6wt Fly Rod Shootout: Cheap vs. Best Rod of All Time

Let’s put some 6 wt fly rods to the test – the good, the bad, the ugly, the cheap, the expensive, and what may be “the best rod of all time.”

Rods:
@Sageflyfish1980 XP
@hardyfishing Zephrus
St. Croix Legend Ultra

Reel:

Fly Line:

Shooter’s notes:

Fenwick Aetos: Great rod. We all LOVED casting it. It was the FASTEST of these fast action rods and one of the only rods in this shootout that wasn’t overpowered by this 6wt triangle taper line. I’m not sure if there is a thing as too fast, but if there is, it might be this rod. We were worried that it might be a tippet breaker on hooksets because it is SO fast. This is Will’s personal rod and when we got to thinking about it, on a trip we took last year he did break off several fish on the hookset using this rod. If you can put a little finesse into your hooksets, this rod with this line was a great combination. If we get really picky and have to find something wrong with this rod, it was the half well handle. If you could put full wells and a fighting butt on this rod, it would be gold.

Douglas Sky: LOVED IT. Great rod at near distances and actually wins the accuracy portion of the shootout if you only look at the data up to 50 feet. Just a touch below Fenwick at the farthest distances but still a very respectable performance. Best rod grip of any rod we’ve cast. Since you hold the rod all the time and only need to hit those ultra-long casts occasionally, I think some of us would choose the Douglas over the Fenwick for that reason, especially on smaller rivers where those long casts are never needed. Also, from 45 feet (arguably the most used 6 wt casting distance), it won with clear margins.

Sage XP: I know that this rod can do better than it did in this shootout. I don’t think the triangle taper line is a good match for it. We think, as far as fly lines go, it is perfectly paired with the Scientific Anglers Steelhead Taper, another fantastic product that has been discontinued *sigh*.

Hardy Zephrus: We all liked it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked casting this rod. It wasn’t tippet-breaking fast but still had the backbone to cast long distances. This was a rod dad was going to sell after he got the Douglas Sky but after the shootout he’s changed his mind. He is going to keep this rod, pair it with an OPST commando line and use it as a single-handed spey rod.

Maxcatch Extreme: I was so disappointed that this rod didn’t do very well after seeing its little 3 wt sister do SO well. Don’t get me wrong, for $38 it still has excellent value and would be great for someone looking for a 6wt on a budget. It did handle the triangle taper well, better than most rods in the shootout, but it just wasn’t very accurate. We all felt like there wasn’t quite as much feedback to the handle when casting this rod, so it was a little tricky to feel the rod loading and to anticipate our casting strokes. On the plus side, I’ve heard that the extra weight and rigidity make it super durable: great for people who are a little rougher on their gear.

St. Croix Legend Ultra: None of us enjoyed casting this rod with this line. It was completely overpowered by this 6 wt triangle taper line even at very mid-range distances. Even though it claims it is, this rod just didn’t belong in a fast action 6 wt shootout. I would call it a medium action 5 wt at best. I don’t think this rod is junk, I just think to have an enjoyable casting experience with it, you need to underline it with a 5 or maybe even a 4 wt line.

Comments on rod handles: When it comes to 6 weight rods, a lot of rod manufacturers will sell 2 versions of their 6 wt rod: one with half wells and no fighting butt (typically called their freshwater version) and one with full wells and a fighting butt (typically called their saltwater version). In the shootout, we had 3 rods with each handle type, and it didn’t seem to affect performance, just preference. The winning rod had half wells while the second, third, and fourth place rods had full wells. My dad, Will, and I ALL prefer the feel of full wells and the added fighting butt for 6 wt rods (typically called the saltwater version although we are using these rods exclusively in freshwater).

I’m on Instagram @haleonthehunt

[analogpro]

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

[bruceacphoto]

I enjoyed your work here, very much.
TY!!

[BlutigeTranen]

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.

[gurumagoo]

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.

[JA-hnto]

I am a newbie to fly fishing and found this video very informative. GREAT VIDEO!

[farmerbob]

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.

[WinnebagoBrewingCo]

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.

[warrengiang]

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!

[MrGreencheetah]

Very well thought out and presented study!

[petergottschling]

Really nice and useful from every day fly fishers. thanks

[richardleary]

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

[dougbrown]

That was a great video. Interesting to see results when taking out your preferred Sage to see results.

[eddies]

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

[bobjohnson]

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.

[DrDitchpickle]

Really cool video! I'm kinda new to fly fishing so this was really helpful

[DanieHattingh]

😢 Some of those are so ridiculously far out of my budget it hurts. Makes me feel great about my 2nd hand Fenwick though, so thanks for that 😂

[milesrideout]

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.

[gunscratch]

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….

[Hapfletcher]

I still love my 1986 Sage Graphite III RPL 696... in a 6 wt.

[alexsorenson]

As an engineer I have to say your design of experiments is impeccable!!!!