I’m not sure what I expected from the Orvis Recon, but it wasn’t what I got. Honestly, up until a couple of years ago I didn’t think much about Orvis fly rods. I owned one years ago. A nine weight that I bought for a trip to Alaska. The rod was fine, but what saved me was the service. I broke the rod days before my trip. I walk into the Orvis store and walked out with a new rod. I’ve had a lot of respect for Orvis customer service ever since. By these criteria, the unsanded Orvis Superfine rods, e.g., Trout, Far and Fine, Henry's Fork, 7-11, Spring Creek, etc., made up to about 1988 or 1990 are pretty 'classic'-as graphite rods go. (The All-Rounder is another old Orvis rod, a 7-weight, that feels a lot like Orvis' older rods-for an early graphite rod. Orvis 7/11 4wt. The only vintage Orvis graphite I own is a staggered ferrule 8'3' #7 'Allrounder' built in 1979. It only weighs 2.6 oz and is an absolute marvel. (Rich, I have a couple of T&T Special Dry Fly rods - I agree, fantastic rods.) Orvis, Scott, T&T and Winston made wonderful graphite rods back in the day. When it came to rod action and performance, I guess I always thought of Orvis as a little old-fashioned. That changed when I fell in love with the Helios II. I now own 4 H2s and fish them all the time. When Orvis introduced the Superfine Glass I fell in love again. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. Still, when I heard that Orvis was bringing out a mid-priced rod made in America, my expectations were somewhat limited. I guess I expected a medium action trout rod that wasn’t too inspiring. After all, what could you expect for $425? It turns out the answer is, something pretty awesome! The Recon may be middle of the road in price, but in every other way it’s way out front. A fast powerful action, light weight, beautiful finish and sweet hardware. It only feels like a bargain when you’re paying for it. I have the 9′ 5 weight. It’s a very light rod by market standards. Not as light as the H2 when you put them on the scale but it feels light in the hand. It’s a tip flex action. Just fast enough to make you say, “WOW!” but enough flex in the butt and mid to fight fish on light tippet with confidence. It’s the perfect rod for a day when fishing dry flies turns to hucking streamers. I have done it all with the Recon and I can not find a fishing situation where it feels like a compromise. I said “wow” again when I saw the Recon.It’s tastefully and beautifully finished. The blank is “Shadow Green” with chestnut wraps, the hardware is black nickel silver and the guides are chrome. The cork is very nice and the five weight has a half Wells grip. The reel seat spacer is a smoky wood. The finish is outstanding. All around a beautiful rod. I don’t know what the conversations were like at Orvis when this rod was being developed but I’d be shocked if no one expressed concerns that it was too good for the money and might cut into sales of the H2. It might, in fact. Casting the two rods, they feel very similar. The H2 is better in my opinion, but not by much. I’ve not had the chance to fish the saltwater Recon. I look forward to having the chance. I can’t say enough about how impressed I am in the rods from the Orvis shop. They’ve produced three winners in a row. If you are in the market for a mid-priced rod, I don’t think you can do better than the Recon. It may, in fact, be too good for the money. Louis CahillGink & Gasoline[email protected]Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
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