Hardy & Greys - Alnwick, England

Zenith Comes Top in 5 Weight Shoot Out

01/02/2011 The Yellowstone Angler website has gained a reputation recently for thorough and comprehensive head to head 'Shoot Out' tests of fly rods. The Yellowstone team recently conducted a thorough examination of the best five-weight rods on the market, and the Hardy Zenith 9' #5 came top of the class overall, and was named best in test for Swing Weight, Fun to Fish, 'Perfect 5' Performance, Performance at 25 Feet, Performance at 45 feet, Performance at 75 feet and Nymph Performance.

The Hardy Zenith uses our revolutionary SINTRIX resin technology.

Yellowstone's George Anderson commented "In our last 5-weight shoot, it was just by a nose. This time it wasn't even close! The Zenith surprised us all when it swept every single performance category, blowing everyone else away!" Click on the image to see the final results table.

18 rods selected for the test were analysed under 11 categories, both subjective and objective, and points awarded for each. Great attention was paid to making the testing as unbiased as possible, for example the same reels and lines were used on each rod and all 18 rods were tested at the same time meaning the reviewers could compare them directly.

Anderson explains: "What we were looking for were the best all around 5-weight rods - rods that could perform well in close at 25 feet but also have the power to do well at 70 feet and beyond, with the capability to throw 100 feet in the hands of an expert caster."

George Anderson has a great reputation as a caster and angler in both fresh and saltwater, and has assisted in rod design for Sage, G. Loomis, and Tom Morgan Rodsmiths. He was joined in the testing by experienced anglers James Anderson Robert Kovich, and Justin Bolduc.

Comments about the Zenith included:

"What the design team has done with [SINTRIX resin] has given us one of the finest all around #5 line fly rods we've ever cast!"

"This Zenith looks to me to be an outstanding nymph fishing rod and perhaps the best we've ever tested"

"A real pleasure to cast at [45 feet] and deadly accurate - 20/20"

Read the full Reviews of the Zenith from each tester by downloading the document opposite.

Or read the full 2011 5-Weight Shoot Out with contributions from George Anderson, James Anderson, Robert Kovich, and Justin Bolduc and including details of the history of the shoot out and the methodology for each of the categories used at the link below:

Hardy Zenith Wins Head to Head Shoot Out - Yellowstone Angler