![]() ![]() Shawn lined up the rod for me and I sensed that he could tell he had my number with the rod way before I even threw that first cast. I was kind of shell-shocked by the feel of the rod, to be honest. The feel though – after a quick wiggle – was unlike any fly rod that I had ever felt before in that it felt exceptionally fast, yet controllable. I picked up the Orvis Helios 3 905-D model first and have to say that I thought it was remarkably light in hand. I thought to myself, “whatever, if it casts well it really won’t matter.” Shawn said that they were thinking about sticking with the label in the final version. Orvis typically uses these white labels on prototype models with a series of distinct, numerical designations. I am going to be honest with you here and let you know my first reaction.Īs we put the rods together, I noticed the distinctive, white label just up from the cork and thought to myself that these are surprisingly early on in the design stage. The new Helios 3 prototypes were floating around, and I managed to weasel my way into a late-night parking lot session with Shawn Combs of Orvis and a couple of the newest rod models. This annual event also provides an opportunity to be among the first to preview new gear. OGR is one of my favorite “industry events” during which I have the opportunity to network with my peers while getting excited about the season ahead. Both are great rods, and a worthwhile upgrade with a host of new features for very little change in price.It was late one-night back in April 2017 and I was getting ready for an early morning departure home following the Orvis Guide Rendezvous in Missoula. If you’re deciding between the 3D and 3F, you can probably guess that I much preferred the 3F however, your mileage may vary in that regard. I took the H3 (which has now replaced the H2 in my lineup) out for some Albie fishing and found that it not only cast exceedingly well, it could handle a wide range of fly lines – something that’s really useful if you’re going to use it at home for stripers and for bonefish on the flats. The Helios 3 is proving to be nothing short of a spectacular lineup of rods. It provides a lot of feedback, yet still has enough strength in the butt to pick line up off the water or fight a large fish. Having fished the H2 for so long, it really felt like an old friend. ![]() ![]() Just like the 3D wins the casting competition for distance, the 3F wins it for feel (and by about the same margin). The 3F is going to give the Scott Meridian a run for its money for sure. It’s a lot more accurate at longer distances than the Helios 2 was (and it was no slouch). The 3F, in particular, is definitely in the upper echelon of 8-weights in terms of accuracy. What I can say is that it’s a nice improvement over the Helios 2 across the board, and especially at longer distances. Is the Helios 3 the most accurate fly rod ever? Well… I’m not sure. For me, I felt like it gave me about 10 extra feet. You can cast the entire line with either one, but the 3D definitely edges out the 3F and the Helios 2 at distance casting. The truth is that unless you’re casting them side-by-side, you won’t notice the difference.īoth rods have quite a bit of power. Actually at the time of writing this, the Helios 3F has the lightest swing weight we’ve tested to date (for an 8-weight). Both of the 8-weight Helios 3’s are amongst the lightest rods out there in both overall weight and swing weight. There’s no question that Orvis builds super light rods. Weight needed to balance (reel + line): 6.3 oz.Weight needed to balance (reel + line): 6.7 oz.I must commend the company for taking angler feedback and incorporating it into their design rather than ignoring it. In addition to the label, they changed up the reel seat to a made-in-the-USA reel seat (to make the rod 100% made in Vermont) and a new matte finish that won’t scare away any fish. Personally, it reminds me of a Taylormade driver… sure it stands out, but maybe in a good way once you get used to it? Unlike most rod brands which continue the same look and feel year after year, Orvis made quite a few changes to the Helios 3. Let’s just say that no one is going to be guessing which rod you’re fishing when they see you on the water. If there’s one area that is guaranteed to be controversial, it’s the white label. Orvis Helios 3F 9’ 8-weight Fly Rod and Orvis Helios 3D 9’ 8-weight Fly Rod.Today I cast the all-new Helios 3F and 3D alongside its cousin the Helios 2 in the 9’ 8-weight configuration. Needless to say, there are a lot of questions out there about how it performs. I doubt there’s any avid fly fisherman who hasn’t read/heard/seen it yet. But I can say that there’s been a significant amount of marketing behind the Helios 3. I was just entering the industry when the Helios 2 was launched. ![]()
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