Foreal....and while I wont go too much into how I feel about the Yellowstone shootouts I will say that this silly shootout has a TON of buying power for rod companies. How many Meridians do you think sold last year solely because it won the last shootout? That has to be the rod I see up for sale most frequently in the classifieds...so that tells you something. I know I bought a NRX a few years ago pretty much because it won the shootout. Fished it for a year and sold it because it didn't nearly live up to the picture those guys painted it up to be....for ME at least. I'm not saying that they aren't great rods, people love them, but these guys REALLY love them. I would bet money right now that whatever the next G Loomis high dollar rod is will win the next shootout. No doubt.
I drank the Meridian Kool-aid....and loved it! lol
I agree though, I don't understand why you see so many for sale. I'm fighting the urge to buy a 2 piece 10wt Meridian for sale in the classifieds right now. I need another rod like a hole in the head.
There is no doubt that there is merit to the ratings that the shootouts give out, but, just because these guys (who are all very good casters) like the rods, it doesn’t mean Joe reader (who may not be an expert caster) is going to like them, and that’s a caveat they don’t mention. They also use the SA Bonefish line, Joe might try to use an inappropriate line given the fact that there are about a hundred choices and they’re all different, it takes knowledge and skill to get the right matchup of rod and line, especially if Joe isn’t a great caster.
JC
The silver lining is that a lot of these mistakes end up on eBay at a great discount for the people who know what they want.
The only reason I am selling the 2pc 10wt Meridian is the 10wt Asquith rotated to the top of the six place skiff rod rack. I started carrying the 10wt Meridian on the skiff in 2016 for windy day redfish and most people liked it. So now a light 10wt is always on board. Most good casters that I know like the Meridian and NRX a lot. Especially some that had not cast a 1 pc NRX. On the other hand, some of the best fish feeders I know use 6 and 7wt rods from various builders in salt water.
When I was a complete newb, I thought I needed a rod that could throw 100'. Now as a moderate newb, I know better. I rarely see a fish at 90'+...unless its tailing...which means I can probably sneak a little closer to make my crappy 70' cast to it.
These guys are selling a ton of gear to fresh water guys dreaming about bonefish...IMHO...
I agree with the jpnrconner that there is some merit to the Yellowstone Shootout, but your mileage may vary. I do think it's a better, more objective review/comparison than you will see most places. The truth of the matter imho is that almost nobody in the rod business is building a really bad fly rod. Some lend them selves better to certain casting and fishing styles but there aren't a whole lot of real dogs out there once you get past the el cheapo kits you find in a box store.
My feeling about these shootouts is that they’re great places to find out which rods work really well and are cheap to buy, if you look at the performance scores of some of the inexpensive rods, they’re very close to the top end, they just aren’t high on aesthetics and component quality, but for someone getting into the sport they will serve really well till that person wants something nicer. Here’s the score sheet. Look at the Fenwick Aetos!
JC
My feeling about these shootouts is that they’re great places to find out which rods work really well and are cheap to buy, if you look at the performance scores of some of the inexpensive rods, they’re very close to the top end, they just aren’t high on aesthetics and component quality, but for someone getting into the sport they will serve really well till that person wants something nicer. Here’s the score sheet. Look at the Fenwick Aetos!
JC View attachment 21591
I'm totally surprised they didn't have the Helios 3D (way faster than the 3F) and the Hardy Zephyrus SWS (again, faster than the AWS). No Sage Method (faster than the X)?? They loved the Sage X??
This panel of casters are all northern trout guys, so their idea on what a great casting saltwater rod is somewhat suspect, though I know George actually fishes the salt. I'm gonna give him some grief over this one.
Rick, they liked your Exocetts.
Honestly, I feel the Douglas Sky is a better caster than the Asquith. But that's just me.
Would like to see them use a more versatile line in their shootout. Bonefish lines have limited application. I suspect it's the only line they know is unlikely to overload any of the rods. No wonder they can cast 100 ft with some of the rods. Seriously what's the point of that category?
Are they even casting a fly? Or are they casting with a strand of yarn on the end?
One line simply isn't going to fit with some rods. Now that I think about it I bet the meridian with a bonefish line is amazing. I cast it with a wulff btt and it felt like a big wet $800 noodle. That's what I get for straying from the template.
Casting all those rods with just one bonefish taper negates the shootout IMHO. And reinforces my earlier opinion that they're trying to sell bonefish combos to trout guys...
Casting all those rods with just one bonefish taper negates the shootout IMHO. And reinforces my earlier opinion that they're trying to sell bonefish combos to trout guys...
Here are a couple of casting videos of the Asquith 9wt (SA Grand Slam AST) and NRX 8wt 1pc(Rio red fish) in completely different situations and casting technique. The casters had never used these rods on the water before this time. I have not cast the Asquith 8wt.
Anyone can view this shared album at: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0iJrotZ2JtykJu
Well I did my own shootout starting at the blackfly rendezvous and finished it the first week of October when I ordered two T&T Exocetts. Best feel rod out there. Easy to load and very fast snap. The 10wt and up are pure feelgood cannons.
I like these reviews. I have casted maybe 20% of these rods by either owning them, friends rods or guide rods. From that knowledge and looking at the deflection charts I feel like I can make an educated guess on how the rod will perform with the lines i like to use. With that I bought an 8wt orvis recon based on the 8wt shootouts. And it is about what i expected and I like it very much. And I found it used for cheap
I'm not a huge Orvis fan, but....the Recon is a great rod! I used a 6wt roll casting a full sinking line all day, for two days. Didn't get the big brown I was looking for but landed two decent Steelies, and smaller browns. Roll casting a full sink line all day sucks, but that rod made it suck way less (super light) and the 6wt really stood up to some serious punishment the Steelies were 8wt class fish IMO. I was impressed.
I know for a fact the Exocett will handle beautifully these bonefish and Cortland flats 8wt (115g) up to the 9wt in same lines and 8wt flatspro (140g) All depends on how much flex you want and how heavy of fly your using.
I have a 10 wt asquith - I think it's the best thing I've ever thrown. It's amazing with a BTT 9wt line as well as the 10 wt line. Actually, better than my 9 wt with the 9 wt line and a super light nautilus xlmax - amazing combo. However, this is all personal, but to me - it lives up to the hype.
I guess I'm just not very "conspiratorial" but I think the reason they do the test with a bonefish line is because a bonefish line is fairly "neutral" in that it's a moderate taper, not overly front loaded like most redfish lines and they generally have a long enough belly or rear taper to allow for carrying a good bit of line in the air so they can do the test for longer cast. I think they "ONLY" do a bonefish line because adding multiple lines would just put too many variable into the whole thing. I mean they've got a group of volunteers testing the rods, you can't expect them to spend a week doing it. For each variable you add you essentially double the work you have to do in both testing and compiling the data. I think this test gives a starting point or frame of reference, but you should still cast and test every rod you consider purchasing, keeping in mind the type of fishing you do and the kind of cast you need to make.
I would enjoy a working mans 8wt shootout from guys that fish every weekend in the salt a lot more. Those Yellowstone guys come off as very pampered. They talk about a rod that's 1/16 of an ounce more as if it's gonna cause premature arthritis and ED SMH
Like some have said, if/when I read through one of the shootouts, I focus on the deflection charts and scores at the distances/situations I fish. It can provide a little feedback which can narrow decisions on which rods to try. Two criteria that I feel are totally made up and allow them to adjust the scores are the "Fun to fish "gotta have it"" and the "Perfect 8 wt" categories. The "perfect 8 wt" should be the one that scores the best overall and doesn't need a separate score for that.
I would also like to see them do some kind of blind test. It's easy to make up scores when you know what you are casting. Just wondering.
@el9surf i assumed, but assuming has bit me in the ass a few times before.
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