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Hardy is no stranger to making excellent saltwater fly rods, but their last flagship saltwater series, the Zane Pro, didn’t galvanize the fly fishing community quite like their past rods. The Zane Pro wasn’t a bad rod, but perhaps a little dare-we-say ordinary.  We’re here to tell you the all-new Marksman Z is anything but typical and one of the most exciting saltwater fly rods we’ve cast in a long time. If you are looking for a new high-performance eight-weight for your next salt destination trip, you will not want to miss this review.

Outfit

Hardy Marksman Z 9' 8wt Fly Rod

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Bonefish Fly Line

Fit & Finish

The Marksman Z is Hardy’s sharpest-looking fly rod to date and screams ‘premium’ and ‘cutting-edge.’ Many fly fishers argue that foreign-built rods use cheaper components and lack the high-end look of rods produced stateside. We are happy to report Hardy is doing its part to bury these generalizations for good.

The Marksman Z’s fighting butt is stout, sturdy, and built for battling the nastiest fish in the salt. We’re big fans of the asymmetrical reel seat that prevents the spacers from slipping around. We also like the rod’s line weight and Hardy’s iconic logo, laser-engraved on the seat. While the cork’s quality is fine, the full-well grip is a little thick.

The Marksman Z’s blue-tinted blank was designed to prevent glare and looks sharp when coupled with the carbon fiber logo marking above the cork. Hardy’s embrace of the unconventional continues by opting for a Cerecoil stripping guide on the first one, followed by a Recoil on the second guide. Perhaps the standout feature is that the blank is pre-wrapped under both stripping guides, so the guides aren’t touching the blank.

Distance

Unlike the recent trend of fly rod makers designing emasculated eight-weights, the Marksman Z revels in being a pure, unadulterated powerhouse. If you can’t make a long-distance shot with the Marksman Z, you probably can’t do it with any other 8wt.

Accuracy

  • 40-feet: The Marksman Z’s short game isn’t as silky smooth as we hoped for. If you’ve been bonefishing, you know how important it is to deliver flies accurately at shockingly close distances. The novice angler will probably struggle with feeling the rod load without much line out. However, anglers capable of adjusting their stroke and timing shouldn’t have too many issues.
  • 60-feet: With a little more line out, we pinned the fly to the target without second-guessing our casting ability. The Marksman Z is much more rhythmic and intuitive at middle distances. It's not called the Marksman, for irony’s sake. 
  • 80-feet: In the hands of the skilled angler, the Marksman Z could be the most accurate ‘hail mary’ 8wts out there. You won’t always need to make clutch long-distance shots. Rest assured, when called upon, you will feel like Doug Flutie, down by six with six seconds left, with the ‘Z in hand.  

Flex & Feel

Fly rod design has gotten complicated in 2023. It’s not necessarily accurate to label a rod as ‘fast action’ and have the generalized connotations associated with, say, older Sage and G. Loomis rods. Sure, the Marksman Z is as powerful as the ‘ultra-fast’ rods of yesteryear but is anything but a hefty, boorish brute. The ‘Z feels like a feather in hand, and we were blown away by how a rod this light could have the lifting power of a Mr. Olympia-era Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

The Marksman Z’s torsional stiffness is characteristic of most fast-action rods. Unlike past broomsticks prioritizing long-distance casts and wind-piercing line speed capabilities, Hardy designed the ‘Z with everyday flats fishing situations in mind. While not as sweet as the Scott Sector at close range, the rod isn’t a slouch either. We were impressed with how well the Marksman Z loaded with a lighter, longer-bellied line like Scientific Angler’s Amplitude Bonefish. Again, most faster rods struggle with loading lighter lines in close. If you’re a New England saltwater angler looking to cast quickly with a compact, sinking line like RIO’s Outbound Short, this might be the perfect 8wt.

Conclusion

The Marksman Z passes most checkmarks we look for in an 8wt saltwater rod. Light but powerful. Fast but versatile. The Marksman Z can do a little bit of everything beyond reasonably well. The rod isn’t for beginners and needs an experienced caster to really push it into high gear. At $995, the Marksman Z isn’t cheap for a foreign-built rod - unfortunately, the days of the sub-$700 high-end Hardy rods are long over. On the plus side, we’re happy with the rod’s components and build quality and don’t see a massive difference between the Marksman Z and, say, a Sage. We haven’t been impressed by many 8wts recently, but Hardy has a winner on its hand.

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Pros

  • Light and powerful!
  • Premium components 
  • Accurate across the board

Cons

  • It is expensive for an overseas-built rod