Thomas & Thomas Zone Euro Nymphing Fly Rod Review
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The Thomas & Thomas Zone has been a beloved mid-priced rod for a while now, but most anglers are only familiar with its 9’ lengths. Today we’ll shed some light on the euro nymphing models of the Zone, specifically the 10’ 2-3wt rods. In addition to being solid euro sticks, these rods are surprisingly adept at throwing dry flies. Learn about the Zone euro nymphing rods from top to bottom, including who they’re for, how they perform on the water, and whether they’re worth buying in 2024.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Top-notch USA craftsmanship, made in Greenfield, Massachusetts
- For a euro nymphing rod, it throws dry fly tapers quite well
- Great value considering its performance and workmanship
Cons
- Only available in 10’ lengths
- Heavier and less accurate than shorter, dedicated dry fly rods
Who It’s For
The T&T Zone 10’ 2wt and 3wt models are for euro nymphing practitioners first and foremost. These rods can handle a wide range of euro rigs from dry-dropper mono rigs and jigged streamers to ultra-thin micro leaders with small nymphs on fine tippet. And while the Zone won’t offer as much delicacy, accuracy, or sensitivity as the Contact II, it's a huge jump up from beginner euro rods, such as the Cortland Nymph. Intermediate tightline anglers will feel deadly with this stick. All that being said, the Zone has another trick up its sleeve: it’s also a pretty darn good dry fly rod. You can cast a standard 2wt or 3wt dry fly taper on this euro rod and have a blast on a creek or small river throwing dry flies. We even tried it with a Rio Gold, and it performed adequately well and close and middle trout distances.
For euro nymphing anglers who want the versatility to fish many rigs including dry flies with standard trout tapers, the T&T Zone euro models are a stellar choice.
Outfit
Rio Technical Trout Elite Fly Line
Rio Euro Nymph Shorty Fly Line
Fit & Finish
We’ve come to expect high-quality workmanship on every T&T fly rod, and the Zone Euro models are no exception. These elegant rods feature a high-grade cork handle and fighting butt, a down-locking reel seat, and single-foot chrome snake guides. The unsanded blank is a dark grayish color that looks handsome alongside the deep blue ferrule wraps. Compared to mid-priced rods that are built overseas, this USA-made beauty looks and feels like a premium rod in many ways.
Distance
Since we’re talking about a 2-3wt euro rod, we can agree that distance must be relative to the type of fishing this rod was designed for. Let’s call 40’ the absolute maximum distance you’d ever expect to cast a 2wt, and that might be pushing it for most anglers. That being said, the Zone euro models can achieve this distance with a moderately aggressive taper like the Rio Gold. Would it be practical to fish at this distance all day? No, and you’ll be sacrificing lots of accuracy as you push it to these longer ranges. But, if you need it to make the occasional hail mary, the Zone has the reserve power to do it.
Where the Zone really shines is in the 20’-30’ range with a WF fly line, and 15’-25’ feels great with a euro leader. This is a small-water technician that has the backbone to handle medium-sized trout streams when needed.
Accuracy
As a euro nymphing rod, the Zone is surprisingly accurate for a mid-priced rod. In the hands of an intermediate or advanced tightline caster, the rod has no problems dropping jig nymphs in small pockets and seams on command.
As a dry fly rod with a WF fly line, the Zone’s additional length means it won’t be as accurate as a shorter, dedicated creek rod. Smaller graphite 3wts like the 7’6” Sage Dart, for example, will cast dries much more accurately by comparison.
Flex & Feel
Like many euro rods, the Zone 10’ 2-3wts feature a very sensitive tip and a stiffer mid and butt section. It’s enough stiffness and backbone to keep the rod stable and crisp during casting a high-sticking, but enough tip sensitivity to detect subtle strikes and protect light tippets.
With a weight forward fly line, the Zone feels like a heavier, longer 3wt with a 5wt mid and butt section. It’s an interesting rod to cast at first, but after a few minutes you realize that this flex profile works pretty well for throwing WF lines.
Warranty
Thomas & Thomas Fly Rod Warranty
Value
Price: $595.00
Priced under $600, the Zone euro rods pack a lot of value into an elegant package. For starters, the Zone is a great tool for European nymphing. It handles a wide range of euro techniques that will suffice for a majority of tightline anglers. Expert euro practitioners will likely look to the Contact II or another premium rod for the absolute best performance, but the Zone is no slouch. Additionally, the quality of the Zone’s construction and materials is immediately evident when you see and hold one. T&T takes great pride in hand crafting beautiful fishing tools in Massachusetts, and this includes their mid-priced rods like the Zone. This level of meticulous attention to detail and sophistication is normally reserved for rods in the $900+ price range. Lastly, the Zone euro models (10’ 2wt and 10’ 3wt) are surprisingly adept at throwing dry flies and standard weight forward fly lines. If you find yourself switching between the two disciplines frequently, but you don’t want to carry two rods, the Zone and perhaps a Rio Euro Nymph Shorty Line will make the transition fairly easy on the water. Overall, we see a lot of value in the T&T Zone euro nymphing models for their quality, performance, and versatility.
Conclusion
When customers ask us how a euro nymphing rod casts a regular weight forward fly line, we usually advise against it. It’s like intentionally over-lining a rod - that’s not what the rod was designed to do, so chances of it working are usually low. The T&T Zone, however, proved us wrong. It can perform double-duty like a champ, meeting the demands of euro nymphing with long leaders while also capable of casting a dry fly on a weight-forward fly line. Sure it’s not the absolute best euro nymphing rod T&T builds; that title goes to the Contact II, but we weren’t expecting that at a price south of $600. And no, it won’t cast dry flies as accurately as your dedicated creek rod - but it wasn’t designed to do that, so it's really just a bonus that it casts dries well at all. And for anglers who appreciate a well-built rod made right here in the USA, the Zone is handsome and sports great componentry. Overall, the Thomas & Thomas Zone is a versatile tool that combines solid performance with versatility in an elegant, USA-made package.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Thomas & Thomas Zone, feel free to call us at 888-413-5211 or email us at [email protected]
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