[Steven Kidd]

I am considering this length line weight for something different............swinging wee spiders on the Don, switch over to dries, and the odd wading in a hill loch for Brownies.

What would be your pick of the bunch.......

Steven

[Eddie Sinclair]

Steven,

I have had an Orvis Helios 2 for a long time now and I highly recommend it. However I was up at loch Beanie one day with Euan Innes and Ian Cameron the had the 10 foot original Helios and the 10 foot four weight Orvis access. In my hands at least they were all great rods. I use my one out of the boat for loch style on hill lochs and I use it for nymphs on the rivers and it is quick enough to use for dries on the river if you don’t want to change rod.

Eddie

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

A friend recommended the Taniwha high modulus  10' #3 blank but for use with a 4wt line, I think it is the nano-helix. Lovely rod to fish, it has been my go-to rod on bigger rivers and lochs for the last couple of years.

[Steven Kidd]

Great info guys......good to know I'm not the only one thinking along these lines.  I'd already thought of the Taniwha, great to hear a good report on that rod.

Steven

[Iain Cameron]

hi Steven,

as Eddie mentioned me, i'll chip in. 
I've three 10 foot 4 weights, all from Orvis, and all great. My go to rods for rivers and lochs. I like the extra reach of the 10 footer, and fish dries mainly, with nymphing/spiders if need be. The

I do love the Helios one; the Access one is great too, just not quite as lovely in terms of looks.
So, yes, i'd 100% recommend a 10 footer 4wt, but i've only really tried my own ones, so don't have anything to add re other brands.
If I was going to buy a new one at the moment, I'd probably cast at eye at a Mackenzie NX1 or the Orvis Recon

cheers
iain

[Steven Kidd]

Great stuff Iain,

I'll have a scan of the bay for the models you suggest and check prices etc.  I love fishing my glass rods on the river but do think a 10ft rod would have its advantages fishing spiders on the hang or whatever you call it, high sticking?.........I can especially justify a new toy when i can use it up the hills as well,
I'll let you all know what I find.

Steven

[Iain Cameron]

...I can especially justify a new toy when i can use it up the hills as well,

i'd say the extra reach is handy for dibbling flies from a boat too, if you need extra justification

[Sandy Nelson]

Paul P seems to fish his Mackenzie NX1 10ft 4wt all the time. I'd say recommendations don't get better than that for an off the shelf product.

[James Laraway]

do you get 10ft glass rods sandy ????

[Sandy Nelson]

Light and long don't seem to work well in glass James.
I only go for the longer 8'6" blanks for 6wt and above. Any glass i've tried over 8ft8" hasn't been that great, it gets too tip heavy, just because of the nature of the material.
Glass really works its magic around the 7ft6" mark for a 4wt, with some really good short 3wt ones (7ft6" is about the upper limit for a 3wt) and a couple of really good ones at 8ft (even then its 4wt or above).
I'm not a fan of anything less than a 3wt either, i find it pointless and impractical. So i have very specific size points that work and often specific makes that work best in each of the sizes 
Anything over 8ft6" for me becomes Carbon, although i have had a couple of the 9ft Hybrid Carbon/Glass blanks that have proven to be rather good, again the 6wt was the best one though and the lighter line weights felt a bit tip heavy for the intended purpose. fine if you had a heavy reel however 

[James Laraway]

interesting words......

I had  wondered why i dont hear of 9ft + glass rods - which are the 'norm' for carbon

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

Gould Rods do  a 10ft 4wt glass rod. Never seen one so don't know what they are like.

https://www.gouldfish.com/

[Steven Kidd]

Hmm...sort of shortlist drawn up based on some great deals all these are sub £300 mark:

- Scott Flex?.....simply because I like Scott rods, the reviews i've read appear great.
- Taniwha.....described and rated by a few on here as a great rod, reads well
- Greys GR80 Streamflex......intrigued by this one, reads a great rod.
- Guideline Fario Classic, I used to have first edition Fario and it was superb, great build, i'm tempted.

Steven

[Steven Kidd]

Trigger pulled.......Greys Streamflex GR80 10ft 4wt........I was in past Somers this afternoon.

I'm super excited to get out on the river now for a blast.

Steven

[Mike Barrio]

Nice one Steven - enjoy your blast