5 Weight Shootout Gets A Update

[david king]

Interesting to see what rod is on top this time!
http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/FlyRodReview.Best5weightflyrod.HardyZenith.SageZ-axis.WinstonB3x.WinstonBIIIx.LoomisNRX.SageVXP.StCroixLegendEliteTempleforkBVK.asp

[greg mitchell]

Thanks for posting the link. I enjoyed this article the first time. Some people pan these types of gear ratings. But I enjoy them even though it’s all very subjective.

Greg

[Zach Matthews]

George Anderson is very well respected, but that test has issues.

[Colin M.]

Zach, I was pretty skeptical of that test myself, it is an interesting read however.

[David L. Darnell]

I enjoy reading these things but take them with a big grain of salt, what I liked the most was the Buy it now buttons under the stuff they were bragging on.

[Zach Matthews]

There’s definitely nothing wrong with expressing an opinion, and you should take the opinions of experts like George Anderson as something worth considering.

[anonymous]

If G. Anderson had anything to do with designing the Sage 490LL back in the day, I’d say he knows something.

[Zach Matthews]

I got to try casting the Hardy Zenith fly rod last summer at the BRF party. It is a sweet rod. Although I ended up buying a Burkheimer rod instead, which is an awesome stick.

[bill hall]

only use as a guide to rods you should concider, test cast before buying.i have been a sage fan for a long time but that ended with generation 5 . the z axis is my least favorite rod i own. LL and XP,s are great rods

[Joel Thompson]

George Anderson is very well respected, but that test has issues.  It’s “sciency” but in no way scientific.  I noticed that their chief complaint with the Scott rods was that they were too stiff, but they didn’t even test the G2, which makes little sense.  I’ve also heard the winners line up suspiciously well with that shop’s top-selling rods.  Correlation or causation?

I wouldn’t put much stock in those reviews if I were you.

Zach

I wondered why the G2 wasn’t in there either Zach. It is my favorite Scott rod and to me seemed to cast much better at a variety of ranges than the S4 did.

Joel

[dan dombos]

… It’s “sciency” but in no way scientific.  I noticed that their chief complaint with the Scott rods was that they were too stiff, but they didn’t even test the G2, which makes little sense.  I’ve also heard the winners line up suspiciously well with that shop’s top-selling rods.  Correlation or causation?

Zach

Definitely considerable.  According to the “Buy Now” buttons, his shop doesn’t carry T&T, Scott, Orvis, or Loop.  The highest any of these rods scores is a Tie for #8.  On the other hand, it would not appear that there was a blatant attempt to push new products.  The highly touted NRX ranks 5th.  

I’d rather see the best suited line matched to each rod, regardless of AFTMA, but I read the whole thing, including the counterpoints.

[Zach Matthews]

Scott declined to give them a rod for this year’s test.

[John S.]

While George Anderson tends not to either like or sell the rods I fish most often (Winston BIIT and Scott G2), I still enjoy reading the results of his “shootouts”.

[dan dombos]

I think these articles are fun to read from the same standpoint as car magazines.

[Mike Anderson]

I don’t get these shootouts. No two people cast exactly alike. What one guy likes another guy doesn’t. All I want to know is is it a True 5 wt, how good is the warranty,

[Zach Matthews]

…and does it have a Sage SLT sticker somewhere on the blank.

Hahahaha.

Zach

[Mike Anderson]

🙂
Ok, it can also have a Winston BIIX sticker too. To me those two rods just feel the way I think a med trout rod should feel.

[dave nyberg]

Mr. Anderson does not sell Scott Rods as mentioned earlier nor does he stock Orvis.  Using a Mastery GPX Line in the test is not fair to Orvis as a mid flex rod was used.  The GPX is made for fast rods.  
I am glad he did not “test” the Scott G2s as I don’t believe they would  have performed well with that line.
He also mentioned that Orvis will only replace the broken section of a rod.  A few years ago, they replaced an entire rod for me.  Fast service too.
If I buy a new rod, I will go to a good shop and do my own testing.

[John S.]

George tested the Scott G2 in his previous 5wt shootout.

It came in 4th using a GPX line.

http://yellowstoneangler.com/FlyRodComparisonAlbrightG.LoomisOrvisSageScottTempleForkThomasThomasTomMorganRodsmithsR.L.Winstonrodtesting.asp

It’s interesting they used a SA Trout line on the Tom Morgan and TFO finese rods, but a GPX on the G2 and everything else for that matter.

[Adam McDowell]

Hes running a shop and is giving you his opinon. Im certain that it is driven by his affiliation with sage and g loomis. They always seem to do better than brands not carried in his shop.

probably the same that you would get in most fly shops. they all have favorite brands that they are closer affiliated with based on business reasons. I guess its part of the game.

bear in mind, he has done these “tests” for years and to my knowledge none have been published by magazines. I think magazines steer from ranking or dogging advertisers, probably a smart decision.

He did after all help develop the 389LL & 490LL gen III rods so he cant be dogged too hard, and dave the389 is a better rod than the 490! 😉

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