I thought I would put a review together of what I feel are the best graphite fly rods of the last ten years. I used my experience casting all of these in 5 weights as the basis. Not surprisingly all of my choices save one are relatively new rods considering the ten year window but given the advancements in technology this is expected. These rankings are my opinion and my opinion only, I understand others may feel differently but I have had a chance now to cast just about every rod out there and of all of those these are my five favorite. Feel free to chime in with your own opinions.
5:Hardy Zenith
The Hardy Zenith is an impressive fishing tool and in the last two years especially after having won the Yellowstone Anglers 5 weight shootout it has been gaining popularity. Like many rod companies out there Hardy has a sort of cult following and here in the east they seem to be most poplar with the traditionalists. Their rods just haven't quite caught on like they should have out here. The zenith has a skeleton reel seat so there is no wood for the traditional guys and it also has single foot guides in place of double footed snakes which is a feature I'm not to big on. The Hardy gets stunning reviews everywhere its fished but I believe thats mostly due to the press its received from winning Yellowstone Anglers 5WT shootout a few years back. I think its too powerful and the 5 wt that I cast really felt like it was a six weight. It handles line well at all distances but if I can explain this correctly, despite its light weight it just felt heavy casting that 5 weight line. If it weren't for this it would be higher on the list. Another attractive feature is its price tag which comes in at less than the other rods in this review but with that said their warranty department isn't quite as good as some and you could end up paying handsomely for a repair.
#4:Sage One
The Sage One is a rod thats at the top of many people's list but I have found like many others that many of those people are die hard Sage fans who won't shop anywhere else. The One has a black blank and the real seat hardware has a dark almost bronze finish which compliments the dark wood insert. Its stripping guide has a ceramic insert and the snake guides are hard chrome finished. Its light in the hand although it doesn't feel as light as the other rods in the lineup. The rod has a solid crisp action thats not too stiff and not too soft. The strange thing about the rod is that I felt like it performed better at long range than at short range which doesn't quite cut it for me. When I say long range I'm talking 50-60 feet plus. I know the industry and pros out there all make casting distance seem like such a big thing but the reality is that most trout fishing takes place within 50 feet. I think this rod may be at home on bigger water but for everyday use I wasn't all that impressed. It was however good enough to make it to my top five.
#3: Winston Boron IIIX
#2: Scott G2 Series
The Scott G2 Series is probably my favorite trout rod of all time but its hard to give it my top ranking because it really is a specialized tool. It does one thing very very well and that's handle dry flies with a delicate presentation. I don't think there has ever been a graphite rod that presents a dry fly so nicely. The presentation is incredibly soft and the rod offers unreal control for a medium action stick. It is built in all the right ways and it's soft tip does an excellent job at protecting light tippets and long leaders. This rod also casts great for beginners because of its medium action. Its not all that common to find a high performance tool like this in a medium action rod these days. Another cool thing about it, not that this should sway any decision to acquire one, is that it is an absolutely beautiful rod. It has a natural finish blank with maroon wraps and silver toppings. The grip has an accent ring near the top of the handle and it sports a nice burl wood reel seat. You can see the graphite spiral beneath the finish. It truly is handsome. If you are a sport who likes to fish dries a lot or one of those guys who only fishes dries, you need to take a hard look at this stick. try one out at your local fly shop or take a trip to another done if you have to. These rods are also built entirely on the dirt beneath our feet.
#1: Orvis Helios Zero Gravity
Notable New Rods
1. Mystic Fly Rods
Mystic Rods are very intriguing to me, they are a relatively new company and I've been cautious about them. A friend of mine carries and sells them and pimps them out pretty hard. I was never really confident in them mainly because of the lack of reviews and the low price point. Tom from the Anglers Den finally put one in my hands a few weeks ago and I was shocked by the quality. A smooth casting rod series with incredible feel. Their M273-2 recently won a 2 weight shootout as well.
Here is a link to a good review on one of their models
I wanted to throw a mention in for these boys not because I feel like they were in contention for the top five but because they make an awesome fishing rod that in their case usually fits a specialty niche. Like their two handers and the ever popular bluewater series thats making waves in the Musky world. Its an awesome stick, I bought one specifically for toothy fish and I am very far from being disappointed. Its a cannon and you can fire big flies all day in comfort compared to other rods in its category. I will also be whipping it around for reds later this year. I also have two platinum rods from their shop.
I have the Mystic M series Switch in a 7 wt. this rod is awsome. It had pleanty of backbone for steelies, and enough sensitivity for trout on streamers. My goal is to see hoe many different kinds of fish I can catch on this rod.
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