Topic: The Best Saltwater Fly Rods of 2023, Tested and Reviewed (Read 50 times)
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Topic: The Best Saltwater Fly Rods of 2023, Tested and Reviewed (Read 50 times)
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Why It Made the Cut
The Helios 3D had a considerably farther casting distance than the other rods in the test and it was easy to cast it at those ranges.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Product Description
The Helios 3D is a powerful rod that makes casting beyond 60 feet easy, even for intermediate casters. We felt like the Helios 3D was the easiest to cast far and well suited for a range of casting styles. If you’re going to spend all day throwing bombs, then this is the rod you want. It was also an impressively accurate rod at close and far distances.
“While the looks are not my preference, I can’t help but love this rod. It’s one of the most enjoyable fly rods to throw on the market,” Rodgers said. “I think this rod can perform for almost all levels of fly caster. With that being said, I could cast all day with ease using this rod.”
The rod features silicon carbide and titanium stripping guides with black thread wraps. One of the test rod’s stripping guides had a significant gap in the thread wraps. It’s a minor fit and finish demerit that won’t affect performance, but it’s not something you expect to see on a rod of this price point.
In addition to dropping shrimp patterns in front of tailing reds, the H3D is a rod that also excels at casting large flies. Einsmann uses an 11-weight H3D for muskie fishing, and it throws 6- to 9-inch flies with ease.
The Helios 3D is a nice rod, and it’s definitely worth casting if you’re in the market for a high-quality saltwater rod. It didn’t blow us away like the Scott Sector, and it doesn’t have the impressive finish of the Zane Pro. But if you need to punch long casts in high winds, this is the best rod for that task.
Why It Made the Cut
The NRX + T2S has a unique feel that’s hard to describe, but we loved it and thoroughly enjoyed fishing this rod.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Product Description
If you need a powerful rod for fighting big fish in tight quarters or punching a cast into a stiff breeze, then the NRX + T2S will do that. You can feel the power it has in its butt section, and that’s why we reached for it when we were in tight quarters. It also excelled at picking up line and shooting it back out with one false cast. This rod takes very little effort to generate good line speed, and a nice relaxed casting stroke produces casts over 60 feet. It was one of the easiest rods to cast at extended distances. We also tested the NRX + Fly Saltwater four-piece, and it casted like a co*pletely different rod. All three of us preferred the two-piece over the four-piece.
“This two-piece rod is absolutely incredible,” Rodgers said. “It’s unlike the four-piece, which felt clunky and somewhat heavy in hand. Once you get past the weird configuration of the two pieces and start to cast, you realize you’re holding onto a canon.”
The two-piece NRX+ doesn’t co*e apart in the middle like you would expect from a two-piece rod. Instead, just the butt section is removed. This retains the feel of a one-piece rod in a slightly more travel and shipping-friendly package. The rod has a AAA cork full wells grip, recoil snake guides, and titanium SiC stripping guides—premium co*ponents for a top-of-the-line rod.
The NRX+ deserves to be on every serious fly angler’s shortlist, but they are also one of the hardest fly rods to find in stock. But, if you do find one at a fly shop, cast it.
Why It Made the Cut
The Hardy Zane Pro is nothing short of remarkable in terms of build quality, and it has the casting performance to match.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Product Description
When unboxing this rod, there is no doubt you’ve bought something special. Every piece of packaging is dripping with class. The rod tube has details like a circle of cork with Hardy logo burned onto it. Not only does it add a warm—and attractive—touch to the black tube, but it’s also padding for your rod. The rod bag is made from a heavy denier cloth and is nicer than any other rod bag. Then there are the metal ferrule protectors, which have tangible quality and add protection few manufacturers offer.
Rogers described the Hardy as a “true rod,” which means what you put into it, you get out of it. A light touch results in a finesse cast. When you put power into the rod, you generate good line speed and long casts. It performed well in both short- and long-range accuracy testing. The Zane Pro is slightly heavier than some of the premium rods, and you can notice the swing weight difference between it and NRX +, but it’s not what we would consider a heavy rod.
I also took the Zane pro on a false albacore trip to Morehead City, North Carolina. Fast and accurate casts were needed to land a fly on busting albies and then a powerful rod was needed to bring them to the boat. An 8-weight is on the lower end for catching albies, but the Zane Pro performed flawlessly.
The rod’s finish is faultless, and it casts damn well too. From butt to tip, every wrap and co*ponent is perfect. Spending a grand on a rod is a treat for most people, and the Zane Pro makes you feel like you’ve gotten a lot for the money.
Why It Made the Cut
This is a budget rod that feels like rods more than double its price.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Product Description
The Redington Predator was the unanimous pick for the best budget rod. Many budget rods feel like a budget rod when you’re casting them, but not this one. The only tell that gave away the price point is its heavier swing weight.
“I have a ton of experience with this rod because I use it daily with my clients,” Rodgers said. “For the price point, there is no better rod. I find myself co*paring it to the most expensive rods on the market. It’s just that dang good.”
We tested the 9-foot, 8-weight, but the Predator co*es in several species-specific models and up to a 16-weight Bluewater model. Each has aluminum oxide stripping guides with ceramic inserts and anodized snake guides.
Another thing that all three of us agreed on is that we would absolutely buy this rod for any type of saltwater fishing. It lacks the sticker shock of the high-end rods, and nearly matches their performance. If you’re looking to get started in saltwater fly fishing, this is, without a doubt, the rod that we would reco*mend, and it would be a long time before you would need to upgrade to a better rod.
Why It Made the Cut
The Axion II-X was right behind the Predator in our favorite budget saltwater fly rod, and it did very well for distance and accuracy.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Product Description
The TFO Axiom II-X is right behind the Redington Predator for performance for the money. It takes effort to cast this rod farther, but when you put power into the rod, the rod performs and generates good line speed. We found this rod likes a snappier casting style, and once adapted to it, the rod casts well.
The Axiom II-X was one of Hughes’ top-performing rods. “The Axiom requires more force to cast well, but that helps balance out my faster casting style,” he said. “Despite a lack of finesse, it can reach where I need it to and is accurate at range.”
