![]() One of the things you’ll notice with lower quality rods is that the taper of the rod is uneven, which causes improper loading at certain casting distances. The rod has a smooth, fast action that enables long, accurate casts at various distances. While my initial impressions about rod weight, and the comfort of the handle were impressive, I was even more surprised once I was able to get a few casts in. For the purposes of this review I used a 6 weight, 9 ft version of the rod. PerformanceĪccording to Orvis’ site, the rod comes only in 9 foot lengths with a weight rating from 4 through 12. When holding another rod and then picking up the Helios, it’s clear to anybody that the comfort level on the grip is significantly improved over most rods. It’s extremely smooth, cushioned, and free of blemishes. Orvis does not officially publish what grade of cork that is used for the grip, but after using the rod, referencing the published standards, and comparing to my existing collection, it seems apparent to me that they are using a higher grade cork that is at least CG2 if not CG1. The Rod Builder Cork Grade Rating systems grades cork on three different levels – CG1, CG2, and CG3. There are various levels of quality when sourcing cork. ![]() This alloy apparently doesn’t require plating, cannot corrode in any environment, and returns to its original shape after repeated deformations. These are high quality REC recoil snake guides that are built with an extremely hard, but flexible “shape memory” alloy. Composition: GuidesĪnother great feature is the SiC/Titanium stripping guides black epoxy sealing the black wrappings underneath. The dual screw locks do a great job almost completely eliminating this from happening. And if you’re like me, that always seems to happen at the worst possible time. A single screw lock means there’s a high probability that the reel can come loose while fishing. Although this is fairly standard on most fly rods nowadays, those other rods on the market that only have a single screw lock can create serious problems. The reel seat comes with the standard up-locking configuration where the locking mechanism pushes the reel upwards towards the tip of the rod.Īlso worth noting is the dual screw locks on the reel seat. This rod features a type III anodized aluminum midnight black reel seat with matte midnight carbon insert. To be honest I’m not blown away by the looks, but the design is adequate. Specifically, the US made high quality graphite blank comes in a matte midnight finish with either the black on white, or black on turquoise Orvis logo at the bottom end of the rod near the grip. The Orvis Helios 3D is a lightweight, yet sturdy rod that feels well-balanced on first inspection. Meanwhile the other half of the review will revolve around the value received, and whether the performance is worth the price tag. ![]() For the purposes of this review we’ll be looking at various levels of performance and quality of the product. Whether or not that price tag is justified is a fairly subjective question that will change depending on the person you’re talking to (and the size of their bank account). The Helios 3D is the top-of-the-line rod from Orvis with high performance, but also a relatively high price tag. But if I told you that it was an Orvis rod, that would probably change things a bit. So if I told you that you could only own one fly rod for the rest of your life, and that rod was from some fly-by-night, no-name company you had never heard of, you would probably not be happy. Obviously their brand loyalty goes a long way. Many new fly fishermen eventually find their way to the Orvis website to learn various fishing techniques from the library of instructional videos with founder Tom Rosenbauer. Generally speaking, Orvis has a great reputation that they’ve built over the years with the quality of their fly fishing products, and the trust that they’ve built with their customers. ![]()
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