New Thomas & Thomas EXOCETT 88 Review: Model-by-Model Fly Rod Review & Comparisons
The New Power Tool for Serious Saltwater & Jungle Fly Fishing
Check out the New Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 Here! And our brand new combos here: T&T Exocett 88 Combo Outfits
I have been waiting to tell everyone about this fly rod for awhile now. We ordered tons of them for our shop plus a few rods for me personally. These rods look incredible and have a ton of power. Could this be the new "best" saltwater & jungle fly rod for 2025? We will test it to the limits and find out.
An Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove
I was already a fan of the previous generation T&T Exocett SS which I always recommended to customers looking for something with "even more power" than other saltwater/jungle fly rods. Let me break that category down, because really it's mainly "Saltwater fly rods that I brought to use in the jungle" (usually 9'0") and then just a few "Jungle rods that you can also use in saltwater" (usually between 8'4" to 8'6") such as the old Winston Jungle series and now the 8'6" versions of the Air 2 Max. Speaking of length, the T&T Exocett 88 splits the difference between the 8 1/2 and 9 foot rods at 8'8" and you will never guess where the name came from... Exocett 88... Now you know.
Here are all the models in the series for reference (both grain weight and rod weight are included now as an easier reference vs the previous Exocett SS):
160gr / 6wt - Great "light to medium" streamer rod
200gr / 7wt - Big streamers for very large trout or smaller bass
250gr / 8wt - Bass, Golden Dorado, Peacock Bass, etc and also saltwater applications such as snook, light permit, anything around mangroves or docks, etc
300gr / 9wt (*New size in the lineup so we tested it the most so far and it has sold very well) - See above for the 250gr but more power for the bigger jungle species.
350gr / 10wt - Pike/Musky setup (or the saltwater equivalent, a barracuda). Would be overkill for most other fish except maybe a tarpon.
400gr / 11wt - Tarpon, especially sub-surface. Also Musky but T&T already have the Exocett Predator rod for them.
All of the rods are 8'8" (hence the "88" in the name)
So what about this interesting hybrid length is so appealing? It's the best of both worlds. The number one fear customers tell me when asking about buying a rod that isn't 9'0" is that it won't be as versatile (I disagree but they don't believe me). So many people avoid the 8'6" Winstons or the 8'5" Orvis HELIOS D (an awesome rod, descended from the famous BLACKOUT Helios 3D). And let's not forget one of my own personal rods, the 8'4" Scott Sector, which sells about once a year (it is a GREAT rod, but that doesn't mean it sells well). So, to cure everyone's fear of non-9ft rods, there is the 8'8" Exocett 88. Power, precision, beauty. This baby has it all.
Power, precision, beauty. This baby has it all.
When you go a little shorter, in general you gain power and precision at the slight expense of distance. My long ownership of the 8'4" Sector showed me the extra power boost can help you make up for that reach with relative ease.
Work in Progress for the Rest of this Review We need some time to test a wider variety of fly lines etc but we will update when we have more time. Feel free to ask us directly if you have any questions about the new rods.
*Thomas & Thomas posted a great write-up and line recommendations by T&T Advisor Rich Strolis on their blog, check it out here: The Exocett 88 by Thomas & Thomas
The first fly lines we are testing (on most of the rod sizes) will be Tropical/Warmwater types of lines, all the popular saltwater ones as well as Peacock Bass and regular Bass series lines. Then colder water lines like Cortland Striped Bass, etc. I usually start with a "true-to-weight" line like SA Bonefish for reviews, but my main focus will be on at least half-size heavy lines, up to two sizes heavy, for each rod weight. Mainly I'm curious if the very popular SA Grand Slam and RIO Flats Pro will work well on these new rods, making them viable for basically any saltwater applications in addition to their specific jungle and striped bass/sinking line applications (like the SS was so good for). Versatility is what I want to test. We know these rods will be great for specific roles, so the question is mainly: Are these rods able to cover lots of different purposes?
*Check out the New Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 Here! And our brand new combos here: T&T Exocett 88 Combo Outfits
*Guys please keep in mind that this platform does not allow me to reply directly to comments. Send me an email or call me, I don't always see blog comments.
That being said, I will reply to questions I do see below:
Q: "Hi. I have the Exocett SS and was told by T&T it’s the same taper as the 88, but with improved materials. However, I never really liked it too much. Maybe I’m not using the correct lines. Used the Rio Avid Bass 8 wt. (345 grains) on the 250, but it seems over lined. And, the 7wt (285) The 8wt seems like a lot of line, but the guys at T&T said it should work. The 7 is a little better. It can be expensive buying random lines to try out. Could you recommend something specific that might work for throwing bass flies with a floating line? Not poppers, but sub-surface flies? Thanks"
A: First a general thought - These rods are specialized as are many of the lines used with them, none of them are necessarily "fun" but they are great as power tools for certain jobs. A general-purpose rod is going to be much more enjoyable, such as the T&T Sextant. As for a line suggestion, SA Sink Tip Mini is a fairly popular sub-surface Bass option. Cortland also makes some nice Streamer series lines and a sub-surface Bass line that would work.
2 comments
Hi. I have the Exocett SS and was told by T&T it’s the same taper as the 88, but with improved materials. However, I never really liked it too much. Maybe I’m not using the correct lines. Used the Rio Avid Bass 8 wt. (345 grains) on the 250, but it seems over lined. And, the 7wt (285) The 8wt seems like a lot of line, but the guys at T&T said it should work. The 7 is a little better. It can be expensive buying random lines to try out. Could you recommend something specific that might work for throwing bass flies with a floating line? Not poppers, but sub-surface flies? Thanks
Thanks for doing these reviews! I know that take up so much time and money. Which of these rods do you think stands out as your favorite of the line up?