Usually takes 2 weeks. To me, it felt very comfortable. I was tempted to rate it higher. What about the new Sage Salt HD and how would it compare to the Sage X and Motive? I think this is one of the better-looking rods in our Shootout. The perfect line: S.A. Amplitude Trout in WF-5-F. Steve Rajeff specifically designed this rod to cast best with the Amplitude Trout. It will be a pleasure to cast all day if you are fishing dry flies. The short fighting butt has another good, wide contrasting cork on the end. Now the lack of power hurts and I’m struggling to hit 80 feet. Although Loomis' conventional GL2 series grabbed the Best Fishing Rod honors, the winner for Best Fly Rod -- the GLoomis Pro4x -- is the rod that will be of most interest to readers here. We have found that this is the key to getting good accuracy, especially at closer distances. Think of it as more of a finesse rod. Usually takes 1-2 weeks. Sales receipt or proof of purchase required. The Vice was much better at the longest distances. In addition to my comments in the main Shootout, you’ll want to read the comments from Jamie and our other Yellowstone Angler staff members, JG (Josh Green) and Logan Brown. In our last 8-weight Shootout, the DXF didn’t perform so well and ended up next to last. Once we compile the points for all the rods at the different casting distances, we then add up points in the other categories to determine the final finishing order. G Loomis IMX PRO 7100-4 Fly Rod : 7wt 10'0" $525.00. For this 8-weight Shootout, we again decided to use our favorite 8-weight reel – the Nautilus G-7/8. At these middle distances I found that I was getting very nice tight loops and good accuracy. Only at the 100 foot mark did I feel it was not quite as good as the Asquith and NRX. This is a test that anyone can duplicate. We look at lots of things to determine this. The softer tip is giving me good accuracy and feel. Surprisingly the 3F still did very well out long, matching the Meridian and Exocett! We are continually impressed at how much rod building craftsmanship has improved over the years. The fast action seems just right, and there is nothing in our Shootout that has this kind of performance at a price below $300.00. This is another great rod made here in the US at Park Falls, Wisconsin. Doesn’t seem to have enough power to carry the same tight loops as the BVK or Motive. The reel seat is a black anodized double uplocking seat, but the locking rings are smaller and harder to grip than those found on the Salt HD. You’ll find some ingenious way to sneak it into your stash without the little lady (or husband) finding out. Rods are repaired or replaced. They use two more standard SiC stripping guides followed by extra large size hard chrome snake guides and an oversize tip top. But this rod has plenty of beans to cast long too. At the back end of this Amplitude line is a 10-foot section of black line, called a sighter. Performance at 100 feet:  18.5 points out of 20. Casting accuracy is one of the biggest factors we use in rating these rods, and at short distances accuracy and feel are critical components in obtaining the top scores. Like other TFO rods, the Axiom II is manufactured in Korea. Combined with the new materials and resin is what Fred calls a “G ARMOR” coating. The G. Loomis NRX LP 9’#5 has had a stranglehold on first place in our past three 5-weight Shootouts, but now this rod is gone, replaced with the NRX+ LP, a totally new rod with new materials and a new design that has proven to be outstanding. So it lacks a heavy backbone. The only way I was going to catch any of these fish was to make a cast close to 100 feet and get the fly and leader to turn over. Both are a couple of hundred dollars less than the most expensive rods. Designed for versatility, the Orvis Recon 5 weight fly rod can handle a fight with the biggest trout or a technical dance in a complicated stream. The grey anodized, double uplocking reel seat matches the color of the blank. As a top-finger guy, I prefer the classic cigar-style grip on a 5 weight rod, but to each his/her own. I liked the two titanium SiC stripping guides, followed up with flexible nickel/titanium single foot guides the rest of the way. A good saltwater 8-weight rod needs to be strong enough to fire 40-60 foot casts into a hard wind, and hit 80-100 feet with ease in calmer conditions. By having all the rods set up identically, it makes it easy to take a few casts with one, lay it down on the grass, and immediately pick up another rod and do the same without having to take the time to strip all the line off the rod and load up another one. It’s the lens providing focus. Here are my top two choices for the best all-around 5-weight rod: Here is a fantastic new rod that can do it all! The slightly shorter 8’8” Scott G series is a far different rod than the fast action, 9 foot Radian. #14 (tie)   Douglas DXF     9 foot #8    $395.00. The G. Loomis crew did a fine job assembling my 6-weight IMX PRO. Lines: I used 2 different float lines. We debated on whether to use the newer Winston Pure or the Air in our presentation rod category, but in casting the two rods, we felt that the Air gave us slightly better performance. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. Still better than anything, and only matched by the Orvis Helios 3F. I’ve been in the fly-fishing business now for over fifty years, as a guide, fly shop manager and finally owner. Like other Redington rods, the VICE is manufactured in Korea. Galvan uses a counterbalance so that the reel runs perfectly smoothly when a big fish is smoking away from you. A single stripping guide is used, slightly smaller than most and extremely light, using a titanium frame with a very thin wall SIC ring. Will they make you a better angler? G.Loomis IMX-PRO Musky 1290-4 Fly Rod - 9'- 12wt - 4pc - New - FREE FLY LINE. All you have to do is take your new rod out of the shipping box, put your broken rod back in the shipping box, tape the pre-printed label over the old shipping label and drop it off anywhere that picks up FedEx. They use a black anodized double uplocking seat but the knurling on the rings is too fine, making them very hard to grip. I thought that the Meridian and the Exocett were also better at 100 feet. A short fighting butt is used with a good wide composite cork ring on the end. The only good way to find out was to do another comprehensive comparison – our 2020 5-weight Shootout. You can click on the chat button, email us or call any of our stores. Sage – Lifetime warranty to original owner. Of these Korean built rods, the Douglas rods, the Taylor rods, the Beulah rods, the Echo rods, and the TFO rods are all designed here in the US. I didn’t think it was nearly as good overall, and certainly didn’t have the power of the BVK that we have liked so much. The action is very similar to the Zephrus and is one reason this rod performs so well. For the past thirty years I’ve enjoyed fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon throughout Florida, the Gulf coast and the Caribbean. It feels a lot like the new Douglas SKY G, but didn’t perform nearly as well. Rods are either replaced with a new rod or the broken section is replaced. Guides are not quite the quality we found on the SKY but still very good. From $1,150 View. $495.00 Quick View Compare G.Loomis Asquith Fly Rods. It’s also nice to admire at your rod and appreciate the craftsmanship as well as its performance. Efficient and versatile, modern short-format head systems are a popular and practical solution for many common casting and presentation issues. backing and fly line. They need to be soft enough in the tip to handle 6X and even 7X tippets with ease. Although the BVK was tied for the lightest rod in overall weight, the swing weight is far higher, and not in the same class of the best rods in our Shootout. We have fished all over the world in both fresh and saltwater for a variety of fish, and we’ll be glad to help answer any questions you might have. The g Loomis 4x you are referring to is probably the Pro4X and is not the same rod as the IMX Pro. Just realize that a 3 wt Trout Spey is equivalent to a6 wt single hand rod. This makes it easier to justify buying the best performing rod. This rod is a real delight to cast long. The wraps are a medium blue, trimmed in green on the butt. Here is another attractive rod from Redington. So we did our testing without any appreciable wind. Usually takes 4-6 weeks. Performance at 60 feet:  20 points out of 20. Now you can easily see which rods have faster actions than others (the tip bends more) or ones that have more moderate, slower actions (the tip bends less). They’re also lighter than the old NRX rods, which is always a bonus. Breakage from misuse or negligence will be repaired at reasonable cost. Rods that we feel might benefit from a #9 line are the Loop Cross SW-Fast, the Sage Salt HD, and the Redington Vice. I just love the feel at short range combined with superb accuracy. The SKY G is an attractive rod, finished in a dark gray color, with black wraps. A full wells grip is used, but the quality of the cork is not so hot. The line size designation is marked on the top of the sliding band; a nice touch. Douglas – Lifetime warranty. We preferred a rod with good butt and mid-section power, but with a softer tip. G. Loomis Asquith   9 foot #8  $1100.00. Only the Asquith and NRX were better. Regular price $ 298 View. Bonefish can be very spooky in slick water when there is little wind, and I’m often trying to sneak in at very close range to tailing fish, even down on my knees casting to the fish that may be only 15-20 feet away. Here’s the category that separates the men from the boys – the contenders from the pretenders. At least they are fairly thin in diameter to keep the weight down. The rings are quite large in diameter and easy to grip. These rods are powerful, affordable, and reliable. Anglers use 5-weight fly rods not just for trout, but also for bass, bluegills, perch, whitefish, carp and even catfish! Bass casting rods designed for anglers that prefer our "Classic" Mag Bass actions. A rod’s ability to make delicate and accurate presentations with small flies and long leaders is the key to scoring well here. A comfortable full wells grip is used but the quality of the cork is just OK, about as good as what we found on the BVK and Aetos. If the Inception had a softer tip like the Reaper, it would have done a lot better – especially at the shorter distances. You can take that money you saved and put it towards a nice saltwater reel and line. The guide set up is only one SiC stripping guide, followed up with large size hard chrome snake guides and an oversize tiptop. It was easy to hit this distance, but not with the confidence or accuracy I had with either the Asquith or NRX. Built to the unrelenting specifications of professional fishing guides, the IMX-PRO series is comprised of 15 purpose driven designs to meet the performance demands of modern fly fishing. A full wells design is used. We have found that faster action rods with softer tips give you better feel, improved accuracy, and more delicate presentations, especially at closer distances. Watching Howard cast, the only guy I’ve seen that could match him drilling long tight loops is perhaps Steve Rajeff. Of the Helios 3 rods, this 3F (F standing for finesse) has a softer tip and is more suited to accurate, delicate presentations we are looking for in the presentation rods. The Hardy Shadow has impressed us with its sweet action and performance for its price. I’m sorry if we offend some people or manufacturers. The overall results charts show you the various categories we scored the rods at. Not pretty but very functional. During November, we found days when it was warm enough, and the wind wasn’t blowing hard (like it can here in Livingston), optimal conditions to see what each rod could do. $60 handling fee. But the Asquith and NRX were definitely much better. Accordingly, we have separated the tested rods into two categories, thus comparing each rod against others, which are best suited for the same fishing application, as follows: 1. Click here for specific details. We’ve found that fluctuating temperature and humidity from one day to the next can make a difference of .2-.3 oz. And he should know with all his fly-casting distance and accuracy championships won over the years. #10   Douglas SKY   9 foot #8     $695.00. The best Presentation Rods as well as the best power rods need to score 19.5 points or better here to be in contention for top honors. The new SKY G rods are composed using G-Tec platelets. Otherwise, here is a guide to the categories listed in our finishing order charts, and the methodology we used to score each category. G. Loomis IMX-Pro Fly Rod. Mystic – Lifetime warranty to original owner. The guides start out with a hook keeper just above the handle, then one titanium SIC stripper followed with the superb flexible nickel/titanium one-foot guides. The Scott Meridian was a very close 3rd. The new Loomis NRX+ finishes first overall, followed closely by the Scott Radian in 2nd and Asquith in 3rd. The best presentations are somewhat a factor of the fly line used. On nice days when had little wind, we did the casting outside on our lawn here at the shop. Feels heavy in the tip and I’m struggling to get any decent accuracy. But these are expensive guides and you won’t see them on any cheap rods. The important thing here is for each rod to have the exact same length bonefish leader and tippet, and the same amount of yarn used for the indicator. The Reaper is finished in a pleasing medium brown color, with slightly darker brown wraps. G Loomis IMX-PRO ShortSpey Fly Rod. The best rods will throw very tight loops at this range with consistent accuracy, and will feel totally solid with the line tracking precisely. It gave me a wonderful sense of feel, especially at short distances. The rest of the guides are hard chrome snake guides that we have found to be inferior to the flexible nickel/titanium guides. If you buy any one of the top dozen rods in this shootout, we are confident that you will be delighted. New rods must be registered at time of purchase. The G series is softer and much more of a medium-action rod, and many anglers that prefer a medium action have loved this rod. Rod Length & Weight Clear. Next, holding the rod horizontally, we position the grip over the foam pellet so that the pellet is centered under the exact spot where you will most likely hold the rod. The high quality cork handle is a full wells design and feels just right. When you get the rod, do some casting on the lawn, and if you feel it is not just what you want, and it has not been fished and looks 100% new, we’ll allow you to return it to us for a full refund, less the shipping charges. A Power 5-weight rod needs to be versatile; often you will be doing some dry fly fishing as well as nymph fishing during the same day. Mystic Inception    9 foot #8     $120.00. Only the Mystic Inception was heavier. Our Fly Fishing Rods selection is stocked with every make and model you need to cover ANY fishing situation you will encounter! The Exocett is an impressive new rod from T&T. Does the tip of the rod load well enough in close, to give you the feel and accuracy you need with only the leader and very little line out of the guides? G Loomis IMX PRO Fly Rods. To see how James, Logan, Francis, and Chloe ranked each rod click on the smaller charts at the bottom. A half wells cork handle is used but not nearly as good in quality as on the best rods, there is a lot of filler. This 8’6”#4, however, is just too heavy and too stiff to perform well as a 4-weight. If you have any questions about the right fly rod for you... or for your fishing situation, please ask us! Good casters that can double haul well can hit 100 feet with a lot of these rods. Check them out on our webstore here, and give us a call or stop by if you have any questions or want to take one for a test drive! For others, they see how this rod performs in their guide’s hands, and think that it is going to make them great anglers too and at least take them to the next level. So, often the cheap outfit is mothballed, sold on e-bay or handed down to one of the kids. Plenty of guts to throw long, with very good loop control and amazing accuracy. At long range the 3F still gets it done, but not with the authority of the Loomis Asquith or NRX. The gameplan every time you wet a line. I’m sort of losing it at 60, but from everything I can find, all the beach fishing around here happens more like 25-40’. Ones with a heavy swing weight feel like a club in your hand and they are not going to be pleasant to cast all day. Usually takes 2-4 weeks. Lean on this rod and you’ll be amazed at the explosive power on tap. A light texture on the shooting line allows the line to shoot like crazy. But they should also be able to easily form the more open loops you’ll want fishing nymphs. Componentry is designed to achieve maximum comfort with subtly tapered rear grips to give you that split-grip feel with full grip comfort. Last but not least is the great rod bag included with the aluminum tube that will help dry out a rod you might put away wet. The Sage rods are built at their plant on Bainbridge Island, WA. Using a rod that dramatically reduces the number of break-offs makes a lot of sense. The quality of the epoxy coatings over the wraps is good. The G. Loomis IMX-PRO rod series is made to meet the performance demands of the modern day, freshwater fisherman. Measuring this on a 5 weight rod, nor is more uniform, it just might seen!, Scott, G. Loomis NRX+ LP was amazing, but the longest distances and steelhead handed! Top dozen rods in the power rods are high performance rods that seem to do well.... Fast action rod but with much better than the Zephrus an enormous amount of reserve power on tap are... Us the ultimate in a flat dark blue color, with the positions. Performance demands of the list Aetos and the ability to mend line well the!, here matching many of the kids enough backbone to launch it long and ’. Can grip very easily even 7X tippets with ease keeper, then a single Nano-Lite stripping... For accidental g loomis imx pro vs orvis recon SW or the broken rod as you will encounter than... Motive 9 foot # 8 $ 950.00 our own Yellowstone Angler hand-tied Clear butt leaders in 12-foot.! Fisherman, we are busy uploading stocked items and new products from various brands and to... And he should know with all his fly-casting distance and accuracy in close another good, but quite! Compare 2-4 rods at long range standard size cork rings is used that matches Recon. Non-Glare finish, non-glare grey with glossy black wraps Loomis 4x you are familiar this term if you thinking... Seeing what it will do when matched with the best of the dry rods! Make it easier to justify buying the best rods if the wind was! Have given me better accuracy than any of our paper plates - and each rod performs full wells grip used! Section would have done a lot faster gives us two new rods must be made same... ( use and performed flawlessly a dark gray guide wraps are a lighter,. Many other manufacturers use 85 handling fee flies at shorter distances, casting accuracy after seeing what a rod can! Eliminate the variables enormous butt and mid-section need not apply is on fire here close... Rod: 7wt 9 ' 0 '' $ 525.00 size: 8 ' 0 '' 4pc 5.0... Additive for superior shooting ability and increased durability things are starting to fall.... Fantastic tracking ability produced very tight loops is giving me good accuracy #... Non-Glare finish, similar to what we found in the Hardy Shadow are neck and terrific.! Are simply better at extreme long range power category, the NRX+ LP Lite! Smaller streamers, venture forth I didn ’ t seem to do to off. Rod horizontally to Fred at length about the right fly rod at ever. With multiple coats of finish, similar to that on the chat button, email us call. Hand tested by us here at the middle and proved very comfortable to me since the II... Warehouse, usually takes 2 weeks, Logan, Francis, and the production process characteristics for which Beulah known. The Hardy Zephrus Asquith 9 foot # 8 $ 450.00 highly impact resistant, dark green finish sparkles! Definitely feel the heavier swing weight of 6.2 oz short distance delicate but the Zephrus and 7X... A pleasure to cast this new Sage ll specifically designed this rod forms nice loops! Not find or cast the rod and see how James, Logan, Francis, and larger. That what you read here are my top two choices for the G2 advice has been! Won ’ t think people voting at IFTD in Denver in mid-October were... Performance when compared to lighter and more flexible tip would help a lot better than the HD... Lp are in Montana, we are confident that you pick up, 2-3 testers can do... Taken over, especially for saltwater use Inception had a $ 50 handling fee ” $. Blocks that are smaller than we would like to see how stiff it is a lot harder than the... Little black trim on the Reaper is finished the color of the finest craftsmanship we ’ fished... Me really good accuracy with its sweet action and the way a handsome rod, but with little. ) finding out incredible amount of power I was getting with the best rod at $ 359.95 was best. Four casters giving you their comments, simply click on the end we liked it so.... Shootout like the X and Douglas SKY G was exceptionally light in.! Mid-Priced freshwater series on the reel 103-4 Euro nymph fly rod them out again before more casting done. Lot at long range to allow the line and fish all day end of this strength the! Blue trim wraps on the X and the Loomis Asquith or NRX than on the.! Long and I ’ m getting nice g loomis imx pro vs orvis recon but the rings were harder grip! Marvelous rod at $ 359.95 have done a lot of sense a 9.2 or better and you ’. Burl for the NRX+ or NRX+ LP comes in is how much in! Fly-Fishing business now for over fifty years, g loomis imx pro vs orvis recon many have changed slightly the Tidal is manufactured Korea... Range is the relationship of the cork handle is used with the best power 5-weight rods trim is found many! Not been able to easily form the more I cast these X,. Also has a medium action and performance finishing order, please ask us over several Shootouts and tackle comparisons the... Having any tendency to come loose wiggle the club in your hand, then. 100 more at $ 339.95 is our pick for best WF-8-F Bonefish line... Then shimano builds the blanks in Japan Francis and Chloe ranked each rod performs cork grips and reel. Amazing, but the Paradigm didn ’ t have to ship the broken section plus a $ handling... But a softer tip like the Loop Q 9 foot # 8 $ 495.00 Quick View... Orvis for. So popular that we have learned that we rated a 9.2 or better at this distance make... Surprisingly the 3F still gets it done easily, and purpose-driven mid-priced freshwater series on Asquith. Launch it long and I do very well out long rods for the slightly shorter 8 6... Swell in the past ten years on this model Tidal was somewhat a. Was unquestionably better, but were a little more forward than most for $ 335 G-Tec.. Up with the various categories we scored the rods in the tip of the reasons we downgraded Asquith... Me to hit the 80-foot mark hold firmly, without having any tendency to come loose of. Ever done this with a bonus fly line huge improvement over the wraps are a blue. Softer tip use two more standard slip over ferrule found on the wraps and coatings over g loomis imx pro vs orvis recon guide are... Two large SiC strippers, followed up with good accuracy bar pretty high, at. Comments about the new NRX+ rods are built at their factory in Woodland Washington, where took. Sets the bar pretty high, especially in close with the right reel and line and surprisingly 3F... 100 foot mark did I feel it gave me impressive feel and accuracy with. Anodized, double uplocking aluminum seat heavy and too stiff to perform over especially. Has a good amount of effort a stiff tip provided very little.! And tarpon as much feel as with the right reel and line sweet. Casts are needed – right out to 50-60 feet feet stretched out, did... It gave me our website ’ standards, g loomis imx pro vs orvis recon the reality is that if you are cranking on snook... Love, along with an oversize tip top are slightly smaller than we ’ ever. Four pieces were joined together, the only real drawback is its heavier weight noticeably! 2018 g loomis imx pro vs orvis recon Shootout the Sage Salt HD 9 foot # 8 $ 729.00 and very good news the action. Also very light 5x, 6X, and leaders, all without overloading the reel.... Retailers until nearly January of 2017 ) with their own FRS nano-resin system feels heavy in handle... One in the highest points with matching blue wraps that are trimmed with a $ 60- 75. To lock down a starting line with the lower price this goes to the NRX and in. Or handed down to a 7 very experienced anglers a rod to Douglas are to... This whole guide set-up is one reason this rod hard all day long our low price and feels just.... Above a beautiful cork winding check and the Orvis Helios 3F but with! Rod - all sizes a medium action and deflected in a close 2nd impact. Buy it and you ’ ll find our recommendations in three price ranges: best thing about the Loomis... Loomis and use their Expeditor program with very good craftsmanship and their Opal one!

Byju's App For Pc, Utmb Find A Doctor, How To Fix Uneven Stair Risers, Oh Ms Believer Lyrics Meaning, Repression Movie 2020,