What I like about this is that the controlled experiment was done with average fly casters. I can relate to that more than the pros that do their cast reviews. This is much more relatable. Thank you for the video
My son got an aetos the first time i cast with it i could tell it preformed above its price range i was amazed at the accuracy of it its up there with my sage
In my experience, I've used some Sage, Orvis, Fenwick and Reddington rods, all borrowed. I'm now throwing a Douglas Era 9ft 5wt. I am a very new fly fisherman and I absolutely adore it over everything else I've thrown. I am casting further and more consistent. I started being able to reliably throw nymphs, something I've never done effectively before. I really like Douglas - I strongly suggest them. They keep their prices quite lower for the quality they're outputting - they avoid a lot of nonsense bells and whistles and don't worry about pure cosmetics (color, artistry). They're putting rods out there that are effective, affordable and user friendly.
My favorite rod is a Fenwick Aetos 10’ 4 wt. I use it primarily for trout on still water. Casts like a rocket, very accurate and handles the wind very well. Bought on close out for $125. Yes, it is fast and hooksets need to be dialed back. Thanks for the very informative video.
My religion, practised principally on the Mataura in Southland, New Zealand is both Hardy and Sage - so this fascinating video of yours is something of a horror story. I've only really just heard of Fenwick. And worse, I'd regard just hitting the hula hoop as a triumph of accuracy - after maybe thirty years experience. And your almost throwaway comment on line weight for a given rod rings really true. Overall yours is one of the most interesting videos I've seen. Thank you very much
Wow! Thank you very much! I've never been to the Mataura but even just in pictures it is breathtaking. Although the results of the shootout were staggering (possibly horrifying), I'll still be reaching for my Sage rod when fishing those larger trout rivers :)
I just found your videos. I like the content. I'm an engineer myself. After being in the profession for a while and doing design, manufacturing, and now sales and marketing, I don't let a brand name influence my purchase unless they have manufacturing based in the US or excellent customer service and an iron-clad warranty. I worked for an OEM supplier for AG equipment. We sold finished parts to one of the most prominent ag players in the world. Our sale price to them was $13.50. They were hitting us hard to reduce costs, so out of curiosity, we went to a local dealer and price-checked our part there. $587 sell price to the customer.... I can't believe they could survive on such low margins... Anyways, one rod that I'd like to see in the future is a moonshine drifter. I picked up a couple on prime day along with some Fenwick ateos rods and some Picsifun rods as cheap backup rods to take on trips. After casting the drifter and picsifun rods I felt inclined to return the drifter. I haven't casted the Ateos yet. The only drifter reviews I found were solitary rods, free product, or sources that didn't seem impartial. I was really impressed with the Picsifun rods. I think they make the Maxcatch rods.
I have an Aetos 6wt and it really is an amazing rod, especially for the money. But since it is relatively inexpensive the cork is wearing down really fast. Nice review!
I picked up a Douglas Sky G 6 wt last year, and it is hands down the best fly rod Ive ever fished with, and by a significant margin. I liked it so much i got rid of my Helios 3 5 wt and replaced it with a Sky 5 wt. The finish isnt quite as nice as my Loomis or Orvis rods, but they are so incredibly light casting and crazy accurate. There's just nothing I'd rather cast all day. They are effortless. The 6 wt is so stupid accurate at 50 ft and makes easy double hauls out past 60. It casts pretty easily out to the backing. I now own Sky G 5, 6, and 8 wt rods. I've fished with the old Sky, and it was great, but the Sky G is a trout murder machine.
Fantastic videos love the content. I'm Lord of cheap a couple of my rods are mixed butts and tips and land the biggest trout on Vancouver Island BC. Picked up a clearance Red Wolf 5wt for $20. Which I reeled with a old Lamson Lightspeed which I bought in the Canadian Tire parking lot for $7.50. Absolutely love that outfit. I just troll a fly so casting is a mute point but the fiberglass composite rod sure makes playing a Rainbow maximum fun.A interesting point is when I noticed a pickup truck box 1/4 full of vintage reels I also picked up 2 Daiwa 1 Lord Weldon 1 Lamson Lightspeed 1 Fjord 1 Mitchell 306 1 D.A.M. Quick Finessa 280 and a Strike King Tide Flow all in excellent shape for $ 60. Like winning the lotto. I'm not the best fly there or fisherman but catch the biggest one's so money or skill is not what is needed to catch the biggest trout it's mostly time on the water. Tight lines to you and all your subscribers.
Thank you so much! Wow! Sounds like you really hit the lotto with that parking lot deal, haha. And I think you're right - with enough time on the water, you can still catch the biggest fish with off name gear and modest skill level.
Great shoot-out Haley. I like my Aetos 9ft 6wt very much. I mostly use lighter rod/line combos, but what I notice every time I go back to my Aetos is the light feel. I've had no issues with break offs. Odd result with the St.Croix Ultra. I have 6 SC rods, 3 being Ultras, though none a 6wt. Generally they were not slow or soft rods. Going to my 2005 SC catalog, the 9ft 2pc 6wt is shown with a weight of 3.6 oz. The lightest 9ft 2pc Ultra shown in 2005 is the 4wt at 3.4 oz. Given that your example weighs 3.0 oz, it appears that SC did a major re-design to lighten and soften that rod. SC did redesign the old Avid series, which had been light, fast and accurate (the old black models), and gave the newer versions a taper that feels like a hinge in the middle. I like that you included the XP, which was a gold standard model for it's time. I like Triangle Taper lines on faster rods for dry fly fishing. That heavy back taper can easily over line a softer rod at longer distances. Since a lot of 6 wt use might be for lobbing heavier rigs and streamers, I have preferred traditional WF tapers and the heavier, forward weighted MPX design to get the job done. If I was going to rely on a 6wt for dry fly presentations, the Triangle Taper might be a good first choice.
Thank you very much!! I'm scratching my head with the St. Croix as well - something isn't adding up there. The 6wts from your catalog, were those with half well handles and no fighting butt or full wells with fighting butts? The St. Croix rod we had in the video had half wells, no fighting butt. While it didn't do well with the controls we had in place, I think with a lighter line weight it might cast beautifully. And with it being so soft, I bet it would be a riot to fight fish on. And selfishly, we did intentionally try to pick a line for dry fly fishing. The three of us are heading out to fish the Delaware River system later next month and we're planning to fish mostly dry flies (March Browns, Isos, and Sulphurs (Golden Stones if we're lucky)) on our 6wt rods so we wanted to set up the shootout to mimic those conditions so we could apply what we learned on our trip. I have heard that the Royal Wulff triangle taper line is known for running a little heavy so that might have given an unfair advantage to the faster rods. Thank you for the feedback!
@@HaleontheHunt The St.Croix 2pc 6wt I reference from the 2005 catalog has the standard reel seat with varnished wood and no fighting butt. Since SC in 2005 didn't make a 9 ft rod of any description that weighed as little as 3 oz, I doubt yours is the product of mislabelling, and is perhaps a redesign. My 8.5 ft 5wt (the Bob Jacklin model) was advertised as 3.4 oz and actually weighs 3.5 oz. It's a pretty fast rod. Perhaps a useful reference, my old-model St.Croix Avid 8.5 ft 4wt weighs 2.9 oz (and is one of my favorite dry fly rods). Assuming similar materials and tapers, I'd guess that your SC 6wt might pair well with a WF-4 line or even a WF-3. Since you have a 3wt line in your collection, I think I would start testing with that, to see if the rod tip will actually load at distances like 20 ft. You might be surprised. I have more than a few rods for river and ocean fishing, and several have required adjusting line weight and taper from advertised labelling. I have an old 9 ft Kunnan 5/6, which stinks as a 5, but is actually a good 3 wt, because of it's very soft tip. Regarding Triangle Taper lines, they used to be marketed with a dual weight rating, say 4/5. The rating was (if memory serves) equivalent to the lower weight when measured over only 30 ft, and equivalent to a higher rated conventional line when measured over 40 ft, because that last 10 ft is much the heaviest part of the triangular head. When they changed to the single weight label, they kept the lower rating number. When you have a rod that won't handle the TT line at 40 ft, it is almost certainly on the soft side and simply can't handle that heavy back section (your Hardy 3wt in your other shoot-out.) In such case, you would likely be happier with a conventional WF line, or perhaps the next-size lighter TT line. Lee Wulff's rationale for the TT design was to facilitate mends and roll casts with a lot of line out, and the fine tip section gives a light presentation. My experience suggests TT lines work best with longer rods (oddly, not what Wulff favored I think), reasonably soft tips and stiffer butts. I have a (stiff-ish) 5 wt that won't load with a TT line at very short distances, but is excellent at the same distances with a conventional WF-5 and especially with the Scientific Anglers MPX (heavier forward section). I have another (soft) 5wt that can't manage the 4wt Triangle Taper at longer distances. I favor a standard WF-4 when I use that rod. Analyzing the tapers and testing different lines will allow fine-tuning of almost any rod. Keep up the great videos!
Thank you so much! And I think I'm learning things very similar to what you have already learned - most rods can be excellent if paired with the correct line. Where it get tricky is that the rods are not sold with the line so we're left to our own devices to figure out what pairs best. What you are saying about the Wulff tringle taper makes sense that the rating might be true to 30 feet and then under-rated beyond that. Not sure how to account for that or what improvement can be made for future shootouts but I'll definitely have to give it some more thought. Thanks again!
Great unbiased review.I love the way you even took the Sage out of the rankings because it’s your own personal rod. Personally, I think “value” is very subjective. I fish with an Orvis Helios2 and a Loop Xact. The Helios casts like a dream; I don’t even think about it as it becomes an extension of my arm and it puts the fly exactly where I want it - it’s a joy to use. The Loop is a mid action rod that is nowhere near as accurate and I always have to work it. It’s still a lovely rod and was less than half the price of the Orvis but I wouldn’t miss it if I had to replace it. Despite its high price, for me the Helios gives me the best value ever because it gives me everything I ever could want in a rod and I love fishing with it. It pains me to say but often the people who rave about cheap gear are often cheap in every aspect of their lives and they would never experience the difference between a fine, high end rod and the less expensive end because to them, everything comes down to price and how low it is, then they complain the economy is f***ed and jobs have all gone to China. That said, there is nothing wrong with fishing what you can afford and not everyone can stretch to a high end rod (or even wants to) and that’s fine too. There is a huge place for budget tackle and this video shows just what a good budget rod can do. I was seriously thinking of getting a Maxcatch to see what some folks are raving about but after seeing this, I think you’ve done the work for me, thanks. Now, that Fenwick sounds very interesting….
If you and your dad are getting into euro-nymphing, it would be great to see you do a really "cheap vs" for 3wt 10' euronymphing rods. I haven't really seen any comparison shootout tests yet. Thanks. 3 wt shootout was great by the way.
Thank you so much! And I love that idea! Dad and I both have 10' 6" 3wt euro nymphing rods (one T&T and one Moonshine) so that is definitely a possibility. Not sure how to set up a euro nymphing rod shootout... I'll have to do some brainstorming. Thank you for the positive feedback!
Thanks for a good and fun review! The maxcatch do need a more heavy line to work well if you use a 7/8# line then you see a difference in casting it. Like how you done this shootout 👌 best regards from Sweden Scandinavia 🇸🇪
Thank you so much! And good suggestion - I think I will try it with a 7 wt line. I have a 7wt SA Magnum Taper line. I'm hoping to use it for fishing bass poppers this summer.
@@HaleontheHunt Do so that line should bring out more from the rod. I have the maxcatch extreme 10' 8# and it need plenty of grain to perform at it's best. Also the length of the head matters ! I use heavy and short head and shoot far. Good luck and one more time awesome teat like your video 👌 Best regards from Sweden Scandinavia/Bjorn
on my max catch 9 foot 6 weight,, with a sinking tip, shad fishing this spring and summer..i found if that a faster casting speed was the balance was gear.. 25 to 30 fish evening were very common.. cant wait till next year for shad......i did like my ultra legend, .. and found this one ( the maxcatch ) to my liking
Great video. I have two of those XPs, a 5wt and a 3wt, so I understand the fondness. Mine will never hit the resale market as long as I am alive, no matter their potential value!
Great review of the rods. Keep up the good work. The only thing I find missing is swing weight. Does not have to be super scientific but how they feel when casting. I have found that this makes a big difference when fishing all day.
Good point on “swing weight”. I have a 8wt. 10’ Redington Vice that kills my shoulder after an hour or so stripping streamers. I’ve been thinking of back weighting it like the golfers do to make it easier on the joints even though I’ve increased the “dead” weight.
Have you heard of a rod manufacturer called guideline a company from norway I purchased a 9 foot 6 wf 7 cost 170 pounds great for rainbows or sea trout
great job on your metrics. My big thing is feel, Scott is my 3 wt and 5 wt and one of my 8 wt, the big thing I find on these shootout for distances is most rod companies can make a rigid rod to launch bugs but they lose control and touch quickly. I want speed and touch at the tip and for me that's scott all the way. That said my new 6wt is a sage X and it cast very well
I completely agree - the super rigid rods are doing well in my shootouts but I have nothing in my shootouts as far as casting fatigue (are the rod and reel well balanced) and hookup-ability (is the rod so fast that it will break tippets). I have to figure out a way to incorporate this in future tests. Thank you!
@@HaleontheHunt the more rigid the rod yes they suck at tippet protection. I just caught a nice 2 lb rainbow on a glass rod with 7x becuase the flex of the rod protected the tippet or else it should have broken off. the fish hit fast in fast water. its funny the glass rod company calls tippet protection a side effect of glass rods as it was never part of the design thoughts.
Just FYI, maxcatch does make higher end rods than the extreme model, which I think might be their cheapest line. The Sky High and SaltPro are both very good for the price. I have never casted the Extreme, but I own a Premier, which is a step up and is junk. Had I started there, I would not own the other two.
That was such a good comparison. I have always liked Fenwick rods and have 3. It is a great time for fly fishing as even lower end rods and reels work excellent. I was just at the dump and what did I see in the garbage but a 5/6 weight Superfly with the BFR style drag one turn from on to off. Brand new with line. At my Langford Lake My friends and I popularized Fly fishing as we constantly out fished gear anglers. Now the Lake is full of fly Fisher's. Still I've years more experience and my last 6 times out have caught a 8 a 9 and a10lb. Rainbows. With the 10 running out like a Marlin. My best fish ever by far. I'm happy the big Island got in its way It got confused. I've caught that fish at least 5 times over 4 years and know it's her as her fantastic jumping running has been even at 19" much more intense than other fish I've caught. Pays to let them go. I loosen my drag soon as I can and let them run free as not to break the 8 to 10 lb. Tippet. Even though there is a good prize to be had I have no regrets letting all the big ones go. Tide Lines and tight lines to you and your subscribers.
Thank you very much! What an awesome story about the rainbows you've been catching. I also caught my biggest rainbow ever this year. Dry fly fishing in the Catskills Mountains in New York. She was sitting in water that I thought would be too fast to hold a huge trout like she was but I saw a small rise in that fast water so I threw a fly at it. And I agree with you, the feeling of releasing them back to the wild for them to grow bigger always beats my selfish desires to get one mounted. Tight lines, my friend!
@@HaleontheHunt Thanks for your reply. I envy dry fly Fisher's for their skills and patience. I just drag a fly of my own modified green carey which for some reason the big ones let there guard down. Really appreciate your channel very smart.
Be carefull with your Sage XP, it is THE BEST flyrod from Sage, I love Hardy and owns 4 Hardy Zephruses my self and love them(want a 4 weight also). My father owns a Sage RPL #7 9' and a Sage XP #5 9', the XP outcasts and have a great feel through the blank. Great video/shootout once again =)
I found a Chinese company that is a small shop. I ordered a 2 wt 6’-6”. I did call them. My new rod is in transit. I will keep the name confidential for now. It was not cheap. I will do my own data collection. I would gladly send it to you for you to do your own evaluation. Then I will send you what I found AFTER you do yours. I will apply my manufacturing knowledge, and you apply your engineering knowledge and compare the results. I can tell you straight up, my first concern is accuracy .......the distance will come. Wolff triangle taper is what I use.
Loved your evaluation idea..Thanks for posting. Very informative. You mentioned fly rods having a sweet spot. How does comparing these rods with a line that maximises sweet spot sound? Reading some of the comments here the results might highlight the best of each. Results would be very interesting I imagine..
Thank you very much! Yes, I definitely think that if we had a bucket of lines to try on each rod, and maybe a few different reels of different weights, we could definitely find a line/reel combo that perfectly paired with each rod. That would make for an interesting video... added to the idea board for the future! Thanks!
Really loved this comparison. I've got a 9ft 5wt Aetos; and while it's a great rod; my problem with it lies with my environment. I'm in Upstate NY, and 9 times out of 10, I'm on a river that I can't get more than 5-8ft of back casting space. The medium-fast action simply can't put enough line out there when I need it unfortunately. I'm now looking for a faster action rod (Douglas DXF, Sage Foundation, etc) for really cranking out my fly.
Thats a bummer that you can't get the range you were looking for. I didn't feel super range-limited with the 6wt. I hope you can find a rod that works better for you or maybe a different fly line that shoots further. Good luck!
I think it really depends on line suited for the rods. Can’t really go on this test. Hardy usually needs a heavier line same with st croix. Maxcatch might cast alright but not worth the money even at $100 price point. I’ve tested 4 of their rods and everyone of their rods snap. Just garbage.
nice review.. i just bought a maxcatch 6 weight a few months ago,, it works well for me.. tosses small mice patterns i use for brown trout , and bass...next month i will use it for shad.. with a sink tip, to see how it works,here in california
Shad on the fly are such a blast! I was thinking about dedicating my maxcatch 6wt as a mousing rod or bass popper rod but wasn't sure about a line... I was thinking something like Scientific Anglers magnum floating line. What line are you using for those applications? Do you like it?
@@HaleontheHunt shad about 3 to 5 pounds are quite a fight on a 6 weight.. past 4 nights on the american river fro sundown to 8:45 [m every 3 or 4th cast you hook up,, get wild out there,, after a while,, you stop fishing because you are tired,, but go back the next evening
@@randellgribben9772 Wow! I've only ever caught one shad on a fly rod and it was by accident. I was fishing for brown trout with march brown dry flies and I was shocked when I hooked onto and landed a shad. Such a blast! I'd love to make a point of targeting them at some point.
Which year model Aetos rod did you test? I understand Fenwick has recently updated the Aetos blank. Did you test the older bland or the updated, supposedly faster and ighter blank?
Neat comparison. 👍 I'd love to see the same done BUT with all rods balanced at the same point on the grip. I feel like using the same reel on all rods is going to favor the rod that balances best with that reel. Does that make sense?
I’m super new to fly fishing and all I have is the 30 dollar combo Martin makes from academy. The rod tip broke off. It says 4/5/6 but I’m thinking about getting that max cast in a 4 weight and using that same reel as I learn. Does that sound good to you? I want to learn more before I spend more. Also I have been killing the pan fish and smaller bass in the local creeks. That probably what broke the top off.
That sounds like a good plan to me! I haven't casted the 4wt Maxcatch but I have tried the 3wt and the 6wt and I liked them both. They definitely feel a little beefier than their labels... The 3wt rod could probably cast a 4wt line and the 6wt could probably cast a 7wt line. If you were to get the 4wt rod and use it with a reel rated for 4-6 wt, I think it would match up pretty well. Good luck!
I'm in the market for an 8 wt. I wonder whether the Aetos 8 wt performs as well as the 6 wt. I've had my eye on the TFO Legacy but it's closer to $300...
Great video and decent methodology; however, using the same fly line on each rod may not give the best performance data for each rod...i.e.; this methodology only evaluates which rod best performs with a Wulff TT 6wt line. It can be argued that is as much subjective as it is objective, and that those rods that performed poorly could have rated much higher if evaluated using a fly line better matched to the rod's characteristics. Understanding that there is an infinite number of variables illustrates that there is often a rod/line combination that will suit almost ANY angler regardless of budget or ability...the rod is just one piece of the overall formula.
It's not really fair comparing at $38.00 fly rod to a $695.00 fly rod and expecting them to be pretty close....is it? But why not compare MaxCatch's more expensive rods, it seems it should be a more even comparison?
I would have gone with the more expensive Maxcatch model but the baseline 3WT beat out Hardy so I thought it might be a fair playing ground to also use the baseline 6wt. Next time I'll definitely include a higher end model. Thanks!
Mhm, I have the XP right now in class 5 for good 20 years. Its a very nice stick. But when I look now to this high pricing rods and compare them with much much cheaper rods from Asia…….mhm, I dont spend this big money any more. Nice video. I like your channel. Greatings from Germany
did you use the "old" model Aetos for this shootout? i see the video was posted in 2021 which is after the "new"" Aetos should have been release... but from the video it looks like it was the "old" model which is more bluish compared to the newer charcoal colored rod. i really like my 6wt Aetos but just wondering if the one you tested is the same one i have.
The rod in the video was the "old" blue model. That was Will's go-to 6 wt rod BUT... he broke it fighting a fish :/ Fenwick was awesome about replacing it but it was replaced with the "new" model. Maybe we should put that one to the test to see if it performs the same....
It does not matter what rod you have , if its not balanced with the right reel and line , you would be wasting time and money , and no matter how much you pay , it will not make you a better fisherman , that comes down to learning , and watercraft , i have 2 sage rods , one a XP , both good rods , i also have a rod made as a demonstrator , paid £60 , came with 2 tops and a bag and tube ft9 6 a 6 weight , best rod i have , out casts both my Sage , best advice try before vou buy , every fisherman has their own casting style , but hey a bad days fishing , is better than a day at work , tight lines ,
The Maxcatch didn't really beat the Hardy though did it. On that type of rod precision and presentation is the name of the game, in which the Hardy blew the others away. You scored the Maxcatch for the distance casting more and precision at distance of 40 feet. A 7ft #3 isn't for casting 40-50 ft, so you need to be contextural here.
Oh, you're talking about the 3 wt shootout... Yeah, that's feedback that I think is valid. For a 3wt we should probably put more weight on near range accuracy than long range casts. Next time!
Have you seen the Orvis encounter? I'm new to fly fishing and trying to decide what rod I want to buy. Do you have any suggestions on what fly rods to look at? I don't want to spend over $200.
I have seen the Orvis Encounter but unfortunately, I have never actually casted it. I know that it has a good reputation. I should put it in the next shootout... If you want to stay well under-budget for a rod and reel combo - the Maxcatch is an incredible value. Are you looking for a 6wt? If you are, I would buy a 5wt Matcatch rod and put a 6 wt line on it... Maxcatch seems to have underrated their rods. I also did a 3wt shootout and the Maxcatch won so I'm pretty impressed with them. If you're willing to go to the top of your budget, $200 for just a rod, I would buy the Fenwick Aetos in a heartbeat. The 6wt is available on Amazon right now for $199.95. I honestly was about to buy it in a 5wt to be my new go-to 5 wt rod until my dad dug up an old custom fiberglass 5wt that he had MADE for me years ago. If it weren't for that, my next rod would have been the Aetos. I hope this helps! Thanks for watching!
@@HaleontheHunt awesome I picked up a fly rod yesterday at my local outdoors store. The guy at the outdoors store helped me get everything I need to start out with. I gained some knowledge too on setting up the string! I plan on saving a few hundred more to get a nice one.
@@HaleontheHunt I think it's a martin combo it was like $22 dollars and I got everything I needed like string, flies ETC for 50 dollars... I didn't want to spend a lot of money just starting out I wanted to see if I liked casting a fly rod first, just to get the feel of throwing one. so far I'm having tons of fun and planning to upgrade sometime in the future!! I'm looking at the Redington or TFO combo deals at the moment.
What have I learned about fly fishing? With some exceptions, it's the long range competitive shooting of the angling world: prone to being expensive, gear sensitive, math-heavy, skill-laden, and highly subject to environmental and terrain conditions. Meanwhile a bass just ate a block of wood with treble hooks, launched by a broom via a long piece of yarn.
LOL. You're not wrong hahaha... I will challenge you though that those blocks of wood with treble hooks and brooms can also get pretty pricey. I probably spend similar amounts of money on fly fishing vs. swimbait fishing.
@@HaleontheHunt Oh no, I mean a literal block of wood, on a piece of yarn, attached to the hanger hole on a broom. It's sort of the "I'm bored and I'm stuck with farm pond fish. I wonder if they're dumb enough to... yes, yes they are." way of fishing. Blame Marling Baits for popularizing that idea. To be fair, pretty much any stocked fish are going to be stupid, regardless of species, but bass aren't exactly know for being especially bright, anyway. If there was a salt water largemouth about 100 feet long, naval vessels would be getting bit all the time. "Hmm, that aircraft carrier is only about 11 times my size. Imma try and eat it."
HAHAHAHA Literally laughing over here... I didn't know that was a real thing! And thank goodness huge largies aren't out in the ocean. But isn't that "its only about 11 times my size - imma try and eat it" mentality why we love targeting large mouth?
@@HaleontheHunt No giant bass, true, although there are Goliath Groupers, which are pretty scary. As far as why people target largies, I really can't say, as I'm not your traditional angler that favors size and fight: I prefer beauty and flavor, so panfish have been my thing. That being said, I've learned to love Smallies- on both accounts- and I've recently been exploring topwater as a means to torment the local pond walrus, who has claimed untold numbers of ducklings over the years... and I don't like that kind of thing. Given that family and friends fish this pond as well and will throw an absolute FIT if I murder this particular largie in the face until it dies to death, I figured I'd just teach it to associate surface noms with points and barbs. Thus far he's proven far too stupid for that, so he may just "vanish" one day when no one is looking. Old age or something. Which miraculously caused him to appear in the soil underneath my tomato plants.
@@TwinklesTheChinchilla Hey, plants have to eat too, LOL. Ahhh, smallies. Its been longer than I'd like to admit since I've caught one. They have so much fight in them! I'm hitting up a pond this weekend hoping for pike but it also has largies and smallies so maybe I'll get to play with one :)
I like that this shootout was with fast action rods, nobody wants to cast a fly rod that feels like you are casting a wet noodle with a whimpy rod that is under powered for the line weight you are using, so you never said what the 38 dollar rod was made of, if I missed that my bad. No fly rod made of anything else but graphite is worth anything so can you give me the specs of the 38 dollar fly rod?
I hope you do an 8wt shootout soon. New to your channel but I really enjoyed watching. I like the TFO Axiom and Orvis Helios 3. I much prefer the cheaper Axiom though for accuracy.
Just go through your Rod Shootout videos. Really impressive experiment! Subscribed! I have aetos #4 and 5#, they performed really good. I am really curious about the performance of high-end product of maxcatch(i.e. Nano, Skyhigh...). Do you have any opinion on them? Thanks!
Very interesting comparison. Unfortunately my experience with maxcatch has been the same. I have a 3wt that I absolutely love. So I went and bought one of their 7wts. One of their more expensive models too. But unfortunately it did not live up to expectations at all. You should try their fly line though, it casts great especially for just 10 dollars.
I'll definitely give the fly line a try! I've heard too that the higher weight Maxcatch rods do best when over-lined - so I should have put a 7wt line on the 6 wt Maxcatch rod. I'm gonna give that a try too.
I've also had this crazy idea to maybe throw an OPST commando head on it and try it out as a single-handed spey rod... No idea where to start for line grain weight since it seems to be mis-weighted but I might give it a go LOL
I have an ABU Garcia rod 11 foot 7# great for open water and thing about it when a fish strike he is fucked very stiff rod but great for open lakes or even trolling with but shhh I never said that lol is that cheating lol but as for boat fishing it's the best out there once a fish strike it inbeded In him good stiff responsive rod . Great for a heavy team of fly's and hardy enough to bring in the biggest of salmon . As in finish of the blanks to reel seat hardy is only a peace of shit to it .it's a rod that has delivered 100% with out fail casts well not overly lite but it's stiffness catches all the time . Out of all the rods I have its the best next is the wychwood it's very light for all day use but I've lost so many fish onit it's lightness doesn't inbed the hook as much . Fenwick always made a super rod . Shakespeare has been a big cheap name over this side of the world you need to try them out . Probably number one selling rods in Europe tried an tested you should try a few of there rod with the big names brands but they have probably sold more rods than any of them that's Shakespeare . Not always the big name brands catch all the fish it's the fly your using and a stiffer rod that catches the the most fish . A bamboo rod of 80 years old can do the same trick as the most expensive rods out there to day . It's all in the fly how you present it and a little stiffer always lands the the fish . If you got the right fly on you can catch fish at your ankles as well as the other side of the river .
@@HaleontheHunt An engineer with a personality... :) Love the data driven results, and super impressed with the consistency of results when you scored by "shooter". Keep em' coming.
@@andrewmcgaha9629 Wow! Thank you so much. Putting together some gear to do a tippet shootout next and maybe a hook shootout...? I've convinced myself that I have higher landing percentages with a certain hook but I'd like to formally test it out.
What I like about this is that the controlled experiment was done with average fly casters. I can relate to that more than the pros that do their cast reviews. This is much more relatable. Thank you for the video
Thank you so much for watching and for the kind words!
Great video. Well done
I enjoyed your work here, very much.
TY!!
My son got an aetos the first time i cast with it i could tell it preformed above its price range i was amazed at the accuracy of it its up there with my sage
In my experience, I've used some Sage, Orvis, Fenwick and Reddington rods, all borrowed. I'm now throwing a Douglas Era 9ft 5wt. I am a very new fly fisherman and I absolutely adore it over everything else I've thrown. I am casting further and more consistent. I started being able to reliably throw nymphs, something I've never done effectively before. I really like Douglas - I strongly suggest them. They keep their prices quite lower for the quality they're outputting - they avoid a lot of nonsense bells and whistles and don't worry about pure cosmetics (color, artistry). They're putting rods out there that are effective, affordable and user friendly.
My favorite rod is a Fenwick Aetos 10’ 4 wt. I use it primarily for trout on still water. Casts like a rocket, very accurate and handles the wind very well. Bought on close out for $125. Yes, it is fast and hooksets need to be dialed back. Thanks for the very informative video.
I'm glad to hear you have similar thoughts to us in regards to the Aetos. Super impressive. Thank you for the kind words!
I am a newbie to fly fishing and found this video very informative. GREAT VIDEO!
My religion, practised principally on the Mataura in Southland, New Zealand is both Hardy and Sage - so this fascinating video of yours is something of a horror story. I've only really just heard of Fenwick. And worse, I'd regard just hitting the hula hoop as a triumph of accuracy - after maybe thirty years experience. And your almost throwaway comment on line weight for a given rod rings really true. Overall yours is one of the most interesting videos I've seen. Thank you very much
Wow! Thank you very much! I've never been to the Mataura but even just in pictures it is breathtaking. Although the results of the shootout were staggering (possibly horrifying), I'll still be reaching for my Sage rod when fishing those larger trout rivers :)
i believe the fenwick aetos is based on the old greys xf2 streamflex blank.
I just found your videos. I like the content. I'm an engineer myself. After being in the profession for a while and doing design, manufacturing, and now sales and marketing, I don't let a brand name influence my purchase unless they have manufacturing based in the US or excellent customer service and an iron-clad warranty.
I worked for an OEM supplier for AG equipment. We sold finished parts to one of the most prominent ag players in the world. Our sale price to them was $13.50. They were hitting us hard to reduce costs, so out of curiosity, we went to a local dealer and price-checked our part there. $587 sell price to the customer.... I can't believe they could survive on such low margins...
Anyways, one rod that I'd like to see in the future is a moonshine drifter. I picked up a couple on prime day along with some Fenwick ateos rods and some Picsifun rods as cheap backup rods to take on trips. After casting the drifter and picsifun rods I felt inclined to return the drifter. I haven't casted the Ateos yet. The only drifter reviews I found were solitary rods, free product, or sources that didn't seem impartial. I was really impressed with the Picsifun rods. I think they make the Maxcatch rods.
Always nice to see women in the sport
Thank you!
That was a great video. Interesting to see results when taking out your preferred Sage to see results.
Right?! The explainable Sage bias and then the alignment across all 3 of us once removed... super interesting. And thank you very much!
Yeah that was crazy how they lined up after removing the Sage.
I have an Aetos 6wt and it really is an amazing rod, especially for the money. But since it is relatively inexpensive the cork is wearing down really fast. Nice review!
Thanks for the shoot out.
No problem! Thanks for the kind words!!
I picked up a Douglas Sky G 6 wt last year, and it is hands down the best fly rod Ive ever fished with, and by a significant margin. I liked it so much i got rid of my Helios 3 5 wt and replaced it with a Sky 5 wt. The finish isnt quite as nice as my Loomis or Orvis rods, but they are so incredibly light casting and crazy accurate. There's just nothing I'd rather cast all day. They are effortless. The 6 wt is so stupid accurate at 50 ft and makes easy double hauls out past 60. It casts pretty easily out to the backing. I now own Sky G 5, 6, and 8 wt rods. I've fished with the old Sky, and it was great, but the Sky G is a trout murder machine.
Really nice and useful from every day fly fishers. thanks
Fantastic videos love the content. I'm Lord of cheap a couple of my rods are mixed butts and tips and land the biggest trout on Vancouver Island BC. Picked up a clearance Red Wolf 5wt for $20. Which I reeled with a old Lamson Lightspeed which I bought in the Canadian Tire parking lot for $7.50. Absolutely love that outfit. I just troll a fly so casting is a mute point but the fiberglass composite rod sure makes playing a Rainbow maximum fun.A interesting point is when I noticed a pickup truck box 1/4 full of vintage reels I also picked up 2 Daiwa 1 Lord Weldon 1 Lamson Lightspeed 1 Fjord 1 Mitchell 306 1 D.A.M. Quick Finessa 280 and a Strike King Tide Flow all in excellent shape for $ 60. Like winning the lotto. I'm not the best fly there or fisherman but catch the biggest one's so money or skill is not what is needed to catch the biggest trout it's mostly time on the water. Tight lines to you and all your subscribers.
Thank you so much! Wow! Sounds like you really hit the lotto with that parking lot deal, haha. And I think you're right - with enough time on the water, you can still catch the biggest fish with off name gear and modest skill level.
Great shoot-out Haley.
I like my Aetos 9ft 6wt very much. I mostly use lighter rod/line combos, but what I notice every time I go back to my Aetos is the light feel. I've had no issues with break offs.
Odd result with the St.Croix Ultra. I have 6 SC rods, 3 being Ultras, though none a 6wt. Generally they were not slow or soft rods. Going to my 2005 SC catalog, the 9ft 2pc 6wt is shown with a weight of 3.6 oz. The lightest 9ft 2pc Ultra shown in 2005 is the 4wt at 3.4 oz. Given that your example weighs 3.0 oz, it appears that SC did a major re-design to lighten and soften that rod. SC did redesign the old Avid series, which had been light, fast and accurate (the old black models), and gave the newer versions a taper that feels like a hinge in the middle.
I like that you included the XP, which was a gold standard model for it's time.
I like Triangle Taper lines on faster rods for dry fly fishing. That heavy back taper can easily over line a softer rod at longer distances. Since a lot of 6 wt use might be for lobbing heavier rigs and streamers, I have preferred traditional WF tapers and the heavier, forward weighted MPX design to get the job done. If I was going to rely on a 6wt for dry fly presentations, the Triangle Taper might be a good first choice.
Thank you very much!! I'm scratching my head with the St. Croix as well - something isn't adding up there. The 6wts from your catalog, were those with half well handles and no fighting butt or full wells with fighting butts? The St. Croix rod we had in the video had half wells, no fighting butt. While it didn't do well with the controls we had in place, I think with a lighter line weight it might cast beautifully. And with it being so soft, I bet it would be a riot to fight fish on.
And selfishly, we did intentionally try to pick a line for dry fly fishing. The three of us are heading out to fish the Delaware River system later next month and we're planning to fish mostly dry flies (March Browns, Isos, and Sulphurs (Golden Stones if we're lucky)) on our 6wt rods so we wanted to set up the shootout to mimic those conditions so we could apply what we learned on our trip. I have heard that the Royal Wulff triangle taper line is known for running a little heavy so that might have given an unfair advantage to the faster rods.
Thank you for the feedback!
@@HaleontheHunt The St.Croix 2pc 6wt I reference from the 2005 catalog has the standard reel seat with varnished wood and no fighting butt. Since SC in 2005 didn't make a 9 ft rod of any description that weighed as little as 3 oz, I doubt yours is the product of mislabelling, and is perhaps a redesign. My 8.5 ft 5wt (the Bob Jacklin model) was advertised as 3.4 oz and actually weighs 3.5 oz. It's a pretty fast rod.
Perhaps a useful reference, my old-model St.Croix Avid 8.5 ft 4wt weighs 2.9 oz (and is one of my favorite dry fly rods). Assuming similar materials and tapers, I'd guess that your SC 6wt might pair well with a WF-4 line or even a WF-3. Since you have a 3wt line in your collection, I think I would start testing with that, to see if the rod tip will actually load at distances like 20 ft. You might be surprised.
I have more than a few rods for river and ocean fishing, and several have required adjusting line weight and taper from advertised labelling. I have an old 9 ft Kunnan 5/6, which stinks as a 5, but is actually a good 3 wt, because of it's very soft tip.
Regarding Triangle Taper lines, they used to be marketed with a dual weight rating, say 4/5. The rating was (if memory serves) equivalent to the lower weight when measured over only 30 ft, and equivalent to a higher rated conventional line when measured over 40 ft, because that last 10 ft is much the heaviest part of the triangular head. When they changed to the single weight label, they kept the lower rating number.
When you have a rod that won't handle the TT line at 40 ft, it is almost certainly on the soft side and simply can't handle that heavy back section (your Hardy 3wt in your other shoot-out.) In such case, you would likely be happier with a conventional WF line, or perhaps the next-size lighter TT line. Lee Wulff's rationale for the TT design was to facilitate mends and roll casts with a lot of line out, and the fine tip section gives a light presentation. My experience suggests TT lines work best with longer rods (oddly, not what Wulff favored I think), reasonably soft tips and stiffer butts. I have a (stiff-ish) 5 wt that won't load with a TT line at very short distances, but is excellent at the same distances with a conventional WF-5 and especially with the Scientific Anglers MPX (heavier forward section). I have another (soft) 5wt that can't manage the 4wt Triangle Taper at longer distances. I favor a standard WF-4 when I use that rod. Analyzing the tapers and testing different lines will allow fine-tuning of almost any rod.
Keep up the great videos!
Thank you so much! And I think I'm learning things very similar to what you have already learned - most rods can be excellent if paired with the correct line. Where it get tricky is that the rods are not sold with the line so we're left to our own devices to figure out what pairs best.
What you are saying about the Wulff tringle taper makes sense that the rating might be true to 30 feet and then under-rated beyond that. Not sure how to account for that or what improvement can be made for future shootouts but I'll definitely have to give it some more thought.
Thanks again!
Very well thought out and presented study!
Thank you kindly!
I personally find the mid range rods are the best. Like a tfo professional or a Redington classic trout
Great unbiased review.I love the way you even took the Sage out of the rankings because it’s your own personal rod. Personally, I think “value” is very subjective. I fish with an Orvis Helios2 and a Loop Xact. The Helios casts like a dream; I don’t even think about it as it becomes an extension of my arm and it puts the fly exactly where I want it - it’s a joy to use. The Loop is a mid action rod that is nowhere near as accurate and I always have to work it. It’s still a lovely rod and was less than half the price of the Orvis but I wouldn’t miss it if I had to replace it. Despite its high price, for me the Helios gives me the best value ever because it gives me everything I ever could want in a rod and I love fishing with it. It pains me to say but often the people who rave about cheap gear are often cheap in every aspect of their lives and they would never experience the difference between a fine, high end rod and the less expensive end because to them, everything comes down to price and how low it is, then they complain the economy is f***ed and jobs have all gone to China. That said, there is nothing wrong with fishing what you can afford and not everyone can stretch to a high end rod (or even wants to) and that’s fine too. There is a huge place for budget tackle and this video shows just what a good budget rod can do. I was seriously thinking of getting a Maxcatch to see what some folks are raving about but after seeing this, I think you’ve done the work for me, thanks. Now, that Fenwick sounds very interesting….
Thank you very much! I am eyeing the Fenwick as well, haha.
Nice review. But please get some casting lessons, all of you. All these rods will perform better and you will have more fun at fishing.
If you and your dad are getting into euro-nymphing, it would be great to see you do a really "cheap vs" for 3wt 10' euronymphing rods. I haven't really seen any comparison shootout tests yet. Thanks. 3 wt shootout was great by the way.
Thank you so much! And I love that idea! Dad and I both have 10' 6" 3wt euro nymphing rods (one T&T and one Moonshine) so that is definitely a possibility. Not sure how to set up a euro nymphing rod shootout... I'll have to do some brainstorming. Thank you for the positive feedback!
That was a fantastic job!! Thank you! I wish you were sponsored so you could have done six rods that are all still available for sale
Thank you! And I wish I were too - DREAM JOB *swoon*
Really cool video! I'm kinda new to fly fishing so this was really helpful
As an engineer I have to say your design of experiments is impeccable!!!!
THANK YOU very much!!
Thanks for a good and fun review!
The maxcatch do need a more heavy line to work well if you use a 7/8# line then you see a difference in casting it. Like how you done this shootout 👌 best regards from Sweden Scandinavia 🇸🇪
Thank you so much! And good suggestion - I think I will try it with a 7 wt line. I have a 7wt SA Magnum Taper line. I'm hoping to use it for fishing bass poppers this summer.
@@HaleontheHunt
Do so that line should bring out more from the rod. I have the maxcatch extreme 10' 8# and it need plenty of grain to perform at it's best. Also the length of the head matters ! I use heavy and short head and shoot far. Good luck and one more time awesome teat like your video 👌
Best regards from Sweden Scandinavia/Bjorn
on my max catch 9 foot 6 weight,, with a sinking tip, shad fishing this spring and summer..i found if that a faster casting speed was the balance was gear.. 25 to 30 fish evening were very common.. cant wait till next year for shad......i did like my ultra legend, .. and found this one ( the maxcatch ) to my liking
Great video. I have two of those XPs, a 5wt and a 3wt, so I understand the fondness. Mine will never hit the resale market as long as I am alive, no matter their potential value!
Same! That was part of the agreement I have with my Dad - he would pass it down to me but I HAD to keep it and fish with it.
In Britain it's said that the Aetos blanks are the old Greys XF2 at least in the 5#. Same holding company.
Now time for 2 handed rods shootout
hey thanks for this video ive been looking at the aetos alot lately and this seems really promising!
I still love my 1986 Sage Graphite III RPL 696... in a 6 wt.
Super informative! Thanks!
You're welcome! Thanks for the feedback!
Great review of the rods. Keep up the good work.
The only thing I find missing is swing weight. Does not have to be super scientific but how they feel when casting. I have found that this makes a big difference when fishing all day.
You're so right! Added to the list for the next one. Thank you!!
Good point on “swing weight”. I have a 8wt. 10’ Redington Vice that kills my shoulder after an hour or so stripping streamers. I’ve been thinking of back weighting it like the golfers do to make it easier on the joints even though I’ve increased the “dead” weight.
Have you heard of a rod manufacturer called guideline a company from norway I purchased a 9 foot 6 wf 7 cost 170 pounds great for rainbows or sea trout
great job on your metrics. My big thing is feel, Scott is my 3 wt and 5 wt and one of my 8 wt, the big thing I find on these shootout for distances is most rod companies can make a rigid rod to launch bugs but they lose control and touch quickly. I want speed and touch at the tip and for me that's scott all the way. That said my new 6wt is a sage X and it cast very well
I completely agree - the super rigid rods are doing well in my shootouts but I have nothing in my shootouts as far as casting fatigue (are the rod and reel well balanced) and hookup-ability (is the rod so fast that it will break tippets). I have to figure out a way to incorporate this in future tests. Thank you!
@@HaleontheHunt the more rigid the rod yes they suck at tippet protection. I just caught a nice 2 lb rainbow on a glass rod with 7x becuase the flex of the rod protected the tippet or else it should have broken off. the fish hit fast in fast water. its funny the glass rod company calls tippet protection a side effect of glass rods as it was never part of the design thoughts.
Just FYI, maxcatch does make higher end rods than the extreme model, which I think might be their cheapest line. The Sky High and SaltPro are both very good for the price. I have never casted the Extreme, but I own a Premier, which is a step up and is junk. Had I started there, I would not own the other two.
Have you tried the Maxcatch V-top rods?
That was such a good comparison. I have always liked Fenwick rods and have 3. It is a great time for fly fishing as even lower end rods and reels work excellent. I was just at the dump and what did I see in the garbage but a 5/6 weight Superfly with the BFR style drag one turn from on to off. Brand new with line. At my Langford Lake My friends and I popularized Fly fishing as we constantly out fished gear anglers. Now the Lake is full of fly Fisher's. Still I've years more experience and my last 6 times out have caught a 8 a 9 and a10lb. Rainbows. With the 10 running out like a Marlin. My best fish ever by far. I'm happy the big Island got in its way It got confused. I've caught that fish at least 5 times over 4 years and know it's her as her fantastic jumping running has been even at 19" much more intense than other fish I've caught. Pays to let them go. I loosen my drag soon as I can and let them run free as not to break the 8 to 10 lb. Tippet. Even though there is a good prize to be had I have no regrets letting all the big ones go. Tide Lines and tight lines to you and your subscribers.
Thank you very much! What an awesome story about the rainbows you've been catching. I also caught my biggest rainbow ever this year. Dry fly fishing in the Catskills Mountains in New York. She was sitting in water that I thought would be too fast to hold a huge trout like she was but I saw a small rise in that fast water so I threw a fly at it. And I agree with you, the feeling of releasing them back to the wild for them to grow bigger always beats my selfish desires to get one mounted. Tight lines, my friend!
@@HaleontheHunt Thanks for your reply. I envy dry fly Fisher's for their skills and patience. I just drag a fly of my own modified green carey which for some reason the big ones let there guard down. Really appreciate your channel very smart.
Be carefull with your Sage XP, it is THE BEST flyrod from Sage, I love Hardy and owns 4 Hardy Zephruses my self and love them(want a 4 weight also). My father owns a Sage RPL #7 9' and a Sage XP #5 9', the XP outcasts and have a great feel through the blank. Great video/shootout once again =)
I try to be as careful with my XP as I can while still not being afraid to take it out! Thank you so much for the positive feedback!
I found a Chinese company that is a small shop. I ordered a 2 wt 6’-6”. I did call them. My new rod is in transit. I will keep the name confidential for now. It was not cheap. I will do my own data collection. I would gladly send it to you for you to do your own evaluation. Then I will send you what I found AFTER you do yours. I will apply my manufacturing knowledge, and you apply your engineering knowledge and compare the results.
I can tell you straight up, my first concern is accuracy .......the distance will come.
Wolff triangle taper is what I use.
I enjoyed watching this video!
Yay! Thank you!
Loved your evaluation idea..Thanks for posting. Very informative. You mentioned fly rods having a sweet spot. How does comparing these rods with a line that maximises sweet spot sound? Reading some of the comments here the results might highlight the best of each. Results would be very interesting I imagine..
Thank you very much! Yes, I definitely think that if we had a bucket of lines to try on each rod, and maybe a few different reels of different weights, we could definitely find a line/reel combo that perfectly paired with each rod. That would make for an interesting video... added to the idea board for the future! Thanks!
nice review!
Thank you!!
Orvis blackout or Sage TCX or g Asquith. Hardy Zane pro. Those rods can cast
Really loved this comparison. I've got a 9ft 5wt Aetos; and while it's a great rod; my problem with it lies with my environment. I'm in Upstate NY, and 9 times out of 10, I'm on a river that I can't get more than 5-8ft of back casting space. The medium-fast action simply can't put enough line out there when I need it unfortunately. I'm now looking for a faster action rod (Douglas DXF, Sage Foundation, etc) for really cranking out my fly.
Thats a bummer that you can't get the range you were looking for. I didn't feel super range-limited with the 6wt. I hope you can find a rod that works better for you or maybe a different fly line that shoots further. Good luck!
@@HaleontheHunt I actually tried a Douglas DXF at a local shop yesterday and loved it! Took it home, really excited!
I think it really depends on line suited for the rods. Can’t really go on this test. Hardy usually needs a heavier line same with st croix. Maxcatch might cast alright but not worth the money even at $100 price point. I’ve tested 4 of their rods and everyone of their rods snap. Just garbage.
nice review.. i just bought a maxcatch 6 weight a few months ago,, it works well for me.. tosses small mice patterns i use for brown trout , and bass...next month i will use it for shad.. with a sink tip, to see how it works,here in california
Shad on the fly are such a blast! I was thinking about dedicating my maxcatch 6wt as a mousing rod or bass popper rod but wasn't sure about a line... I was thinking something like Scientific Anglers magnum floating line. What line are you using for those applications? Do you like it?
@@HaleontheHunt ..SA wf 6 st 3 for shad
@@HaleontheHunt i have a maxcatch wf 6 f for mousing, and light bass
@@HaleontheHunt shad about 3 to 5 pounds are quite a fight on a 6 weight.. past 4 nights on the american river fro sundown to 8:45 [m every 3 or 4th cast you hook up,, get wild out there,, after a while,, you stop fishing because you are tired,, but go back the next evening
@@randellgribben9772 Wow! I've only ever caught one shad on a fly rod and it was by accident. I was fishing for brown trout with march brown dry flies and I was shocked when I hooked onto and landed a shad. Such a blast! I'd love to make a point of targeting them at some point.
Which year model Aetos rod did you test? I understand Fenwick has recently updated the Aetos blank. Did you test the older bland or the updated, supposedly faster and ighter blank?
Anyone else thinking of Lena Paul while watching this?
The maxcatch is an good rod I use the maxcatch and can't complain you must just fish it for an year
Love that 15 year old sage.
Neat comparison. 👍
I'd love to see the same done BUT with all rods balanced at the same point on the grip. I feel like using the same reel on all rods is going to favor the rod that balances best with that reel. Does that make sense?
Yes, very true point. For the next one, I should definitely take some time to normalize that. Thank you!
I’m super new to fly fishing and all I have is the 30 dollar combo Martin makes from academy. The rod tip broke off. It says 4/5/6 but I’m thinking about getting that max cast in a 4 weight and using that same reel as I learn. Does that sound good to you? I want to learn more before I spend more. Also I have been killing the pan fish and smaller bass in the local creeks. That probably what broke the top off.
That sounds like a good plan to me! I haven't casted the 4wt Maxcatch but I have tried the 3wt and the 6wt and I liked them both. They definitely feel a little beefier than their labels... The 3wt rod could probably cast a 4wt line and the 6wt could probably cast a 7wt line. If you were to get the 4wt rod and use it with a reel rated for 4-6 wt, I think it would match up pretty well. Good luck!
I bought the maxcatch and after 10 outings, all the rings are dead...the sylk filed them
I'm in the market for an 8 wt. I wonder whether the Aetos 8 wt performs as well as the 6 wt. I've had my eye on the TFO Legacy but it's closer to $300...
I haven't had the chance to cast it in the 8wt but if its as good as the 6wt, it's be hard to beat at that price point.
the bvk is a great 8wt.
Very informative! Guess I should sell my rod on eBay..
Have a Sage XP laying around? :)
Great video and decent methodology; however, using the same fly line on each rod may not give the best performance data for each rod...i.e.; this methodology only evaluates which rod best performs with a Wulff TT 6wt line. It can be argued that is as much subjective as it is objective, and that those rods that performed poorly could have rated much higher if evaluated using a fly line better matched to the rod's characteristics. Understanding that there is an infinite number of variables illustrates that there is often a rod/line combination that will suit almost ANY angler regardless of budget or ability...the rod is just one piece of the overall formula.
It's not really fair comparing at $38.00 fly rod to a $695.00 fly rod and expecting them to be pretty close....is it? But why not compare MaxCatch's more expensive rods, it seems it should be a more even comparison?
I would have gone with the more expensive Maxcatch model but the baseline 3WT beat out Hardy so I thought it might be a fair playing ground to also use the baseline 6wt. Next time I'll definitely include a higher end model. Thanks!
Mhm, I have the XP right now in class 5 for good 20 years. Its a very nice stick. But when I look now to this high pricing rods and compare them with much much cheaper rods from Asia…….mhm, I dont spend this big money any more. Nice video. I like your channel. Greatings from Germany
did you use the "old" model Aetos for this shootout? i see the video was posted in 2021 which is after the "new"" Aetos should have been release... but from the video it looks like it was the "old" model which is more bluish compared to the newer charcoal colored rod. i really like my 6wt Aetos but just wondering if the one you tested is the same one i have.
The rod in the video was the "old" blue model. That was Will's go-to 6 wt rod BUT... he broke it fighting a fish :/ Fenwick was awesome about replacing it but it was replaced with the "new" model. Maybe we should put that one to the test to see if it performs the same....
@@HaleontheHunt thanks for the reply, guess I won't be buying a new 6wt anytime soon considering how well it performed for y'all, thanks again!
It does not matter what rod you have , if its not balanced with the right reel and line , you would be wasting time and money , and no matter how much you pay , it will not make you a better fisherman , that comes down to learning , and watercraft , i have 2 sage rods , one a XP , both good rods , i also have a rod made as a demonstrator , paid £60 , came with 2 tops and a bag and tube ft9 6 a 6 weight , best rod i have , out casts both my Sage , best advice try before vou buy , every fisherman has their own casting style , but hey a bad days fishing , is better than a day at work , tight lines ,
So very true! I want to try out this rod that you say is better than the XP LOL. Tight lines, my friend!
The Maxcatch didn't really beat the Hardy though did it. On that type of rod precision and presentation is the name of the game, in which the Hardy blew the others away. You scored the Maxcatch for the distance casting more and precision at distance of 40 feet. A 7ft #3 isn't for casting 40-50 ft, so you need to be contextural here.
Oh, you're talking about the 3 wt shootout... Yeah, that's feedback that I think is valid. For a 3wt we should probably put more weight on near range accuracy than long range casts. Next time!
Have you seen the Orvis encounter? I'm new to fly fishing and trying to decide what rod I want to buy. Do you have any suggestions on what fly rods to look at? I don't want to spend over $200.
I have seen the Orvis Encounter but unfortunately, I have never actually casted it. I know that it has a good reputation. I should put it in the next shootout...
If you want to stay well under-budget for a rod and reel combo - the Maxcatch is an incredible value. Are you looking for a 6wt? If you are, I would buy a 5wt Matcatch rod and put a 6 wt line on it... Maxcatch seems to have underrated their rods. I also did a 3wt shootout and the Maxcatch won so I'm pretty impressed with them.
If you're willing to go to the top of your budget, $200 for just a rod, I would buy the Fenwick Aetos in a heartbeat. The 6wt is available on Amazon right now for $199.95. I honestly was about to buy it in a 5wt to be my new go-to 5 wt rod until my dad dug up an old custom fiberglass 5wt that he had MADE for me years ago. If it weren't for that, my next rod would have been the Aetos. I hope this helps! Thanks for watching!
@@HaleontheHunt awesome I picked up a fly rod yesterday at my local outdoors store. The guy at the outdoors store helped me get everything I need to start out with. I gained some knowledge too on setting up the string! I plan on saving a few hundred more to get a nice one.
@@danielburford1441 Congrats! What did you end up with?!
@@HaleontheHunt I think it's a martin combo it was like $22 dollars and I got everything I needed like string, flies ETC for 50 dollars... I didn't want to spend a lot of money just starting out I wanted to see if I liked casting a fly rod first, just to get the feel of throwing one. so far I'm having tons of fun and planning to upgrade sometime in the future!! I'm looking at the Redington or TFO combo deals at the moment.
What have I learned about fly fishing? With some exceptions, it's the long range competitive shooting of the angling world: prone to being expensive, gear sensitive, math-heavy, skill-laden, and highly subject to environmental and terrain conditions.
Meanwhile a bass just ate a block of wood with treble hooks, launched by a broom via a long piece of yarn.
LOL. You're not wrong hahaha... I will challenge you though that those blocks of wood with treble hooks and brooms can also get pretty pricey. I probably spend similar amounts of money on fly fishing vs. swimbait fishing.
@@HaleontheHunt Oh no, I mean a literal block of wood, on a piece of yarn, attached to the hanger hole on a broom. It's sort of the "I'm bored and I'm stuck with farm pond fish. I wonder if they're dumb enough to... yes, yes they are." way of fishing. Blame Marling Baits for popularizing that idea.
To be fair, pretty much any stocked fish are going to be stupid, regardless of species, but bass aren't exactly know for being especially bright, anyway. If there was a salt water largemouth about 100 feet long, naval vessels would be getting bit all the time.
"Hmm, that aircraft carrier is only about 11 times my size. Imma try and eat it."
HAHAHAHA Literally laughing over here... I didn't know that was a real thing!
And thank goodness huge largies aren't out in the ocean. But isn't that "its only about 11 times my size - imma try and eat it" mentality why we love targeting large mouth?
@@HaleontheHunt No giant bass, true, although there are Goliath Groupers, which are pretty scary. As far as why people target largies, I really can't say, as I'm not your traditional angler that favors size and fight: I prefer beauty and flavor, so panfish have been my thing.
That being said, I've learned to love Smallies- on both accounts- and I've recently been exploring topwater as a means to torment the local pond walrus, who has claimed untold numbers of ducklings over the years... and I don't like that kind of thing. Given that family and friends fish this pond as well and will throw an absolute FIT if I murder this particular largie in the face until it dies to death, I figured I'd just teach it to associate surface noms with points and barbs. Thus far he's proven far too stupid for that, so he may just "vanish" one day when no one is looking. Old age or something. Which miraculously caused him to appear in the soil underneath my tomato plants.
@@TwinklesTheChinchilla Hey, plants have to eat too, LOL. Ahhh, smallies. Its been longer than I'd like to admit since I've caught one. They have so much fight in them! I'm hitting up a pond this weekend hoping for pike but it also has largies and smallies so maybe I'll get to play with one :)
I like that this shootout was with fast action rods, nobody wants to cast a fly rod that feels like you are casting a wet noodle with a whimpy rod that is under powered for the line weight you are using, so you never said what the 38 dollar rod was made of, if I missed that my bad. No fly rod made of anything else but graphite is worth anything so can you give me the specs of the 38 dollar fly rod?
Spec sheet says the blank is Graphite IM8 Carbon fiber
@@HaleontheHunt thank you, found it ha ha, I guess spelling is important.
Ha, ha, yep the components on a $35 rod are the equal or better to a Hardy or Sage.
I hope you do an 8wt shootout soon. New to your channel but I really enjoyed watching. I like the TFO Axiom and Orvis Helios 3. I much prefer the cheaper Axiom though for accuracy.
Thank you so much! Yes, 8wt shootout is definitely on the list!
Just go through your Rod Shootout videos. Really impressive experiment! Subscribed!
I have aetos #4 and 5#, they performed really good.
I am really curious about the performance of high-end product of maxcatch(i.e. Nano, Skyhigh...).
Do you have any opinion on them?
Thanks!
Very interesting comparison. Unfortunately my experience with maxcatch has been the same. I have a 3wt that I absolutely love. So I went and bought one of their 7wts. One of their more expensive models too. But unfortunately it did not live up to expectations at all. You should try their fly line though, it casts great especially for just 10 dollars.
I'll definitely give the fly line a try! I've heard too that the higher weight Maxcatch rods do best when over-lined - so I should have put a 7wt line on the 6 wt Maxcatch rod. I'm gonna give that a try too.
@@HaleontheHunt I tried a 7/8wt line on the 7wt and it wasn't an improvement, I will try overlining it more when I get the chance.
I've also had this crazy idea to maybe throw an OPST commando head on it and try it out as a single-handed spey rod... No idea where to start for line grain weight since it seems to be mis-weighted but I might give it a go LOL
Just wanna buy it
Do it!
@@HaleontheHunt it's done
throw the v-top 6 in the review next time... it's still a quarter of the price of the sage...
I have an ABU Garcia rod 11 foot 7# great for open water and thing about it when a fish strike he is fucked very stiff rod but great for open lakes or even trolling with but shhh I never said that lol is that cheating lol but as for boat fishing it's the best out there once a fish strike it inbeded In him good stiff responsive rod . Great for a heavy team of fly's and hardy enough to bring in the biggest of salmon . As in finish of the blanks to reel seat hardy is only a peace of shit to it .it's a rod that has delivered 100% with out fail casts well not overly lite but it's stiffness catches all the time . Out of all the rods I have its the best next is the wychwood it's very light for all day use but I've lost so many fish onit it's lightness doesn't inbed the hook as much . Fenwick always made a super rod . Shakespeare has been a big cheap name over this side of the world you need to try them out . Probably number one selling rods in Europe tried an tested you should try a few of there rod with the big names brands but they have probably sold more rods than any of them that's Shakespeare . Not always the big name brands catch all the fish it's the fly your using and a stiffer rod that catches the the most fish . A bamboo rod of 80 years old can do the same trick as the most expensive rods out there to day . It's all in the fly how you present it and a little stiffer always lands the the fish . If you got the right fly on you can catch fish at your ankles as well as the other side of the river .
A pretty girl with brains.
Why thank you :)
@@HaleontheHunt An engineer with a personality... :) Love the data driven results, and super impressed with the consistency of results when you scored by "shooter". Keep em' coming.
@@andrewmcgaha9629 Wow! Thank you so much. Putting together some gear to do a tippet shootout next and maybe a hook shootout...? I've convinced myself that I have higher landing percentages with a certain hook but I'd like to formally test it out.
Imagine paying so much money $$$$$ for a rod that barely performs over a $$ spinning rod. Might as well stick with the inexpensive fly brands.
Why the hell do you pronounce the last words of a sentence moaning?
You forgot to mention that you can't cast! 🤣🤣🤣
Maybe learn to cast before doing a rod review 😅