Robert Kovich 5-Weight Shoot-Out

After several years of new rods and technology it is finally time to do another Five-Weight Shootout. Much has changed over the past few years since we did our first shootout and there are lot of good new rods.  It was exciting to cast them, compare them and see the results. The amount of rods we had to test this year was nearly overwhelming, and unlike in our last 5-weight shootout, nearly all of the rods we tested this year were quite good. There was much less difference this time around between the best and worst rods. We came to our own conclusions, but unlike past shootouts we all agreed on the winner this time.

We hope you will enjoy this review, and that it will help you choose just the right rod for your fishing waters, your preferences and your budget.  Don't be afraid to give me a call here at the Yellowstone Angler if I can help you in any way with selecting a rod, reel or any of the other flies and tackle that you may need. 

Phone: 406-222-7130.  Or you can e-mail me at: robert@yellowstoneangler.com

1. Hardy Zenith

I don’t know if any of us really saw the Hardy Zenith coming out as one of the top rods, if not the best of the bunch. I had heard word from the Denver Fly Tackle Dealer Show that this was one of the best new products to hit the market this year so the Zenith was one of the first rods I picked up at the Gym. It felt incredibly light in my hands. The new Sintrix technology creates a strong and very light rod. I think this is the perfect combination of a fast action rod with good flex and feel; exactly what the consumer is looking for in an all around 5-weight trout rod.

At 25 feet I was able to get a really accurate, soft presentation that seems absent with a lot of the fast action rods of today. At 45 feet this rod was still very accurate and I was able to hold plenty of line and shoot line as well. It seemed effortless to cast this rod. At 70 feet this rod was certainly the best of the bunch. I felt it was going to be too light of a rod to be able to handle some weight but the Zenith surprised me again. The rod shoots line crisply and can handle power as well as the best rods here.

2. Sage Z-Axis

This rod has been around a few years, but it still casts as well as it ever has. I remember the first day George and I cast this rod in the yard. It was so impressive George had to run in the shop and immediately pull me outside just for a second opinion. I have fished this rod for several years now in a variety of conditions ranging from tiny dry fly work on the Missouri to heavy streamers and hoppers on the Yellowstone and it really is as versatile as any rod that has ever been created. It was no surprise to me that this rod would still fare so well after so many years on the market.

Fishing tiny dry flies the rod is fun and it is easy to get a soft presentation. It holds big fish on light tippet well, and can land the fly accurately at short distances with longer leaders. At mid-range distances of 45 feet or so this rod is superb. This is a typical distance that we often fish hoppers here in Montana and this rod has proven itself as the best all around rods I've ever fished. When I really need to throw 70 feet of line, this rod has the power to do so. Maintaining tight loops at 50 feet is no problem and shooting a good distance of running line is really not much of a chore. I really can’t say that you can go wrong with either this rod or the new Hardy Zenith.

3. St. Croix Legend Elite

Here is a rod that really surprised me!  I have sold this rod for years as more of a mid level fly rod, and I’m amazed to see it perform at nearly the same level as the Z-Axis and Zenith when tested heads up. The price range should be really attractive to a lot of consumers at $440.00  You could buy this rod and one of the excellent new Winston Passports for less than the price of any of the higher priced rods!  New for 2011 is the Nsi (Nano Silica) resin developed by 3M to make these rods lighter and stronger. These new rods feature the same excellent action as the original Legend Elite.

This is a great rod for up close work with dry flies. At 25 feet the Legend Elite does a wonderful job of turning over our 12 foot leaders. At Medium distances of 45 feet this rod will throw your typical size 8 Grand Hopper well and accurately even in even a stiff breeze. I was delighted to see that this rod had the guts to throw well at long distances. It seems so light and brittle when one first picks up this stick, but the power amazed me. It could hold plenty of line in the air and still shoot line out there at 70 feet and beyond. I have always been impressed with the St. Croix fly rods, but this one was over the top. It deserves serious consideration for anyone looking for a good new 5 weight rod.

4. Winston BIIIX

Winston definitely has made drastic steps to improve the old BIIX. The old model just didn’t have the power necessary to be a great all around rod. Sure, it made a good dry fly rod for light tippets, but it didn’t handle the heavy nymph and streamer rigs we so often use here in the greater Yellowstone region as well as many of the other rods. The old BIIX also had a tendency to break often. We have probably sent more BIIX rods back for repair over the past 5 years than any other fly rod on the market.

The new BIIIX has taken a big step in the right direction. With added power and stiffness in the mid-section and tip this rod casts much better than the older BIIx, at all distances.  The elegant  emerald finish Winston is well known for shines through with this new series. The craftsmanship is superb.  At 25 feet I was able to form nice, tight loops and put the leader exactly where I wanted to, very similar to the original BIIX. At 45 feet I could still hold the good tight loops in the air and there was plenty of power to shoot out more line- right up to 70+ feet. This is a great new rod that deserves attention, especially for Winston fans who love that traditional Winston feel.

5. G-Loomis NRX

I have never been much of a fan of Loomis rods but this new series of NRX rods is impressive. Loomis has recently made a big deal about their new resin technology that has enabled them to make stronger and lighter rods like this new NRX. It is lightweight and a very fast action typical of a lot of the older Loomis GLX models. The cosmetics on this rod are very unattractive to me but if you can get over the smurf blue rod wrappings, this is the best G-Loomis rod ever made.

I don’t think that this rod would be my best choice for casting small flies up close. At 25 feet it was difficult to feel anything as the rod is just a bit too stiff. At 45 feet this rod started to feel really good. It was crisp and threw very tight loops with excellent accurately. At 70 feet this rod was like a rocket launcher! If you’re into throwing big flies long distances this may be the rod for you, but this is not the best all around 5 weight rod for most people.

6. Winston Passport

This was definitely a surprise for all of us. In the past Winston’s lower end series of rods were not very good and not very popular. They were often unattractive in appearance and the flex pattern was way different than the traditional Winston feel.

The first thing I noticed when I picked up this rod was the large pear shaped swell in the middle of the handle. Some might like this feel under their palm but for others it I think could cause some stress.  I think most casters will overlook it or adapt to it. It would also be easy enough to cut it down with some sandpaper.  

This rod has really good turnover and feel at 25 feet like the more expensive Winston rods. At 45 feet the rod still had nice turnover and could carry line in the air well.  At 70 feet I found this rod to be a little wimpier and lacked the power of the best rods, but if you put some power into your double haul, the line would shoot nicely. If you are in the market for a rod in the $200 dollar range, this is the one to go for!

7. G-Loomis Streamdance GLX

I have cast this rod many times over the years and have liked it a lot. This is actually a pretty good-looking rod from Loomis, unlike the older GLX rods of the past.  But like other rods from Loomis, this StreamDance is on the stiff side for a 5-weight rod. There was not much action or flex at 25 feet. At 45 feet I could feel the rod load much better, and it performed nicely at this distance.  At 70 feet it was a great casting rod with very good accuracy. Much like the NRX, if you want to throw big flies or cast longer distances much of the time this rod is a good choice.

8. Greys GRXI+

I have never had the opportunity to cast any Greys rods until now, but I found these to be delightful rods. At a price that is very affordable ($189) the GRXI+ performed better than some of the rods that were double and even triple this price. At 25 feet the leader turned over quite well, but there wasn’t as much feel as the Winston Passport. At 45 feet you could really feel the difference and the fast action provided a tight loop. 70 feet was no problem with this rod and it was pretty easy to cast much farther with a good double haul.  This is a great rod for the price, and one that put in a decent if not good performance at all distances. 

9. Orvis Helios

Orvis has made some quality rods in the past that I thought were quite nice. My first impression of the Helios was I liked the feel of the handle but the rod felt sort of heavy to me, despite its light weight and relatively light swing weight.  I got the leader to turn over pretty well at 25 feet, but it certainly didn't compare to the best rods, like the Zenith or Z-Axis.

At 45 feet the rod flexed and loaded well but again I just didn't have the feel or get the accuracy I could get with the other top rods. I really didn’t care for this rod after 50 feet. It seems to lose line speed at that range and was too heavy in the hand for my liking.

10. Sage VXP

Having fished several models of the original Sage XP I was excited to try the new VXP. The rod is as attractive in appearance as its predecessor but it didn’t cast as well as I had hoped. The modern technology and the materials they used in this new VXP just didn't seem to match the old XP as I remember it. 

The VXP didn’t load up close at 25 feet as well as I had hoped. There wasn’t much flex, but with a crisp forward stroke this rod can throw a tight loop. At 45 feet this rod felt the best. At this distance the #5 line finally started to load the rod, allowing it to throw good tight loops. At 70 feet this rod can easily hold 60 feet of line in the air. Overall, I came away disappointed in the performance of this rod but for diehard XP fans, this rod deserves a tryout.

11. Scott S4

I’ve always liked the Scott Rod Company based in Colorado, but this rod really didn’t do much for me. It seemed as though this 5 weight was more of a 6 weight rod.  This rod didn’t work well for me up close with the 5 weight GPX we had rigged, but turned the line and leader over a lot better with the 6 weight GPX we had rigged just for a circumstance of this nature. I felt the same about this rod at the longer distances of 45 and 70 feet. This just feels more like a 6 weight rod to me, and if you desire to fish this rod, rig it with a six weight line and you'll be a lot happier. 

12. Temple Fork Outfitters BVK

Here is a rod designed by the great Lefty Kreh. I was impressed with this rod. For the price of $225.00 this is a steal. This would make a great boat rod for guides, or as a backup for anyone that has other higher end rods. At 25 feet the rod is a little too stiff to handle a 5-weight line well, and may not be ideal for delicate presentations.

At 45 feet I could really feel this rod flex and it performed very well. With its stiffness and fast action I think this rod would really shine in a drift boat. At 70 feet the rod holds line in the air well, and has plenty of power to reach out farther.  This is the best rod I've seen for a low priced boat rod for throwing larger dry flies or chucking nymph rigs.

13. Thomas and Thomas Horizon II

I really expected a lot more from this rod. This is a beautiful rod with outstanding craftsmanship, but the rod didn’t cast well for me, at least not up to the expectations of the $705 price tag.

First thoughts - up close at 25 feet, this rod was heavy and doesn’t flex well. Accuracy was not very good.  45 feet was probably the best range for this rod but it still felt heavy in the hand. Over 45 feet this rod couldn’t hold a lot of line in the air effectively. The HII has been in the T&T lineup for a while now, so hopefully something new and exciting will come along in the near future to replace this rod.

14. Orvis Access

This rod was one of the more unusual rods that I cast. It sort of felt like a Winston WT but chunkier. At the 25 feet this rod turned over the leader surprisingly well. This would be a good dry fly rod at shorter distances. At 45 feet though, it wasn’t all that great. At 70 feet it was even worse. It felt heavy in my hand, and the loops seem to deteriorate at distance. This rod was definitely one of the less desirable 5-weight's I tested.

15. Loop Evotec

The first thing that stands out with this rod is the unusual hexagonal shaped handle. This is of very untraditional design and is certainly felt awkward in my hand. I think this would cause fatigue quickly for the average fly caster.

As far as the actual test casting, this rod had good turnover at 25 feet. It feels light but still crisp at 45 feet. At 70 feet it felt like a heavier line size might have worked better.  Overall, I think this rod would have a better score if the grip were more traditional.

16. Sage TCX

This is definitely not in the category of 5 weight rods to me. This rod cast much better once we put on the 6 weight GPX. The nearly $800 dollar price is a little outrageous. It was really difficult to get this rod to throw a loop at 25 feet with the 5 weight line. At 45 and 70 feet I could really tell a difference, and it loaded better.  Still, this rod definitely needs a 6-weight line to perform at all.

17. St. Croix Imperial

For how well this rod has performed in the past few years, the Imperial's low ranking for me was a definite surprise. This goes to show you how much technology and effort has been put into the mid price range rods as of late.  This rod is fairly heavy and compared to the newer inexpensive rods from Winston and Greys this rod felt like a 2x4. At short distance it seems too stiff with little feel. At 45 feet this rod still has a bit of trouble but feels more balanced. At 70 feet it seemed to hold the line in the air better and I could shoot line better.  The Imperial is not as good a value as it once was with all the new competition in its price range of around $200.  

18. Redington CPX

The CPX came in last place for me, which is sad because this is actually a decent rod. There is just too much competition out there these days in this price range. At 25 feet it seems heavy but the loops I was throwing were decent. At 45 feet this rod was still heavy and I couldn’t feel much flex. At 70 feet I was able to shoot line well and get a high line speed, but the weight would not make this rod pleasant to fish.