives me a lot of feel at short to mid distances. 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. This had a negative effect on its scores, trying to compete with the best 8 foot and 86 rods. Feedback. 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. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. The 8 foot Pure had a much heavier swing weight, and would not be as much fun to false cast all day as this 8 footer. In terms of performance, the Recon was actually better at mid to long range. To sum it all up as quickly as possible, Ill mention just a few things. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. The accuracy was not good either. I liked the medium fast action, and this was a pleasantly smooth rod to cast, especially at the longer distances. The nice soft tip allows me to cast off the tip of the rod with a flick of my wrist. While not quite as light as the Douglas Sky G, it is one of the lightest all-around 5wts on the market. Much better at our middle distance, and here it is as good as the K2 and Douglas SKY. It would also one of the best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers. Will they make you a better angler? Also, by having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting. 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. Performance at 60 feet: 6.5 points out of 10. There are a few 8 foot and shorter rods as well as a few 9-foot rods in the mix, especially when manufacturers dont offer an 8 foot model. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. The clear winner in this years Shootout, the Zephrus brought power, feel, and accuracy to the table and left no detail untouched. A nice piece of dark hardwood is used for the spacer. Whats really eye-catching, though, is the reel seat. Shipping isfrom their US warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks. Performance at 60 feet: 7 points out of 10. So, for $530 you will get 2 set ups so you can begin to contrast and compare the differences between the 2 rods. Alignment dots are placed at the ferrules, which is handy. hardy zenith. Hardy has given us another magical rod that produced an absolutely stunning performance to blow away all the contenders. Armstrong Spring Creek on the OHair Ranch. The epoxy coatings on the guides are top notch. To my credit, I didnt throw a tailing loop, but my first cast wasnt exactly pretty. This rod is insanely lightweight and maneuverable; in fact, it has the lightest swing weight of any rod we've tested here at Trident. And the Fenwick Aetos, that finished at 11th, higher than the middle of the pack, is only $179.95! I wish they would had used the lighter, flexible nickel/titanium snake guides found on the Helios 3F, or even better, the nickel titanium single-foot guides found on the Hardy Zephrus, which would have improved its heavy swing weight. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. Another stiff rod, the Avantt, was slightly better. Heres a category that we used in our last 4-weight Shootout, that we deemed important when you are trying to judge the best 4-weight rods, that will often be used with very light 5x, 6x, and 7x tippets. This is one of the worst scores at long distance in our Shootout. The spacer is not fancy burl or birdseye maple, but laminated wood as often seen on inexpensive rods. Now the stiffness is becoming an advantage, and Im getting some nice tight loops. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. In all, one of the best guide set ups weve seen. Non-original owner $150 per section. This made it easy to judge one rod against another. It was a little heavier than the best rods in both overall weight and swing weight but part of this can be attributed to it being a 9 foot rod, while most other rods in our 4-weight Shootout are 6 inches to a foot shorter. A flare on the bottom end of the grip accommodates the uplocking seat. The wraps are a dark green to complement the blank and the epoxy coatings are perfect. It is also a soft rod, so it scored very well in light tippet protection. (tie) Loop OPTI K2 9 #4 $549.00. (tie) Waterworks-Lamson SS 9 #4 $399.99. #24. There are not many situations when youll be fishing this far with your 4-weight, but Ive certainly had many situations, especially fishing dry flies on larger rivers, like the Missouri, where Ive had to throw it this long yet still get good accuracy and a delicate presentation in order to catch a nice fish. Now were talking! Howard is a great angler and knew just what he wanted for the perfect 4-weight. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. After fifty years in the fly fishing business as a guide, shop manager and shop owner, Ive learned a lot about what it takes for a fly rod to perform well. 4wt (6) 5wt (7) 6wt (8) 7wt (9) 8wt (9) 9wt (4) 10wt (5) 11wt (4) 12wt (3) View More. #3. Like the Orvis 3F, there is no hook keeper. Guides start with a hook keeper, and then one SiC stripping guide, followed with black hard chrome snake guides. 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. w/ Hardy Reel + Rio Backing & Line. 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. The Scott G series was definitely better. Equal to the IMX Pro but thats about it. Sometimes the whole rod is replaced. Personally, Im used to that sort of line speed, but most anglers arent. It tracks well and I was getting very nice loops and good control, especially at mid to longer distances. Sage promotes the MOD as a rod that will deliver delicate presentations with pinpoint accuracy. The rings on the seat were fairly large and easy to tighten, giving a secure lock up. With 4-weight rods the emphasis is on the shorter distances, as rarely would an angler be casting a 4-weight at 60 feet or more. I found the Zephrus to be a really versatile, do-it-all 4-weight! 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. Mystic JXP 9 #4 $499.00. This is a soft rod, and that gave it good marks in the light tippet protection category, but its performance distance scores were lackluster. These will hold up longer, even with hard usage. Good butt power also helps me land fish in a minimal amount of time. The stiffness hurt, and it was hard for me to cast off the tip of the rod. He wanted another 4-weight that was very accurate and delicate, yet one that had more power in the butt and mid-section. Winston NIMBUS 86 #4 $650.00. Shop Now. Overall, the craftsmanship was decent for a rod that is manufactured in Asia, but not nearly as good as what we see in the Recon and H3F that are built in Vermont. Shop Now. The reel seat is a gray anodized double uplocking skeleton seat with sliding band and darker wood insert. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. TFO FINESSE TROUT 89 #4 $229.95. Both the feel and accuracy were outstanding. Since this is a softer rod than the Zephrus, we settled on using the lighter Trout line but this rod had the power to handle the heavier Infinity nearly as well. Stiff, slower action rods are NOT what you are looking for in a 4-weight, where accurate, delicate presentations are the keys to success. The quality of the cork is not too good either and it used a lot of filler. Pretty good loop control but the feel and accuracy were not as good as what I was getting with the DXF or the St. Croix Imperial. At one point it was our Best inexpensive rod until the Fenwick Aetos muscled it aside. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one huge SiC stripping guide that seems way too big, followed with hard chrome snake guides. Annette McLean, Winstons long time rod designer did a great job with the Pure, giving us a rod that is Pure fun to cast and fish. The Hardy Ultralite is a slimmed down version of the Zephrus made for small water fishing and delicate presentations. This is a light rod in swing weight almost as good as the Zephrus. Leaders are a critical element in making accurate presentations and fooling spooky trout. Of course, accuracy is more dependent on the angler than the rod, but a great rod helps. Here, the softer rods, ones with softer tips and rods with lighter swing weights post the highest scores. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. This is a very smooth rod to cast and Im getting nice tight loops and good accuracy. Both lines utilize an improved dry tip, (the last 5 feet of the front taper that is designed to float better), and utilize SAs AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting performance. What is a cheap rod like this doing up here with all the far higher priced rods, many of which cost $700more? 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. The Pure is a brand new rod from Winston. I have the utmost confidence in using this rod with very light tippets to fool large spring creek trout. Steve Rajeff, the head rod designer at Loomis, designed the Asquith tapers, and the blanks are built by Shimano in Japan, using their unique X wrap process. If you are thinking about buying a fly rod, we suggest reading one of our Shootouts for the line size rod you want. One thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight. It was a little better than the Avantt here, but not as good as the H3F. Usually takes 2 weeks. The action of these two rods is very different. Wow It is super light in hand, and 2. Performance at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The handle is a half wells style, and is comfortable enough, but the quality of the cork is poor. 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. Both of these for $130 less than just the Sage Dart (again, my Sage rods are my favourites in my rod quiver). The Ultralite has a proportionally stiffer tip than the Zephrus, and much softer butt and mid section. Good, just not great. Casting against the Scott G series it felt about equal, and better than the Asquith. I loved the punch and power I was getting with the Shadow and only at long range did it suffer. At 40 feet you need a rod that is light and pleasant enough to do a lot of false casting, as you will when fishing dry flies, but you shouldnt have to double haul to get the rod to perform and hit this distance. This rod is absolutely the winner for our Best Buy (best inexpensive) 4-weight Rod. When you pick up this rod, youll first notice how light it is in swing weight. The ability of this rod to track precisely combined with its ability to form beautiful tight loops allowed it to perform almost as well as the best rods at long range. Just keep in mind that all these measurements must be made the same day with the same room temperature. The two locking rings are large and easy to grip and tighten. Good-looking wood insert spacers that are finished well add to the attractiveness of any rod. Everyone here at our shop liked the 8 footer better, so we put only the 8-foot model in this Shootout. Craftsmanship is second to none, and is what we have now come to expect from T&T.
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