Hardy Zenith 8'6" 5 wt?

[bevanwj]

Does anyone here have first hand experience with the Zenith 8'6" 5 wt? I'm curious how it stacks up against it's 9' counterpart. Cheers!

 

[james w 3 3]

Perhaps this will help in case no one chimes in.

I have owned and fished the 8'6" 9' and 8'10" 4wts. The 8'10" (one piece) is a very different cat, but the difference casting the 8'6" and the 9' is almost zero. With my eyes closed I don't think I could tell you which I was casting.
I sold the 8'6" and kept the others.

Like ALL rods matching the right line is sooo important. With so many lines now becoming so grossly overweight your issue is going to be much more line selection than a pretty minor difference between the two rods.

 

[jastrout]

James, great response as I have the 9' 5 and promptly sought out a 4 wght , as eventually settled on the 10' 4 as the mythical 8'10" 4 one piece I have never seen on secondary market or thru any of my sources.

 

[fredaevans]

James nailed it, cast both and couldn't tell the difference.:shocking:

 

[jastrout]

Not to steal this thread, but has anyone casted the new version( Zephrus -oops spelling ), as the Zeniths are remarkable rods.

 

[bevanwj]

Perhaps this will help in case no one chimes in.

I have owned and fished the 8'6" 9' and 8'10" 4wts. The 8'10" (one piece) is a very different cat, but the difference casting the 8'6" and the 9' is almost zero. With my eyes closed I don't think I could tell you which I was casting.
I sold the 8'6" and kept the others.

Like ALL rods matching the right line is sooo important. With so many lines now becoming so grossly overweight your issue is going to be much more line selection than a pretty minor difference between the two rods.

Thanks. I thought that might be the case. Most of what I have read is that the 9' Zenith excels mid to long distance and lacks feel in close i.e. up to 30'. I wondered if the 8'6" might be a little softer making it better up close and also better as a dry fly rod while the 9' would be the better nymphing rod?

 

[eastfly66]

the 9' Zenith excels mid to long distance and lacks feel in close i.e. up to 30'. I wondered if the 8'6" might be a little softer making it better up close and also better as a dry fly rod while the 9' would be the better nymphing rod?

The 9' cast as well or better in close as any other 9 footer I have tried. I think it has a slightly softer tip and bends farther down the blank than my Radian 905. I use a SA Mastery Trout line on it, both rods actually. I don't know anything of the #5 Zenith ...a shorter rod is always nicer at close range thou ....but if you can archive the same result with the longer rod ? ....probably the reason James sold the 8'6" ...better to have it (length) and not need it than the other way around ..