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 I think 33 of them for our shop the minute we could (just in the first shipment, with more coming later). 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
200gr / 7wt
250gr / 8wt
300gr / 9wt
350gr / 10wt
400gr / 11wt
*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 all the different fly lines etc but we will update soon. You can't buy this rod yet anyway so there's no rush :)
*The first fly lines we are testing (on all 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
