This Contact series is built with a dark gray blank, the trims and wraps are brown olive, very pragmatic and change from the usual black. Like all the rods from the series, this model is equipped with a fighting butt made of cork that is removable. Weight: The Sky weighs in at 3.65 oz with a BTW of 12.1 oz and a swing weight of 125. ... Echo, Redington, and the first generation Sage ESN. The Hydrogen falls into the latter category. They decided to introduce sobriety and clean aspect : blank with scrolled pattern, not varnished and wraps become black. The blank is still raw, unvarnished and equipped with classy dark guides and black wraps (12 guides including 11 single leg for this 10 '). Free shipping on many items ... Thomas and Thomas Contact II Technical Nymphing Fly Rods -- Free Fly Line. 2020 marks the return of Greys to the United States. So I'm not saying go buy a sage but you should at least cast one to see what a real tight line rod should feel like. Unfortunately, the Sky fell in this shootout. Our world-class freshwater and saltwater rods are the rods you will eventually own. The 11.5’ Tactical Pro weighs in at 3.85 oz with a BTW of 12.3 oz and a swing weight of 158. It weighs in at 3.17 oz with a BTW of 12.3 oz and a swing weight of 120. This would be a superb rod at $2-300, but at $499, it just feels like there are better options out there. Great work. Here’s how it stacks up: Weight: The Competition Nymph weighs in at 3.4 oz with a BTW of 9.4 oz and a swing weight of 106. This 4-piece rod is delivered in a cover and a rigid tube. Douglas came onto the market with their DXF at exactly the right time to capitalize on this (and they had some of the same team that was at Hardy). The second important difference is that you’re not really casting a fly line – just a leader. They are particularly multipurpose and very popular amongst anglers who like fishing in small to medium sized streams. It kept not only this rod, but the Tactical Pro off of the podium. The data are clear: its manufacturing makes sense for nymphing (first guide at 12.6" from the handle, seat can have a semi-auto reel), its comfort is excellent and its retro look will seduce any amateur of this kind of vintage rod. The blank is your canvas. I think ya'll really struck out on this "shootout" ! Contact II Euro Nymph Rods by Thomas & Thomas. Then Tippet ring to sighter and then tied to 3-5' of tippet. THOMAS & THOMAS Enthusiast 8'5" #6 2piece Fly Rod Fishing w/Case F/S . The Hydropsyche Elite Competition series designed by the former French competitor Thibault Guilpain has a thin blank with a night blue gloss finish coating. 5. share. Shoot me a message when you all do this again and I'll happily send out a few for the shootout! While the Worldclass is certainly light and long, it managed to be not great at either casting or sensitivity. While we would have preferred a fighting butt, the real flaw in this rod is its grip (see review of the Tactical). You can simply cover more water with a longer rod. These trims are near the fittings and the first guide. The TP tied the Mystic for 2nd place with a BTW of 8.5 oz and a still super light swing weight of 96. Of course, Sage has been making this claim for years with its Konnetic HD technology. So, let’s see what are the optimum choices according to each kind of technique: Finally, note the perfect similarity of the power / action / reactivity values of the Thomas & Thomas Contact and the Maxia SX4. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. Overall it finished just behind the top rods in these two key categories. OK, at least in this test. In fact we found that there was a massive difference between rods in terms of their overall casting ease. Regarding the power, the rod reviewed in this test can be classified in two different categories: The action is characterised by the Action Angle (AA) and two categories are found in the bunch of rods tested. For others it's a deeply rewarding project. Frankly, I still don’t know much about Marryat, but they make some damn fine rods that have found themselves in the hands of many of the world’s top fishermen. This kind of rod gives you a perfect control of the drift but also enough reactivity for dry fly fishing. Free shipping. The Baetis Precision 2.0, whose reel seat is also in a down-locking configuration, completes the podium. So much so that fly line rarely even leaves the tip of the rod. Stren the old way. Hey Mark, really useful comments. Perfect for summer conditions. The others are standard (between 24 and 26 mm). Then she was gone, on a plane back home, and I find myself missing her terribly. The story of Thomas & Thomas resonates with fly angler’s around the world. I regulary fish a 11' Sage ESN #3 for larger waters and a 10' Syndicate #2 for small rivers. I’ve been fishing the old Greys XF2 for years. Price (10 Points) – Last but not least, is price. Their actions are similar, of a moderate fast type, ideal for Euro nymphing. Every rod I’ve cast with their “StratoTherm” resin has been really great, so I was super excited to try out the new Contact. The Thomas & Thomas Contact 10’ #3 is a 4-piece rod shipped with a made in USA protective cover and an aluminium tube. When I first started to organize getting this fly shop off the ground, I had multiple options and brands to consider. The Greys GR80 keeps the olive green from the GR70 on the blank and the wraps are dark. Really nice to see someone take on the review of Nymphing Rods, since it has become such a major technique in trout fishing. Still a great rod, but falls short of the lightweight performance of the T&T Contact. The Recon doesn’t disappoint. THE SUMMARY The Thomas and Thomas 11’3″ #3 Contact now is my favorite tightlining fly rod. However, this penalises the use of semi-automatic reels as the ring finger is no longer in direct contact with the trigger (especially if the handle is relatively long, i.e. If you need the length, this is one to consider. But, I’ve also had some serious reservations about their ability to provide any useful information about a rod. Weight: If there’s one thing that Orvis gets, it’s that lighter weight rods are better. Design, Fit and Finish: See description of Cortland and DXF. Packed with a suite of specialty features, this reel is designed specifically with the Euro-Nymph angler in mind and is fine tuned to the nuances of the application. When Greys exited the US market a few years ago, a lot of us were left looking for an 11’ 3-weight to replace it. That’s the same weight as the Redington Hydrogen ESN, heavier than the 10’6″ 3wt Sage ESN’s 2 11/16thoz (Sage doesn’t make an 11′ version of their Euro rods), and lighter than the Cortland Competition MKII. Like all rods in the Equipe series, a tricolour (blue, white, red) wrap appears at the base of the first guide. A well designed rod with a great fit and finish. While we don't recommend casting dry flies with any Euro-specific rod, this casting score is based on the casting of a Euro-specific leader and running line... which means it doesn't necessarily transfer to castability with a regular fly line. With these 4, there is no risk of forming a belly in the line when fishing with the rod in a high position. You really couldn’t feel anything along the way and the only way you’d feel a strike is when the fish was hooked or if your sighter moved. You just have no feel for the bottom whatsoever. Also like the Recon, it lacks feel. Design, Fit and Finish: Great build quality, but we would have liked to see a downlocking reel seat and a fighting butt. The Thomas & Thomas Zone came into my life like a short, pleasant fling that left me wanting more. Trout & Co : The flyfishing online magazine - Copyright © 2021 - All rights reserved. The balance of this model is impressive and due to the large gap between the reel and the hand that holds the grip (down locking reel seat + very long grip). Regards from Barcelona. This rod is covered by the Sage Lifetime Warranty. Weight: The DXF weighs in at 3.25 oz with a BTW of 11.7 oz and a swing weight of 118. I got to fish the new Sage ESN 10’ 6” 3 wt and found it to be exceptionally. It makes it the rod that will be able to fish the lighest as possible. Douglas came onto the market with their DXF at exactly the right time to capitalize on this (and they had some of the same team that was at Hardy). The best score for length goes to the Echo Shadow X with 189 mm. Get the latest regional sports teams, scores, stats, news, standings, rumors, and more from FOX Sports North. Heavy and a weak performer across the board. Unfortunately, no fly shops near me stock it. Advantage to the Maxia when considering fishing comfort. level 2. As with all Sage’s rods in this price range, the finishes are top-notch. If there’s one test where it was really going to be able to show us something, it’s this one. Most love the way it cast and the fact that the 3100 balances with a Click. I caught fish big and small and must say that from a novice's perspective, this rod is extremely sensitive and can easily detect strikes, even from small trout. Thomas & Thomas Contact 11' 3'' 3wt. So I purchased one and must say it is one great rod. The Fuji ceramic stripping guide is followed by 11 hard chrome single leg. 1 year ago. The weight of the rod is written by the joint between the two first sections which makes the set-up easier. Nothing special going on here. Would be much better with a downlocking reel seat. The truth is that it’s not a copy as some initial reports claimed, but a solid rod in its own right. Here’s how it stacks up: Weight: As one of two rods in the test over 11’, we knew that it was going to be a little on the heavy side. The Cortland Competition Nymph rod embodies a rod that feels like it wasn’t really designed for tight line nymphing, but is closer to a standard 3-weight taper with added length. She was a 9ft 5wt, and I only had a few weeks to get to know her. Bottom Line: If you’re thinking about getting into tight line nymphing, but not ready to commit to spending $800 on a new rod, this is a spectacular bargain. Get the best deals on Thomas & Thomas Fly Fishing Rod Fishing Rods & Poles when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Unfortunately, it was also the least sensitive rod in the test. Winston is one of our favorite brands and I was super (pun intended) stoked to finally try out the Super 10. It beats out the shorter Douglas Sky and Redington Hydrogen. It overcomes a gun metal reel seat made of aluminium with a wooden insert and a fine butt with a cork fighting butt. As for the handle, the one of the Vision is particularly thin (0.87"). 2018 European-Style Nymphing Fly Rod Shootout and Fly Rod Review. In steps the Sage ESN reel. The guides are single leg and the penultimate has a shape designed to limit twists in the line when euro nymphing. Weight: The Worldclass weighs in at 3.32 oz with a BTW of 11.7 oz and a swing weight of 100. I still love those rods. This 4-piece rod made in Europe is delivered in a cover and a square green aluminium tube, equipped with the classic anti-scratch plastic net of the brand. Given the highly specialized nature of these rods, we thought it was worthwhile to include as at least some sense of value to a rod that some of you won’t be using every time you go out. Good job guy. This rod, however, is better suited to indicator nymphing that tight line nymphing. Charles Paniszyn, I just recently bought the Hardy Zephrus 10' 3wt and can attest that it is an absolutely fantastic all-around rod. Its light weight makes this rod super fun to fish and a welcome reprieve from the heavier rods that we’re used to. As you might expect, the swing weight of a super long rod is quite high, Like the Fenwick, the Mystic was too soft to provide an adequate amount of feel, Like the other soft rods, the Recon was too soft to provide feel, Option to go with a downlocking reel seat, By far the most sensitive rod in the test, Great finishing details we’ve come to expect from Winston. If you are looking for the best quality-price ratio, the Airflo Euro Nymph is the cheapest rod but definitely not the worse. Make a rod that felt like it missed the mark when they failed to equip the rod Euro. 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