Echo Ion XL, TFO Clouser or Redington Vice

[mjkirshner]

I am looking for a 6-weight rod for light saltwater, to throw small bonefish/snook/redfish flies on those (rare) days with calm water and little or no wind. I have a 6-wt for freshwater that I like very much, so this won't replace that rod, and I have 8- and 9-weights for general saltwater fishing. This will definitely be a "niche" rod that won't get a ton of use, so I am trying to keep the price under $200. After some research, the choice is narrowed down to the Echo Ion XL, TFO Clouser or Redington Vice. All three get good reviews all three companies have great warranties. I'm sure any one of them would serve the purpose well. I've chosen these because they are designed for use in salt, while most 6-weights appear designed for freshwater only. If anyone has an opinion on any of these rods or a suggestion for another sub-$200 6-wt saltwater rod, I would appreciate the input.

 

[pnc]

Not sure of the rod price. Built mine from blank. Use it more often than I thought I would building it. That is a TFO - TiCrX. One of the three I have is a 6w. Not sure of the actions of rods mentioned. TiCrX is fast. Surpassed expectations , and confidence in rod grows every time. Strong rod for a 6w.
If I remember right blank was around 140.

...... pc

 

[mjkirshner]

Not sure of the rod price. Built mine from blank. Use it more often than I thought I would building it. That is a TFO - TiCrX. One of the three I have is a 6w. Not sure of the actions of rods mentioned. TiCrX is fast. Surpassed expectations , and confidence in rod grows every time. Strong rod for a 6w.
If I remember right blank was around 140.

...... pc

Thank you. I have a BVK and it is a great casting rod. The TiCrX is a little above the budget I set, but according to the literature, the Clouser is basically a version of the TiCr, at a little lower price point for some reason. As I said, I think that any one of the three I am considering will almost certainly serve the purpose very well. I am just trying to determine if one of them stands out above the others in any way. The Redington is about 25% lighter than the other two, which could be the deciding factor.

Also, I forgot to mention that Allen recently put their 6-weights on sale and I bought a Volant. I have only cast it out on the grass, but I don't think I like it much. I was looking at the Alluvion but got the Volant because it was discounted more and actually ended up costing less, even though the retail price is $100 more. So I can keep the Volant, return it and get the Alluvion, or return the Volant for a refund and get one of the other three. The Volant is as light as the Redington, and cost me less, but I don't know if I like it, so I am very conflicted.

 

[wee hooker]

I recently purchased a 10' 6 wt Ion XL to use for spring hickory shad and schoolie stripers in a local river. Very light rod. It will handle a 7 wt but was just right with a 6 wt gpx line. For the price, I think it's a heck of a rod.

 

[brownbass]

Thank you. I have a BVK and it is a great casting rod. The TiCrX is a little above the budget I set, but according to the literature, the Clouser is basically a version of the TiCr, at a little lower price point for some reason. As I said, I think that any one of the three I am considering will almost certainly serve the purpose very well. I am just trying to determine if one of them stands out above the others in any way. The Redington is about 25% lighter than the other two, which could be the deciding factor.

Also, I forgot to mention that Allen recently put their 6-weights on sale and I bought a Volant. I have only cast it out on the grass, but I don't think I like it much. I was looking at the Alluvion but got the Volant because it was discounted more and actually ended up costing less, even though the retail price is $100 more. So I can keep the Volant, return it and get the Alluvion, or return the Volant for a refund and get one of the other three. The Volant is as light as the Redington, and cost me less, but I don't know if I like it, so I am very conflicted.

I have the Allen Volant in 5 weight. I believe you have 30 days to try it out as long as you don't remove the plastic wrap on the handle you can return it. I took mine fishing and found it to be a nice rod for the money. It isn't the fast action that the Vice is but it works fine for me.

 

[mjkirshner]

The Volant is as light as the Redington, and cost me less, but I don't know if I like it, so I am very conflicted.

So, I thought that maybe it was just too windy when I tested the Volant and decided to give it another try. I am no longer conflicted. When I said that I don't know if I like it, I was wrong. I know. I hate it. It is a very nicely constructed rod. I still have the plastic on the handle, but the cork looks to be at least as good as on my Sage Motive. The color is a little startling, but I could get used to it. But the handle is thick and the rod feels huge in my hand. And it just plain casts like cr*p. The loops are big and billowy, and the fly looks like a Blue Angel doing aerobatic maneuvers. And it is not me. Oh, no. Don't get me wrong: it could be me... but it's not. I put the same line, leader and fly, on my 8' Greys GR50, and it casts beautifully, with nice tight loops, and the fly landing right where I want it to. The Volant has gotten great reviews, so maybe the other weights are great and it is just the 6 that is not right. Or I got a lemon. In any case, back it goes. Next!!

---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:45 PM ----------

I have the Allen Volant in 5 weight. I believe you have 30 days to try it out as long as you don't remove the plastic wrap on the handle you can return it. I took mine fishing and found it to be a nice rod for the money.

With all due respect, that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. :icon_bigg It sounds like you can live with it, but you don't love it. I actually have an Allen Compass, and my opinion of Allen rods is that the build quality is above the price point. The Compass looks like a rod costing a lot more than $99. And it casts nicely. In fact, I tested the Compass and Volant side-by-side for a couple of hours, switching the same reel/line/fly back and forth between the two, and found that the Compass seems to cast just as well as the Volant... at a third of the price. The Volant looks like a really well made rod, and that it should cost more than it does. As I said, the cork looks better than that on my Sage, at a lower price, and the cork and finish look better than my TFO BVK at close to the same price. I think Allen makes a nice product, and maybe the Volant is a fine rod, but the 6-wt may just be an outlier. I've heard of that happening with other rods, where all the rods in the line are great except for one size. I note that I bought the Volant because the 6-wt was heavily discounted; the other sizes were not reduced as much as the 6 was. Maybe I found out why.

It isn't the fast action that the Vice is but it works fine for me.

Does that mean that you feel the Vice may cast better? Or just different?

 

[clouserguyky]

Get the Vice. While it's color is also pretty startling, it's performance and build quality is some of the best Redington has put forward (assuming the new Crux is better, but haven't touched one yet.) I have the 908-4 Vice and love it. It performs far above it's price range. Both models are safe for saltwater use, but for your purposes I'd get the one with a fighting butt.

 

[mjkirshner]

Get the Vice. While it's color is also pretty startling, it's performance and build quality is some of the best Redington has put forward (assuming the new Crux is better, but haven't touched one yet.) I have the 908-4 Vice and love it. It performs far above it's price range. Both models are safe for saltwater use, but for your purposes I'd get the one with a fighting butt.

Thank you for the advice. I was leaning that way, but I found a Loop Xact (older version) on Bass Pro's site for a very good price, and ordered one. It does not have a fighting butt, but all of the other hardware seems to be salt-resistant. I wanted a rod with the full wells grip and fighting butt, but the selection of 6-wts with those features is limited, and I honestly don't know how much need I have for the fighting butt in a 6-wt. If I am targeting bigger fish, I will go with the 8 or 9, and I really wanted the lightest possible outfit, so maybe the smaller grip and no butt is better anyway. In comparing the casting of the Compass and Volant, I found that in such a light rod, I liked the feel of the half wells grip on the Compass over the full on the Volant. I felt as if I could aim the fly better with the hand position on the half wells, whereas the hand position on the full wells seems more geared toward power. Since I want this rod for clear days, no wind and small fish, I think presentation is going to be more important than distance, so the half wells grip may really work better. There are few reviews of the Loop Xact, but the info I can find is generally positive. If I don't like it, I can return it and I am only out the cost of shipping. Then I will order the Vice.

---------- Post added at 08:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 AM ----------

As a side issue, I'm finding that the challenge here is resisting "price creep." As I research these rods, I keep getting excited about a review, and think "I'll get one of those," but then realize that the price is two or three times what I intend to spend, and the amount of use that this rod will get simply does not just justify that. I don't really have a budget, so I don't know how much is too much, but like the old line about pornography, I can't define it, but I know it when I see it! The other night, after a couple glasses of wine with dinner, I was looking at reviews online and thinking, "Don't worry about the price, and just get a good rod that you will really enjoy." Then I found myself ready to pull the trigger on a new Orvis Recon combo with Hydros reel on sale at the bargain price of $683! I put down the wine, backed away from the "Place Order" button, and took a breath. Then I reminded myself that I wanted to get a rod for $200 and that I have a perfectly good reel for it, with a brand new line. But those $600 and $800 rods are soooo seductive...

Man, fly gear is like a drug!

Let's be clear here: I do not need another fly rod... BUT I WANT ONE!!

I have a 4, a 5, a 6, an 8, and 8/9 and two 9's...

...and my brain is screaming "YOU NEED A 7!! Look. LOOK THERE! There's a gap between the 6 and the 8. You have to fill that."

Then I tell myself that I have an 8, so if I want to fish a 7, just grab the 8. But sometimes an 8 feels like just too much, and I really like the feel of light gear, so a 6 for salt seems like it could be fun. And I have a 6, but it is truly a fresh water rod: 8' with a wood reel seat insert, and just not right for salt. So, a new 9' 6-weight with saltwater hardware seems like the answer.

And now here I am, obsessing about it every damn day!

If I just dropped the six or seven bills on that nice, nice combo, I could get back to work and not waste all this time... yeah... yeeaaahhhh.....

 

[txh2oman]

Thank you for the advice. I was leaning that way, but I found a Loop Xact (older version) on Bass Pro's site for a very good price, and ordered one. It does not have a fighting butt, but all of the other hardware seems to be salt-resistant. I wanted a rod with the full wells grip and fighting butt, but the selection of 6-wts with those features is limited, and I honestly don't know how much need I have for the fighting butt in a 6-wt. If I am targeting bigger fish, I will go with the 8 or 9, and I really wanted the lightest possible outfit, so maybe the smaller grip and no butt is better anyway. In comparing the casting of the Compass and Volant, I found that in such a light rod, I liked the feel of the half wells grip on the Compass over the full on the Volant. I felt as if I could aim the fly better with the hand position on the half wells, whereas the hand position on the full wells seems more geared toward power. Since I want this rod for clear days, no wind and small fish, I think presentation is going to be more important than distance, so the half wells grip may really work better. There are few reviews of the Loop Xact, but the info I can find is generally positive. If I don't like it, I can return it and I am only out the cost of shipping. Then I will order the Vice.

---------- Post added at 08:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 AM ----------

As a side issue, I'm finding that the challenge here is resisting "price creep." As I research these rods, I keep getting excited about a review, and think "I'll get one of those," but then realize that the price is two or three times what I intend to spend, and the amount of use that this rod will get simply does not just justify that. I don't really have a budget, so I don't know how much is too much, but like the old line about pornography, I can't define it, but I know it when I see it! The other night, after a couple glasses of wine with dinner, I was looking at reviews online and thinking, "Don't worry about the price, and just get a good rod that you will really enjoy." Then I found myself ready to pull the trigger on a new Orvis Recon combo with Hydros reel on sale at the bargain price of $683! I put down the wine, backed away from the "Place Order" button, and took a breath. Then I reminded myself that I wanted to get a rod for $200 and that I have a perfectly good reel for it, with a brand new line. But those $600 and $800 rods are soooo seductive...

Man, fly gear is like a drug!

Let's be clear here: I do not need another fly rod... BUT I WANT ONE!!

I have a 4, a 5, a 6, an 8, and 8/9 and two 9's...

...and my brain is screaming "YOU NEED A 7!! Look. LOOK THERE! There's a gap between the 6 and the 8. You have to fill that."

Then I tell myself that I have an 8, so if I want to fish a 7, just grab the 8. But sometimes an 8 feels like just too much, and I really like the feel of light gear, so a 6 for salt seems like it could be fun. And I have a 6, but it is truly a fresh water rod: 8' with a wood reel seat insert, and just not right for salt. So, a new 9' 6-weight with saltwater hardware seems like the answer.

And now here I am, obsessing about it every damn day!

If I just dropped the six or seven bills on that nice, nice combo, I could get back to work and not waste all this time... yeah... yeeaaahhhh.....

Wait .... You don't have anything from 000-3wt?! Man ... You got more gaps to fill!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[clouserguyky]

I know the feeling. At one point I had a 4, two 5s, two 6s, a 7, and an 8. But 99% of the time I walk out the door I grab one of the 6 weights. Now I have it thinned down to one 5, two 6s, a 7, and an 8 and those five have me covered for all freshwater needs and the occasional salt trip. I really could get by with a 5 and a 6 though for about everything I do most of the year.

 

[mjkirshner]

The Loop Xact arrived and I liked the way it cast but disliked the composite grip. It casts a little better than the Allen Compass (but only marginally), and had a nicer finish, but the Allen has a better grip. I returned the Volant and Allen has agreed to honor the same 40% coupon code for the Alluvion. The Alluvion is a faster action than the Volant or the Compass, and is the one I intended to buy in the first place, so I am hoping to like it a lot. If that does not work out, then I will order the Vice.

 

[brownbass]

So, I thought that maybe it was just too windy when I tested the Volant and decided to give it another try. I am no longer conflicted. When I said that I don't know if I like it, I was wrong. I know. I hate it. It is a very nicely constructed rod. I still have the plastic on the handle, but the cork looks to be at least as good as on my Sage Motive. The color is a little startling, but I could get used to it. But the handle is thick and the rod feels huge in my hand. And it just plain casts like cr*p. The loops are big and billowy, and the fly looks like a Blue Angel doing aerobatic maneuvers. And it is not me. Oh, no. Don't get me wrong: it could be me... but it's not. I put the same line, leader and fly, on my 8' Greys GR50, and it casts beautifully, with nice tight loops, and the fly landing right where I want it to. The Volant has gotten great reviews, so maybe the other weights are great and it is just the 6 that is not right. Or I got a lemon. In any case, back it goes. Next!!

---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:45 PM ----------


With all due respect, that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. :icon_bigg It sounds like you can live with it, but you don't love it. I actually have an Allen Compass, and my opinion of Allen rods is that the build quality is above the price point. The Compass looks like a rod costing a lot more than $99. And it casts nicely. In fact, I tested the Compass and Volant side-by-side for a couple of hours, switching the same reel/line/fly back and forth between the two, and found that the Compass seems to cast just as well as the Volant... at a third of the price. The Volant looks like a really well made rod, and that it should cost more than it does. As I said, the cork looks better than that on my Sage, at a lower price, and the cork and finish look better than my TFO BVK at close to the same price. I think Allen makes a nice product, and maybe the Volant is a fine rod, but the 6-wt may just be an outlier. I've heard of that happening with other rods, where all the rods in the line are great except for one size. I note that I bought the Volant because the 6-wt was heavily discounted; the other sizes were not reduced as much as the 6 was. Maybe I found out why.


Does that mean that you feel the Vice may cast better? Or just different?

Like you I am still finding my way around fly fishing equipment and fly rods in particular. I have a TFO Pro, The Allan Voyant, and a Sage Accel. I like some thing about all of them. The only rod I am absolutely in love with is my 8 1/2 4 weight Pulse. If you find a rod that works for you like my Pulse it's a dream come true. Now I am looking for that 5 weight that makes me feel that way. Does the Voyant, no, neither do the other two rods? But the Voyant in my hands works just fine. No real complaints about the rod, It just doesn't make me wax poetic.

Bill