LOOMIS
NRX 9 WT FLY ROD REVIEW - JULY 2011
G Loomis
claim that their NRX series released in August 2010, are the best
fly rods ever made. Apparently
the new nano resin technology developed by 3M has made it possible
for Loomis to produce fishing rods 15% lighter and 20% stronger than
GLX equivalents, which is no mean feat considering that GLX rods are
some of the toughest around. For
more on nano resin technology see ‘Differences between High end
and mid-priced fly rods’. Given all the hype I was more than a little curious to see
how the 9wt NRX would stack up against my Scott S4s and the new TFO
BVK.
Hutt Valley Hunting and Fishing
kindly provided a 9wt NRX rod on loan,
which I was able to cast for two days, alongside my Scott S4s and a
TFO BVK. I used a Jim
Teeny TS-T300 line loaded onto a Nautilus NV 8/9 reel. Unfortunately the New Zealand Loomis distributors did not
have a demo rod I could take fishing, which is why I consider this
article to be a mini review.
Setting up the 9wt NRX I had mixed
feelings about its appearance. While
I loved the matt blank and the craftsmanship is superb, I found the
’robin’s egg’ blue
wraps bright and unappealing.
The hardware on the NRX is
outstanding, from the black unbreakable REC recoil stripping guides
and matching un-crushable nickel/titanium snake guides to the
premium high density cork grip, for increased durability and
sensitivity. The Loomis
proprietary reel seat has no exposed threads and good sized knobs on
the locking ring; both helping to tightly secure the reel to the
seat.
As soon as the 9wt NRX was strung up I
could feel it was much lighter and more sensitive than it’s
predecessor, the GLX Crosscurrent. I had test cast the 9wt GLX CC before purchasing my Scott S4s
in 2009, and found it to be a ’broomstick’. Ten casts with the 9wt NRX and I knew I had to have one. It is smooth, light, effortless and does everything well,
from accurate close quarter work, to 90 feet casts.
As I wasn’t going to get to bend this
rod on any fish, I attached the leader to the bumper on my car and
gave the rod a pull. The
taper and flex are extraordinary. The rod starts to bend at the very tip, in the upper six
inches, and with increasing pressure bends progressively further
down the blank, with remarkably smooth transition; there are no
stiff sections or flat spots. The
soft tip and unprecedented flex are clearly why the rod does so well
at all distances and feels so smooth, sensitive and ‘alive’.
Compared to the Scott S4s
The S4s and NRX both have that special
something loosely referred to as ’feel’. The NRX is
beefier than the S4s and because it does not load quite as quickly,
is about one point behind the Scott in the close quarter quick-fire
precision-presentation department. The NRX on the other hand has more grunt for pulling large
fish and is better at casting larger flies good distances into the
wind. It can also lift
another 10 feet of line off the water, which helps when one needs to
make a quick second cast to intercept fish. Like the Scott the NRX bends well into the butt section
making it a great kayak stick. See a review of the Scott S4s 9 wt.
Compared to the TFO BVK
Compared to the TFO BVK, the NRX is
not as stiff and has a more progressive taper. The net result is that the NRX is much smoother, has lower
swing weight, loads faster and is consequently more accurate
in-close (inside 45 feet). The
NRX does the distance work at least as well as the BVK, but
with a little less effort. If
I were scoring the two rods, based on performance alone, the BVK
would have a score 75% that of the NRX. Considering that the retail
price of the BVK is a third of the cost of the NRX, I believe the
TFO BVK remains exceptional value for money. See a
review of the TFO BVK 9wt.
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