This morning i took out my newly finished TCX 4wt onto the grass.
I have mentioned elsewhere i have recently finished a TCX 5wt to Saltwater Spec and loved it.
So i have built this 4wt to freshwater Spec, to compete with what is my favourite 4wt rod to date the Scott S4 905 (9ft 5wt
)
So the Fun of the morning, i had with me, the TCX 590 , TCX 490 and the S4 905, and Barrio Mallard WF5F, GT140 5F , GT90 4F and SA Sharkskin Magnum WF4F and WF5F.
Casting the rods was a lot of fun.
The 5wt TCX is a cannon, smooth , light, crisp and very powerful, matched with the Magnum WF5 or GT140 5F it was easy to cast 100ft + with consistancy and it could handle all the curves and tricks i could throw at it.
Presented with a wee bit of a breeze it never missed a beat and continued doing what it was doing with little extra effort from me. It will be the perfect lightweight Saltwater Fly rod that i was looking for, a bit ballsy for trout fishing back home perhaps, but then a lot of people still use 7's
they would be surprised by this rod. It should also give me the perfect practice rod for the grass, to keep me from going rusty out here in the jungle, Not many rocks to cast around out in the ocean
.
I tried it with the 4wt lines too, but they were definatley too light as was the mallard WF5 (even though it still cast extremely well especially with the curves,etc). I did find that the GT140 was a sweeter line and more controllable than the Magnum, although the magnum was a superb line, straight, tight pointy loops and great turnover, just a pity it makes such a noise on the rings
Oh aye and it costs 3 times what the GT140 does, that either makes one a bargain or the other very expensive
(perhaps both
) Overall this is the best casting distance 5wt rod i've ever picked up, it is easy to get on with and feels fantastic, it is a perfect lightweight saltwater flyrod, but i would be loathe to take in on the Don, i'd spend too much time hooked to the other bank
Next up i tried the TCX 490, this is my latest blank to be finished and after the fun with the 590 i was very interested to see what the 4 wt would be like, I have the TCX in 9wt and 7wt versions too and the 9wt is totally amazing, whereas the 7wt is very good, so they are not all the same
.
Seems a similar trend is following here, i tried the rod with the Magnum 4, Gt90 4 and the Mallard WF5. With the 2 distance lines the rod is beautifully crisp, very fast and feels lovely and light in the hand. I could hit 90ft + regularly which is not bad for a 4wt but the control was not up to that of the 590. Curves and tricks were no problem, but again lacked the positiveness of the 590, so it tried it with the WF5 mallard line and it turned into a different rod, beautiful and smooth, total control, an absolute delight, in fact almost exactly like my beloved S4 or so i was thinking as i was casting
.
It handled everything cleanly and with precision, brilliant piece of kit. This is a fantastic 5wt fishing rod, but i already have one of them
So i thought i'd check IT out to see
next up the S4 905 came out to play,for the last 2 years this has been my rod of choice with either the Mallard WF5 or the new GT 90 4F (i was using the DT4F until the GT came out) So how would it fair against the new toys.
I tried all the lines on it, GT 140 and Magnum 5wt's were a bit too much, they made the smooth blank feel a little soggy and although i could hit the distance it felt far more of a job than the TCX 590, not so much fun, The Magnum 4 and GT90 4wt though were a different ball game, the rod came alive again and that magic 100ft mark suddenly appeared but this time with the 4wt lines, effortless, always under control and wonderfully smooth. So onto the tricks, everything i did with the TCX 490 i matched almost mirror like with the S4 using the same lines, distance, presentation, even the accuracy was uncannily similar, however they do it a wee bit differently, The TCX is crisper and lighter with a wee bit more punch, whereas the S4 is smoother and a little bit more laid back (well for a fast action rod
) I could control each with equal ease and little thought, but for me the S4 was still marginally more intuiative requiring less thought to hit the mark.
I would imagine if they were not cast side by side with the same lines you would never notice, i certainly wouldn't
both rods would come across as perfect distance 4wts, but 5wt fishing rods, although i do fancy the S4 as more a 4wt fishing rod when matched with the GT90 4F.
So there you are, TCX590 is exactly what you expect it to be, the best 5wt distance and fishing rod you could pick up, perfect for windy days, large waters, saltwater and getting you past that 100ft mark in the casting park.
The TCX490 is Fantastic 5wt fishing rod , that i would use anywhere, the river, small waters, large waters, with almost any normal size trout flies, and if you want to take it to the casting park, match it with a distance 4wt line and you will surprise yourself and others.
The S4 905 is still MY favorite trout rod, it is just the extension of my arm that does everything i want it too without any real instructions, i love it, it may feel a wee bit heavier and less crisp than the TCX's but it is a smoother and communicates better. It is also a 4wt fishing rod and is the perfect stick for the GT90 4F
With that thought in mind the TCX490 i've built will be for sale when i get back in the summer, make me an offer around the build cost by PM if you are interested
. The rod will not be available until July 15th.
TCX 490 Blank, REC nickel finished aluminium and Nicely figured Spalted maple seat, fine wire recoil guides, Cermet butt ring and custom real "Flor" grade cork, build cost £375
It will have a rod bag and cordura tube. High quality build.
Cheers
Sandy
