Ran into local TCO shop in State College to pick up quick item.Saw interior of shop had compete redo and wall pass rod rack And what is this? Four new Scott Radian Rods?? Must have been in cave never heard squat and no time to even pick one up.But looks stunning and should for $800. Any body know about them ?
New Scott Rod?
- Thread starter jastrout
- Start date
fireroad
Well-known member
I was just getting ready to start a new thread about this rod to see if anyone cast it yet. It's Scott's new fast-action rod that will replace the S4 and is supposed to compete against/be an alternative to the Sage One. I believe they are targeting medium-fast action guys looking for a fast action to throw bigger bugs and cut through the wind. It just one "best new freshwater fly rod" and "best of show" at this year's IFTD show a few weeks ago. A number of the magazines have done short articles on it and they really like it FWIW. This one has a link to an interview and video.
http://www.tellurideangler.com/news...-line-on-Scott's-incredible-new-fly-rods.html
I really want to cast one in 6 wt.
http://www.tellurideangler.com/news...-line-on-Scott's-incredible-new-fly-rods.html
I really want to cast one in 6 wt.
mcnerney
Administrator
It will be interesting to see once a few customers have purchased the new Radian to see what folks have to say once they have had some time on the water fishing.
sweetandsalt
Well-known member
This rod sounds great, looks great and emanates from a great company...I look forward to trying one but they were yet to arrive in any of the Montana/Idaho shops I visited while on my annual Western adventure.
Test Cast: Ok lets set the stage , this is not Yellowstone shootout but an, average Joe ca
ster that is gear junkie.Took two rods to compare, Scott G-2 8'8" 5 ( only Scott I own ) and Helios 1 8'6"5 midflex ( last modern graphite purchased) . Use my reel ( Hatch 3 with new Rio Gold WF 5). Generic leader 9' 5 weight. Appearance : My barometer are custom glass rods by Mike Mcfarland , Matt Leiderman, and Larry Kenney . Three of the best. Well the Scott looks custom built. Shames the G2 but not a fair comparison . This rods looks the M series offered in the Scott web site. It is that attractive. Weight : Feels light super light in hand. I only casted the 905 to compare to my two personal rods with me. Feels like three weight. Ok is it lighter than Helios? W/O looking at figures it feels in my mitts identical. Frigging super light and balance.
Now to first cast: Again I am no Joan Wulff just average on good day but boy it made me look smooth. But so does the Helios. Is it fast? Yes comparing to any graphite that I own . Never casted a Sage One, Zenith, and my most powerful five weight is two piece 8'6" 5 GLoomis IM6 Blank, my Sages are SLT and ZXL. Faster than both of them BUT touch felt the same. Again just lawn casting opinion. . Much different than G 2 as stronger butt and swing weight was lighter. But I felt it could present a dry fly in same fashion. To me it was totally different rod with line speed ability with close approach finesse. I did not really match it against the Helios as there is the H2 and frankly 15-20 minutes is not enough time or sophisticated tests to do so. Buy it yes or no? Can this rod do more than anything I own now? Or will I catch more trout than using my Redington CT's ? Latter no but for $800 plus It may be well worth selling some unused rods and have one rod for my particular stream needs here in Pa. Again this was no way a report more than alittle behind the shop lawn playtime no real stream test but never have felt such an unique rod the instant I casted it.
ster that is gear junkie.Took two rods to compare, Scott G-2 8'8" 5 ( only Scott I own ) and Helios 1 8'6"5 midflex ( last modern graphite purchased) . Use my reel ( Hatch 3 with new Rio Gold WF 5). Generic leader 9' 5 weight. Appearance : My barometer are custom glass rods by Mike Mcfarland , Matt Leiderman, and Larry Kenney . Three of the best. Well the Scott looks custom built. Shames the G2 but not a fair comparison . This rods looks the M series offered in the Scott web site. It is that attractive. Weight : Feels light super light in hand. I only casted the 905 to compare to my two personal rods with me. Feels like three weight. Ok is it lighter than Helios? W/O looking at figures it feels in my mitts identical. Frigging super light and balance. Now to first cast: Again I am no Joan Wulff just average on good day but boy it made me look smooth. But so does the Helios. Is it fast? Yes comparing to any graphite that I own . Never casted a Sage One, Zenith, and my most powerful five weight is two piece 8'6" 5 GLoomis IM6 Blank, my Sages are SLT and ZXL. Faster than both of them BUT touch felt the same. Again just lawn casting opinion. . Much different than G 2 as stronger butt and swing weight was lighter. But I felt it could present a dry fly in same fashion. To me it was totally different rod with line speed ability with close approach finesse. I did not really match it against the Helios as there is the H2 and frankly 15-20 minutes is not enough time or sophisticated tests to do so. Buy it yes or no? Can this rod do more than anything I own now? Or will I catch more trout than using my Redington CT's ? Latter no but for $800 plus It may be well worth selling some unused rods and have one rod for my particular stream needs here in Pa. Again this was no way a report more than alittle behind the shop lawn playtime no real stream test but never have felt such an unique rod the instant I casted it.
fireroad
Well-known member
Thanks for the review Jastrout! I'm glad you mentioned the ZXL has that's what I primarily fish (905) but now that I have a Circa I want to upgrade the ZXL to a more all-around 5 wt. I really want the BIIIX but I may hold off until I cast the Radian.
mysticm
Well-known member
Nice review Jastrout! I may have to put up some of my rods to fund the Radian
By the way, I often wondered how one could gauge the sensitivity / feel of the rod w/o actually catching a fish on it. I suppose this would be very difficult to accomplish since most fly shops won't allow a test drive (fishing) for a new rod.
By the way, I often wondered how one could gauge the sensitivity / feel of the rod w/o actually catching a fish on it. I suppose this would be very difficult to accomplish since most fly shops won't allow a test drive (fishing) for a new rod.
troutnut4
Well-known member
You boys certainly have my vote if you want to sell your rods and jump to the Radian. Not much going on in the way of choice in the classifieds this summer.
sweetandsalt
Well-known member
I need another 9'/#5 about as much as I need a wind knot in my tippet...but this new Scott sounds fascinating and I can't wait to try one.
The performance differential among my core rods is more incremental and rod "personality" driven than dramatic as the majority of my trout fishing is match-the-hatch dry fly on medium to large rivers. Any rod from any maker that can convince me it offers an exceptional virtue is welcome in my collection.
Incidentally, I believe sensitivity, responsiveness/recovery rate, tracking and "feel" are all revealed in comprehensive test casting. Any rod, short of one that runs out of butt power, can be enjoyable when attached to a fine trout, and one that runs out of low end reserve will quickly reveal that during the distance component of test casting.
The performance differential among my core rods is more incremental and rod "personality" driven than dramatic as the majority of my trout fishing is match-the-hatch dry fly on medium to large rivers. Any rod from any maker that can convince me it offers an exceptional virtue is welcome in my collection.
Incidentally, I believe sensitivity, responsiveness/recovery rate, tracking and "feel" are all revealed in comprehensive test casting. Any rod, short of one that runs out of butt power, can be enjoyable when attached to a fine trout, and one that runs out of low end reserve will quickly reveal that during the distance component of test casting.
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mysticm
Well-known member
Already in the worksYou boys certainly have my vote if you want to sell your rods and jump to the Radian. Not much going on in the way of choice in the classifieds this summer.
....planning to round up all the extra bits of tackle this afternoon and list them shortly.
trout champ
Well-known member
Test cast today and was freakin amazing. Lighter than my 590 Z-Axis, but felt similar. Fast and when the guys in the shop tugged on her like a fish she felt alive. Good thing there are 3 paydays in August! Will definitely be picking one up after I get someone to rent me one to see how she truly fishes!
Randy
Randy
glacierjohn
Well-known member
Like you I also got to test cast a Radian yesterday and I also have a 590 Z-Axis. Unfortunately this shop only has the busy street in front of the shop as a place to test rods, so I was limited in distance and there were lots of distractions, cars going by and an overhead power line, kind of crazy really. If I plan ahead when they are not short handed we can take to rod to a park a couple of blocks away.
Anyway my first impression doing the inside the shop wiggle test is that it is much stiffer than my two Scott G-Series rods, very similar to my Z-Axis. It feels lighter in the hand, though the rod doesn't have it's weight written on it like most. It was hard to tell "feel" from the little casting I did, 25'-45', but it was effortless, the line just zipped right out there, and accurate, I was able to hit little leaves and other spots I aimed at without difficulty. I didn't think of having somebody tug on the line like a fish.
I really like the new guides, reel seat and full wells grip, not that keen on the color of rod or wraps, and though I always loved the unsanded blank, deep graphite grey and bronze-burgundy wraps on the classic G-Series, unsanded on this rod looks cheap compared to a Sage or Winston. All that said I still want one, I just have to decide whether to sell my slightly used (three times) 590 Z-Axis and get a 5 weight Radian, or keep the Z-Axis and get a six weight Radian.
John
biggie_robs
Well-known member
Well, I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling your Z, if you should decide to part with it.
fly_guy12955
Well-known member
I'm having a hard time picturing an ugly Scott rod.
sweetandsalt
Well-known member
This image is from Scott's web site. I have neither cast nor seen this rod in person but it looks plenty attractive in this image. Scott is not a flashy rod maker. Every aspect of their "look" is formed functionally. They make extra but invisible efforts to build a helically scrimed blank that is tough and true tracking and use the finest guides and components they can acquire or design. Their President/rod designer traces his time with the company back to its roots and original owner, Harry Wilson, a seminal figure in the history of the graphite fly rod. Again, I am eager to get my hands on one of these Radians.
glacierjohn
Well-known member
It's far from ugly, I just prefer the looks of my two old style Powr-plys. I know they had to go with a different color thread. Not going to keep me from buying one. For some reason the unsanded blank seems perfect on the original G-series, but I also like the dark, deep like the bottom of a deep pool, green on a Winston WT. To me that is the most beautiful rod ever made.
fireroad
Well-known member
trout champ and glacierjohn - Would your say the Radian was slower, as fast, or faster then your Z-Axis? Less stiff, similar or stiffer?
I personally can't wait to try the 6 wt version!
I personally can't wait to try the 6 wt version!
glacierjohn
Well-known member
It was hard to tell because I didn't want to cast my line on the street, so no side by side comparison. They were closer than I thought they'd be, but the Radian seemed to have a softer tip and maybe bent a little more further down the rod. I'll have to do a side by side in the park when I get back. My guess on a speed scale of Winston WT to Sage XP, With WT = 5 and XP = 10, Scott G = 6.5, Scott Radian = 8.2 and Sage Z-Axis = 9.0. Just a guess.
Scott is really marketing the Speed with feel which appeals to me, I need to test further to see how true that claim is. BTW, it was the 6 wt version I tried, very nice and felt lighter than my 5 wt Z-Axis.
John
gretch6364
Well-known member
I just found out about this rod and am very intrigued. I have a 7ft 3wt F2, 8'6" 4wt G2, and a 9ft 6wt S4.
Sometimes I struggle with whether to fish the 6wt or the 4wt and run into a fair number of situations where I want a small dry or emerger in the morning, hopper dropper in the afternoon and nymphing rig, then maybe a small streamer during an afternoon storm, and a small spinner dry in the evening.
I almost always end up fishing the 6wt if the river is large and with the soft tip on the S4, it is usually great....just sometimes wish I had something in the middle in 9ft...strongly considering a 10ft 5wt. Does this rod have the speed and backbone to handle being a 10ft rod?
I know what I am asking for Christmas! Maybe with a nice new Abel clicker.
Sometimes I struggle with whether to fish the 6wt or the 4wt and run into a fair number of situations where I want a small dry or emerger in the morning, hopper dropper in the afternoon and nymphing rig, then maybe a small streamer during an afternoon storm, and a small spinner dry in the evening.
I almost always end up fishing the 6wt if the river is large and with the soft tip on the S4, it is usually great....just sometimes wish I had something in the middle in 9ft...strongly considering a 10ft 5wt. Does this rod have the speed and backbone to handle being a 10ft rod?
I know what I am asking for Christmas! Maybe with a nice new Abel clicker.
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