Orvis RECON Model-by-Model Review for Saltwater - Best Mid-Priced Fly Rods for Bonefish, Redfish, Permit & More!
Welcome to the debate. The Orvis RECON is a serious saltwater contender. We've got all the best "mid-priced" saltwater fly rods and we know our readers and customers love a good fly rod shootout. Remember: Price is what you pay, value is what you get. Orvis already wins on price, objectively, in this category. Nearest two competitors are both $675 and the Orvis RECON is only $598. You could spring for a nicer reel with that extra cash, or some more flies for your next trip.
This rod looks fantastic as well. Note the saltwater versions are a different color (navy blue) vs the freshwater Recons which are olive green. Rod tubes correspond to these colors as well. Kind of cool. Components are perfectly fine and equal to other rods in this category. Actually, the reel seats are very similar to the Helios series which cost twice as much, so that's nice to see here.
I have a confession to make. I somehow overlooked the RECON for awhile and somehow never reviewed it. I am very busy. I felt I should because the last few years have brought a lot of changes in the "mid-priced" category, especially the few that are actually Made in USA like the Orvis Recon, Sage Maverick, Scott Wave, and T&T Zone (that's pretty much it, I guess also the G. Loomis IMX Pro V2S which I almost forgot exists). Serious competition from TFO, while technically not made in the USA, means it absolutely deserves a spot in the conversation. *Douglas has just released their brand new mid-priced rods as of the time of writing this but I have not had a chance to test them yet. I will update this when I do. For now, as with all my reviews, I will focus on rods I have cast extensively. I also sell these to customers all the time, so I have a lot of feedback over the years. The Sage Maverick has been a top seller since it was released. But it is maybe a bit heavy especially for a beginner, a teen, or someone of a lighter build. The Scott Wave feels lightest in hand and the Orvis Recon is second place in that aspect, then probably the Maverick and Zone which are stiffer but have a lot of lifting ability.
Which brings me to my most important point when choosing any rod: Casting Well vs Fighting a Fish. Mid-priced rods have to pick one or the other to optimize. High-end rods usually don't have this tradeoff (*some still might prioritize one or the other, depending on how specialized they are). A great example is Orvis optimizing for two different 8wt 9'0" rods, the Helios D and the F. That allows the user to choose where they want to be in terms of Finesse (F) vs Distance (D).
So where does the RECON fall in this scale of Casting vs Fighting a Fish? I'd say it casts very well overall. I have not fought fish with every size Recon of course but I can tell a lot based on how they cast and respond to different lines. I'd say for beginners and intermediate casters, this rod will be one of the easiest to use, which is really important. The better you feel you are casting, the more confidence you will have, and the more fish you will be able to get your fly in front of, to have lots of shots to catch a nice one.
I think that's the big headline here, the ease of use and consistency of the Recon rods. And I used my own personal Helios 8wt and 9wt right after to compare. Honestly, I would be totally fine fishing a Recon all day for half the price (yes, literally half of the top-end Orvis rods which are $1,198 and very nice). So the value proposition, the ease of use, and the general fun of this rod series makes it a pretty obvious winner.
It helps us out when you shop here with us for the Orvis RECON, and we appreciate it. We hope you enjoy our reviews. If you need help or have any questions, feel free to call or email us.
Footnote: Did I mention that Orvis has a ridiculously good, easy warranty for repairs/replacement? They win in that category too, against all the other brands. The fastest replacement times in case you break it. *TFO is basically just as fast, but the other "Made in USA" brands typically can take several months for repairs.
