The Lamson Guru fly reel has long been the entry point for made in the USA quality, and one of our best selling reels. A top contender among 8-weights, we're excited to see how it performs as a trout reel.

5-Weight Reel Shootout Full Results

WEIGHT

4.85 ounces.  Light, but not super-light.

DRAG

The Guru's drag tested at 3.4 pounds - plenty for a trout reel - but not top of the class. Unlike some manufacturers, Lamson changes the size of their drags based on the size of the reel (a good thing!), unfortunately, when they did this on the Guru, it caused it to get a little sticky and it exhibited .6 lbs of startup inertia, which is about 19% of total drag strength. Not terrible, but as good as the top reels.

Sealed?

To our surprise, the Guru, like all Lamson reels, turned out to be perfectly sealed!

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

The Guru sounds like a great trout reel - a nice click in both directions.

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

The Guru is equipped with an easy to change spool that is very well machined, but [intentionally] lacks some of the porting of its pricier cousins. It's average in terms of capacity and retrieval rate.

LOOK & FEEL

Lamson reels both look and feel great. The Guru is no exception. It's well machined and feels solid in hand. The handle is flat, but comfortable.

ERGONIMICS

Handle: The handle is flat and not as nice as that of the Litespeed, but has plenty of length to be comfortable.

Drag Knob: If there's one thing that we didn't like about the look and feel of the Guru, it's the drag knob. It's a little more difficult than its cousins to grab and adjust.

Spool Change: Quick change spool, but not as easy as a one-button release.

The Drop

Above Average. The Guru didn't fair quite as well as the higher-end Lamsons in terms of finish, but it was still above average with minimal divots and scratching. It did, however, receive a little bit of damage with some minor bending of the frame, but it didn't bend enough to interfere with the reel.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $20 fee.

Price: $210

CONCLUSION

The Lamson Guru was one of our favorite reels in the 8-Weight Reel Shootout. Unfortunately, when paired down to a trout size, the Guru didn't fare so well. The smaller drag created more startup inertia than we'd like and the reel didn't stand out from the pack in any particular way, except it's price tag and made in the USA quality.

Get yours here.

PROS

• Made in the USA
• Plenty of drag for a trout reel
• Entry-level pricing

CONS

• More startup inertia than we'd like to see

Fly Reel designs have changed a lot in recent years. From the odd-but-now-classic Ari T. Hart to the space-age Lamson Vanquish to the neo-classics like the Hardy Lightweight. Everyone is trying to build a better mousetrap, so to speak. That's one of the reasons we work so hard to bring you great reviews like the 8-weight Challenge and 5-weight Reel Shootout.

One key design feature that a lot of questions have been asked about is spool width. In particular, one particular review claimed that they preferred wider spools. We're here to tell you that that is false, and we'll prove it with some basic geometry. Wider spools are significantly more prone to having fly line pile up and case a jam in your reel. That means you're going to be acting as a level wind, which is no fun, particularly if you've got a fish on. Here's why:

Wider spools are inherently shallower for a given amount of volume. Think about a long skinny rectangle vs a tall skinny rectangle. Because of that shallow depth, fewer turns of fly line will fit vertically on the reel. So, it only takes a little bit of line to hit the bar and cause a jam.

Narrow spools, on the other hand, are deeper. This means that you've got lots of room for that fly line to pile up before it becomes a problem. In fact, narrow spools are designed for fly lines to go up rather than out. To better demonstrate this, we're included the following animation of a reel's cross section:

Ask and you shall receive. You wanted to see how Galvan reels stack up, and as it turns out, quite well. The Torque turned out to be one of our favorite reels, and we were excited to see if Galvan could churn out a great value reel as well. Scroll down to find out.

5-Weight Challenge Full Results

WEIGHT

5.15 ounces. About Average.

DRAG

While the drag on the Rush doesn't really hold a candle to the jaw dropping power of the Torque, it's still pretty nice with 3.82 lbs of stopping power. It's also a little stickier than the Torque - but not much. It only has .27lbs (or 7%) of startup inertia.

Sealed?

Not sealed.

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

Just like the Torque, The incoming click is great, but the outgoing drag sound is a little too muted for our tastes. I want to hear that brown trout run!

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

The dimensions of the Rush are virtually identical to those of big brother Torque. It's got a narrow spool which brings in line at 7.2 inches per turn. and it holds about 130 yards of backing.

LOOK & FEEL

Where the Torque is very modern, the Rush is much more traditional. It's also a lot less ported and lacks the ability to quickly dry the backing that the Torque has. Nevertheless, this a a quality reel and it oozes Made-in-the-USA.

Ergonimics

Handle: The Rush's handle is nice, but not quite long enough to be top of the line.

Drag Knob: The drag knob is great - comfy and easy to adjust.

Spool Change: The one-button release works really well.

The Drop

Average. The paint job on the Rush didn't hold up well to dragging and it left a very visible trail. The drop didn't leave too many divots, however. No damage.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $0!

Price: $260

CONCLUSION

The Rush Light is is very much a Torque "Light". Unfortunately, when they were changing this reel for the value-minded consumer, they took out a lot of the things we loved and left a still-too-heavy price.

PROS

• Decent all-around reel
• Made in the USA quality

CONS

• Didn't really stand out in any way
• It could be a great reel at $199

Redington is well known for making great value-priced products, including great rods like the CPS and the Classic Trout. We test the the Redington Rise II in our 8-weight shootout, and it didn't do so well. It wasn't that it was a bad reel, it was just up against some pretty stiff competition. Let's see if it does better as a trout reel.

5-Weight Challenge Full Results

WEIGHT

5.4 ounces. On the heavy side.

DRAG

The biggest issue with the Rise is its drag. It's weak, with only 1.8lbs, and sticky, losing 21% of its drag (.38lbs) to startup inertia. It had this in common with most of the reels that finished near the bottom.

Sealed?

No.

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

The Rise sounds a lot like a lot of the other offshore-made reels and its Sage cousins. It's fine, but I'd prefer an Animas.

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

The spool on the Rise is a little outdated for this test. While I'm not sure I'd consider it a mid-arbor, it only picks up line at 7.15 inches per turn. That means it took 18th place. It's also fairly small and wide. It holds an estimated 120 yards of backing.

LOOK & FEEL

One thing I will commend Redington for, is that this reel definitely looks better than all of the other reels in its price range. It just seems to be cut with a lot more precision, and we like the ability to choose a color that stands out.

Ergonimics

Handle: Nothing special here. It works.

Drag Knob: The drag knob on the Rise is actually pretty good. It's oversize and easy to grab.

Spool Change: Quick change spool works perfectly.

The Drop

Average. The reel was very susceptible to scratches and so when we dragged it across the pavement, you could tell. Divoting, however, was not too bad. There was also a minor bend in the spool, which didn't impact use.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $30

Price: $180

CONCLUSION

It feels like I've got deja vu. The Redington Rise did just about as well this time as it did last time we tested it, which is to say, not very well. And yet again, I feel like this reel is better than the results indicate. When it comes down to it, the Rise is average across most of the categories, and has a way below average drag.

Like our review? Buy it here.

PROS

• Best looking reel under $200?

CONS

• It's time to re-design the drag

Spoiler alert. We've given away the punch line. The Lamson Litespeed IV is the winner of our 2015 5-weight Reel Shootout. So, you can probably just go ahead and buy it now, but if you really want to know what makes this reel so great, read our full review below.

Want more reviews? Get yours here!

5-Weight Reel Shootout Full Results

WEIGHT

3.75 ounces. Lightest in the test, by far! In fact, it was the only reel under 4 ounces. It will balance the lightest of rods.

DRAG

The Litespeed was not the first Lamson reel we tested in this review. After seeing the drag on the Speedster, Remix, and Guru, I must admit, I didn't have high hopes. Boy was I wrong. The Litespeed has an entirely different drag system from the other Lamson reels. It puts out a whopping 6.78lbs of drag, and a mere 6% startup inertia. It's not quite as good as the Galvan Torque, but it's right up there. And it's also...

Sealed?

The Litespeed worked great, even after being frozen.

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

Classic Lamson. It's got a solid click on both the incoming and outgoing.

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

While not quite as fast as the Speedster, the Litespeed is no slouch in terms of spool design. It pulls in line at 7.76 inches per turn, which was good enough to earn it a top 10 spot. It also holds plenty of backing - a little less than 170 yards (the arbor isn't flat) - with a GPX line, so you can use it on your 6-weight if you choose. If there's one thing we don't like about this reel, it's that the spool is a bit wider than we'd like.

LOOK & FEEL

The fourth incarnation of the Litespeed is the most modern looking reel in our test. Its fully ported, made-in-the-USA design is not only light and strong, but feels like a quality reel in your hand.

Ergonomics

Handle: Lamson's higher end reels come with some of the best handles. They are not too thick, and definitely long enough that you're not hitting your knuckles. They've even created a bit of a taper to make it even more comfortable. One of the best.

Drag Knob: The Lamson drag knob is a bit funky. In a world of oversized knobs, it's definitely not as easy to grab and adjust, but it's also not as bad as the worst ones out there.

Spool Change: Spool is easy enough to change, but not as easy as a one-button change.

The DRop

Excellent. The Lamson "Hard Alox" finish is defnitely not marketing hype. It's one of the best and hardest finishes out there. After we beat up the Litespeed, it was hard to tell anything had happened to it. No damage.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $20 fee.

Price: $350

CONCLUSION

To place in one of our shootouts, a reel has to stand out in the crowd. To win, it has to be truly exceptional. The Lamson Litespeed is. It scored a top 10 in virtually every category. For a reel this light to have as much drag strength (29 times its weight) and do it so smoothly is an incredible design feat.

PROS

• Amazing finish
• Strong and smooth drag
• Feather light

CONS

• Spool could be narrower
• We prefer the drag knob on the Remix

When we released our 8-weight reel shootout, we began to demystify fly reels. We proved that cork drags didn't perform as well as modern disc drags. We also showed that it was possible to create a reel with virtually no startup inertia. It was not only was it the first reel shootout that was widely published, but it remains the only scientific test to date.

This year, we tested a reel that many more of you will use: the trout reel. More specifically, the 5-weight trout reel (for your 9' 5wt rod). We also wanted to take our testing to the next level, so we added a couple innovative categories, including a never before done freeze test to see if drags were truly sealed. All in pursuit of one question: What's the best fly reel for trout?

As with all of our reviews, we'll try to remain as objective as possible, and we’ll give you all of the raw data to draw your own conclusions, if you wish. But, we’re also going to tell you which reels we like best.

We couldn't have done this test without your support.  Help us by buying your next fly reel here.

Why does it matter?

Thousands, if not millions of trout have been caught on Pflueger Medalists and Hardy Perfects - reels with no drag and traditional arbors. If you're fishing with one of those reels, we're not here to convince you that you have to switch. You don't.

But if you're looking for the the finest and highest performing reel on the market today, read on. The top reels will help you land more fish, have more fun on the water, and give you years of enjoyment. After all, no one needs to drive a Porsche to the grocery store, but it's a lot more fun than a 1990 Ford Tempo.

How we chose reels for our test

We take comments from our readers very seriously (you should leave some at the bottom). One of the most common remarks about our 8-weight shootout was, "I can't believe they didn't test <my favorite reel>." So, we wanted to offer a little more insight into the selection process. Last summer we asked virtually EVERY reel manufacturer to send us a reel. This included small brands that sell to only one shop like Einarsson, to direct sales brands like Allen, to larger manufacturers. We tested at least one reel from every company that sent them to us.

Our goal is to test as many reels as we can, so, if your favorite reel wasn't included and you'd like to see it tested next time, CLICK HERE, to send an e-mail to your favorite manufacturer.

So, what makes a great trout reel?

When we did our 8-weight reel shootout, we started out with a few basic principles, and we're going to do the same this time around. But trout reels are a lot simpler than saltwater reels. So, what makes a great trout reel?

When we asked around, 3 factors stood out as most important. We want our reels to have a fast enough retrieve for any trout that might turn on you, little to no start-up inertia, and the lightest possible weight.

Testing Procedure

Hey, if you could run down to Cabela's with your Boga Grips to do this test, you wouldn't need us, would you? (tweet this)

Just like last time, all spool measurements were taken using a digital caliper and weights were captured using a digital scale.

Testing drags is tough. But we want to make sure that you have the best possible data. That's why we teamed up with Element to use the most sophisticated testing equipment available to truly understand drag performance. Hey, if you could run down to Cabela's with your Boga Grips to do this test, you wouldn't need us, would you?

Each reel was then filled with 75 yards of backing and then mounted to a universal testing machine. The backing was then attached to the load cell. We then set the machine in motion and measured the force nearly 1000 times per second.

We tested all reels with backing only.  We found that when fly line was on the reel, it shifted around too much to get consistent results.  Rigging Matters.

Scoring

In order to prioritize what was most important, we changed our scoring a bit this year. All three of our key performance factors got double points. Here are the categories:

Drag Strength

10 points

Sure, every reel in this test can slow down a trout. So why do we care about drag strength? We're not trying to go tarpon fishing with these reels after all. But who would want a Ferrari if it topped out at 75 MPH? We view drag strength as the 'top-speed' in our test. That said, we wanted reels that had AT LEAST 2 lbs of drag (half of 5X tippet strength), and we penalized reels that didn't meet this benchmark.

We measured drag strength by averaging the force after the reel hit its peak (about 2 inches). The top reels had nearly 7lbs of drag, but the Galvan Torque, aptly named, was the only reel to exceed the 7lb mark.

Winner: Galvan Torque

Start-up Inertia

20 points

If you troll the fly fishing forums, there's a lot of talk about start-up inertia - and with good reason.  But let's back up.  What is start-up inertia?  All drags work in essentially the same way - two plates create friction which slows the spinning of the spool.  There are two types of friction: static - when the drag isn't moving - and kinetic - when a fish is pulling on the drag. Start-up inertia is the initial force required to get the drag started. So, it's actually a bit of a misnomer.  It should actually be called "static friction".  So... who cares?

Because static friction is greater than kinetic friction, it causes a drop in drag force immediately after the fish starts pulling on your line.  Here's what it looks like on a drag graph:

You'll notice that this reel requires over 2 lbs of start-up force.  If we're using 8 lb test tippet, we now need to set our drag to a maximum of 5-6 lbs so that it doesn't break the tippet.  Effectively, we're losing 25% of our drag strength.  Because all forces are exacerbated at higher speeds, imagine how much drag is lost with a fish traveling at 15-20 miles per hour.

Because the drags in trout reels are smaller than their saltwater counterparts, there was a lot more start-up inertia in this test than the last. The best drag systems had less than 1/4 lbs of start-up inertia, or (in order not to penalize reels with more overall drag) less than 10% overall inertia.

Several reels, however, did MUCH better than that, and showed virtually no start-up inertia.

Winner: Galvan Torque, Nautilus NV-G, Orvis Mirage, Ross Animas, Ross F1, & Sage Domain

Sealed Drag - New for 2015

10 points

A sealed drag is not 100% necessary for freshwater reels. That said, it keeps sand, water, and even ice (when it's cold enough) away from all of the important parts of the reel.  This year, we wanted to really find out which drags were truly sealed. So, we did the freeze test. We put all the reels underwater, gave them a few turns, then let them sit for an hour.

After the reels were done soaking, we stuck them in the freezer and left them overnight. The theory being that if any water gets into the drag mechanism, it will freeze up and we'll know that it's really not as sealed as the manufacturers said.

What we found was surprising. There was no reel that didn't pass this test. The frozen water changed the way some of the reels sounded, but there were no "lock-ups", so we awarded full points to all of the sealed drags, but we need to find a better way to test this in the future.

Arbor Size and Retrieval Rate

20 Points

In terms of pure performance, retrieval rate is one of the most important and noticeable features of a fly reel. When a fish turns and starts swimming toward you, you need to reel as fast as you can to keep the fish on. It also means fewer turns to bring in that trophy or just reel up as you change spots. Therefore, bigger IS better, as they say.

For those of you who don’t know, the arbor refers to the mid-section of the spool. Think of the hole in the donut. Following the analogy, the larger the diameter of the hole, the larger the arbor. Almost all of the fly reels we tested claim to be “large arbor”, but we discovered that there was quite a variation between reels.

The so-named, Orvis Access Mid-Arbor was the smallest at 1.5 inches, nearly 40% smaller than the Hardy DD 4000 at 2.44 inches.

But what we really care about is line pickup, and, therefore, that’s what we scored as part of the test. To get this, we needed to determine the circumference at .75 cubic inches. That’s how much space 75 yards of 20lb Dacron backing takes up. The formula is:

Not surprisingly, the results were very similar. The Orvis was the smallest at 5.72 inches, 31% smaller than the winner. While three inches might not seem like much, if you're reeling in 60' of fly line (think about how many times you do this during a day on the water), the Orvis takes 40 more turns of the reel to do this than the top reel:

Winner: Hardy DD 4000, 8.34 inches per turn

Spool Width

10 points

For many years, the trend in fly reel manufacturing was to make the arbors larger and the spools wider.  Why?  It helps keep the weight down and gives you a fast retrieval rate. This comes at a price, however, which is you having to act as a level wind every time you reel in your line so that the line doesn't pile up.  This was disputed in another review, so if you'd like more information on narrow vs wide, check out this article.

The narrowest spools came from one of the most classic manufacturers: Abel

Winners: Abel SD 4/5 and Abel Super 4N

Spool Volume

10 Points

Bigger reels are more flexible. They hold more line and give you more options – like being able to put a 6 or 7-weight line on a 5-weight reel. More importantly, you're never going to have to worry about line piling up on a reel that holds 200 yards of backing. We calculated estimated volume using the following formula:

This calculation isn’t exact because some of the spool designs featured arbors that weren’t flat, but it does give us a basic idea of reel capacity. While all the reels we tested were “5-weights”, there is clearly no standard here. 75 yards of 20lb Dacron takes up about .75 cubic inches when wound reasonably tightly. The largest reels could hold nearly 250 yards of backing!

Winner: Orvis Mirage III

Weight

20 points

As fly fisherman, we’ve become obsessed with weight. Rods are pushing the limits, some weighing in at less than two ounces. Reels are getting lighter too. Why are lighter reels better? As rods get lighter, you need lighter reels to balance them. Moreover, when you’re casting all day a lighter outfit is easier on your arms. If you make 100 casts in a day, every ounce works out to over 6 extra pounds you need to move.

Winner: Lamson Litespeed IV #2

Sounds

10 points

Sound is an important, yet often under appreciated, part of a fly reel. Drag sounds provide a lot of feedback when fighting a fish, which is useful, but they also add to the excitement of catching a fish that makes a great run. At Trident, we prefer reels that have both an incoming (when reeling in) and outgoing (when the fish is taking the drag) sound.

There was no contest in this category. The Ross Animas and Ross Evolution LT sound like classics!

Look & Feel

10 points

We can talk about fly reel performance all day long, but when it comes down to buying a reel, look and feel is just as important.  That’s why top reel manufacturers offer dozens of custom colors and 100s of possible combinations.  This is purely subjective, but there's unlikely to be many people who prefer the feel of a Redington over a Tibor.  So, we gave you our opinions on the matter.

Ergonomics - New for 2015

10 points

Another area that we felt wasn't adequately covered in our last shootout was ergonomics. Which is to say, how well is the reel designed from a human interaction standpoint. You interact with the reel at 3 key points: the handle, which you are in contact with most, the drag knob, which is used less frequently, but often requires quick and easy access, and the spool change, which is obvious. We assigned 4, 3, and 3 points for each category respectively (for a total of 10).

Handle: The best handles were fairly long - they move your knuckles further away from the spool so you're never touching it. We also liked the curved design on the higher-end Lamson reels, which made it much easier and more comfortable to grasp. The worst handles were really short and hard to grip.

Drag knob: When a fish is cruising into open water and you've left your drag wide open, nothing is more important that getting that adjusted back to a fishable level. This year we saw a lot of new reels that really made a lot of headway here. Namely, the Ross Animas and Sage 2250, which had HUGE easy to grab and adjust drag knobs.

Spool Change: The vast majority of the reels we tested this year had a quick change spool of some sort, and most work really well, but a few were slightly more difficult to line up. Overall, we don't change spools often, so most reels received full points.

Finish a.k.a. The Drop - New for 2015

10 points

We wanted this test to be as complete as possible. To do that, we needed to test the durability. So, we dropped each reel 3 times from a height of 3 feet (about the same height as the average tailgate) onto pavement. After all, who hasn't dropped a reel? We then dragged each reel along the pavement for a total of 9' to simulate what would happen to a reel if you placed it on a rock to do some rigging. In each review, we'll talk about divots (holes caused by the drop), scratches (mostly caused by dragging) and damage, which can take the shape of a bent frame or anything that would cause the reel to stop functioning normally.

When it comes to finish quality, one reel stood out with nearly unnoticeable damage.

Winner: Lamson Litespeed IV #2

Price

10 points

When we revisited our testing criteria this year, one of the toughest decisions was about whether or not we should include price, and if so, how many points should it get. On the one hand, everyone has a different sense of value, so it should be assigned by the buyer, not us. On the other hand, unlike our 5-weight Rod Shootout, none of the value priced reels did very well when price wasn't considered.

So, we asked ourselves a question: would you rather buy an Orvis Access, or a Nautilus NVG? The answer was resoundingly in favor of the Access, so we knew that we got it just about right.

Winner: Sage 2250

What about warranty?

Originally, we going to score this just like last time, as a % of the reel's price. However, a few things became clear. First, we were virtually negating all of the points given to the less expensive reels, since they inherently had poorer warranties (It costs the same amount to repair a Sage 2250 as it does an 8000 Pro). Second, manufacturers seemed to arbitrarily assign prices, so it wasn't really a fair way to determine quality.

The winners in this category are Hatch, Galvan, and Bozeman, who all have $0 warranties and really stand behind their products. While we didn't score this, it should be taken into account as a tie-breaker.

The Winner

Last time we did this test, we had a pretty good idea of who would win. This year, there were so many contenders that we had no idea who would emerge victorious. However, when the results were tallied, one reel, above all others, embodied what we were looking for: the Lamson Litespeed IV. It's light, has a huge arbor, and an incredibly strong and smooth drag. Top that off with great ergonomics, Made-in-the-USA quality, and a hard-as-nails finish and we've found our winner!

Best Buy

Picking a winner was easy, but we know not everyone wants to spend $350 on a fly reel. That's where the Orvis Access is really great. It's got a strong, smooth drag and better yet, it's less than half the price of our winner. Now, on to the full results:

The Results

The raw data

Reel Notes and Drag Strength Graphs

1. Lamson Litespeed IV #2
2. Orvis Mirage III
3. Galvan Torque
3. Nautilus FWX 5/6
3. Ross Animas 5/6
6. Sage 4250
7. Ovris Access Mid-Arbor II
8. Nautilus NVG 5/6
8. Orvis Hydros LA III
8. Hatch 4 Plus
11. Lamson Speedster 2
11. Ross F1 #2
11. TFO BVK II
14. Sage 2250
15. Cheeky Ambush 375
15. Galvan Rush Light
15. Sage Domain 5
18. Abel SD 4/5
18. Lamson Guru 2
20. Ross Evolution LT #2
21. Bozeman RS325
22. Hardy DD 4000
22. Lamson Remix 2
22. Redington Rise 5/6
25. Abel Super 4N

We'd love to hear your feedback on this test. Leave us a comment below!

If you've gotten this far, I commend you - it's a novel.  Don't forget to check out the other posts in our great fly fishing blog.

It’s March. If you’re like me, you’re locked in one of the many ‘polar vortices’ that is gripping the country. I don’t know what it is about snow. It’s white after all, but every time it falls I find myself dreaming of silver.

As an angler there’s nothing quite like the ear-to-ear trance induced by the leaps, the head-shakes, and that signature silver shine of jumping a tarpon. Every year thousands of anglers head south in search of those giants of the shallows, but deciding where to take that next trip can be as challenging as landing a monster tarpon. I’m going to make it even more difficult.

If you read the title of this article and instantly thought about a crowded Boca Grande Pass, a Florida Keys flat, or even a river in Costa Rica, think again. Sure, those places have good tarpon fishing. Great, even. And if you’re looking for a 150lb behemoth for your trophy case, then you should probably go there instead. You’ll get your shot at the fish of a lifetime, and if you’re lucky, land him an hour or two later. But what if you could land 10 tarpon in a day instead of 1 or 2?

If that sounds like your idea of fun, then there’s a new destination to consider: Mahahual, Mexico. Mahahual is situated on what is known as the “Riviera Maya” hundreds of miles pristine beaches that stretches roughly from Cancun to Belize. Once a sleepy fishing village, a newly constructed cruise ship port has transformed Mahahual into a bustling town. While this may not be everyone’s idea of a fly fishing destination, it comes with some great perks like easy access to high speed internet and some great restaurants.

How’s the fishing? While you will certainly have shots a grand slam while you’re there, it’s the tarpon fishing that really shines. Mahahual is surrounded by dozens of saltwater lakes ranging from small ponds to the several square mile Mosquitero. These lakes are interconnected, and connected to the ocean through a series of caves known locally as cenotes. It’s through these caves that juvenile tarpon and snook enter and stay until adulthood… or later. This means that these lakes are literally teeming with tarpon – most of which have never seen a hook, let alone a fly.

This creates the perfect spot to chase the silver kings. Sure, they average 10-15 lbs instead of 100 (though the big boys are there too), but the jump is just as thrilling. Better yet, on an average day, we jumped 30 fish. That’s right, 30. Accounting for the time it takes to reel each one in, the action was nearly non-stop.

If that wasn’t enough to draw you to Mahahual, there’s Nick Denbow. Nick is not only one of the finest guides I’ve ever fished with, but he’s an incredibly nice guy as well. It gets even better:Nick’s first language is English (of the Queen’s variety, no less). That means you’ll be fishing a remote destination while being guided just as you would be back home.

Gear Up:

Your favorite saltwater outfit will work perfectly. With smaller tarpon as well as the potential for some bonefish and permit, we recommend an 8-weight fly rod for fishing in Mexico, but a 9- or 10-weight can be useful for the bigger fish. As always, we recommend a reel with a strong and sealed drag – our favorite is the Hatch 7 Plus. Load it with your favorite tropical line and bring plenty of 60lb test for the tarpon.

Book a trip by contacting Nick on his Website or on Facebook.

We’re kicking off the 2015 review season with one of Hardy’s exciting new fly rod releases: the Hardy Wraith. The Wraith, along with the Zephrus, are replacing the ever popular and award winning Hardy Zenith. The Wraith is advertised as Hardy’s new, ‘Sintrix 550’ rod with a 15% increase in ‘GPA’. I don’t know what that means, but what did strike me, was the Wraith’s listing as “Ultra-fast”. We know most anglers want a rod they can feel in close, so... can the Wraith do it all?

Outfit

• Hardy Wraith 9' 5-weight
• Lamson Litespeed IV 2
• SA Sharkskin GPX

Fit and Finish

Fit and Finish is exactly what you’d expect from Hardy: great. It’s also not really any different from the old Hardy Zenith, with one notable exception. They now have a clear coat section under the label (where it says Wraith). It shows you how the rod is constructed. It’s pretty cool.

From a fishing perspective, you’re getting the same Reversed Half-Wells Grip (we would have preferred a full wells on a rod this fast), double uplocking reel seat, and wooden insert. We still like the choice of top-quality guides from Recoil and Fuji. They make the rod lighter and more durable.

Weight

The Wraith weighs in at about 3 ounces. This is about in line with the competition, but not as light as say the Helios 2. It feels light when you cast it.

Distance

Ultra-fast = Ultra-far. The Wraith is the second best distance casting rod I’ve ever cast. The only competitor is the Sage Method, which I felt was a touch easier to bomb, but wasn’t as accurate. If you want a rod to take out to the parking lot and show your friends, this is it.

Accuracy

At 30’ this rod isn’t really that great. It just doesn’t load at short distances. BUT it is also surprisingly workable if you take some time and get used it. If you read my review of the Method, I said the same thing.

At 40 feet, I was starting my double haul and the rod and it comes alive. Hardy’s research and use of Sintrix pays off to creat a rod that’s not just fast, but really accurate. It’s even better at 60’, where the rod is not only still accurate, but one of the easiest rods to present a fly at that distance.

Flex & Feel

The Wraith is definitely a fast rod, and probably bordering on ultra-fast. It's definitely more of a bigger fly/streamer feel than a delicate dry fly presentation rod. The tip is just a little stiffer than I'd like. Comparing apples to apples, it's pretty similar, if not a tad better feeling than the Sage Method.

Warranty

Lifetime.

Price: Actually we don’t know the price, yet. We think it’s going to be about $850.

Conclusion

When I picked up this rod, I was thinking: how are they going to make this rod better than the Zenith? After a few casts, it was pretty clear that they built an entirely different rod. It’s more of a competitor to the Sage Method and Winston B3-SX than a replacement for the Zenith. It succeeds in that regard. And then some. It's probably the best ultra-fast trout rod made today, though I didn't get to cast it side-by-side.

What does that really mean? Well, it’s really not going to be a rod that most people love. If you’re a big-river trout angler who prefers a fast rod, you’re going to want to cast it. If you want something to cross over into bass or throw a lot of bigger flies, it’s going to be tough to beat. If you’re the average New England trout angler: check out the Zephrus.

I cast this rod with GPX line. I wouldn’t go any lighter.

Pros

• Very accurate
• Casts FAAAaaar

Cons

• Too fast for most casters
• Not great in close
• Expensive for a Korean rod (maybe)

We had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the brand new Scott Meridian fly rod starting way back in the days when it was secretly known as “Project S”. Scott has dubbed it as a softer rod with a faster recovery. It does that and then some.

Outfit

• Scott Meridian 9' 8-weight
• Hatch 7-Plus
• Airflo Bruce Chard Tropical Punch

Fit and Finish

It’s a Scott. That means you’re getting top quality workmanship. It’s got top quality titanium guides along with their trademark unsanded blank. The marketing department claims that they changed the shape of the fighting butt, but I didn’t notice it. It had the standard, comfy, Full Wells grip that has become synonymous with saltwater fly rods. And of course, built from “beginning to end” in Montrose, Colorado.

Weight

The 8wt Meridian weighed in at 3.8 ounces, which is on the lighter end of the saltwater spectrum, but what we really liked was how light it felt while casting. It wasn’t quite as light as my Proaxis one-piece, but it makes the Loomis feel like a 7-iron.

Distance

A lot of people associate saltwater fly rods with distance. When you’re fishing for stripers, that makes a lot of sense, but when you’re on a flat stalking bones, you’re unlikely to make a cast over 50’, because you just can’t see that far. Nevertheless, the Meridian definitely has some power, just not as much as say the Sage Method.

Accuracy

The Meridian is one of the most accurate fly rods I’ve ever cast in close to mid distances. At 30’ and 50’ it’s just a laser when paired with the Chard taper. Out at 70’ it’s still great, but it’s clearly a rod focused on the more useful fishing distances.

Flex & Feel

The Meridian is a fast rod, but not a really fast rod. When paired with the right line (again, Chard taper), it provided an enormous amount of feedback (aka feel), yet recovered fast enough to launch into the wind. With a fish on, the Meridian has enough power in the butt section to bring in even that larger than expected “baby” tarpon.

Warranty

The Meridian is covered by Scott’s lifetime warranty.

Price: $865

Conclusion

I feel like this review is as much a testament to how awesome Airflo’s Chard taper is, as it is to the Scott Meridian.  Over about 10 days in Florida, we caught snook, redfish, tarpon, and even peacock bass on it. We were able to make many “how did I even do that” casts under mangroves that produced more snook than we could have managed otherwise. So, does it de-throne the NRX? Yes and no… I think the NRX is still a better rod for someone looking to cast every kind of line on one rod. But for flats fishing (except for really spooky bonefishing) it’s a much better choice for most anglers.

Chard’s Tropical Punch is a must have on this rod. It likes to have some weight out front.

Pros

• Light weight, and very light swing weight
• Very accurate at key distances
• Famous Scott build quality

Cons

• Not as flexible as the NRX. I didn’t really like Rio Bonefish line on this rod.

Sage introduced a plethora of new rods this year. We’ve had a chance to cast most of them at this point, so check back for more reviews, but we decided to start out with the new Sage Pulse Fly Rod. At first glance, the Sage Pulse isn’t that exciting – you might assume (like I did) that the Pulse is just a continuation of the long line of not-very-exciting Sage mid-priced rods: Response, Flight, FLi, etc. But, you would be wrong. Read on to find out why…

Don’t forget to keep supporting more reviews by buying your Sage Pulse Fly Rod here.

We also do a lot of video reviews, so don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get live updates when reviews are released.

Outfit

• Sage Pulse 9' 5-weight
• Sage 2250
• Rio Perception WF5F

Fit and Finish

Fit and finish has pretty much standardized on all Sage rods. Pulse Rods don’t come with aluminum rod tubes, but other than that you’re getting the same build quality and components on every rod. I think it’s a good thing. “A Sage,” remains a Sage.

Weight

The Sage Pulse fly rod weighs in at 3.25 oz. It’s a little heavier than the top rods, but not in a way that was all that noticeable. Swing weight felt fine, but not super light.

Distance

Unlike the earlier rods in the series, the new Sage Pulse rod is not an incredibly fast or stiff rod. That means that it’s not winning any casting competitions. Still, I felt the Pulse held its own against similarly priced rods.

Accuracy

The Sage Pulse is definitely a lot more accurate in close than its predecessors. At 30 feet, I felt that it was soft enough to make the cast accurately and with feel, but it’s much better at mid-to-longer distances. It was excellent at 45’ and still really good at 60’.

Flex & Feel

The Pulse has a great progressive action – soft in the tip and progressing to a firm butt section (for a trout rod). Sage calls the action fast, but I’d say it’s more of a Medium-Fast leaning toward Fast. It’s forgiving enough for any angler to enjoy and provides tons of useful feedback. It’s actually my favorite action of any Sage “All-water” rod.

Nymphing

We didn’t get to nymph this rod, but because it’s so forgiving, you’ll be able to open up your loop without any issues.

Warranty

Still a lifetime warranty…

Price: $450

Conclusion

I really wish that I had tested the Sage Pulse head-to-head with the Orvis Recon and Winston Nexus. It would have made a really interesting mid-priced shootout. Sage nailed the action on this rod and, while it lacks some of the high-tech materials of the more expensive rods, it’s going to please a lot of anglers. It's not a tuned down ONE or Accel, but a totally new action that's one of the best I've seen.

We cast this rod with Rio Perception, but I think it would do well with a lighter line like Rio Gold as well.

Pros

• Great Action
• Reasonable accuracy across the board
• Forgiving enough for any angler

Cons

• A little heavier than the Recon

We loved the Zenith. We were sad to see it go. They replaced it for 2016 with a new rod – the Hardy Zephrus FWS (yes, the initials are important). It’s the first new rod since Pure Fishing took over the Hardy brand a few years ago. Needless to say, I was skeptical, despite the fact that the old Hardy team is largely still there. But, I shouldn’t have been. After all, Howard Croston is still designing their rods. Here’s how the new Zephrus stacks up.

Enjoy this review? Support us by buying your next fly rod here.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of this rod, I wanted to take a second to talk about the name(s) for the new Zephrus, which is probably the worst I’ve seen yet in terms of confusing people (myself included). It comes in 3 distinct models: FWS (FreshWater Series), AWS (All Water Series), SWS (SaltWater Series). It’s important to note that these models (or at least the FWS and SWS) are distinctly different rods (think Zenith and Proaxis). The name Zephrus really only implies that the rod is made from Sintrix 440.

Outfit

• Hardy Zephrus FWS 9' 5-weight
• Lamson Litespeed IV #2 - winner of 5-weight reel shootout!
• SA [Sharkskin] GPX

Fit and Finish

Fit and finish on the Zephrus is almost identical to the old Zenith (with the wooden reel seat). It’s a well-built rod in virtually every way. The same great single foot recoil guides, a nice wooden reel seat insert, and all of the top-notch features you expect from Hardy.

There are two minor changes on the new rod from a cosmetic perspective – the label now is “skeletonized” and has a clear coat so you can see the rod’s internal construction. I thought this was neat. They also changed the rod tube and basically made it look a little nicer.

Weight

The new Zephrus weighs in at just a hair under 3 oz. It feel nice and light in hand, and maybe a tad lighter than the Zenith.

Distance

Like the Zenith, the Zephrus can get a lot of line out there. It’s a fairly fast rod,

Accuracy

Like its predecessor, the Hardy Zephrus shines in the accuracy department. It’s fantastic at 40’ and 60’. Maybe it’s because I’ve been fishing the Zenith so long, but this rod feels so natural and easy to hit theses targets. I was surprised that it’s actually a bit softer in the tip than the Zenith, and that lead to better accuracy at 25’, which was pleasantly surprising for us New England anglers that make a lot of those casts.

Flex & Feel

It’s a fast rod with a faster recovery, but the Hardy Zephrus manages to give you a lot of feedback along the way. As I mentioned, I found the Zephrus to be a tad softer in the tip than the Zenith and that helps load it faster and give you better close in accuracy. It’s fairly quick through the mid- and butt-sections which gives you the ability to load it and toss a lot of line.

Nymphing

One great feature of the Zephrus is how great of a nymphing rod it is. It really allows you to open up your loop and toss a lot of weight with ease.

Warranty

Lifetime, but check with Hardy about the details.

Price: $699

Conclusion

The Zephrus is a great rod, and I’m happy to report that, despite the organizational changes that have occurred over the last several years, Hardy hasn’t screwed up this rod. It’s great! So if you missed out on the Zenith, you’ll be really happy with the Zephrus. It’s like the Zenith, but a little better. Am I in a hurry to eBay my Zenith? Not really.

I wanted to leave you with one other thought, which is: don’t go for the 9’ 5wt. We tested it in this review because it’s the most popular size of trout rods, but we also cast the 8’6” 5wt, and it feels a lot lighter, yet retains most of the distance and power. I think for 90% of anglers it will be the better rod. You can buy both the 9’ and 8’6” versions of the Hardy Zephrus here.

I’d fish it with a half-size heavier line like Rio Grand or the new SA MPX.

Pros

• Every bit as great as the Zenith was
• Fantastic accuracy across the range
• Cheaper than other top-end rods

Cons

• Only a small upgrade over the Zenith
• Horribly confusing naming conventions

Next up in our 2016 Sage Fly Rod review series is perhaps the rod that’s gotten the most attention: The Sage MOD. The MOD is billed as fly fishing’s version of a 7-Iron – a rod that works great for short-to-middle distances. For critics of the ONE, this might be the rod they have been waiting for – a Sage trout rod that works well in close. Read on to find out if this is the rod for you.

If this review helped you decide on your next fly rod, help us by buying it here.

Outfit

• Sage MOD 9' 5-weight
• Sage Domain 5
• Rio Gold WF5F

Fit and Finish

Sage, Sage, Sage. Nothing new to report here. The fit and finish of the MOD is just like any other Sage rod. It’s great, but don’t expect any ultra-high end components or alignment dots. One thing that I do like is the standardization of the grip. Every new Sage rod comes with their snub-nosed half-wells grip, which is one of the best and most comfortable you’ll see anywhere.

Weight

The Sage MOD fly rod weighs in at a super light 2.6 oz. which is in line with what we’ve come to expect from Sage’s lighter line rods. It’s a little lighter than the ONE. Oddly, the Domain (a relatively heavy reel) balanced it quite well. It’s possible that there’s more mass in the tip of this rod to help it flex on those shorter shots

Distance

Looking for a rod that will cover some ground? Look elsewhere.

Accuracy

The best part about this rod is its accuracy in close. It’s probably as good as Sage gets at 25’ and still pretty solid at 40’. At 60’+ the rod really changed its character and I had to slow down my casting stroke considerably. Granted, a lot of anglers (and certainly the target for this rod) aren’t going to be making that long shot that often.

Flex & Feel

The new Sage MOD is definitely a medium action rod with medium recovery speed. It’s got a nice soft tip which is what helps this rod load in close. Overall, the Mod offers the angler a lot of feel on the short-to-medium cast, but I really missed the faster recovery that I’ve come to expect from Sage. The mid- and butt-sections are just a little too soft for my liking, when I double hauled the rod, it quickly overloaded and I had to adjust my timing.

Nymphing

Can you cast a bobber with this rod? Yup… but it wouldn’t be my first choice. The good news is that you can definitely open up your loop, but the Mod is definitely more of a dry-fly rod. That lack of power I talked about earlier is going to make it tough to get any real weight out there.

Warranty

Lifetime.

Price: $850

Conclusion

In short, the Sage MOD is a pretty specialized rod. I really wish I would have had a Circa to test alongside it, since it seems like there’s probably quite a bit of overlap between the two rods. I’m also looking forward to testing other sizes, since I don’t think the 590 MOD is going to be the best rod in the series (the 3- and 4-wts should be really great!). You should definitely check out the new MOD if:

• You’re a beginner-intermediate angler
• You fish small to medium-sized streams (think East coast and spring creeks)
• You’ve got a slower casting stroke

I’m certain that reviews will come out have come out claiming that this is Sage’s best all-around 5wt. I can tell you that it’s not that. The problem with the 7-iron is that you still need to have a full bag of clubs for the rest of your shots.

You definitely don’t want to overload this rod. Rio Gold is as heavy a line as I’d ever put on it, and you could probably go lighter (maybe a Grand 4wt?)

Pros

• Covers a wide range of trout fishing applications
• Great new grip
• Made in the USA

Cons

• I was left wanting a rod that was a little more powerful and had more all-around performance
• Tip Heavy?

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchases, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your gear from us.

Why a 10’ 5-weight?

A 10’ 5-weight might just be the most versatile trout rod on the market today. In George Daniel’s excellent book, “Strip-Set”, George says that he now only brings one rod to the river: a 10’ 5wt. That’s a very appealing proposition to me as I own dozens of trout rods and am often tempted to bring 3-5 different rods on every trip. Needless to say, if I could carry one rod that could do it all, that would be a very tempting proposition indeed. Can the 10’ 5wt throw a streamer as well as your 7-weight, nymph as well as an 11’ 3-weight, and throw a dry better than an 8’6” 4-weight?

What’s a mini shootout?

One of the best parts of our jobs is playing with new gear. While we love doing big shootouts like our 5-weight shootout and our 5-weight reel shootout, they take a lot of time and planning. We wanted to get you some great information about these rods, a LOT faster. Here’s a quick rundown of what you won’t see in this mini shootout:

• Opinions vetted by LOTS of anglers
• Extensive scientific data
• Every 10’ 5-weight under the sun

Instead, we’re going to go out and cast a few of the more popular rods and give you our in-house honest opinion of them.

The Categories

Big Streamers (30 Points)

One of the claims made in George’s book is that you can throw some “pretty big” streamers on your 10’ 5-weight. I’ve got to be honest, I was pretty skeptical about this. During some early filming we used a heavy, yet small, conehead streamer. When the rods did that well, we upped the ante and went for some serious meat. To push this even further, we decided to do this test on a full sinking line. As you’ll read, there was quite a difference between rods when it came to streamer performance.

European-style Nymphing (30 Points)

Longer rods are better for nymphing (of any kind). They keep more line off the water and make line management easier. But European-style nymphing is different. It requires a tight line and small flies. My go-to rod is an 11’ 3-weight due to extra reach and a superb medium action. Can a 5-weight replicate this? Can it even get close?

Well… no. After a day on the water testing these 5wt’s, it’s pretty clear why people choose an 11’ 3-weight instead. It comes down to feel, and you just don’t get enough feedback through the blank of a 5-weight to be really effective when Euro nymphing. I’m not saying that pros like George Daniel can’t make it work, but while I thought the 10’ 5wt did a great job at replacing my streamer and dry fly rods, I would probably still carry my 11’ 3wt if I expected to do a lot of Euro-nymphing.  As such, no rod got more than 50% of the possible points.

Dry Fly Accuracy and Presentation (30 Points)

Casting accuracy was tested by casting yarn (for easy visibility) at an archery target. In addition to accuracy, we wanted a rod that could present a fly delicately. We awarded 10 points each for 30, 45, and 60’.

Fit and Finish (10 Points)

All of these rods looked pretty good. That said, the clear winner was the Scott Radian. It’s definitely built better than the rest. We inspected each rod and determine not only the build quality of each rod, but also how it looked and felt. While we aren't rod builders, we know when we see a well-built rod. One thing we missed on all of the rods was a fighting butt – something that you can customize on the Radian.

Swing Weight (10 Points)

Swing weight is one of the most important factors in longer rods - and one where you'll see the most variation. While all of the rods in the test were 'light', not all of them felt that way. While none of the rods made me forget that the rod was 10' long, the Zephrus came closest and was the clear winner. It's definitely the most fun to cast all day.

Feel (10 Points)

This one is hard to describe, but some rods just feel better than others when you cast them. Whether it’s greater casting feedback, more flex, I’m not sure. But I can say that there’s never been a fly caster who hasn’t been able to talk about the feel of a rod, and it’s one of the most important characteristics when buying a rod.

The Results

Read on for our notes on each rod.

The Winner

Hardy Zephrus FWS

We’ve been fans of Hardy ever since they released the Zenith. The all new Hardy Zephrus FWS is the latest evolution of that great rod. As a 10' 5wt, the Zephrus stood out from the crowd by doing everything we asked of it really well. Ultimately though, if I had to pick one reason that this is the winner of our mini-shootout, it’s that the Zephrus felt most like a trout rod. It has the lowest swing weight and most moderate overall flex. It makes it much more fun to fish than the competitors.

Here are our notes about how it performed in each of the categories:

Streamers – We didn’t expect the Zephrus to cast streamers very well. It’s probably got the softest overall flex of the rods in the shootout (which isn’t saying much), which I thought would equate to poorer performance in the streamer department. Instead, the progressive flex and fast recovery speed made it fantastic. It really lets you open up your loop to throw big, heavy, flies.

Euro Nymphing – Given that this rod was designed by Howard Croston, it’s not surprising that it did better than average in this category. Or maybe I was just used to the familiar feel from the Streamflex. If someone stole my 11’ 3wt and I was forced to pick from a rod in this test, the Hardy would be the winner.

Dry Fly Accuracy – The Hardy is an excellent dry fly rod. It’s very accurate across all distances, but just didn’t present a fly quite as well as the ESN did in close.

Orvis Helios 2

After a win in our (9') 5-weight shootout, I expected a lot from the Orvis Helios 2. However, when I unboxed it, it was pretty obvious that this rod was nothing like its shorter brother. It’s got a very thick butt section (almost the size of an 8-weight), and is a VERY substantial rod. Moreover, it’s soft tip and stiff mid-section made casting larger streamers more challenging.

Streamers – Like the ESN, the Helios 2 had a soft tip and stiffer mid and butt sections. While not quite as extreme as the ESN, it did lead to more difficult streamer fishing. As expected, this rod was not a great performer when paired with a big articulated streamer. The problem is the soft tip and stiff mid and butt sections. This made it very difficult to open up the loop and pretty much guaranteed a tailing loop. This pretty much takes this rod out of the running for an all-around 10’ 5wt.

Euro Nymphing – While none of the rods were good, I felt the Helios 2 was a little bit worse than the rest. It relayed even less feedback through the blank than the other 5-weights.

Accuracy (Dries) – The soft tip on this rod made it a nice dry fly rod and gave it a lot of accuracy across the board, but it was a little floppy at longer distances.

Sage ESN

The Sage ESN is dubbed as a Euro-nymphing specialist. While we didn’t think it was a great nymphing stick, the ESN exceled at dry fly fishing. Choose this rod if your streamer appetite is more of a size 6.

Streamers - As expected, this rod was not a great performer when paired with a big articulated streamer. The problem is the soft tip and stiff mid and butt sections which make it very difficult to open up your loop and virtually guarantees a tailing loop. Unfortunately, that means that the ESN is not much of an all-around 10’ 5wt.

Euro Nymphing – Yes, the ESN was slightly better than average while Euro nymphing. However, for a rod that was *theoretically* designed for this purpose, I still wouldn’t recommend it. It’s just too stiff overall to give you enough feedback to make a great euro-nymphing rod.

Accuracy (Dries) – The ESN was the clear winner here. The super soft tip made this rod an excellent dry fly rod – particularly at the shorter distances. It also had excellent presentation across the range. If you want a 10-footer that you can take to the spring creek, this is it.

Sage One

While I really like the Sage ONE in larger sizes, I didn’t really think that it would do that well in this test. Because it’s so fast, it gives up some performance, particularly in close. Needless to say, it’s easily the most popular line of rods we carry and this test wouldn’t have been complete without it. As it happens, it also exceeded our expectations.

Streamers – Being the fastest rod in the test, we expected the one to really dominate the streamer category… and if we were looking for a rod to cast streamers 80’ every time, the ONE would have been our top choice. Unfortunately, we needed to be able to open up our loop and make shorter casts. The ONE certainly can do this, just not as well as the Zephrus or the Radian.

Euro Nymphing – I was a little surprised by the ONE in this respect. I actually thought it would make the worst nymphing rod by far, but it was actually ok and definitely in the middle of the pack. There were no issues casting my Czech rig, even with such a fast rod. Konnetic technology also added some sensitivity to the rod.

Accuracy (Dries) – While the 9’ ONE is a little too fast to be a great mid-to-short distance dry fly rod, the added length softens the rod and the ONE was excellent at medium and longer distances.

Scott Radian

The Scott Radian was our second favorite rod in the test. It’s light, powerful, and sensitive, but a much faster rod than the shootout winning Zephrus. There were definitely things we preferred about this rod: the fit and finish, the excellent grip. But perhaps most importantly Scott is the only manufacturer that can customize the rod and add a fighting butt which would make this rod even better.

Streamers – The 10’ 5-weight Radian is an excellent streamer rod. It provided the right combination of power combined with tons of feel to make it easy to cast even the big stuff. It was second only to the Zephrus, and only by a smidge.

Euro Nymphing – I was hoping the Radian would do better here, but it was not quite as sensitive as the ESN and Zephrus, but still better than the Helios.

Accuracy (Dries) – It was a bit tough to rate the Radian here. On the one hand, it was a very accurate rod, but the high line speed made for tougher presentations at shorter distances.

A Note on Reel Balance

One thing we hear more opinions about than just about anything is reel balance. While this is very personal, if you’re going to be Czech or High-Stick Nymphing on your 10’ 5-weight and you want a reel that won’t have you fighting the tip of the rod, it will need to weigh AT LEAST 6 ounces and maybe as much as 7.5 oz.

I had the great pleasure of fishing with Capt. Jim Klopfer this winter, and he was kind enough to write up a report:

“Oooh, I like the looks of that one!” I said as Ben opened up his fly box for me to inspect. I could tell by the look on his face that he did not share my enthusiasm. It was a white and olive Clouser pattern with a lot of gold flash. Gold is always a good choice in the tannin-stained water.

“Let’s just give it a half hour or so, and we can change it if it is not producing”.

Ben’s opinion of the fly changed shortly as he fooled a feisty little snook in just a few casts and over the next hour landed several more to 27”

The Myakka River flows through Sarasota County 10 miles east of Sarasota and Venice, an hour south of Tampa on the west coast of Florida. It eventually flows south and along with the Peace River creates a renowned saltwater fishery; Charlotte Harbor. In the summer the water is high and fast from all of the rain, but in the cooler months it settles into a nice tidal river. As the water in the Harbor cools down, snook migrate up into the river to seek sanctuary in the warmer, deeper water. There is also a lot of food (bluegill, tilapia, mullet, fry, and crabs) for them to feed on.

For the most part, this is fairly easy fly fishing. Short casts are the norm in the river; managing the back cast is the primary challenge. An 8wt or 9wt outfit with an intermediate sink tip line is a good choice for the river. The leader is simple; just attach a 6’ section of 30 lb fluorocarbon and then tie on a fly. The fly selection is also pretty basic with Clouser patters in darker colors with some gold or rootbeer, along with a “firetiger” fly work well. Tie the fly on a #1 hook using large weighted eyes to get the fly down a few feet. Broad patterns such as Puglisi flies will also fool the wily snook, but are a bit harder to cast and will hang up more often.

Floating down the river with the current and casting towards likely fish-holding structure along the shoreline is the most productive technique. Shallow draft boats such as jon boats, canoes, and kayaks perform best, the water can get very shallow in spots. Make a cast, allow a few seconds to sink, then retrieve the fly back in using one foot strips. When a take occurs, use the “strip set” method to hook the fish. Pull sharply with the stripping hand and then raise the rod tip. Jerking the tip up as you might in trout fishing will result in fewer hook-ups. As in all fishing, vary the retrieve until a productive pattern emerges. Again, this is pretty straight-forward fishing and it is mostly a matter of covering the water until a hungry fish is located. Though snook is the primary target, largemouth bass, juvenile tarpon, gar, tilapia, and other species are frequently landed as well.

The Myakka is one of two rivers designated a “Wild and scenic river” in the state of Florida  - with the Suwannee being the other. This means limited access and development resulting in a relaxed and serene experience. The entire river is also a “No-wake” zone. Fly fishing for snook on the Myakka is a unique experience that is a half hour drive from the resort town of Sarasota, but a world away in terms of environment. I own a piece of property along the river that I use to access it and am the only guide working the river. For more information, contact Capt. Jim Klopfer at (941) 371-1390 or captklopfer@comcast.net

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchase, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your next fly line (or better yet, your next rod and reel), from us.

This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.

About Airflo Fly Lines

Airflo lines have gained a lot of popularity in the last couple of years - and with good reason. They've got an incredible pro-staff that includes the likes of Kelly Galloup and Bruce Chard. They've also come out with great innovations like low-stretch cores, ridged fly lines, and PVC free lines. Below you'll find our opinions as well as taper diagrams for the most popular Airflo trout lines.

Please note: While our taper diagrams are really great for most lines, they didn’t work as well for Airflo. The reason for this is twofold. First, Airflo lines are ridged. This means that they are not round and when we’re talking about 1000ths of an inch, it makes a big difference. Second, Airflo lines have larger diameters. That means that Airflo lines have more air inside for any given weight of line. This makes them float better, but it also makes them squishy and hard to measure.

The Reviews:

Airflo 40+ Easy Distance

Price: $84.99

The Hype: With its easy loading 35' head and low diameter running line, you'll soon be reaching for the horizon.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

The Airflo 40+ possesses a very long front taper, a short belly, and virtually no rear taper. It’s designed to shoot line, yet (presumably) retain a bit of presentation.

The 40+ certainly stood out in this test… and not in a good way. When we first rigged it up, it was pretty obvious that this was no ordinary line. First, even with a mere 10 yards of backing, the line wouldn’t fit on the reel. This is due to several factors:

• It’s 123’ long
• It’s got a head weight of over 250gr (190gr at 30’), which is HUGE for a “5-weight”
• The running line is at least .01” thicker than Rio or SA.

This line didn’t have much of a chance out of the gate, but we cast it anyway. It does actually give us some easy distance, and surprisingly (after seeing the weight) didn’t turn the Circa into a total noodle (though it definitely felt heavy). Frankly, if you’re willing to cut the last 30’ off of your brand new $85 line, it’s actually pretty nice on faster rods. Still, the negatives of this line are huge and we can’t really recommend it.

Another note: this was the first line we weighed and we decided that we needed to change the way we did it, so we’re missing a few data points on this line.

Pros:

• Loads rods fast and lives up to its name and gives casters easy distance.
• Ironically, this line could be cast even on the Circa.

Cons:

• Is this really a 5-weight?
• Won’t fit on your reel

Bottom line: This line has very limited appeal and we can’t recommend it for most casters.

Airflo Super-Dri Elite Trout

Price: $79.99

The Hype: The Super Dri Elite fly line is our 'go-to' trout taper. The standard head length and modest front taper will allow any angler to present a fly with ease at distance with great presentation.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

As stated, the Airflo  Elite Trout is a fairly traditional line with a standard front taper and a standard rear taper. Combine this with roughly average weighting, and this is a truly average line. The Elite Trout is the first of many “average” lines in this test. These lines are all “fine”, and because they don’t stand out in any way, it’s very difficult to determine any significant differences between them. Please see our note above on average lines.

The Elite Trout is average by design. It should come as no surprise that its performance is also average. Given its lighter weight, it performed better on the Circa than on the NRX.

Pros:

• A fine line for short-to-middle distance fishing on softer rods.

Cons:

• Didn’t wow us in any way

Bottom line: A fine line for short-to-middle distance fishing on softer rods.

Airflo Super-Dri Xceed Trout

Price: $79.99

The Hype: This slightly heavier weight forward head has a condensed taper optimized for casting into the wind and generating higher line speeds.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Like the Elite Trout, the Xceed Trout is a fairly traditional line, but with a slightly shorter front and rear taper.  It’s also a little heavier… but really only a few grains. In fact, when the margin of error is taken into account, it could technically be considered the same line (it’s not).

As you’d expect the performance of Xceed is pretty much identical to that of the Elite – average. The extra weight does in fact make it a touch too heavy to cast on the Circa.

Pros:

• Better than Elite Trout on faster rods, particularly for beginners

Cons:

• There are better lines out there for every application
• Too heavy for slower rods

Bottom line: A fine line for short-to-middle distance fishing on faster rods.

Airflo Super-Dri Distance Pro

Price: $79.99

The Hype: … designed for ultimate distance whether your fishing from the bank or boat. Featuring our longest belly on any single hand fly line, the Distance Pro is a firm Pro-Staff Favorite.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Airflo Super-Dri Distance Pro surprised us. It’s actually a pretty nice line. It’s also very non-traditional – it’s got a long front taper, long rear taper, and a long belly. It’s got one of the longest heads in the test. A belly that long gives you an amazing amount of control of the line in the water, be it mending or roll-casting, and the Distance Pro doesn’t disappoint. It produced tight stable loops. Unfortunately, it’s also 120’ long so it won’t fit on your reel.

Pros:

• Tight, stable loops

Cons:

• Don’t try to put this line on your 5wt reel.
• Doesn’t load fast in close

Bottom line: If you cut 30’ off and fit this on your reel, you’ll have a fairly nice line…

Airflo Super-Dri River & Stream

Price: $79.99

The Hype: Airflo's Super-Dri River & Stream has been specifically designed for the Trout angler, this line utilizes the popular DELTA taper profile for easy distance even when casting multiple flies.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

This is the sleeper in the Airflo lineup. It’s called “River and Stream” in the US, and “Lake Pro” in Europe, neither of which really inspires a lot of confidence in it as an all-around trout line. Let me be the first to tell you that this line is EXCELLENT. While it’s a little difficult to see on the taper chart, this line features a long front taper, short-ish belly, and long-ish rear taper, which is a very unusual combination. While the taper itself is similar to the excellent SA VPT , the first 30’ of weight of the line is nearly identical to SA GPX, which gives it an all-around type feel. While this taper visually looks like a dry fly specific line, it also casts both a small nymph rig and streamers remarkably well.

River and stream is the best Airflo line for the all-around trout angler, and one of the best lines in the test, but we wish that Airflo would redesign this line to better suit the American market. No one needs a line that’s 105’ long.

Pros:

• Great loop stability
• Solid all-around performance

Cons:

• 105’ length and Airflo’s larger diameter means you need bigger reel, or way less backing
• Not powerful enough for larger nymph rigs

Bottom line: River and Stream is our top choice for an all-around line for anglers that prefer to fish dries.

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchase, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your next fly line (or better yet, your next rod and reel), from us.

This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.

About Monic Fly Lines

Monic is a company that most of you probably haven’t heard of, but they have quite a history of research and development. The company was started in 1990 by a chemical engineer named Bob Goodale, and as you might expect from an engineer, Monic has been a leader in fly line development. They invented the clear floating fly line (and still have a patent for it).  Their latest trout line is the GSP Skyline Trout, which is built on their latest low-stretch core.

The Review:

Monic GSP Skyline Trout

Price: $69.95

The Hype: The GSP core yields lighting quick reactions for improved hook-ups. Now you can hook those ones who got away! Taper design allows for soft presentations with maximum control.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

The Monic Skyline Trout reminded me of the Cortland 444, but I’m not really sure why – the tapers are totally different. Perhaps it was due to the fact that both lines performed better on the Circa than the NRX. It’s a no-frills, true-to-specification 5-weight line, which means that it’s one of the lighter lines in the test, but it makes up for this with a low-stretch core that makes it feel heavier than it really is. The 444 was one of our favorite lines on the Circa, and the Monic was very similar, but didn’t cast quite as far.

Pros:

• Low-stretch core that doesn’t have added memory.
• Adheres to AFFTA specs

Cons:

• Too light for faster rods
• Smaller diameter means it doesn’t float as well as other lines.

Bottom line: We recommend this line for moderate and slower action rods, particularly if you’re looking for a low-stretch core.

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchase, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your next fly line (or better yet, your next rod and reel), from us.

This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.

About Teeny Fly Lines

Jim Teeny, Inc. was started in 1971 by (as you might assume) Jim Teeny. He started out making and selling flies - specifically his patented "Teeny Nymph". By the early 1980's, he was producing one of the first integrated sink-tip lines. The now famous T series is accompanied by a full range of floating, intermediate and sinking lines.

The Review:

Teeny WF Floating

Price: $62.00

The Hype: A comfortable high performance fly line that will do all that you would expect from a weight forward floating line.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

While SA may have stopped making their popular GPX fly line, Jim Teeny has not. When we cast this line, we were surprised at just how similar it felt to Sharkskin GPX. When we compared the tapers, it turned out that it’s virtually identical (see below). So, if you’re interested in how it casts, just scroll up and read our review on GPX. One thing was different, which was the weight – Teeny WF Floating is a heavier line… though I’m not really sure why.

Sometimes being the same is bad. This time, it’s great. You can now get this awesome line at a lower price than you could ever buy SA GPX. Just be warned that the extra weight means that it won’t perform as well on softer rods. Want more info? Read about GPX here.

Pros:

• Excellent performance across the board in every category.
• Great Value

Cons:

• Heavier than SA’s version of GPX.

Bottom line: One of the best all-around lines in a non-textured version

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchase, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your next fly line (or better yet, your next rod and reel), from us.

This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.

About Scientific Anglers Fly Lines

Scientific Anglers needs no introduction. While the company was started in 1945, Scientific Anglers has been a constant source of innovation in fly line technology, including the invention of the modern tapered fly line. SA's use of micro-balloons and variable tapered coatings was named the most important sport fishing innovation of the 1960's. As one of the largest fly line manufacturers today, SA produces lines not only under their own label, but under that of Orvis, Royal Wulff, and many others.

The Reviews:

Scientific Anglers Frequency Boost

Price: $49.95

The Hype: Let’s be honest. No one will ever turn down a little extra help with their cast. Luckily, the Frequency Boost, built a half-size heavy, provides just that.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Prior to this shootout, I’ve never been a fan of mid-priced lines. I’ve just never understood the rationale between spending $800 for a fly rod and trying to save a few $ on the fly line. Let me tell you, that this line has changed my mind.

Boost is a pretty traditional line. There’s really nothing special about the taper. The first 30’ of the line are almost identical to GPX, but its head total is about 12 grains lighter (half a line size). Its shorter overall length also makes it shoot line just a little bit better. The tradeoff is worse overall presentation and poorer roll casting ability. Perhaps due to its heavier weight, this line didn’t really stand out on the Circa, but…

The Boost is the “Magic Line” for the NRX LP. It casts further, easier, than any other line. While it wouldn’t be my first choice for delicate dry fly fishing, it’s definitely the best choice for everything else. Nymphing, Streamers, Beginners, everyone fishing an NRX should be looking at this rod. It EASILY adds 20’ to your casts. I’d recommend this line for any faster rod.

Pros:

• The best line for nymphing, streamers, distance, and beginners on the NRX.
• CHEAP!

Cons:

• Performance was average on the Circa

Bottom line: The ‘magic’ line for the NRX LP. If you have that rod, you must try this line. I’d also give it a shot on any fast rod.

Scientific Anglers Frequency Magnum

Price: $49.95

The Hype: Designed with an aggressive weight-forward head, the Magnum fly line is built for tossing large flies, turning over split shot, and blasting through the wind.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Magnum has a very interesting taper. It’s the most weight forward line in the shootout. It’s got 32% of its head weight in the first 10’ of the line. It’s also the inspiration for many of SA’s current offerings (including the ever popular MPX).

Unsurprisingly, SA Magnum didn’t cast well on the Circa. It’s just too heavy and front loaded to work well on slower rods. Another thing we observed that should come as no shock to anyone is that Magnum hits the water with a splash. On the NRX, the Magnum was also a little overloaded, but it would work well for beginners as it loaded close and it’s also not too bad at chucking streamers.

Magnum was one of the lines that we put on the Sage Method, just to see how it casts on a really fast rod – and it’s great. It really does tame down the ultra-fast action into something manageable. Think of this as MPXX.

Pros:

• Loads fast
• Inexpensive
• Great for really fast rods.

Cons:

• There are way better choices for most rods.

Bottom line: A great line for beginners with faster rods, or anyone with a REALLY fast rod.

Scientific Anglers Heritage Ultra Presentation

Price: $49.95

The Hype: Ideally suited for fiberglass, bamboo, and slow-action graphite rods, the Heritage Ultra is a true presentation trout fly line.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Scientific Anglers Heritage Ultra Presentation line is a throwback to earlier days. Its white color and classic taper are designed for softer rods. It’s got a slightly tapered belly and roughly average front and rear tapers. It’s also true that this line is fairly light in weight, particularly up front.

As you might expect, performance was also a bit of a throwback. Ultra reminded me of a detuned version of GPX – solid performance in every category, but nothing that really stood out in any way. While Ultra will definitely save you money, we preferred GPX on both the Circa and NRX, for every category.

Pros:

• Great value
• Better than average performance

Cons:

• GPX is a better line on virtually any rod

Bottom line: A solid choice for anglers looking for a retro look and feel OR a great value.

Scientific Anglers Mastery Anadro

Price: $79.95

The Hype: Designed with line control in mind, its extended rear taper allows you to cast a mile, mend with authority, and turn over nearly any rig imaginable—from dredging double nymphs to larger dry-dropper concoctions.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

We really liked casting the Anadro line – it’s one of the best nymph/streamer/beginner lines out there.  And we’ll tell you all about it in the SharkWave version, which is just a little bit better than the Mastery version, so scroll down to read about it.

Pros:

• Perfect for chucking a lot of weight
• Great for beginners

Cons:

• Heavy
• Doesn’t shoot as well as the SharkWave version

Bottom line: If you want to save $20 over the SharkWave Anadro, get this one, but SharkWave is better.

Scientific Anglers Mastery Expert Distance

Price: $74.95

The Hype: Designed with an extra-long head and rear taper, the Mastery Expert Distance is excellent in the wind, provides smooth distance casting, and lets you throw mends you didn’t think were even possible.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

It’s important to note that we tested the green version of this line, not the competition orange version with a longer head. Despite its roots, Expert Distance had average performance.

Pros:

• Long head makes for easy mending

Cons:

• Average performance across the board

Bottom line: Save this one for the casting competition

Scientific Anglers Mastery MPX

Price: $74.95

The Hype: Built a half-size heavy, the MPX taper starts where the GPX left off. Redesigned with more mass toward the front of the head, the MPX provides the same benefits of the GPX, with an added emphasis on presentation.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

MPX replaces our much loved GPX as SA’s all-around trout line for faster rods. This is such an important change that we wrote a separate post about it here: SA MPX vs GPX. We dive deep into the characteristics and differences between the two lines in that article, so rather than repeat ourselves, we’ll just let you read it. So, on to the MPX.

Does it have better presentation than GPX? Well… none that I could see. It’s also highly unlikely that that’s the case since MPX has MORE weight forward in the taper. Sure it has a slightly longer front taper, but that’s not going to compensate for the difference. What it DOES do, is load faster rods quicker. Overall though, MPX is still a great line, but you definitely need a faster rod to make it work.

Pros:

• Loads fast
• Does everything pretty well

Cons:

• I preferred the older GPX on the Circa.

Bottom line: A great all-around line for faster rods

Scientific Anglers Mastery SBT

Price: $74.95

The Hype: A short-bellied fly line with an extended handling section. That means more mass is distributed to the front of the line, which assists in turning over weighted flies and performing roll casts.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

SBT (Short Belly Taper) is one of the 3 single-hand spey focused lines in the test. These lines are totally new to the market and feature really long front tapers. SA took a lot of risks when they made this line. It’s got the shortest head in the test by nearly 10’(!!!) and it’s totally unlike any other line made before it. SBT is the first iteration of a great line that will likely evolve and change the way some people fish.

SBT is like Rio SHS, but taken to the extreme. SBT has a very long front taper like SHS– but it’s even more aggressive. They’ve also pretty much done away with the belly completely. Interestingly enough, SBT is almost a true 5-weight, and in fact it has the lightest total head weight of any line in the test.

Disclaimer: Yes, I’m writing a disclaimer for this line. If you’re going to be trout fishing with it, you need to understand what it can and can’t do. Casting the SBT is totally non-traditional. If you’ve ever cast one of Rio’s Outbound Short lines, you know how short headed lines behave. The 25’ head means that you won’t have to can’t make a bunch of false casts, but it loads so fast that you wouldn’t want to anyway. Another consequence is that mending line after the cast is going to be difficult, so beware if you’re going to be doing a lot of nymphing/dry fly fishing.  But you probably shouldn’t take this out on a spring creek, because it’s got no presentation whatsoever anyway.

OK. Now that you’ve read my disclaimer, I’m going to tell you why this line is also kind of awesome. It roll casts REALLY well. If you have no room behind you, this line can still get you out 60’. The SBT also shoots really well, so if you’re just learning how to cast, it makes it an incredibly easy line to learn on. And because SBT loads fast and casts far, it’s a really great streamer line for both stripping and swinging. Finally, if you’ve got one of the new Trout Speys that have come out recently, this works really well on them.

Pros:

• Loads rods fast,
• Roll/single-hand spey casts a mile,
• Great for streamers

Cons:

• It’s got a lot of limitations (see the disclaimer)

Bottom line: SBT and Rio SHS are lines that are definitely worth trying, and must haves if you do a lot of roll casting or are fishing in tight quarters.

Scientific Anglers Mastery Trout

Price: $74.95

The Hype: Perfect for dry flies and ideal for smaller nymphs and streamers, the Mastery Trout is one of our mainstays and has helped anglers catch trout from the mountains of Germany to the hills of Georgia.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Mastery Trout is a LOT like Mastery Expert Distance. While Expert Distance has a slightly longer taper, they are very similar, and in fact within a few grains of one another in terms of weight. As such, it should come as no surprise that its performance was similar, and unfortunately, also average.

Pros:

• Long head makes for easy mending

Cons:

• Average performance across the board

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a dry fly line, check out VPT instead.

Scientific Anglers Mastery VPT

Price: $84.95

The Hype: An ideal trout dry-fly line, the VPT features an extended front taper that presents flies delicately and also serves to help perform roll casts and single-handed Spey maneuvers.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Mastery VPT has a fairly unique taper. It’s got a long level tip (one of the few remaining), followed by a really long front taper, and a short-ish belly. On the surface, you might think it fairly similar to Rio SHS, but in reality it’s far lighter and less aggressive. Another curiosity is its Sharkskin tip – it seems that VPT is like Sharkwave at a slightly cheaper price.

VPT is easily SA’s best dry fly line. It casts a mile, roll casts well, and has a very delicate presentation. VPT is also too light of a line to really be effective at either nymphing or streamers.  The long-slow front taper means that this line doesn’t load well in close. Ironically, I preferred VPT on the NRX over the Circa. I can’t explain it and it doesn’t make sense given its light overall weight – maybe I was having an off day.

Pros:

• A pretty great dry fly line.
• True-to-line weight

Cons:

• Not a line for beginners
• Won’t cast your big nymph and streamer rigs

Bottom line: One of the best dry fly lines out there.

Scientific Anglers SharkWave Anadro

Price: $99.95

The Hype: Designed with line control in mind, its extended rear taper allows you to cast a mile, mend with authority, and turn over nearly any rig imaginable—from dredging double nymphs to larger dry-dropper concoctions.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Front loaded compound tapers are nothing new. There are at least 10 in this test alone. What sets the SharkWave Anadro apart from the competition is its really long head. The long head does a few things: it makes mending and roll casting a LOT easier and you can hold a lot more line in the air. Both of those things hold true for the Anadro line. But you’re probably thinking to yourself: Why would I want to cast this 180gr-7-weight line on 5-weight?

The answer is simple: this line is awesome. It’s easily the best casting nymph/streamer line in our test. Anadro has great distance, shoots great, and delivers a ton of power to the fly. It even makes a pretty good beginner line. In fact, about the only thing I don’t love about this line is its presentation. I know I went on about how presentation doesn’t really matter, but this line is one of the few lines that really could use better presentation. It’s really the only part of the line that’s lacking.

SharkWave Anadro also had the curious property of being a LOT better in the SharkWave version than the Mastery version. While most of the lines we tested didn’t improve a lot when textured, Anadro got a lot better. What I mean by that, the texturing added about 10’ to my cast.

Pros:

• Perfect for chucking a lot of weight
• Great for beginners

Cons:

• Heavy
• Wouldn’t be my first choice for dries

Bottom line: An amazing line for fishing everything but dries.

Scientific Anglers Sharkwave GPX

Price: $99.95

The Hype: Built a half-size heavy, the GPX’s extra weight up front helps load fast-action rods and can greatly increase line speed when used with a double haul.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

When [regular] GPX was replaced by MPX in Scientific Angler’s lineup, we were first shocked, then depressed. It was our best selling line (and SA’s bestselling line). Luckily they kept it around in their signature “Sharkwave” series. If you’re not familiar with Sharkwave, it features Sharkskin texturing on the tip, Mastery texturing on the head and running line, and a smooth handling section at the end of the head.

We’ve long taken this line for granted and recommended it for most rods for virtually any angler. I’m happy to report that after testing it extensively, we weren’t wrong. While GPX doesn’t blow us away in any particular category, it just does EVERYTHING, really well. Yes, that includes presentation. And yes, it also worked really well on the Circa, despite being a “half-size” heavier. Basically, if you’re not sure which trout line to go with on any given rod, for any given body of water, GPX should probably be your starting point.

Pros:

• Excellent performance across the board in every category.

Cons:

• Unfortunately, this great taper now costs $20 more and only comes in a textured version

Bottom line: One of the best all-around lines out there for any rod.

Scientific Anglers Sharkwave Siege

Price: $99.95

The Hype: Designed to turn over even the largest flies with just a single backcast, the SharkWave Siege has power in spades.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

While the taper diagram shows us that Sharkwave Siege is a relative of SBT, it casts completely differently. It’s like a strange hybrid between SBT and VPT. It’s got a long front taper, a short, thick belly, and a long handling section/rear taper. The extended front taper means that it doesn’t load well in close, but the heavy belly section loads really fast. It’s a presentation line for casts under 30’ and a shooting head after that. It’s a combination that no one asked for… ever. It’s one of the most bizarre casting lines I’ve ever used.

Pros:

• I’m sure you could get used to this line…

Cons:

• One of the few lines in the test we really disliked.

Bottom line: Get SBT instead

Scientific Anglers Sharkwave Ultimate Trout

Price: $99.95

The Hype: The Ultimate Trout taper is a trout angler’s dream. Designed to deliver dries with a soft touch, no matter the distance, the Ultimate Trout can also handle nymphs and small streamers, depending on the occasion.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

SA Sharkwave Ultimate Trout is tapered a LOT like MPX, but with a slightly longer belly and a longer rear taper. In fact, I’d describe it as the taper you’d get if Mastery Trout and MPX had a child: MPX in front, Mastery Trout in back. Ultimate Trout also inherited the weight of Mastery Trout.

Looking over some of our conclusions, you might think that would make this line better… but for some reason it doesn’t. It’s probably due to the fact that the line also got just a little too light in weight for faster rods (it’s true to line size). The result is a pretty average trout line that loads slightly better in close than some of the competition.

Pros:

• Loads better in close the some light trout lines

Cons:

• Expensive
• Average performance

Bottom line: We preferred Sharkwave GPX on every rod.

Scientific Anglers Wavelength MPX

Price: $84.95

The Hype: Built a half-size heavy, the MPX taper starts where the GPX left off. Redesigned with more mass toward the front of the head, the MPX provides the same benefits of the GPX, with an added emphasis on presentation.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Wavelength MPX is the same line as Mastery MPX (though the version we tested was actually a few grains heavier), but is textured. You can scroll up to read more about MPX, or better yet, read our deep dive into the MPX vs. GPX.

What makes this line unique in this shootout is that it’s the only SA Wavelength line we tested. Wavelength lines are textured, but not as heavily as SharkWave. It’s actually the same process used on the Orvis HD lines. So the big question is: Does texturing make this line better? Not really… or at least not as far as we could tell. MPX and Wavelength MPX cast pretty much the same.

Pros:

• Loads fast
• Does everything pretty well

Cons:

• I preferred the older GPX on the Circa.

Bottom line: A great all-around line for faster rods, but we didn’t notice a lot of difference between the textured and non-textured versions.

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchase, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your next fly line (or better yet, your next rod and reel), from us.

This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.

About Royal Wulff Fly Lines

Royal Wulff was founded in 1982 by America's most famous fly fishing couple: Joan and Lee Wulff. Soon thereafter, Lee put his engineering skills to work and earned a patent for the first continuously tapered fly line: the Triangle Taper. Whatever he did, it worked. Keep reading to see why.

The Reviews:

Royal Wulff Triangle Taper

Price: $69.95

The Hype: The most efficient transfer of casting energy as it unrolls because the heavier line is constantly turning over lighter line.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Royal Wulff Triangle Taper was one of the best lines in the test, and it DEFINITELY lives up to the hype! It was the first line we cast that really stood apart from the group. Let’s look at what makes this line different.

Triangle Taper is definitely designed differently than other lines in the test. It’s got a continuous taper, with virtually no belly in the traditional sense (you’ll note that we listed a 29’ length in the chart because we used Royal Wulff’s guidelines).  It’s also one of the lightest lines at 10’ with a mere 38 grains. This makes it hard to load in close.

While I can’t be certain it’s the continuous taper, Triangle Taper really does have excellent “transfer of casting energy” (or as we have dubbed it, loop stability). It not only makes this line cast 10-20’ further than most of the other lines, but erases a lot of casting flaws. Triangle Taper also roll casts better than all the lines except for single hand spey lines. Finally, its light tip gives it nearly perfect presentation with the ability to deliver a fly with not even a ripple (only Rio Trout LT is better).

As much as we loved this line, it’s not perfect. Because of how light it is in the beginning of the line, it provides virtually no feel for nymphs and streamers in close, though you can still cast a pretty heavy nymph rig with this line. It also means that this is a very poor choice for beginning casters. We were also left wanting 2-3 colors (to mark the different parts of the line) as well as a loop on the back.

Pros:

• See above. This line is amazing

Cons:

• Doesn’t load well in close
• Not for beginners
• No rear loop

Bottom line: If you’re a good caster fishing dry flies, this is perhaps the finest line on the market.

Royal Wulff Triangle Taper Plus

Price: $69.95

The Hype: A modern upgrade to the classic Triangle Taper Fly Line. An all-purpose line combines a western style half size heavier head with the roll casting and shooting ability of the Triangle Taper design. Perfect for today's faster action rods.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

While the theory behind TT+ is solid – Shorter head, more weight – in practice, it just doesn’t work all that well. Everything we liked about TT was eroded in some way on the TT+ until you’re left with a line with average performance.

Pros:

• A better line for beginners than TT

Cons:

• Loss in performance versus the original Triangle Taper was disappointing
• No Rear Loop
• Average performance

Bottom line: The only choice for Wulff fans looking for a faster loading line.

Trident Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing shootouts to give you all of the tools to make your next trip a success.  We are not a blog, or a review site. 100% of our funding comes from your gear purchase, so if this shootout helps you on your next fly fishing adventure, support us by buying your next fly line (or better yet, your next rod and reel), from us.

This post is part of our Fly Line Shootout, so if you haven't read our main post, you probably want to check it out.

About Orvis Fly Lines

Orvis is another brand that needs no introduction. Founded in 1856, they've been in the fly fishing business a long, long time. Orvis has been selling its own brand of fly lines since 1971. Today, Orvis lines are made by Scientific Anglers (which is also owned by Orvis). Orvis lines can be broken down into 4 product lines: Clearwater, Access, Hydros, and Hydros HD. Clearwater and Access lines are 'entry level' and priced to be accessible to the beginning angler. Hydros is Orvis' premier line of high-performance fly lines and the HD designation means the line is textured for less friction through the guides.

The Reviews:

Orvis Access Freshwater

Price: $59.00

The Hype: The Access WF Trout Line is a versatile freshwater floating trout fly line offering outstanding performance across a broad range of conditions. The supple core turns over flies with ease and the mid-length weight forward head makes for easy casting and mending.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

The Access is Orvis’ ‘entry level’ trout line. As such, we weren’t expecting to be blown away by its performance… and we weren’t. The Access is a close-loading average line that throws tighter loops than some of its competitors. It’s only real shortcoming was in the roll-casting department where it’s shorter head made it difficult to contend with the top performers.

Pros:

• Loads close
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Across the board performance was average

Bottom line: A good line for beginners looking to save a buck.

Orvis Hydros HD Easy Mend

Price: $98.00

The Hype: An extra-long head… plays the key role in allowing this line to excel at mending and managing the drift even at long, challenging distances.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

With the 5^th longest head in our test, the Easy Mend certainly lives up to its claim of easier line management. What’s left out of the marketing is how well this line performs in terms of both presentation and distance. Further, while I’m not willing to commit to the texturing as being the reason for it, Easy Mend shot line well too.

While Easy Mend performed really well with a dry, it lacked the power to really turn over a larger nymph rig or a larger streamer. So, while it will be totally adequate for a light nymph rig, so will virtually any other line in this test. That means it’s really only an average nymphing and streamer line, which limits its usefulness as an all-around line.

Pros:

• An above average line for fishing dries.
• Excellent line management

Cons:

• Not a great line for nymphing/streamers
• Beginners won’t be able to take advantage of many of the  strengths of this line
• Can we get some back loops?

Bottom line: If you’re a better caster who fishes dries, this is an excellent choice, particularly if long distance mends are something you do often

Orvis Hydros HD Trout

Price: $98.00

The Hype: The microreplicated HD texturing pattern increases line durability, allowing for easier pick-ups, less drag, easier mending, and greater shootability, while our versatile trout taper has got you covered in any situation.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Orvis Hydros HD reminded me a lot of SA GPX which is a very good thing. It does everything pretty well, but just not quite as well as GPX. Part of the reason for that is that HD Trout is true-to-size, and while we view this as a plus (and commend Orvis for sticking to the standard); less mass means that it’s harder to cast a big nymph rig. Still, both Hydros Trout and Hydros HD Trout make a fine all-around fly line.

Despite being textured, we didn’t notice a lot of difference between Hydros Trout and Hydros HD Trout, and neither shot line particularly well.

Pros:

• True to size
• Pretty good all-around

Cons:

• We’re not sure the texturing does much to increase casting distance in this taper
• An average nymphing line
• Where are the back loops?

Bottom line:  A great all-around line that will work well on both fast and softer rods

Orvis Hydros Superfine

Price: $79

The Hype: This technical precision trout fly line is an excellent choice for spring creeks-slow moving, clear water situations where stealth and technical expertise is imperative.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

While there are definitely situations that call for technical presentations, I can assure you that the Orvis Hydros Superfine is NOT the line for those situations. This line has two serious issues: 1. It’s a 6-weight – and not barely a 6… a heavy 6-weight, 2. It’s pretty heavy up front, so it’s going to load your rod fast and splash hard (-ish).

Now that that’s settled, Orvis Superfine is actually a pretty great all-around line (just not a delicate presentation line). Being a long-rear taper line, it really feels lighter than a full 6-weight line that it is. It's almost like Rio Gold for faster rods. It does everything pretty well!

Pros:

• Great Loop Stability
• Does everything well.

Cons:

• Actually, this is a 6wt
• No back loop :-/

Bottom line: Another great choice from Orvis, but definitely a line that needs to get its marketing figured out.

Orvis Hydros Trout

Price: $84.99

The Hype: Put the odds in your favor with this weight-forward trout fly line. An innovative weight-forward taper combined with slightly larger line diameters produces a line that is ideal at close to medium range, but is still capable of delivering at distance.

Taper Diagram:

Casting Notes:

Hydros WF Trout is basically the same as Hydros HD Trout. So, we’re not going to repeat ourselves. Scroll up to read our notes. You should get this line if you don’t like texturing, or if you want to save a few bucks.

Pros:

• True to size
• Pretty good all-around

Cons:

• An average nymphing line
• No back loops on an $80 line?

Bottom line:  A great all-around line that will work well on both fast and softer rods