New Orvis RECON Review 2026 Model-by-Model Fly Rod Review for Saltwater - Best Mid-Priced Fly Rods for Trout, Bonefish, Permit, Redfish, Tarpon & More!
New ORVIS Recon Fly Rods for 2026!
The new Orvis RECON is a very popular fly rod series which now gets an updated version for 2026. I've been fortunate fishing with and comparing the best fly rod brands for many years so I am very familiar with the entire fly rod market. More importantly, I also have years of customer feedback which helps me give good advice. I also happen to own a few of the current Orvis Helios rods along with some other nice rods from various brands. We know our readers love a good fly rod shootout for comparison. Don't worry, that's coming soon as well, comparing all the current mid-priced rods on the market.
If you don't like reading long reviews, the short answer is yes this is a great rod series in my testing so far. You should feel pretty confident buying one assuming you like the looks and the brand overall. As this is already the third generation of this popular rod series I think it's safe to say Orvis has it figured out by now. Orvis also has a stellar warranty (best in the business) and friendly customer service as well, so I think this makes plenty of sense to buy. If I find issues I will report on them.
Key Differences from the Previous Recon:
#1: 12wt is gone, 11wt is here! No clue why there wasn't an 11wt in previous gen, but I do know why there's no 12wt in this generation. It's because the vast majority of 12wt rod sales are to wealthier customers going on expensive destination trips, and they spend the money and get the high-end 12wt rods. But it's great news for anyone after Tarpon who goes on one trip a year but still wants nice stuff. This new 11wt (or a TFO Moment) is the answer. Save the $400-$500 over a more expensive rod, no brainer, or better yet get a 9wt and the 11wt with most of the money you'd save.
#2: Two new 8'9" sizes, an 8wt and an 11wt. This is in addition to the "normal" 9'0" models so technically we get TWO new 11wt rods. Again, nobody misses the 12wt so I'll take this any day. The shorter 11wt is supposedly for Musky but I think it's ripe for Jungle Tarpon applications as well. I will be using the new 8'9" 8wt a ton around mangroves and in backcountry applications. Everglades enthusiasts and marsh redfish stalkers will love these. Bass (big streamers and poppers) are likely the main intended purpose Orvis designed these shorter 8wt rods for, but once again I am stealing a "freshwater" rod for my own special saltwater sneaking. If you know, you know. In my review I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Scott Sector 8'4" 8wt in addition to the 9'0" 8wt which is widely regarded as being one of the best 8wt saltwater rods on Earth.
#3: For the Freshwater rods: No more 2wt rods or the shorter 3wt, sorry guys. Just have to catch real fish now. Not bait. Orvis likely figures the new Superfine rods make up for this anyway.
#4: New Colors: Brighter Recon Saltwater rod (a vibrant blue) and a slightly darker Recon Freshwater rod (dark olive green). Check out the photos for more. I like both, they look great. Don't complain about these colors, they are both superior to plain boring rods.
#5: Price: Higher. Not much of a headline. Like everything else in the world, this price has increased at $698 vs $598 - But it is in line with their major competitors. Some are $3 less. That's about it. Spend the three bucks. If you want to save money there are plenty of other options, including several made by Orvis themselves. TFO would be another brand I'd strongly consider if price is a big factor for your decision.
#6: Action - Orvis states that the new Freshwater Recon (specifically in 3-6wt) is a little less fast in terms of the action (easier to cast, less aggressive, more feel) however the new Saltwater Recon (6wt-11wt) is actually faster than previous gen. I will test that and let you guys know. In my first tests the new 8wt (9'0") felt plenty quick but not overly stiff like some other saltwater rods. TFO Blitz is faster, TFO Moment is similar but slightly heavier (could be the extra reinforcement with Kevlar).
I'll post other new things as I think of them. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list but it covers some of the bigger points. You can also ask me questions.
*As with all my reviews this is a work in progress. Keep in mind I do not get paid by anyone for these reviews and my opinions are independent but I might make some money if you buy things at our shop. Doesn't have to be a Recon but I do like these. We certainly appreciate your support.
I am a busy guy but I will update this as I get more fly lines and rod sizes tested. Remember most reviews that have been released so far only discuss one or two models. I test everything, and with a bunch of fly lines too. Weather is not cooperating and it has been too cold for typical tropical lines to perform optimally. Plus now there's a mega ice storm engulfing the United States. I'll be sharing the full model-by-model line testing results soon. If I am forced to go to the Bahamas for a few days to test these new rods properly, then I'll do what has to be done.
Let's dive into the new Orvis Recon. First you will notice it has been split into Saltwater and Freshwater versions (I'll review both, I have a bunch of these new rods here). Naturally I'll start with the Saltwater rods.
Orvis previously did not split the Recon into two separate model names for saltwater vs freshwater like other brands often do. Nor do they use the "D" and "F" designations from the Helios series. Fresh and Saltwater rods are all the "Recon" - They differentiate this very simply with color instead: Saltwater rods are blue and Freshwater rods are a nice olive green. Easy to tell. I will review both the Recon Freshwater and Saltwater models, don't worry.
There's something cool in this generation of the Recon: Two entirely new "Freshwater" rods that I think would also work very well in the salt. An 8'9" version of 8wt and 11wt. Interesting. Mangroves and docks are often where quite a lot of native/resident tarpon and snook hang around, so I hit those spots frequently and a rod with better close-range capabilities is very appealing. Orvis probably meant the 8wt for Bass and the 11wt for Musky. That's ok, they work great for salt as well.
Price Point
Coming in at $698 it's not a terrible price increase over the previous gen, only $100 in about five years, that's $20 a year. From what I am hearing regarding some other rods coming out soon, this is actually a bit less than competing brands have planned for their 2026 rod release. And only about $3.00 more than the current Sage and Scott rods these compete with (those retail for around $695). So I don't really want to hear too many complaints on price. *The Wave and Maverick are good though very different rods in spite of the similar price point, and I sold plenty of both for years.
The real conspiracy theory I have on mid-priced rods is that they exist to make you feel like you could just buy the top-end rod for a little more money. However, my counter-argument is it's a great way to be able to buy a much nicer reel with your combo, or to get multiple rods for a trip without getting sent to sleep on the couch.
I will do the whole big comparison of all mid-priced rods in a separate article later. For now, just know that this Recon is one of my top suggestions. There are really just a few "Made in USA" mid-priced fly rods anyway so this is not a huge assortment of options. I have used all of them from each brand. I sold the Maverick for many years, ever since it first came out, until recently with Sage's new management running that company into the ground. So I can't recommend Sage at this point. The new Arrow which has been rumored online for awhile will probably replace the Sonic and compete with the freshwater Recon. I never sold many Sonic rods but I have no idea how well they did for Sage.
Warranty - Orvis Wins This One
Did I mention yet 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. The better ones are around 6-8 weeks on average and several months would not be unusual at all. Orvis is typically a week for the Recon and Helios rods. The gold standard in repair and warranty without any doubt.
Appearance & Build
Looks are subjective of course but this new Recon is my favorite. It's beautiful. Don't tell my 3 Helios rods. This new blue is likely the best-looking of any saltwater fly rods on the market currently. Components look great. Build quality, fit and finish appear in line with the Helios. This is all as you would expect from an Orvis rod.
First thing I noticed: It's the Helios reel seat. Nice. Smart of Orvis to save a few bucks consolidating to one part from two (old Recon had a different reel seat from Helios). Good news for Recon buyers, you get the top-end flagship rod's reel seat. Cool. However, I will say I prefer the color of the old Recon reel seat. But I like the color of the actual rods more on these new ones! A very nice blue for the saltwater models - a bit brighter and more vibrant than previous gen rod. Why we couldn't get colors this nice for the Helios saltwater rods, I do not know.
Orvis previously did not split the Recon into two model names for saltwater vs freshwater like other brands often do. Nor do they use the "D" and "F" designations from the Helios series. They do this very simply with color instead: Saltwater rods are blue and Freshwater rods are a nice olive green. I will review the Recon Freshwater and Saltwater models. Starting with 5wt and 6wt rods, then 8wt and 9wt rods. The most popular fresh and saltwater models.
If you don't want to read this entire article I will say that so far in my testing this new Orvis Recon has performed very well and I have no complaints. As with all my reviews, I am a busy guy but I will update this as I get more fly lines and rod sizes tested. I really do cast these quite a bit with most of the popular fly lines on the market. It takes a good amount of time to do that and then type it all up for these reviews. If you are impatient, go ahead and buy one to try for yourself. You'll like it, they are great rods.
The new Orvis RECON is a fantastic rod and I think people will really love it.
Here's a photo of the previous gen rod for comparison:
This rod looks fantastic. Components are great and equal to other rods in this category. Actually, the reel seats are identical to the premium Orvis Helios series which cost almost twice as much, so that's nice to see here.
The Orvis Recon vs Competitors:
Competing rods that have been out for years now cost $695 or so, which of course is a whopping $3 less than the new Recon. I'd spend that $3 so fast it's not even funny. I do happen to think the Scott Wave is excellent. I love the excellent people at Thomas & Thomas, I really do. But I have never been quite as big a fan of their mid-range rod as I am their high-end rods like the Sextant and Exocett 88 (two of my favorite rods which I sell all the time).
Nearest competitors to this rod series are the TFO Solution (freshwater) and the new TFO Moment (saltwater), the Scott Wave (saltwater), Scott Session (freshwater), Sage Maverick (saltwater), the Sage Sonic and now the upcoming replacement the Sage Arrow (freshwater). Thomas & Thomas stick with Orvis on using the single model name, the ZONE, for both fresh and saltwater.
Orvis Recon (Fresh and Saltwater Models)
Thomas & Thomas ZONE (Fresh and Saltwater Models)
Scott Session (Freshwater)
Scott Wave (Saltwater)
TFO Solution (Freshwater)
TFO Moment (Saltwater)
TFO Blitz (Also Saltwater, but less expensive than the Moment which is brand new)
G. Loomis IMX-Pro V2 and V2S (Salt)
Sage Arrow (Leaked/rumored to replace the Sonic for Freshwater)
Sage Maverick (Saltwater)
It's 2026 and the competition is fierce, the tech in fly rods from most brands has never been better. 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 the new TFO Moment, while technically not made in the USA, means it absolutely deserves a spot in the conversation. *Douglas has recently 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 with a lighter build. The Scott Wave/Session feel lightest in hand and the Orvis Recon is a very nice 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.
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