Anderson’s newest 5 wt. rod shootout results are in.
Pretty comprehensive review of the rods.
I think this is a kind of subjective test result because rods feel different in different hands. It’s kind of a personal preference, don’t you think?
They always do a great review. Very thorough and gives a good perspective on what is out there in that class of performance. I enjoy the reviews every year, but unfortunate for me they never include a rod I will buy. I’m a progressive/glass guy, and the only rods I have over 8 feet are bass rods. While I can appreciate the products, it’s purely out of curiosity. Would love to see them do a 7-8’ 4/5wt small stream review with DT lines review. Then they would really have my attention. 
Kinda reminda me of a BEST PIZZA contest where some included anchovies.
Mark
Only some? How could it possibly be BEST PIZZA if doesn’t include anchovies?
“A comparison of this year’s best five-weight fly rods”
That’s the first line below the picture. Best in who’s opinion? Kind of subjective right from the start in my mind.
Brad
Brad, Did you read the entire explanation of the criteria used and, where appropriate, the objective data used…swing weights, warranties, etc.
How would you rate a whole bunch of fly rods concerning casting accuracy at 25’ and 45’ other than having a number of professionals try them and rate them?
Obviously, there is a lot of subjectivity. But, I have not seen a better attempt to provide good information on a whole lot of fly rods. Certainly better than asking a shop owner who only carries a few rod lines, in my opinion, that is.
i always read it with interest although it is unlikely i will ever need a new rod. i think it is always amazing how well some of the inexpensive rods fair. Thanks for posting it Byron
Yes, I too enjoy reading about the news and best…About 4 years ago, the “new” Hardy Zenith won. Based on the rating in their rod comparisons, I bought one. Have not been disappointed! It’s a great rod. Like so many things we use, they only get better and better!
I always like these shoot outs just so I can see what other fly fishermen think of rods. My one big wish is that they used more than just that one line. I had a 9’ 4wt Zenith before the 5 weight won the shoot out that year. I tried the line they used ( i think it was a GPX that year) on a 5 weight ( one of the shops guide rods) it was OK but when I put a RIO gold on it Boom it was a whole lot better. I too am happy that they test some of the less expensive rods that are out there. not everyone can drop $600-$800 on a fly rod, from what I see at the shop most people are hesitant to drop $400-$500 on a rod. Earlier this fall I cast both the Redington Hydrogen ( a clear case where a different line would have been a better choice) and the Fenwick Aetos they are both goo rods for the money. I also cast the Zephyrus and Wraith rods and got much the same feelings as were written about. If you have the $$ and are headed to special place were long casts needed the Wraith is the 1 rod to get. You can chuck a bunch of line and accurately to boot. as was said above - rods are one of the more “personal” parts of FF equipment so your mileage may vary.
steve
I haven’t and never will have occasion to cast all of those rods side by side, and doubt that I’d be very well qualified to judge them if I did. I’ve always found it to be an interesting read at best, and have just assumed some bias and personal preference with these kinds of reviews. It seems to me, since the earliest days that I can remember seeing these, that Loomis was always disproportionately represented at the top of his surveys, and to my mind that only heightens those suspicions.
John, have you fished any of the top end Loomis rods over the last several years?
I almost could have typed the challenge that I knew my comment would draw from you Byron, as I’ve seen that tendency on so many other threads. I stand by what I said. No I haven’t cast all the high end Loomis rods over the years, but that’s not the point of course, and absolutely not a requirement for me to express skepticism. Whether it’s fly rods or anything else, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow when somebody’s test of a wide variety of brands/models, with those models changing over a great many years, keeps shining a disproportionately favorable light on the same brand, especially if there’s any kind of relationship with that brand, whether it be one they sell or one with which they have other professional or personal relationships. Nothing I can say with certainty of course, because I can’t read the tester’s mind. But then neither can you, so as with the shootout I guess, we’ll all just have to have our own opinions. Peace.
Peace out, John
I would add that the top 4 rods in the comparison included 3 different manufacturers, I believe…and two of those were Hardy rods - not Loomis.
And, there was only about a 1.5% difference in score between the top ranked rod and the 4th ranked rod.
I would believe that any rod in the top 5-6 of the list would be a great rod, and I think someone thinking of purchasing a really nice rod would be well served to look at the top 5-6 rods in Anderson and staff’s review.
Personally, I think there is an awfully lot of valuable information in these shootouts, and I think that anyone that is in the market for a new fly rod would be well served by reading it.
And, I’d like to add my qualifier - I spend my summers just down the valley from George Anderson’s, and am in and out of there on and off all of the time. They are far from being one of my favorite fly shops, but I appreciate all the information on a number of rod makers they have taken the time to evaluate.
Sure, there is a lot of subjectivity in evaluating fly fishing equipment. However, that is exactly one of the things they tell you in these reviews. Many of the criteria that might make one piece of equipment go to the top of the list in one person’s mind might not be very important at all to another person. In general, I think Anderson tells you how and why he evaluated the rods as he did, and that would allow you to apply your own criteria in making you own evaluations. For example, I don’t care if it takes 6 weeks to get a rod back when I send it in for a warranty repair, versus getting it back in just a few days, since I have other rods that I can use in the interim. So, I could remove that criteria altogether, for example. And, I don’t like black colored rods, in general, so I might not give Loomis rods so high a rating, as I would green rods, like Winston, for example. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
And in the end, for me, you can take all these criteria for evaluating rods (or anything else for that matter) and make up a nice list, ranking from top to bottom using your best objective criteria. Then, at the end, you can throw it all out and just get whatever it is that makes you happy. After all, isn’t that what life is all about?
I agree. This is certainly one of the most objective rod reviews around. As others have mentioned, I appreciate that they include a range of rod price points. I don’t fish big western waters very often, but if I read the details and weight the criteria for what’s important to me – eg, performance at shorter distance, warranty, value – there is huge value to me. I read these every year and refer to them when I make a rod purchase.