Orvis Helios 2 One Piece Fly Rod Overview

 
The "long rod" trend in fly fishing is now being over-shadowed, somewhat, by the "1 piece rod" trend. Well not really, but in big game situations 1 piece fly rods are highly sought after. Fly Rod manufacturers are concentrating some of their efforts on building tapers for one piece fly rods. Why are the major players in fly rod design tackling this task? Because they can and, believe it or not, there is actually a call for such designs. Musky, Tarpon and Permit beware. There's a new boss in town.

The Helios 2 is a featherlight battle axe that defies the laws of physics and has the backbone of an I-beam. Lighter in hand and 20% stronger than any rod Orvis has ever developed, it transitions energy directly from your brain to the fly and casts with the precision of a laser pointer. These rods and designed and manufactured by hand in the Orvis Rod Shop in Manchester, Vermont.

• 20% stronger than the original Helios
• 20% lighter in hand

• 100% increase in tip-impact strength
• Fine-tuned tapers for unrivaled tracking, accuracy, and lifting power

How can you make the coveted Helios 2 fly rod perform any better?
Make it a one piece. No more hinging, less in hand weight and stronger and more responsive. Why not? The only issue I see is travel. For those that walk to their boat or have a Titan rod vault, you're all set.

Orvis designed these rods primarily because they wanted to. They wanted to explore the different tapers and construction techniques for making a one-piece graphite fly rod, knowing that they would also learn some good practices for improving future generations of four-piece rods as well. Overall, they feel the value of having them in the hands of many guides will also help promote the popularity and sales of other four-piece rods. One-piece fly rods have become very popular amongst saltwater guides, particularly in Florida.
For someone who does not travel and uses a boat every day, they offer a number of advantages:
• Because of the lack of ferrules they are lighter
• Although modern ferrules are extremely strong, they are still typically the weak point in a fly rod and if it breaks under stress it is usually at a ferrule. One-piece rods are inherently stronger when extreme pressure is applied.
• Ferrules can loosen over a day of fishing, especially if using large flies in a wind. They can also loosen during bumpy boat rides. Eliminating ferrules from the equation ensures that a rod won’t break because of an improperly engaged ferrule, and a tip won’t fly off during a cast or when fighting a fish.
However, one-piece rods also have disadvantages:
• The longest they can be made is about 8 feet 10 inches because 9 feet is the maximum length for shipping by standard carriers, and you need some leeway for protection inside the shipping box.
• They are at a greater risk for damage from doors and ceiling fans when moved indoors
• You can’t fly with them without incurring expensive excess baggage fees. Many flights may not allow them at all. They must be shipped to a fishing destination.
• They won’t fit in many vehicles without an external rod carrier.
Orvis made these rods primarily for guides, who take a rod directly from a truck to a boat and put them in their rod racks. However, many non-guides who own vacation homes near the water or drive to most of their fishing destinations may also appreciate the advantages of a one-piece rod, particularly if all the guides are using them.

I have a Titan Rod Vault on my rig so Im going to get one.

 Pre-order Yours By Hitting This Link

Orvis Recon Fly Rod Review

The Orvis rod designers have been at it again. Among others, the Recon is the latest creation. I have been fortunate, over the years, to be one of the Field Test Staff for the Orvis Company. Its like Christmas when unexpected parcels show up at the shop. When I received the 9' 5wt. Recon Fly Rod a little over a year ago I was a little hesitant. My initial response was, "how are they going to improve on the ever so popular Access fly rod?" After hours and days of putting it to work on the water, Id have to say it is quite an improvement.

Recon Video

So how do they compare to Access Rods? Recon fly rods are a replacement for Access rods and offer a big improvement in cosmetics, swing weight, tracking, and overall performance. Orvis put everything they could into these rods to make them the finest rod made in the USA in the $400-range, Recon rods use an improved ferrule design, which provides better ferrule engagement and fewer issues with the occasional twisting or dis-engagement of ferrules during fishing. The plastic reel seat filler and shiny gold anodized reel seats of the Access rods have been replaced with a more subtle black nickel anodized aluminum reel seat with a dark burl wood spacer (in the freshwater models) and a plain aluminum spacer in the saltwater models.

Like the Access rods, the blanks of the Recon rods are made in the Vermont rod shop, and the rods are also finished and assembled entirely in that shop. The tapers are entirely new and are based on the Award winning design protocol used to develop the Helios 2. They do not come in a choice of mid or tip f lex. We have chosen the best taper for each Recon model based on the rod’s line size and what that line size is typically used for. This should result in less customer confusion amongst intermediate and novice f ly fishers.

Recon rods are great casting and fishing tools. They are light and responsive and are a better casting tool than the Access rods. They track beautifully. If H2 Rods did not exist, they would be the go-to rods of the people who have tested the Recon rods in the field. Helios 2 rods are lighter in the hand and have lighter swing weight, and Helios 2 rods also have that amazing ability to cast well in close but then pull surprising reserve power for long casts of playing a big fish. Helios rods use a different, more advanced raw material with thermoplastic resins, which give the rod more precise fiber alignment and allows us to make the tips lighter for quicker response and lighter weight, because of the inherent strength of the thermoplastic resins. Helios 2 rods also use a proprietary trade secret to increase impact strength in the tip. The materials used in Helios 2 rods are more costly than the material used in Recon rods. Helios rods also use advanced Recoil guides, which are lighter and more flexible (and much more expensive) than the standard hard-chrome guides on the Recon rods.

Try one. Link to Recon Rods