Helios or the One

[duckdog]

Here's the situation, you are about to buy a new fly rod, 10ft. 4wt.for trout to be used on east side streams. you have only 2 choices , the Orvis Helios or Sage The One. Which do you choose ? No substitutions, no "yeah but's" ,these are your choices. Am looking for intel on these rods. Thanks, Mike

[planettrout]

If I let you use my 10ft 4wt Winston WT you'd quickly consider "substitutions".

I don't know much about the other inferior rods you as about Hope someone that does know about them chimes in, but I honestly haven't touched or read up on those rods at all.

Get a FLY ROD...not a marketing ploy...


PT/TB

[Bernard]

Here's the situation, you are about to buy a new fly rod, 10ft. 4wt.for trout to be used on east side streams. you have only 2 choices , the Orvis Helios or Sage The One. Which do you choose ? No substitutions, no "yeah but's" ,these are your choices. Am looking for intel on these rods. Thanks, Mike

With the prices not being too different, I am guessing that you're looking for other points to sway your vote correct? I am also guessing that very few east side streams would require you're being needed to throw the whole line so distance ability may not be highest priority. Stating the obvious, you may wish to try each? I bet they will be "tryable" at the Fly Fishing show in early March in Pasadena. Try a local shop? If you can't wait that long, I'd lean a tiny bit towards Orvis. This is for one simple reason: I was never much of an Orvis fan but after a long season in 2011 where I frequently used their rods, I was continuously caught off guard by their performance. I also own and use Sage and even have a 9ft 4wt ONE which is stellar but does not eclipse similar Orvis rods in performance. Perhaps given your inclination to a longer rod, you may also wish to compare weights. Lighter is nice when you have that much material. Finally, don't rule out line considerations. Different lines and different tapers will affect your experience substantially.

Hope this helps even a little. Do let us know what you decide.
B

[Artin]

I think that the Helios is a great rod, I've casted it. My buddy casted the "One", I fish a Winston...... I have a Z-Axis, I use the Sage for really high wind situations. I think that the Winston is your best bet.

But in all reality, you should cast the rods and find one that fits your style and what you're most comfortable with. Then again, I never thought casting in a parking lot is the same as casting on water.

Artin

[duckdog]

Thanks guy's for your input. I plan on buying a FLY ROD, which is why i'm throwing the question out there. A few years ago I was in the market for a new rod and tried the zero gravity and the z-axis in the Marriot's parking lot. I really liked them both so I pulled the trigger and got both.A week later I fished both on the lower O and since then the orvis has been my baby. I like the Sage but the zero G,for me, just is more fun to fish. Which is again why i'm asking if anyone has FISHED these rods, I agree ,parking lots and fishing are a little different. I also agree that marketing and truth may not always reside in the same place. Craig and PT , thanks for the Winston plug,it has been a very long time since I have tried a Winston or considered owning one. The Winston will be given a try.
Mike

[planettrout]

Might want to see if you can find one of these to try out DD :

http://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?s ... rget=GY101

PT/TB

[WanderingBlues]

I fished the One on my Colorado trip and loved it. It was the 5wt with the Lamson Litespeed 2 and Rio Gold. Great stick!! Accurate casts, sensitivity, and light. I'm saving up for the 4wt but I won't rule out the Winston or Hardy Zenith, which has very high reviews.

[fflutterffly]

Call David at Orvis and take the Helios out for a run. They will take your credit card as deposit, head for the Kern, get Craigs Winston, be open minded. I have a Zaxis 410 that I love. If it's any indicator of the One, your choices are difficult between the two rods. Like everyone says, the rods work and feel different depending on line taper and reel weight. On my 10' rods I go larger arbor + more heel weight and for me better rod feel.

I'm afraid if I ever took Craig up on the offer to try his Winston 410 on the water a rock might accidentally hit his head and the rod disappear!

[Sasha]

Helios

[darrin terry]

I can't speak for either of those rods, but have really liked my Greys Streamflex 10' 4wt. Great nymphing rod and I was liking it for dry flies as well, laying out a 16 foot slack line leader during a hatch to risers on a spring creek.

Whatever you choose, best of luck with the new rod.

[beachbum]

When I broke my Orvis Zero G that I loved so much they sent me a new Helios. I hated it, so they let me cast others. I found one with a flex I liked and have been very happy with it. The moral of my story is cast them first, before you make a choice. While the particular models may be good overall, all the rods in the collection may not be. Cast them before chosing!

[Jimbo Roberts]

I have been fishing many of these rods you mentioned over the years. I've owned; Sage, Scott, Fenwick, Winston, Loomis, and St. Croix.
Also let me qualify my responses as most of the fishing I do is nymph fishing at medium distances and depths. I like firmer and faster rods for this type of fishing. My response would be different if I was talking about fishing dry flys. And different still if we were talking about fishing small overgrown creeks or wideopen stillwaters. I see them as all situational and calling for one rod or another as the best tool.
From your selection of 10' 4wts I will assume you will be mainly nymph fishing and possibly even Czech nymphing with maybe casting some dry flys on the side. This I can comment on what I think is the best possible tool as it is what I do the most when I am Trout fishing. I have always been drawn back to Sage rods. I owned most of them from their RP and LL to taday's One and ZXLs. I find for me they are just that little bit better than Orvis or Winston rods for nymphing. Now I do occasionally get to use these same rods for Dry Fly fishing, and for that I would say that maybe the Winston B11X is a bit better. (the more I fish the ONE the more I can comment on it's Dry Fly performance, but right now my ONE has not seen much dry fly fishing) Of course that just shows Dry Fly rods are usually a slower and softer rod for slower and more precise or delicate presentation. (Again if you throw a bunch of large hoppers or attractors faster rods would deliver these flys better especially if at greater distances) For nymphing I feel you need more power in the middle of the rod and I find that Sage's XP, Z Axis, and now the ONE are superior compared to the available competitor's rods. They are also lighter in the hand to me even when balancing out longer rods with heavier reels. I think that is so important when fishing a full day drifting nymphs, high sticking, lifting emergers, or Czech nymphing.
I will also say that with out a doubt Sage, Winston, Loomis, and Orvis are the more durable rods as a general manufacturer you can buy with great customer service. I had a terrible experince with Scott rods with multiple failures. I have a friend with a Scott S3 that he just broke for the 5th time. Same rod, broken in different sections and ways, but commonly the internal ferrel snapped. I shot one show "On The Rise" with Frank who was using Scott Rods. He was talking about how he liked them and then broke a 4wt during the filming. My friend Ron also broke an old Granger Bamboo rod during the filming but that is another story.
It really comes down to what each angler likes and what kind of casting stroke they use. This is why each of these manufactures offers different actions and lenghts in a given rod weight. I don't really know if it is that I developed my casting stroke and bought a particular rod Ito suit it or that the rods I've used over the years have lead me to develope and appeciate a casting stroke that works that rod well. Between to two, I would say, probably the latter. Whatever I perfer and have confidence in Sage rods. They have been, for me, the better fishing tool, and the most durable of fishing rods, but then again I have used them the most.
And by all means, If given a chance to actually fish different rods in the same situation on the river at the same time do so! Try and find someone who owns a rod you are interested in purchasing and invite him to go fishing with you. That way you exchange rods and fish the other rod on the same water and make your decision which to purchase that much easier. I have made the mistake of taking someelse's recommendation on a rod and purchased the rod only to find it to be a inferior tool for my fishing style.
I am a faster action graphite kind of guy versus a traditional Bamboo or fiberglass user. But I have friends that also perfer those rods and fish them well. It is a personal choice, and where it might be good to listen to what many other anglers will recommend, it is a personal choice, and yours maybe different. I am therefore putting the decision back in your lap. I recommend that you make the choice instead of purchasing one on another's recommendation. It isn't easy in today's world but your time invested will result in a better rod for you.

Jimbo

[Papasequoia]

Duckdog, please don't destroy the town of Lone Pine, CA by buying a rod other than "The One!!!" Here's why. First, watch this 30 second clip:

Now, here is the way the logic goes:

Duckdog can't decide between the Orvis Helios and the Sage rod named "The One"

Clearly, based on the name the hype, "The One" is the one rod you will ever need. You must have it or risk poor fishing for the rest of your life. Here's what could happen.

You don't buy "The One" and you get skunked on the Lower Owens.

Driving home you start cursing your bad luck and the Orvis rod.

You start daydreaming about all the fish you could have caught if only you had purchased "The One."

While daydreaming you start to nod off and cross the median into oncoming traffic in the center of downtown Lone Pine, CA.

Coming in the other direction at that time is a flatbed truck hauling nuclear missiles.

The accident causes the missiles to explode thus wiping the town of Lone Pine from the face of the earth.

Don't buy the Helios, get "The One" and save the town of Lone Pine from destruction!

Other than that scenario I have no opinion, but I've always liked Sage rods and my favorite rod is a Winston. Does that help?

[briansII]

Duckdog, please don't destroy the town of Lone Pine, CA by buying a rod other than "The One!!!" Here's why.

Now, here is the way the logic goes:

Duckdog can't decide between the Orvis Helios and the Sage rod named "The One"

Clearly, based on the name the hype, "The One" is the one rod you will ever need. You must have it or risk poor fishing for the rest of your life. Here's what could happen.

You don't buy "The One" and you get skunked on the Lower Owens.

Driving home you start cursing your bad luck and the Orvis rod.

You start daydreaming about all the fish you could have caught if only you had purchased "The One."

While daydreaming you start to nod off and cross the median into oncoming traffic in the center of downtown Lone Pine, CA.

Coming in the other direction at that time is a flatbed truck hauling nuclear missiles.

The accident causes the missiles to explode thus wiping the town of Lone Pine from the face of the earth.

Don't buy the Helios, get "The One" and save the town of Lone Pine from destruction!

Other than that scenario I have no opinion, but I've always liked Sage rods and my favorite rod is a Winston. Does that help?

Clearly, Sage needs to hire you to their advertising team. The above makes a lot more sense than what their current team members came up with.

briansII

[WadeK]

Papa,

You forgot to add the part about the faultline and 3/4 of CA falling into the ocean, ala Superman, making the Owens Valley beachfront property with glow in the dark Steelhead and Sea Run Browns.