Radian is perhaps the best 5 weight on the market for pure fishability

[czando]

Wanted to update my previous review of the radian when I said it was a great wading rod but did not have the cojones to be a drift boat rod.

Well after some great fishing this summer on the west branch of the Delaware, I have to say the radian is an awesome drift boat rod.

As is usually the case a line change made all the difference. I am fishing the new Wulff triangle Taper Plus TT 5F on it and it is an absolute perfect match. It really brings out a side of that Rod I didn't know existed.

Interestingly I am using an old bauer M2 on it while I rationalize my reel collection. Just threw it on one day for fun and it is actually a nice match. I was using an abel 5N which I now think was too heavy while the 4N a tad light so at 4.9 ounces the old M2 is in between. I lubed up the cork and the drag was singing yesterday on some nice WB fish ink using an absolute pig that was 22 inches on 6x.


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[glacierjohn]

Wanted to update my previous review of the radian when I said it was a great wading rod but did not have the cojones to be a drift boat rod.

Well after some great fishing this summer on the west branch of the Delaware, I have to say the radian is an awesome drift boat rod.

As is usually the case a line change made all the difference. I am fishing the new Wulff triangle Taper Plus TT 5F on it and it is an absolute perfect match. It really brings out a side of that Rod I didn't know existed.

Interestingly I am using an old bauer M2 on it while I rationalize my reel collection. Just threw it on one day for fun and it is actually a nice match. I was using an abel 5N which I now think was too heavy while the 4N a tad light so at 4.9 ounces the old M2 is in between. I lubed up the cork and the drag was singing yesterday on some nice WB fish ink using an absolute pig that was 22 inches on 6x.


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Thanks for posting. I was wondering about your post last year, as I fish almost exclusively out of my drift boat and my 905 Radian is ideal when the wind picks up. I have a Galvan T-4 on mine with a Rio Gold WF5F.

 

[eastfly66]

Any thoughts on how it is at close range and with a sink tip , say a 24 footer ?

 

[czando]

I was fishing 16 foot leaders with only ten feet of line out for some of the fish that were close and it loaded perfectly and also could hit 60 feet with a big mend and it was equalled deadly. Goes to show that you really need time with a rod on the water to really evaluate and try different lines and reels. My problem is I have so little time on the water when I do I only want to fish and no think about my gear. I do a lot of experimenting on the lawn or a local pond but not the same as a 18 inch brown sipping emerges 50 feet from the boat.

Never tried a sink tip on this rod and I would think it would be ok with something lighter like a 150 grain head.


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---------- Post added at 06:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:03 PM ----------

Sorry for all the typos, trying to do too many things at once!


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---------- Post added at 06:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:05 PM ----------

The title of my post should been "Radian is perhaps the best 5 weight on the market for pure fishability"

Now they need to make a Radian 9' 3 weight,


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[mcnerney]

Great review, I updated the post title for you.

 

[eastfly66]

Great review, I updated the post title for you.

...and I was going to ask CZ how the heck he did that ?

 

[saflyfish]

I personally think having a reel over 4.6oz on the radian 5wt negates in some way the light swing weight of the rod.Just got my new nautilus fwx 5/6 on that rod and its a perfect match...its 4.5oz.
I have tried a 5oz reel on the radian but to me feels slightly butt heavy but we all have different preferences i guess.

 

[dwizum]

As is usually the case a line change made all the difference. I am fishing the new Wulff triangle Taper Plus TT 5F on it and it is an absolute perfect match. It really brings out a side of that Rod I didn't know existed.

Out of curiosity, what line did you have on it before the Wulff?

 

[slips74]

I love my Radian 905! I have yet to find a situation that it won't handle in my trout fishing. I have the Abel Sealed Drag 4/5 with Rio Gold WF5F. The Abel is slightly heavier than the Hatch 4+ that I had on it but it doesn't seem to make any difference for me. :weight_li Just a wonderful rod... period.

 

[bob3700]

I installed a Lamson Guru2 on my 905 n the balance is right at the fwd end of the cork. Been using SA GPX 5wf line and really line the feel n accuracy of the combination.

 

[golfnfish]

I have a Hatch Finatic 4+ with Rio Gold line on mine and I couldn't be more pleased. I liked the 905 so much I bought a 10' 4wt.

I plan on keeping the 905 a long time.

 

[jastrout]

The local shop that carries Scott had an salesperson steer me away from the Radian as he knew my fondness for modern glass, and that had purchased two Orvis Superfine Glass from him and that this new Scott would be radically faster than my older Scott G2 885. And truthfully spending $850 (Pa sales tax) was not needed, so as of yet have not casted one. Plan to change that this Friday, so what I did was buy sight uncasted Hardy Zeinth 905 ( at big savings)and am giggly in love. Now if the Scott is similar to the Hardy there will be one in my quiver. Yes I like glass but the Zeinth in my hands is not stiff or overbearing fast and I suspect the same for the Radian.

 

[sweetandsalt]

I was fishing 16 foot leaders with only ten feet of line out for some of the fish that were close and it loaded perfectly and also could hit 60 feet with a big mend and it was equalled deadly. Goes to show that you really need time with a rod on the water to really evaluate and try different lines and reels. My problem is I have so little time on the water when I do I only want to fish and no think about my gear. I do a lot of experimenting on the lawn or a local pond but not the same as a 18 inch brown sipping emerges 50 feet from the boat.

Boy is that the truth. I've always opined a lot can be learned on the lawn and it can, particularly line match up, but only actual fishing reveals a rods character and parameters. It took me a month to actually "understand" ONE and, though the learning curve was much faster (if not the action), I had to grow into NRX#6 this season particularly as I received it just a couple of days prior to departing for the West so the first time I actually fished it was on the Missouri...I liked it right away but "got" it after a few days of hard core fishing. And my partner has his brand new Radian #6...

 

[glacierjohn]

Boy is that the truth. I've always opined a lot can be learned on the lawn and it can, particularly line match up, but only actual fishing reveals a rods character and parameters. It took me a month to actually "understand" ONE and, though the learning curve was much faster (if not the action), I had to grow into NRX#6 this season particularly as I received it just a couple of days prior to departing for the West so the first time I actually fished it was on the Missouri...I liked it right away but "got" it after a few days of hard core fishing. And my partner has his brand new Radian #6...

Hey S&S, did you guys trade back and forth? I know you preferred the NRX over the Radian, how about your buddy, would he go NRX if he had to do it again? Some people (Yellowstone Anglers and my hard core fishing buddy) prefer the NRX LP over the faster, more powerful NRX, from doing the wiggle test the NRX LP seems closer to my Scott G than my Radian, is that the way it seems to you?

 

[czando]

I had both the Airflo sixth sense and the Gold on it but this Wulff plus is the bomb. Loops as tight as my Method at all distances.


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---------- Post added at 07:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:21 PM ----------

One last point is that Bauer makes really top end reels with awesome drags and not sure why they are not more popular. This M2 I forgot I had has such a smooth drag that landing 18+ fish on 6x was no issue.


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[sweetandsalt]

Hey S&S, did you guys trade back and forth? I know you preferred the NRX over the Radian, how about your buddy, would he go NRX if he had to do it again? Some people (Yellowstone Anglers and my hard core fishing buddy) prefer the NRX LP over the faster, more powerful NRX, from doing the wiggle test the NRX LP seems closer to my Scott G than my Radian, is that the way it seems to you?

Yes, we switched off under several differing conditions. Preferred NRX? Really, I thought they were both top 6-weight rods but different. And understand we both had ONE#5's with us too. Radian genuinely has the "fast with feel" thing going for it which, together with its light weight is excellent. NRX is notably heavier (not heavy, heavier than Radian) but has exceptional smooth, accessible power on tap that is a big plus on a river the scale of the Missouri. There are a number of places we fish via wading where fish rise on current seams from the calf deep shallow shore to the belly deep middle of the run. But there, against the slower far bank, replete with weed enshrouded rocks and overhanging willow brush, a few big heads tend to subtley sip. Booming out 60+' tight looped casts to these fish with exaggerated in-air mends is NRX's forte. And the 6-weight version loads very well in close too though Radian would be the specialist here. I could happily fish both. I do not, however, like the NRX LP. True, I have not fished one just lawn cast the #'s 4 & 5 finding them too deep flexing and lacking the line speed and loop control of their original version. If I was looking for a rod with that kind of progressive deep flex profile there are other rods that might well be better (though not according to G. Anderson). Some of the Helios H2's, Winston BIIIx's, some of the T&T's and notably the Seele Tailwind. The new Sage "Mod" could (surely will) be a winner in this class too. My medium-fast Zenith fills this roll in my quiver though it is surely quicker with more low end reserve that the LP.

 

[glacierjohn]

Yes, we switched off under several differing conditions. Preferred NRX? Really, I thought they were both top 6-weight rods but different. And understand we both had ONE#5's with us too. Radian genuinely has the "fast with feel" thing going for it which, together with its light weight is excellent. NRX is notably heavier (not heavy, heavier than Radian) but has exceptional smooth, accessible power on tap that is a big plus on a river the scale of the Missouri. There are a number of places we fish via wading where fish rise on current seams from the calf deep shallow shore to the belly deep middle of the run. But there, against the slower far bank, replete with weed enshrouded rocks and overhanging willow brush, a few big heads tend to subtley sip. Booming out 60+' tight looped casts to these fish with exaggerated in-air mends is NRX's forte. And the 6-weight version loads very well in close too though Radian would be the specialist here. I could happily fish both. I do not, however, like the NRX LP. True, I have not fished one just lawn cast the #'s 4 & 5 finding them too deep flexing and lacking the line speed and loop control of their original version. If I was looking for a rod with that kind of progressive deep flex profile there are other rods that might well be better (though not according to G. Anderson). Some of the Helios H2's, Winston BIIIx's, some of the T&T's and notably the Seele Tailwind. The new Sage "Mod" could (surely will) be a winner in this class too. My medium-fast Zenith fills this roll in my quiver though it is surely quicker with more low end reserve that the LP.

Really fantastic review, thanks! It's amazing how Scott really did that "fast with feel" thing, isn't it? What line does your buddy have on his Radian? I know it's a six, and I'm very satisfied with my Rio Gold, but now Czando has me wondering about the Wulff TT+.

One more thing, I really can't justify a new rod purchase now, but ever since your six weight renaissance thread, and the realization that I really like my few six weights, I've been thinking hard about a new, light weight six. I was torn between a Sage One or another Radian, but with Zenith closeouts available for half cost I have to consider a Zenith. What do you think, especially knowing that I lean toward the medium side of speed?

 

[sweetandsalt]

Well, I consider Zenith to be medium fast, deeper flexing and slower than either ONE or Radian...but no slouch. I have never checked out the Zenith #6 but I'll bet its sweet...and on sale. We fished a standard Gold on the #6 Radian and an Airflo Ridge Tactical on the NRX #6. I tried a RIO Perception on the NRX too but it liked the Tactical (a Renee Harrop design) better. There is a line tread down in Lines and Leaders about SA's Mastery VPT worth looking at by Triangle Taper fans.