![]() ![]() ![]() Some rods were very easy to land a fly consistently on or near the target, while others took more effort to dial in the accuracy and felt less forgiving from minor errors.Įach tester made five casts, and the longest of the five was measured. This was a test where we saw the biggest difference among the rods. The scores were averaged and listed in each rod’s key features. Each angler cast at the targets and gave a one- to five-point accuracy score (five being the most accurate) based on the rod’s performance. The accuracy test was performed at 45 and 60 feet, with targets measuring 30 inches wide by 20 inches tall. The rods were tested at 45 and 60 feet for accuracy. The Casting Test The rods were rested for max casting distance. Einsmann enjoys fishing for striped bass, redfish, and speckled trout near his Virginia home. He prefers a slower casting tempo and rods with a moderate action that don’t require a lot of snap to cast well. Hughes is an intermediate-level fly caster with a fast casting stroke, and he prefers rods with a fast action and quick casting ability.Įinsmann is Outdoor Life’s gear editor as well as a lifelong saltwater fly angler. He also spent most of his saltwater fly fishing career living in Miami, Florida, where he fished for bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, and a host of other species. But he often makes trips to the Chesapeake Bay for redfish and striped bass. Kevin Hughes is an Outdoor Life contributor who fly fishes for trout, carp, muskie, and smallmouth bass near his home in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This casting style limits the hauls required to make the cast at fish who are constantly on the move. He likes a precise and firm fly rod due to his preferred casting style of one up-one down. Ryan is an advanced fly caster, and his casting style is powerful but smooth. He spends most of his time guiding clients to redfish in technical creeks and river systems. The Test Teamīorn and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Ryan Rodgers is a full-time inshore fishing guide and professional outdoor lifestyle photographer. Throw in the adrenaline of sight fishing, and the best rods shined while others stumbled. The creek fishing was highly technical, requiring long and accurate casts while also avoiding obstructions like oyster beds and the surrounding tall grass. We fished the rods over two days in Charleston’s marshes. There were several excellent options throughout the country, but we chose Charleston, South Carolina, because sight casting to tailing reds is a perfect test for a saltwater fly rod. ![]() They helped us find a skilled captain and an ideal test location to give the rods a workout in a limited time. We used Captain Experiences, which is a service that connects anglers with trusted guides. Scott Einsmann A powerful rod was needed to wrestle fish to the boat. How We Tested Saltwater Fly Rods Sight casting in tight quarters. If you’re in the market for a new rod, this review will help you narrow down which you want to buy or test out at a fly shop. To find the best saltwater fly rods, three fly anglers spent two days putting a dozen fly rods through a formal accuracy and distance test as well as some of the most technical saltwater fly fishing scenarios. To meet those challenges you need a saltwater fly rod with the right mix of power and control-not all rods have that. But it becomes incredibly challenging when you add in wind, adrenaline, being surrounded by back cast snagging tall grass, and line cutting oyster beds lining the creek. In an open field, an accurate 50-foot cast is pretty easy. We turned a bend and there they were just 50 feet away, tails out of the water and pushing a wake as they fed. It is a rifle in a world of muskets and it autocorrects the variables of the cast to the target with incomparable precision.As we polled into the back of a creek not much wider than the skiff, our guide said you’re only going to get one shot at these fish. No matter what happens behind you, the energy of the forward cast is crisply released through a tight window created by the most significant reduction in horizontal and vertical tip frequency ever conceived. Helios 3F was designed to significantly reduce the variables at the point of release, focusing the energy of the cast to the intended target. The variables of caster, rod, and conditions are too great. No cast ever thrown is identical to any other cast ever thrown. Now in its latest incarnation it offers uncanny accuracy and the ability to drop a dry fly gently in a precise feeding lane where the difference is of a couple of inches is all the difference in success and failure. This model has been around for decades and is a favorite among dry fly purists. The Helios 3F 843-4 is a pure dry-fly rod that offers a refined length with the delicate feel and accuracy desired to make perfect dry fly presentations. Helios 3F 3-Weight, 8'4" Fly Rods offer enhanced accuracy and feel at mid-range distances. ![]()
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