Eight Weight Rods & Reels for Bonefish - Editors' Selection

RODS

Most anglers will agree that an 8-weight is probably the optimal rod for bonefish.

Since this issue has a heavy focus on bonefish, our editors thought that a Gear Guide focused on 8-weight selection would be helpful for the spring. It’s easy to tell you what we like, but rod selection is far too intimate to leave to someone else. We thought it would be most helpful to remind you of the characteristics of a quality rod and let you come to your own conclusions.

Rod Action

What action rod you’ll prefer depends on the type of caster you are and what feels better to you. For single-handed rods, rod action is derived from the top half of the rod, while the bottom half provides the power. To put things simply, fast-action rods have softer tip sections that transition to a stiffer lower blank, while medium-action rods follow a smoother curve throughout the entire blank. Fast-action rods are ideal for anglers with “punchier” casting strokes and those able to readily change their hand speed in different fishing situations. If you don’t fit into either one of those categories, a fast-action rod may provide more tailing loops than fun. For many anglers, a medium- to medium-fast-action rod is the best bet.

Glass vs. Carbon Fiber

A few decades ago, fiberglass was the most prominent material for manufacturing fishing rods. These rods, constructed with E-glass, were heavy by today’s standards and didn’t offer the recovery speeds provided by modern manufacturing techniques. In the past few years, fiberglass rods have made a resurgence, albeit with a different type of glass. Today’s fiberglass rods are typically constructed with S-glass, which has a higher tensile strength and requires less material to achieve a desired stiffness. While still heavier and bulkier than their carbon-fiber counterparts, fiberglass rods have some very real benefits. Glass fibers elongate more readily,

allowing rods to flex deep into the blank before breaking. This is the reason many seasoned shark and billfish anglers swear by fiberglass rods. From a pleasure standpoint, glass rods offer a more “soulful” fishing experience by virtue of their moderate actions, forcing the angler to slow down and take a breath from the often frenetic reality of standing on a casting platform for hours on end.

Carbon-fiber rods are always going to be lighter and more capable of lightning-fast shots to moving fish, but bonefishing doesn’t always require these characteristics. For folks with shoulder issues or those who plan on fishing from sunup to sundown, carbon fiber’s lower overall weight can be helpful in reducing strain and fatigue. If you’re fortunate enough to own a quiver of rods, having both glass and carbon-fiber options at hand will ensure you’ll have the right tool at the right time.

Color

Many rod companies manufacture their rods primarily in neutral gray, dark green, dark blue, or black. These are easy to match with a gunmetal or black reel, but they’re kind of boring. Fiberglass rods come in many colors and are some of the brighter rods on the flats. The reality is that color doesn’t really matter, and you should buy a rod based on how it casts and how it feels to you (although we would like to see more sky-colored rods like Echo’s Bad Ass Glass). This brings us to the most important point.…

Feel

Buying a rod without casting it is like buying an expensive suit with out trying it on. One size does not fit all. If you place our team’s bonefish rods in a pile, there are many brands on the table, but even more opinions about them. That’s because each company makes different models, and they do not cast the same. One of our members did not like the Helios 2, but he won’t let go of his Helios 3. You have to try a rod before you buy it. If your fly shop offers this option, we recommend you get a loaner and actually fish with it before you decide.

These are some rods that we feel are good buys—six rods priced over $500 (this page) and six rods priced under $500 (following page). Most of us would gladly fish with any rod in this selection.

Rods over $500 G. Loomis Crosscurrent Orvis Helios 3 Sage Salt HD Scott Radian Thomas & Thomas Zone Winston Air Salt

Rods under $500 Echo Boost

Echo Bad Ass Glass (B.A.G) Orvis Clearwater Redington Crux Scott Tidal TFO Axiom

REELS

Back in the late 1990s and early

2000s, fly reels as well as fly lines began to undergo serious reevaluation because of the rise in popularity of fishing for giant trevally (GT). Reel bodies and drags were redesigned to withstand excessive abuse. Before GTs, tarpon was the last species that made us think about our reels.

While bonefish are an impressive species, the requirements of the reel does not exceed current manufacturing efficiency. A ghost will make an initial run with blazing speed, and then stop for a rest before running again. Some bonefish might make three—or even four—runs before posing for a picture. Most saltwater reels will suffice for bonefish, but there are some important things to consider before making your purchase.

Weight

A difference in weight of 3 or 4 ounces between two reels may not seem like a huge amount, but if you’re going to spend days on end wading, this can make a difference.

The weight of a reel is most important as regards pairing it with a rod. They should balance, and when they do, the combination seems to defy gravity in your hand. If your reel is too heavy (as are many of the unported or solid-framed reels of the past), the outfit won’t balance.

Color

The color of a fly reel is essentially meaningless. Therefore, buy what you like. Some fly anglers complain that shiny reels reflect light and alert fish you your position, but this is unfounded.

Drag

Most drag systems on reels marketed for salt water are sealed; it’s important that salt is kept at bay for the sake of the drag system’s longevity. There are some novel unsealed drag

systems that allow the angler to easily disassemble the entire mechanism for easy servicing in the field. Time will tell whether they’’ll be able to withstand multiple seasons in the salt. For bonefish, the only thing that matters is the sensitivity of the system and low startup inertia.

If a drag has only a few settings and it clamps down hard after a few clicks, you might pop a few fish off. Most of us use almost no drag while fishing (drag set to prevent back-reeling) and slowly add a bit of drag during or after the first run, or we apply all pressure by palm. It’s best to have a wide range of drag selection on the reel you choose, as this will give you the ability to finesse the drag and avoid pop-offs caused by trying to horse a fish in.

Made in the USA

Although we’d all like to own and use products made in the USA (supporting our own economy), there’s no denying there are some quality reels made outside this country.

Some manufacturers claim that their products are made in the USA, but then they’ll use parts manufactured in other countries. There’s nothing wrong with imported parts, per se, but obtaining them for repairs or replacement can be difficult, and oftentimes the consistency of the product is an issue.

Here we’ve listed a fine selection of bonefish reels—again, six over $500 and six under $500—that pair well with the rods we’ve showcased. There are no unvented (that is, solid-framed) reels in our

selections simply because we don’t fish them regularly. As with a rod, it’s always best to fish with a reel first before you buy. If you can’t, any reel in either category is more than adequate for the novice or expert alike.

Reels over $500 Bauer RX5 Hatch Finatic Gen 2 Orvis Mirage 4 Ross Evolution R Salt Sage Spectrum Max Tibor Signature

Reels under $500

3-Tand V50 Orvis Hydro SL IV Lamson Speedster Nautilus X Series Redington Rise III Sage Spectrum LT