2011 5-Weight Shoot Out!

[Fredrick]

Here is the new version of the 5 wt shootout there is some unexpected rods in the rankings


http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/FlyRodReview.Best5weightflyrod.HardyZenith.SageZ-axis.WinstonB3x.WinstonBIIIx.LoomisNRX.SageVXP.StCroixLegendEliteTempleforkBVK.asp

 

[jdaddy]

Great review of rods. First thing I did was check to see which rod lines the reviewer sold to see if there is any prejudice. Nope, he sells what he reviews. One problem I do see is that they acknowledge "You have the choice of a feather light anodized aluminum up locking reel seat or a gorgeous nickel/silver up locking seat with a fancy Birdseye maple insert" on the BIIIx but chose to weigh and use one with birdseye maple insert. The anodized aluminum seat is over 1/2 oz lighter and would have made the rod the lightest in the review, thus increasing 2 point in weight and 1 in swing weight, thus tying for second. Sounds like the 9' 4wt BIIIx is gonna be the perfect dry fly rod for me. I am not worried about the nymphing aspect . . . that's what my 10' 4wt is for! LOL!

The Hardys sounds like a really nice rod! I do find it interesting that the reviewer thought the NRX was a good looking rod, equating it to a sports car. The blue wraps and blue paint trim is ugly imo, and the attention to detail was poor on the rod, again imo.

I am SHOCKED at the Passports performance. It replaced the Ascent, which in my opinion was just a terrible rod, to the point I did not have the last one replaced, instead used it as a beer tap handle.

 

[gfen]

I casually perused it while listening to a cut call at work; I noticed they include a "gotta have it" X-factor score. That's stupid. Hard numbers only, please.

 

[SBecker]

No Jerry, they got rid of that.

 

[jdaddy]

Ya, luckily they got rid of it. Subjective category that included some easily quantifiable factors such as warranty. Plus "X-Factor" and "Gotta have it" was dumb. Everyone knows "gotta have it" is an ice cream cone size at Coldstone, not something you judge a rod by.

 

[jayL]

I am fairly certain that many of us have bought rods purely on the "gotta have it" factor.

 

[gfen]

jayL wrote:
I am fairly certain that many of us have bought rods purely on the "gotta have it" factor.

I won't lie, its probably #2 on my list right after, "cheap as dirt."

However, its not the stuff of reviews, or it shouldn't be. I want numbers, not yoru feelings on how badly I want it.

Doing it that way is a good way to load numbers towards things you make a better slice of profits on, or who advertises in your magazine. I'm looking at you, Road and Track.

 

[jayL]

The reviews are bathroom reading, nothing more. If you are buying a rod, you should cast it. I am guilty of buying rods on sale because the deal was too good to pass up, but I have been burned by it. If I am going to drop a few hundred on a five weight, I am casting it first.

 

[Fredrick]

The guy had nothing good to say about the original xp and it was one best selling rods of all time so I don't put to much confidence in this review . But I can't wait and see if they do the 8 wt shootout agin also .

 

[WildTigerTrout]

That St. Croix "Imperial" faired really well. I'm a "Sage" fan but may check out that rod in the future.

 

[troutslammer]

how much does the BIIIx in the review weigh ? ads i saw for them with the aluminum reel seat was 3-1/4 OZ ?? is this correct ?

 

[VTPAangler]

jdaddy,

Look forward to hearing about your new biiix. I'm considering a 9' 4 wt.

 

[jdaddy]

PM sent.

 

[Bruno]

I have a couple of Imperials and I love them. They are great rods for the money.

 

[brianb]

I am with JayL on this one, everyone prefers something different. Its an opinion in the end. and therefore someone else's word means little

 

[barbless]

no glass = bogus

 

[Wildfish]

They're always so down on Scott. It's true that the S4 is super fast, but it's also billed as their super fast rod. Where's the G2 in this shootout?

 

[jdaddy]

Wildfish wrote:
They're always so down on Scott. It's true that the S4 is super fast, but it's also billed as their super fast rod. Where's the G2 in this shootout?

This might explain it . . .

"I guess the boys at Scott are still unhappy with us after we bashed their S3S in our 8-weight shootout, where it ended up in last place. So when we tried to get them to send us one of their new S4 rods to test, they refused to send us a rod! "

 

[ratgunner]

I cant figure why Loomis wont give an unconditional warranty like most others do,the rods cost as much as any others. It's one reason I hesitate to buy them. Anyways I was surprised at some of the low end rods performing so close to high end sticks.

 

[PennKev]

ratgunner wrote:
Anyways I was surprised at some of the low end rods performing so close to high end sticks.

Take a good blank design, roll the blank overseas, have some Asians build it out with cheap components, and presto-chango, you have an inexpensive high performance rod! Dubious quality perhaps, but when it works, it works well.

*OR*

Keep blank production and final construction in the USA, using the same cheap components, and you get...

...a Sage FLi, Flight, Launch, Vantage (whatever the hell they call them now). They have somewhat better qaulity, but they hold back on performance and cosmetics so as to not cut into the sales of their higher end models.

Kev