We have found ourselves in a modern day space race of sorts. We have many high quality rod companies out there trying to hand craft the ultimate fly fishing tool for anglers of every skill level. A combination of human engineering, innovation and best available technologies has put forth a strikingly impressive line-up of 8 weight fly rods at just about every price point.
One of the hardest things about doing a shootout of this magnitude is that you have to put all pre conceived thoughts about the brands and the price points of the rod behind you and simply look at each one with a completely unbiased view. During the testing I simply look at one thing and one thing only, the “castability” of the rod. How it feels in your hand, how it loads, how it tracks and how it shoots. Once I am done casting the rods I look at what I call the “X-Factors” of each rod: Appearance, hardware, warranty and of course price.
My results combining both the “castability” of the rods and the “X-Factors” are as follows:
I found the NRX to be the ultimate saltwater eight-weight casting tool. This rod is extremely light in hand and casts like a cannon. This is one of those rods that puts a smile on your face to cast and the best way I can describe it is “spot on.”
Not overwhelmingly good at 35 feet, this rod comes alive at 65 feet and keeps on going at 85 feet, all while maintaining its feel and accuracy. You can push this rod as hard as you want and it will continue to perform. Add to it the great recoil guides that every company should put on saltwater rods, combined with the flexible and unbreakable snake guides, and you have a “spot on” 8 weight. The only negative I can find with this rod is that some people may be turned off by the cosmetics of the rod with its blue guide wraps.
The CrossCurrent GLX set the last saltwater benchmark a few years ago, in our first 8-weight shootout, and in the overall realm of saltwater 8-weights this series of rods, it is still above all but the NRX. Its smooth progressive taper from butt to tip gives this rod incredible shoot-ability and feel from every distance.
I found this rod great at every distance, and while G. Loomis touts this rod as their saltwater series I would be happy having this as my one rod 8-weight rod for both fresh and saltwater. If the aggressive appearance of the NRX is too much for you, then this is your rod!
For the angler who wants uncanny performance at a great price, this rod is for you. I have found that the St. Croix Legend Elite series of rods offers anglers the best value for their money of any rods made. While I was trying to only look at the “castability” of the rods during testing, every time I cast this rod I asked myself… Is this rod really only $470? Compared to the Loomis rods the Legend Elite is a little bit softer especially in the tip but is still a fast action rod. If you are a trout guy that is used to slower action trout rods, yet needs a big stick for saltwater or steelhead then this rod is especially for you.
The Legend Elite had great response in close at 35’ and then line really jumped from the rod when pushed out to 65.’ The Legend Elite had no problem throwing a straight line at 85’ while maintaining its great feel. This rod also looks great and is backed by a great warranty and customer service.
If I was going strictly on “castability” I would put the TFO BVK below the Sage Xi3 and the Orvis Helios. But do I find either one of those rods almost $500 dollars better? Not really, and that is why the BVK slid into the #4 spot. The BVK was the best rod in the shootout at the entry level price point but competes in performance with any of the premium rods we tested.
The BVK is a stiff rod and cast very nice tight loops up to 65’ during our testing. I felt the rod lost a little bit of control once you pushed it out to 85’. The other nice thing about this rod are the recoil guides stripping guides, but they use only hard chrome snake guides, and not the more expensive nickel/titanium snake guides we see on some of the more expensive rods. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that the rod comes with nothing other than a cloth case, so expect pay another $20 for a case to protect your investment.
The Orvis Helios felt great in hand, being so light in weight, and threw absolute darts up to 65’. I just felt something was missing with this rod especially at long range distance 85’ and beyond. This rod would have made the top 3 for me if it didn’t lose control at distance and its heavy price tag. However if I was going to be fishing for steelhead or other large freshwater species where casting long distances wasn’t as necessary I find that the Helios is a great choice.
While the Helios was probably the lightest rod in hand of all we tested, the Xi3 felt heavy and the grip uncomfortable at least for me. While I felt the Xi3 tracked very well and maintained good control out to 85’ and beyond, I felt the Helios did not.
The Xi3 has that certain Sage look and progressive taper that makes it a great casting rod. The line tracks particularly well, however, its weight and cumbersome feel after a long day of casting pushed this rod out of the top 3 for me.
When you’re talking bang for the buck this rod was hard to beat. Other than it’s heavier weight which is expected at the entry level price point this rod excelled at casting all the way to 85’. While it didn’t have exceptional feel it still got the job done from every distance. A great value rod that wouldn’t disappoint anyone in the entry level market.
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I found the Access to be a high quality rod for the price with a nice overall appearance. This rod was a big surprise in my testing and I wrote in my notes “overall nice.” This rod threw really nice loops at 35 and 65 feet. It fell apart for me at 85’ and beyond. For those loyal to the Orvis Brand it is definitely worth the money.
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The great look and feel of a Winston and made right here in Montana. The BIImx was a good rod up to 65 feet, but then it just falls apart from there. This rod just didn't have the long range capability of the best rods. If you are a diehard fan of the green stick then this rod is for you, if you are not then look elsewhere.
Considering how terrific all the other G. Loomis rods are, for me, the performance of this rod fell short. I found the Native Run felt really heavy in the tip of the rod, perhaps because of the high swing weight, and that made casting awkward at best. The rod didn’t seem balanced at any distance and overall was a disappointment. Luckily looms has two other great 8 weights to offer.
With the Hardy Zenith winning the 5 weight shootout I had high hopes for this rod. Unfortunately it was very underwhelming to cast. This rod felt heavy in the hand, and took a lot of energy to cast and load. It didn’t seem to transfer this energy well, and while it made all the casts we needed it to, it didn’t do it with ease.
While quite nice as trout rods this rod ended up being perhaps the most underachieving rod in the shootout. The tip was so soft it shouldn’t even be considered for saltwater fishing. It was great to 35’ and then lacked power at any longer distances. I felt like I was always waiting for the tip to catch up.
Here's another rod that fishes well in lighter line weights but I felt it did not perform as well in the 8-weight model. This rod transferred line poorly, felt heavy in hand and was to stiff.
(We returned the S4s before I had a chance to cast it).
Hardy ProAxis 8'10#8, 1PC $655.00
This rod comes alive the moment you take it out of the tube. It felt like it was specifically made for every distance we targeted: 35, 60, and 85 - 100 feet. You can push this rod to the limits, if this 8 weight rod can't do it nothing will. Superior large, lightweight, flexible stripping guides, solid reel seat, and comfortable half wells cork grip. The only negative I found is some people have difficulty storing, transporting, or shipping a 1pc rod.
Conclusion
Having the opportunity to cast all the rods in a side by side manner is an eye opening experience and allows you to differentiate between the subtle nuances of each rod. When it comes to choosing the right fly rod it comes down to what is right for YOU, not me. Each rod fits a certain niche for each angler. What we can do here at the shop is make sure that you get the best rod based on your individual needs. If you have any questions about any of the rods tested don’t hesitate to call us here at the shop 406- 222-7130.
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