For many freshwater anglers, the 5-weight fly rod is their go-to choice. Whether targeting Trout, Bass, or panfish, its versatility is unparalleled. Fortunately, there are many excellent 5-weight rods available today, with features that suit nearly any freshwater angling foray. Today, we’ll take a look at several of the very best 5 weights of 2024, to help you pick the right tool for your fishing.
The R8 Core is Sage’s latest all-water flagship series, which replaces the successful X series after over a half-decade on the market. The buzz around this rod has been HUGE, even by Sage’s standards. There are good reasons for this: Sage has constantly pushed the envelope regarding rod design and graphite technology. The R8 may be hotter than sliced bread but has Sage reinvented the wheel?
Mid-priced fly rods have almost become an afterthought in the fly fishing industry. Fly rod manufacturers prioritize promoting their premium flagship series or are eager to tap into the beginner market with affordable combos. Sage is looking to reverse this trend.
The Ultralite replaces the Zephrus as Hardy’s high-end, freshwater rod series. Here at Trident, we were big fans of the Zephrus and its predecessor, the Zenith. Both series represented two of the finest all-purpose 5wts in the industry during their time. It is always difficult….
2020 marks the return of Greys to the United States. For those of us who have been at this long enough, you’ll remember when Greys left us some 6 (or so) years ago to become a European only brand. Like an Alfa Spider, Greys faded out of the mainstream and into the fond memory of enthusiasts. And now, they’re back.
Winston launched two new rods this year – the Kairos and the Nimbus – and both entered the market, well… softly. After a huge announcement, I really didn’t hear much about them for a while. They didn’t go to iCast, so I didn’t have the chance to cast them there and honestly it’s taken me months to get my hands on one. I was almost frothing at the mouth.
Rarely do new rods surprise me. Being in the industry means that I usually get a heads up for what’s coming next. I got no such heads up from Winston. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when Winston came to iCast ready to make a splash. They have hired 3-4 new team members, have a host of new, top-notch pro staffers, and some really great new products. Leading the charge is the new Winston Air. It’s touted as a “super premium, ultra-lightweight, all around fly rod.” Read on to see if it lives up to the hype.
When Sage changes their flagship rod, it’s a big deal in the fly fishing industry. Sage is one of the largest and most innovative rod makers, so everyone is really excited to see what Jerry is going to come up with next. And then of course there are the haters, like my fishing buddy, who, when I mentioned that I had a new Sage X fly rod said, “Meh, it looks like a dressed up Sage ONE.” I can tell you unequivocally that it’s not another Sage ONE. Read on to see what this rod’s all about.
Following the success of our 8-weight reel challenge, we wanted to take on fly rods. Magazines, fly shops, bloggers… virtually everyone has an opinion on which fly rod is best. So, we decided to join the crowd. But, in typical Trident fashion, we’re going to take a different twist on the traditional fly rod review. As always, this shootout will be completely data driven, and we’re going to give you better and more objective results than you’ve seen anywhere else.
Here’s what we did differently….
