Yellow Dog 8wt Shootout Review of Fly Rods - A Meta Review of their Invitational Bonefish Course 8wt Rod Review
*Article linked above is by Yellow Dog travel agency, written by Carter Lyles their marketing guy. I have no affiliation with them at all, and I am just offering my commentary as a "meta review" on this saltwater 8wt rod review since I have been writing fairly popular saltwater fly rod reviews for a long time. My saltwater gear reviews are all about helping customers make good decisions. This is a great review they clearly worked hard on and I agree with many of their conclusions (such as the Orvis Helios D which I own and also sell constantly as it's basically the best rod overall for the money). But I do think this review missed some very important things for customers so I will go into all of that. And I have to clarify one thing, since they act like nobody has ever done a saltwater review like this before "in saltwater." I might disagree since I have actually been doing these saltwater fly rod reviews for individual rods and also comparisons for many years - in the actual salt on the flats where they are designed to be used - Actually since well before their travel agency bought a fly shop and got into the rod business just a few years ago. Now I guess they want in on the review action too. Anyway welcome to the party, guys. I see you like my textured fonts...
This is a great review they clearly worked hard on and I agree with many of their conclusions. You should probably buy an Orvis Helios D, just like I have been telling customers this whole time.
The approach was obviously meant to be somewhat scientific/consistent and unbiased which is great. Not sure a few of the manufacturers who constantly suck up to Yellow Dog are going to be thrilled with some of the conclusions though, oof... ouch. They really didn't do as well here in the hands of some world-renowned fly fishermen. Rankings like this will definitely shape how people buy fly rods this year. Between me and Yellow Dog's guys both saying the Orvis Helios D is excellent (and it ranked only one tenth of a point away from the new Asquith, which costs an additional $437 dollars...) - Honestly, I'm not sure why the typical customers in this high-end segment would be inclined to buy anything else. These reviewers say they didn't want their review to exactly declare a winner, but I'm happy to do it for them. I think we can all see what their data indicates pretty clearly here. Orvis Helios D. Even funnier, the Orvis Helios F came in third place just behind this. That shouldn't happen. F is for Finesse, D is for Distance... So they took a one-two finish really. The Asquith is priced at $1,635 so I would bet for a tiny tenth of a point better nobody is going to bother. Orvis clearly dominated this review. The brand new 2026 Sage Power R8 (which is specifically designed for distance and power) only managed to tie with the Helios D at the farthest distance category... Let that sink in. And meanwhile the Helios beats it at the other distances... While also spanking the Salt R8. So who is even buying the other rods at this point? I already told you in my reviews, and now Yellow Dog told you too.
Important to note: I think experts like these are a great test of what a rod is capable of, but not a very good indicator of what a typical customer is capable of achieving with those rods. I want happy customers. That comes directly from successful trips, which in turn comes from making sure they are comfortable using the gear they pick (or really what I suggest for them) and that it will work well for their skill level.
*Readers should note that although their reviewers didn't bother to try anything but 9'0" rods, most of these brands actually do make slightly shorter rods in 8wt that are really ideal for the closer to medium distances and would have been good to include in that comparison - I have reviewed them, also owned a few, and they are great!
Another key thing overlooked here is that most of these brands tested actually make shorter rods in 8wt that are ideal for the closer to medium distances and would have been much better options for precision within their tested range. They are absolute laser beams at the 30-40ft range. *But hardly anyone ever buys them no matter how good they are. There's some psychological block most customers have over buying any saltwater rod under 9'0" - These rods include the Orvis Helios D 8'5" 8wt (I know, the Helios D 9'0" already won this whole thing but they do make a shorter one also, so really 3 different Helios rods could have spanked the rest of these). Orvis now makes the newest Recon in a shorter 8'9" model too. And of course G. Loomis makes a shorter specialized NRX+, Winston makes an 8'6" 8wt and Scott makes the 8'4" Sector 8wt which is fantastic, a personal favorite of mine but it never really sells. Echo makes an 8'4" rod although it's not the Boost Blue. Again, it helps that I know who buys what and why.
In gear reviews you have to really focus on the audience - What will matter most for the actual customers who read reviews and buy the gear and go on these bonefish trips. And they usually practice only once they are actually on their trip, on the water fishing... If you feel personally attacked by this, go practice your double haul right now!
The Yellow Dog 8wt rod scores:
Fly Line Matters
So, first big problem: The one fly line they used for the entire review - It's not what most people buy or use. A great line in the right hands, but wrong for this review and the typical 8wt customer. The new SA Magnitude BALANCE Taper which I reviewed awhile ago when it was released. It is the newest saltwater line at the time I am writing this. Worth noting it was specifically developed in collaboration with Nathaniel Linville (one of the three experts in this Yellow Dog review) and they state they exclusively used this line to test all of the rods. That's good for consistency but not really helpful for customers. Due to my recent review, it's the line currently on one of my 9wt setups with my personal Helios D 9wt in fact, but I like other options too and as I say all the time "I am not my customers" - That's what my whole meta review is really about. It's a great line, don't misunderstand, but it's just the wrong line for this sort of review and for the typical Bonefish customer. Nobody buys it, especially in 8wt. Everyone always buys SA Bonefish PLUS or sometimes Grand Slam for their 8wt rods (a half size heavy or 3/4 size heavy, respectively), along with the majority of sales of 7wt and 9wt lines as well. It's available in "regular" Amplitude series smooth and textured as well as Magnitude clear floating tip / full clear lines also. Why does this matter? Well you can't review 8wt rods without using the fly line everyone puts on them. That doesn't really make sense.
Follow the Leader
Second issue: The leader. Umpqua's Linville Tactical Leaders - You can probably gather from the name that Nathaniel Linville also designed these for Umpqua. They are considerably longer than standard bonefish leaders, and again not what most people will be using. Note that I do stock these leaders at our shop, just like the fly line he helped design. I wouldn't carry them if I didn't think they were good for certain specific customers. But this really isn't a leader most customers choose to buy or use in my experience. It just doesn't sell much. It's longer and therefore better for finesse presentations and proficient casters, but remember the vast majority of saltwater customers really aren't great at casting, especially in wind, and there's always wind on the flats. Again, this is the problem with letting experts review things, they are not the typical customer.
You have to test what customers actually use and like.
Another miss for the mid-priced segment: Where is TFO!!!??? Is any mid-priced fly rod shootout valid without TFO? The king of affordable fly rods? Come on, guys, bring a TFO Blitz and the new Moment next time. The new Orvis Recon is great of course but there are other rods in the segment worth testing and comparing (I definitely already did). They have Echo but didn't test their flagship saltwater rods either...? Just the Boost Blue.
Another huge one for customers picking fly rods that these guys entirely skipped talking about: The Warranty! Yes it definitely matters to customers, I get asked about this stuff every single day.
Fit and Finish - Mentioned a little but not ranked specifically or rated. Quality is a big deal, and it does somewhat vary. Part of this is price point, but again I'm kind of surprised they wouldn't want to rate this aspect of the fly rods, something I typically mention along with overall build quality, value for dollar, and warranty.
They skipped aesthetics. Looks are how many customers choose rods. That's the reality. You have to know the customer often cares about this factor. Many people simply don't care how good the Helios is, they won't buy it because of the little bit of white on it. Cry me a river, but it's absolutely true. Looks matter to customers. Often more than some of them will even admit. Another customer of mine loves the way the Scott Sector casts "but it's so ugly" - Ok I personally find raw carbon fiber incredibly sexy but whatever man, you like what you like. You know it's good but you won't buy it, that means it isn't really about performance then, is it?
You have to test what customers actually use and like. I approach everything from that perspective. What would my customers do, what would they like, how would they benefit from this gear? What's going to make their trip successful and easier for them to enjoy? Well in this case shorter leaders and shorter heads on fly lines are far easier to cast well. I could entirely change the results of this whole review by switching out the fly lines. Heavier lines? Suddenly the T&T Exocett 88 and probably also the Power R8 would move up the rankings. Lighter lines? The Scott Sector would easily be on par with the Helios and the Hardy Marksman Z, probably those three right at the top. Phenomenal 8wt rods when paired with a nice proper Bonefish fly line.
I always focus on customers and not what pros think of a fly rod. Considering what a fly rod (and line) will be like for the actual end user is most important. I base everything around the average customer, not the experts with world records in fly fishing. Why? Because while I actually do equip a few fly fishing world record holders (one of my customers actually holds two world records for Redfish on the fly), there's really not much I need to tell him that he doesn't already know. I am not going to tell my readers that I am "better at fly fishing" than these experts. But I am happy to tell you how much better I am at knowing the typical customer profile and tailoring my advice to that person. If I was selling to pros then my reviews might focus on other aspects but I have to make sure the average caster (beginner to intermediate level of proficiency) can benefit from gear I suggest.
I am all about my customers and whatever would help them the most. If you have questions or feedback or anything you want to ask, feel free to contact me. I don't check comments on the blog too often but you can leave them below if you want.
*P.S. Some notable brand names lower down this review list... That plus my own recent negative experiences with their new management really makes me question the viability of these companies... Yikes. Really falling off. Even the guys at Yellow Dog won't help them out. So long, suckers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcW8_rClzBU
