This article was taken from the November 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
How we tested: we travelled to Eyebrook Reservoir in the East Midlands with Marcus Janssen, deputy editor of Fieldsports magazine and field editor of The Complete Fly Fisherman, to test four high-end trout rods. Each was 2.75 metres long and rated for a five-weight line, the perfect combination for river-trout fishing.
Janssen rated each on looks, craftsmanship, weight, short- tomid-range and long-range performance, price and ease of use (but not the number of fish caught).
Orvis Helios 2, tip-flex
Claimed to be the lightest fly-rod in the world, the Helios 2 is a delight to hold and cast. With a crisp, medium-fast action and near-perfect tracking (minimum vibration), these are powerful rods.
They're made to a very high standard, but aren't suitable for beginners: timing needs to be precise, as duff or mistimed casts are punished.
Wired: Punchy and powerful; verygood at long range
Tired: Pricey
Cost: £675
orvis.co.uk
Specifications
Line rating 5
Length 2.75m
Sections 4
Colour Midnight blue
Weight 70g
Material Graphite fibre and thermoplastic resins
Reel seat Up-locking, anodised-aluminium skeleton with California buckeye-burl insert
HandleReverse half-wells
Rod case/tubeMidnight blue and silver carbon
Sage One
Sage rods have long been the choice of pro anglers, but the One, although good, is far from the best it's produced. It does feel light in the hand and has a nice, smooth casting stroke, but it lacks finesse and is slower than you'd expect from a Sage. The finish of this rod isn't terribly impressive, particularly the plain black-coloured blank.
Wired: Smooth action andplenty of power
Tired: Lacks finesse
Cost: £559
sageflyfish.com
Specifications
Line rating 5
Length 2.75cm
Sections 4
Colour Black Ice
Weight 80g
Material Konnetic high-modulus graphite composite
Reel seat Brown anodised-aluminium skeleton with walnut insert
Handle Snub-nose half-wells
Rod case/tube Black powder-coated aluminium
G Loomis NRX LP
This is a dream to cast and exudes refinement, particularly at shorter distances. Despite being the heaviest on test, the NRX felt the lightest in-hand of all the rods. Designed specifically for light presentation, this is the top choice for dry-fly fishing, particularly on smaller streams where delicate casts are necessary.
Wired: Accurateand precise
Tired: Unforgiving; not for beginners
Cost: £669
gloomis.com
Specifications
Line rating 5
Length 2.75m
Sections 4
Colour Evergreen
Weight 85g
Material G Loomis graphite and nano-resin technology
Reel seat Anodised-aluminium skeleton withgreen graphite insert
Handle Reverse half-wells
Rod case/tube Dark-green gloss aluminium
Hardy Zenith.5
Constructed with Hardy's new SINTRIX composite (carbon fibre held together with a resin impregnated with silica nanospheres), the Zenith has an impressive weight-to-strength ratio. Its incredibly smooth action is precise, forgiving and seriously fast,making it suitablefor all purposesand abilities.
Wired: Versatileand forgiving
Tired: A British brand now made in Korea
Cost: £549
hardyfishing.com
Specifications
Line rating 5
Length 2.75m
Sections 4
Colour Dark brown
Weight 82g
Material 3M's SINTRIXresin technology
Reel seat Up-locking, two-part skeletalanodisedaluminium
Handle Half-wells
Rod case/tube Black powder-coated aluminium
Janssen also used
All of the rods were tested using an identical fly-line and leader set-up: a Rio Gold WF 5wt floating line with a Scientific Anglers 2.74m 3X tapered copolymer leader (the nylon bit at the end, to which you attach the fly).
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
