I thought the Exocett would be better at 100 feet. This is a layman’s review of two rods in the new Thomas and Thomas Contact II lineup: the 10ft, three-weight, 4 piece (model 1003-4) and the 10’9″, three-weight, 4 … Good, but not quite the accuracy I was getting with the Meridian, Asquith, or 3F. The components are absolutely top shelf too. The rod has a useful-sized fighting butt, a classic brushed anodized aluminum T&T reel seat, and a practical Full Wells grip. Armstrong Spring Creek on the O’Hair Ranch. The Thomas & Thomas Zone came into my life like a short, pleasant fling that left me wanting more. Javascript is disabled on your browser. T&T is known for high-end componentry and incredible craftsmanship. Ask a group of experienced anglers to name the greatest dry fly rod of all time, and the T&T … The light gray anodized double uplocking aluminum seat has two big locking rings that are very easy to grip and tighten. It still feels good and has plenty of power for the distance but compared to 60 ft., my accuracy dropped considerably, so I docked it some here. I’m sure the key is a multi step process rather than a one-coat finish. Thomas & Thomas has been hitting home runs with rod design over the last couple of years, and the Exocett Surf rod is their latest score. In fact, it's one of the best flats rods we’ve ever cast at 40 feet. (tie)  Thomas and Thomas Exocett   $895.00. This rod has it all. 910-4 / 9’ 10wt. The Exocett also boasts a stylish matte blue blank with alignment dots. The reel seat and cork grip perform well. I think there’s no doubt that the T&T Exocett has changed the saltwater fly fishing market since it was released in 2017. The Exocett was one of my favorite rods for any distance over 60 feet. Gear Review: Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS The Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS series of rods garners a lot of questions when customers are shuffling through the rod rack. https://www.vailvalleyanglers.com/thomas-thomas-exocett-ss-fly-rod These SS rods lift line off the water with ease and can send out sinking lines easier than longer rods. Rod is in excellent conditions, I only have owned it for 2 months. As we talked about in Distance, the Exocett just doesn’t have the power. I felt it was a little too stiff for close targets, but did great at long range. T&T has a flashy flagship saltwater fly rod series: The Exocett. This is a faster/shorter version of the 9' Exocett and it's main use is large flies, big fish, heavier lines, and/or tight quarters. I was really pleased with the rod’s in hand feel. If I’m being honest, she wasn’t much to look at, but we just jived. Delightful to cast, strong and accurate, the Exocett is a worthy update to the legendary T&T rods we all proudly owned during the 90s and early 2000s - Grady The Zone comes complete with the performance and craftsmanship that you’ve come to expect from Thomas & Thomas, but its price won’t blow you out of the water. Everything about the Exocett was classy and it was one of the most attractive rods in our tests. Also right up at the top, scoring 9.5 are the Scott rods, like the Radian and G series, as well as the Orvis Helios 3F and 3D. I had a really similar experience with this rod at both 80 and 100 ft. It does justice to Thomas and Thomas, and not for once did I feel that some items could have been put together better. The rod has a useful-sized fighting butt, a classic brushed anodized aluminum T&T reel seat, and a practical Full Wells grip. The Exocett has been put to the test time and again in the past year and still outranks much of the competition. It was a lot of fun to cast, and I could immediately notice the excellent… 12. Thomas and Thomas remains a solid leader in this corner with a redesign of their popular and successful Contact series. The Thomas and Thomas Exocett is an amazing new rod. The Exocett from Thomas and Thomas is a beautiful rod that hits the “salt” action right on the head. The Exocett is perhaps the smoothest casting saltwater 8wt we’ve ever cast, and that’s saying something. T&T uses a pretty much standard full wells grip with a comfortable swell in the middle of the grip with flares at both ends. The blank itself is finished in a handsome matte dark blue color with lighter blue wraps, trimmed in white, resulting in a very elegant rod. It definitely has the power to cast that distance but I didn’t have the best accuracy while doing it. A stellar long distance performance. Better than the Helios 3F but not in the same class of either the Asquith or NRX. Thomas & Thomas 9’ 9WT Exocett. Tempted to give this rod a perfect 20 but the Asquith has a little more spring in its step. The Exocett is no departure from that tradition. 5. #3. If I were to choose just one 8-weight for a saltwater trip, it would either be the Exocett or the Asquith, because of their superior performance at longer distances. T&T is known for high-end componentry and incredible craftsmanship. The fighting butt gives plenty of extra leverage when used to overcome powerful fish like salmon or carp, but was small enough to stay out of the way when it wasn’t being used. Still a solid performance at this distance. Quite frankly, it can be hard to find quality, affordable equipment. The Exocett is extremely light in hand (3.78 ounces), and has one of the lowest saltwater 8wt swing weights out there (81.5 gm2). Then she was gone, on a plane back home, and I find myself missing her terribly. Only the Exocett and the Asquith received perfect scores from me at 80 feet, and I was able to blast a few casts at 100ft, which is rare for me. The Exocett is one of our favorite rods! Performance at 80 feet:  19.5 points out of 20. At 60 feet I was getting fantastic accuracy and great presentation. Each section is numbered on the lower side, making it easy to line up all the pieces. At one time Thomas & Thomas was one of the ... Their Exocett and Avantt series are two of the best rods made today. The Exocett has endured for the past year and is sure to remain at the top of the short list of saltwater fly rods for years to come. It was very good, but the Asquith, Orvis Recon, Loop Cross SW, Sage Motive, and Douglas DXF were better throwing the long bomb. After being absent from U.S. markets for several years, the company is back in the States. The Exocett is an incredible rod up to 80 feet, but I wouldn’t use this rod to push flats fishing distance boundaries. Performance at 60 feet:  19.2 points out of 20. Developed to meet the challenges of the most demanding species and destinations, T&T’s Exocett Series of high-performance saltwater fly rods are infused with the exceptional strength and dampening characteristics of our proprietary StratoTherm Resin. We gave perfect scores of 10 to the R.L Winston rods, the Thomas and Thomas rods and the Loomis Asquith. The Exocett has been put to the test time and again in the past year and still outranks much of the competition. We use this rods everyday on the boat, shore and all winter around the world. They are also very accurate. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Developed to meet the challenges of the most demanding species and destinations, T&T’s Exocett Series of high-perfo Performance at 35 feet:  19 points out of 20. Since then, the Exocett has been a staple saltwater rod in the quiver of many anglers and has endured as one of the highest performing rods on the market. Accurate casts are imperative when hunting for bonefish, permit, and other species on the flats. This guide set-up is one of the best we’ve seen. The Exocett is a bit softer than other saltwater rods out there; the G. Loomis NRX and the Sage Method are both faster rods than the Exocett, thus making them better tools for long distance casting. The T&T rods are built at their plant in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She was a 9ft 5wt, and I only had a few weeks to get to know her. Scientific Anglers Mastery Bonefish Fly Line. Gets it done easily, with very good line control and tight loops. In close, the Exocett didn’t perform as well as the Helios 3F or the Meridian, but it was still deadly accurate. This is a fast action rod and as you can see on our deflection board, the flex pattern is similar to the Asquith, just a little softer and with not quite as fast a tip. I’m sure those manufacturers that have a larger market share in the industry are taking notice.T&T has always been right at the top when it comes to immaculate craftsmanship and the use of the best components. The Exocett is no departure from that tradition. One thing that continues to amaze me is the level of perfection of T&T’s guide wraps and coatings. Thomas And Thomas Exocett SS Fly Rod – Vail Valley Anglers. I used it a number of times but found I don’t see myself fishing with it much in the future. Rod does cast beautifully and is a joy to use! Give credit where credit is due, and our hats go off to Thomas and Thomas.Looking back at my performance scores, I’m a little surprised that I didn’t give the Exocett any perfect 20 scores. But I’m not getting as much feel out of the rod as the Asquith, Meridian, or 3F. Thomas & Thomas introduced the Contact series of Euro-nymphing rods a handful of years ago and they almost immediately garnered a cult-like following, with many an experienced nymph angler raving about their performance and build quality. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The Exocett is an impressive new rod from T&T. We gave it a top score here along with the Asquith and Meridian. 'Value' and 'performance' are words generally not associated with fly fishing. It is amazing they can build a rod so light yet so powerful. Performance at 100 feet:  19 points out of 20. The sweet spots for the Exocett were the two middle distances, where it formed beautiful, tight loops. The Exocett is just about as accurate as it gets. Developed to meet the challenges of the most demanding species and destinations, Thomas & Thomas' Exocett Series of high-performance saltwater fly rods are infused with the exceptional strength and dampening characteristics of our proprietary StratoTherm Resin. At 35 feet the Exocett felt much like the Asquith. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. The Thomas & Thomas Zone is a powerful, reliable top-tier rod that comes in with a nearly unbelievable mid-level price tag. Thomas & Thomas Exocett 9’#8 4pc $895. Digging deeper into this matter, I suppose the reason for this is that the competition was just so good. 2. 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