Thomas and Thomas Zone Rod The Zone series pushes the envelope in both performance and price, bringing the latest R&D from Thomas & Thomas to more fly anglers than ever before. Taylor Truth – $649. James’ Comments: The new T&T Zone series has received a lot of attention recently, both on social media and by winning the best saltwater fly rod at IFTD. A solid performance, but nowhere near as good as the Avantt or the other top rods. The Zone was tracking exceptionally well. Orvis Recon - Freshwater . Though rod preference is such a subjective consideration, there are certain qualities of a rod that make it feel “better” than or comparable to others in a category. The new Recon 2 8wt has an overall weight of 4.41 ounces and a swing weight of 90.2 gm2, a little on the heavy side. T&T claims that the 3-5wts are a slightly softer and gentler casting than their heavier 6-10wt counterparts, and I find the 5wt Zone to be a true medium-fast action, which I tend to prefer. Taylor Truth – $649. It can do it all. . Next level up but incredible rods even at their higher price. If you’re on the fence about going high-end or mid-range, you shouldn’t worry about outgrowing it. I use it mostly for largemouth and smallmouth bass and it is a fascinating casting rod. The Thomas & Thomas Contact series has been developed by Joe Goodspeed for modern nymphing technics. Both offer terrific performance at half the price of the best rods in our Shootout. Moreover, if you want to fish with a 4-weight we consider to be the optimal choice, you don’t have to spend $850, $900, or $1000, but only $679 for the Hardy Zephrus. The larger grip seemed to take away some of the sensitivity I’d like to feel in a 4wt. If you’re a fan of fast and medium-fast actions, you’ll love the Zone. Gear tips to elevate or start your smallmouth game, The secret to tying articulated streamers, Korkers outs new tactically-inspired River Ops wading boot, Scott intros new Sector fly rods, successor to the wildly popular Meridian series, Costa is turning discarded fishing nets into sunglasses. I have used this rod for 13 years and it is the finest graphite rod I have ever owned. In 1976, San Fransisco was ground zero in the world of graphite fly rod design. Desiccating drought and an unforgiving equatorial sun... Rubber boots were a daily wear item back when I owned a farm and have been a vital piece of equipment for a lot of my hunting, fishing, and exploring. The lower 7 inches of the butt, including the logo is also finished in a dark blue. The accuracy suffers too. per page. Copy of Sage Z-Axis (example) G. Loomis Asquith 8wt. If you're bushwhacking with a fully assembled rod I'd go Recon… If you are a function over fashion kind of person who is tough on gear, take a good, hard look at the Zone. These rods fall in our mid-priced category, from $495 in trout models to $525 in the saltwater models, and will compete against popular rods in that range such as the Orvis Recon … For … Better at 40 feet, and now I’m getting a consistent and smooth action that is allowing me to make nice presentations. ... #14: Thomas & Thomas Zone 9′ #5 $499. It was consistently accurate but lacked some sensitivity. Everything I told the rod to do, it did. I had been eyeing this 6 wt Thomas and Thomas Zone for a while but couldn't justify the price. 2 watching. If you’re the kind of person for whom price is not a factor, and who values fine wood reel seats, artistically wrapped guides, and all the other fine details, perhaps a flagship model is more your speed. The cork handle also felt a little large and bulky for me and maybe this is why it didn’t perform as well for me at short distance. 19 out of 20. The Zone’s softer butt and midsection don’t give it much reserve power, and I couldn’t cast very accurately with the Zone’s relatively stiff tip. As someone who has written more fly rod reviews than he can remember, I have some straight advice to offer: Don't ever NOT buy a fly rod based on anything you read. The fit and finish of the Zone aren’t quite as nice as higher end T&T rods, yet still better than most of the rods being made today. Mystic Reaper. … We like the lower price, and you can’t expect the same kind of performance as the $845 Avantt which uses a the more expensive, higher modulus graphite. The craftsmanship is typical T&T excellence, even though they are using lower quality components in the cork handle and reel seat. The guides start with a hook keeper, and then one relatively small silver SiC stripping guide, followed with hard chrome single-foot guides. Orvis Clearwater – $198. Horizon II fly rod: What can I say but this is the ultimate in cannons. Golden Gate Casting Club member Jimmy Green with Fenwick hand just recently introduced graphite fly rods to the consumer public, Tom Morgan was the new owner of the R.L. There is a much larger gap between a budget rod and the Zone, than there is between the Zone and the top of the line. Handwritten rod model number and serial number on each section as well as alignment dots. Not nearly as smooth or as accurate as the Avantt, or the other top rods with a similar price point. If it's not clear already, the Zone is somewhat of an exception. Thomas & Thomas Winston Scott Orvis … Utility The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). Reviews should pique … The Zone felt pretty heavy, but upon taking a few casts in close, it felt good, with a softer feel than the Avantt. Thomas & Thomas Avantt – $845. Our world-class freshwater and saltwater rods are the rods you will eventually own. 40 feet was also a good distance for the Zone. Get the best deals on Thomas & Thomas Fly Fishing Rod Fishing Rods & Poles when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. In fact, they call them the 'Swiss Army Knife of fly rods'. Orvis H3. The Zone rods are high performance tools, not status symbols, and their utilitarian-leaning concept is aimed at those who want the best gear but don’t need the frills. The rod loads easily at this distance, not quite as light a swing weight as the best rods, but still pleasant to cast. A graphite spacer is used. The Orvis Recon is here in the shop and has been received with high reviews by all of us at Fins & Feathers. LCO Values Conservation & Education In Fly Fishing. 4. The TFO BVK is our best performing inexpensive rod at $279.95 while the Fenwick Aetos is the best buy at just $189.95. Logan’s Notes: The Thomas and Thomas Exocett is … The action of the Zone is much slower than the Avantt (and also a lot slower than the Recon or Shadow). The perfect rod for those looking to get their first dedicated nymphing rod. TFO BVK – $259.95. With the new Zone series, T&T hopes to reach out to a greater audience. I think the look can work on a saltwater rig, but I’m just not crazy about the rod’s appearance on a trout/freshwater setup. The Zone has the power needed to make casts at 60 feet, but I’m feeling a slight loss of control and accuracy. $695.00. The Orvis Recon Rod that I have been fishing is a 9 foot 5 weight 4 piece fly rod. The Recon can throw a long cast to the far bank with ease but is gentle enough to present a fly to a spooky trout. If you ask a dozen fly fishers to describe the major threats to our angling, you’ll find a fair amount of agreement. Thomas & Thomas Zone … New Echo Shadow II, w next level being new Echo Shadow X. Cortland Competition. The heavier swing weight makes casting at longer distances a workout. Orvis Clearwater – $198. This performance freshwater rod is light in your hand, but doesn’t skimp on power. A little over a year and a half ago, when Thomas & Thomas announced the sale of all company assets and its manufacturing facility, the response from long time Thomas & Thomas rod owners was a bit unexpected. The Zone series offers premium performance at a price that, while not cheap, is well worth the investment. Ll love the Zone you ’ re on the fence about going high-end or mid-range, you re... Our world-class freshwater and saltwater rods are crafted with the Zone is of! All in blue, and accuracy is not great rods for the money a Zone in my and. 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