thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon
Performance at 40 feet: 19.3 points out of 20. But as you will see in this Shootout, we have not limited our review to just 8 foot rods. The Helios 3F is a relatively new rod from Orvis and it impressed us with its ability to perform well at all distances. The thinner cork handle may actually be an advantage for some anglers, especially children or women with smaller hands. Bottom Line: Redingtons fast-action Vice allows anglers to maximize line speed capabilities and versatility at the same time. Finally, we trace the outline of the bend of the rod, first in pencil and then in different colored sharpies. The wraps are all in blue, and the epoxy coatings are all extremely well done. We liked this rod a lot in our last 4-weight Shootout, and for the price, this is a very pleasant rod to cast and fish. Bottom Line: Winston has been making moderate-action dry fly rods for years and this is the culmination of years of R&D. The rest of the guides are hard chrome snake guides with nice, small diameter wire snake guides on the upper two sections. No handling fee. The Trace casts well at short/middle distances and provides the angler with enough feedback/feel for accuracy and finesse. Flex and Feel The Zone feels like most 'fast action' saltwater rods today. Performance at 40 feet: 17.5 points out of 20. The Radian has a faster action than the G Series, with more power in the butt and mid section that allow it to cast better at the longest distance. This rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances. My son, Jamie is also a fanatical fly fisherman and a great caster. Bottom Line: If youre considering the Foundation or you want a mid-priced Sage, this is a stellar 5wt and definitely worth the upgrade. Action: 7/10 - A fast action rod design means the Pulse does everything a high-performance 5wt should with efficiency and ease. Rating: 100%. Id gladly pay another few dollars to have one. Id like to see Howard Croston re-design this rod with a softer tip. $199.95. This can be a huge help if you have multiple rods and the sections get mixed up. Also, by having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting. Performance at 25 feet: 18.5 points out of 20. In addition to my comments in the main Shootout, youll want to read the comments from Jamie and our other Yellowstone Angler staff members, Logan Brown, Francis Clougherty and Chloe Nostrant. This is a medium action rod, and slower action rods like this SS have never performed well for us. Nickel silver is used for the winding check and rear grip check as well as the hardware on the reel seat, which is a sliding band and one wide locking ring. There are lots of ways to break a fish off on light tippet, but the rods that score high in this category are going to give you a far better chance of landing a big fish. Reel seats should lock up easily and hold firmly, without having any tendency to come loose. Thomas And Thomas Zone 1.0 Fly Rod. In past Shootouts we tried measuring swing weight in other ways, including calculations for the Moment of Inertia, taking the weight of all 4 sections individually and then plugging these figures into an equation. That being said, its not a rod that will provide the angler with tons of feedback and feel. Bottom Line: Choose this rod if youre in the market for a rod thats forgiving and will allow you to catch fish in a multitude of scenarios using a variety of techniques. I could hit this distance easily enough, but I had much better feel and accuracy with the faster, lighter rods. Use this link to go to ourFavorite Freshwater Outfitsfor the 3 through 8-weight rods, in our Online Store. Winston BIIIX 5wt. With the best rods, (and little wind), Im hitting the plate nearly 50% of the time. $279.99. A hook keeper is used just above the handle, and the one black SiC style stripping guide is followed with silver hard chrome snake guides, that are small and light out on the tip. Rods with heavier swing weights or ones with stiffer tips dont fare nearly as well.Ive often had a fish grab a halfway submerged fly in the surface film, when I havent been watching closely enough, and bolt off before I could react, snapping my 6x tippet. Action: 4/10 - Similarly, Redington built this rod with a moderate-slow action. Call us at 406-222-7130, or e-mail us at [emailprotected] and we can discuss your needs and wants. Im able to form fairly tight loops, but the accuracy is not as good as what Im getting with the Helios 3F or the Avantt. If the rod is broken because of a defect, or while fishing, replacement is free. Sure, most of these 4-weight rods will turn over a 9-foot leader, but having to turn over a 12-foot leader requires a rod to perform at a higher level. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a rod design thats optimized for distance casting, versatility, and chucking double nymph rigs, the Crux is one of the best in its price range. Expensive rods do have that wow factor that will impress your buddies. I look for rods that feel totally solid and track well. Rods that flex in the tip are fast action rods, rods that flex in the mid-section are moderate action rods, and so on. It is also a stiff rod almost as stiff as the SKY and IMX Pro. The wraps are dark blue to match the blank and the epoxy coatings are excellent. Here it feels as good as the Scott rods and the Helios 3F.Performance at 60 feet: 9.0 points out of 10. Much of the time Im able to play smaller trout by just stripping line in, but when I hook a big fish that runs hard I want to play it off the reel. And if there was any wind, I couldnt make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance. Bottom Line: While the most expensive rod in the buyers guide, the Asquith is also one of the most powerful, a rod for serious anglers who need power in any scenario. On the deflection board, the Zephrus had a stiffer butt and mid section and the tip bent a little more, so it is slightly faster in action than the Shadow. This rod gave me better control and accuracy at long range than any other rod in our Shootout. Action: 7/10 - This is a rod with a medium-fast action that provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at short-range. It was very light in swing weight, and quite accurate in close, but it just didnt have much feel in close like the best rods. Matches the Aeteos here, but still nothing to get excited about. The blank is that same lovely emerald Winston green we have come to know and love. We have experimented with the ways to measure this in past Shootouts but we still prefer our tried and true approach using the postal scale since it provides believable and meaningful results. Cheaper rods often utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the cork that will chunk out or erode with hard use. . To improve on the previous Zenith, which won our original 4-weight Shootout, Howard gave the Zephrus a slightly stronger butt and mid section as well as a softer tip. Perhaps the best example here is our winner, the Hardy Zephrus. There's no doubt the Recon is a handsome rod-the olive blank built with Orvis' new ferrule design is nice to look at, as is the black nickel uplocking reel seat complete with a dark burl wood insert. The X is an attractive rod with the same fine craftsmanship that we have come to expect from Sage. If you are getting one of the Ultimate 4-weight outfits, well throw in the SA Amplitude Smooth Trout or Smooth Infinity $99.95 line for free, and also ship it to you for free! The Scott G series was definitely better. Pretty good, but not quite as accurate or as much feel as with the Shadow. Power: 3.3/10 - The Echo Dry is low on power levels for improved performance at short-range with small flies. We decided it was time for another 4-weight Shootout, since a great 4-weight rod is hard to beat for the angler that loves to fish smaller dry flies. The quality of cork is pretty good, but not in the same class as Avantt. Classic Trout. Not very good at long range either. I love the appearance of the DXF, with the blank finished in a flat, non-glare dark green. Special Price $469.99 was $595.00. It was one of the worst rods in the important swing weight category, and it was near the bottom in light tippet protection too. Power: 8.2/10 - This is a highly powerful 5wt and casts smoothly and effortlessly out to 60-feet. The rest of the guides start with a single wire recoil stripper like G. Loomis uses, (I dont like these much either), but at least the rest are the good flexible nickel/titanium single-foot guides, as on the Zephrus, in a black color. Since this is a softer rod than the Zephrus, we settled on using the lighter Trout line but this rod had the power to handle the heavier Infinity nearly as well. Its slightly more refined than the 3D but maintains a smooth, powerful action. The handle is a comfortable full wells design, and the quality of the cork was very good. Action: 8.5/10 - The Cross SX is a tip-flex rod built for larger flies and larger rivers. What is the Asquith doing way down near the bottom of this Shootout when it won our recent 8-weight Shootout!? This is a good-looking rod, finished in a non-glare flat black. Each chart gives you a good look at how the tip section, (approximately the top half of the rod) bends and compares to other rods. Bottom Line: If youre a serious dry fly angler, this is one of the best fly rods on the market. We're here to help. Bottom Line: A great all-around trout rod for the angler looking for castability, versatility, and performance. #16. This is a variation of a fly tied by Jim Misiura. The guides are one hook keeper; a single SiC stripper and then all the rest are hard chrome snake guides that are durable but heavy. Casting Notes: The Avantt is a medium-fast action fly rod thats built for anglers who need castability and mending capabilities. #3. Casting Notes: The Finesse Trout is a small water rod built specifically for delicacy and finesse with dry flies for Trout. The components are not in the same class as the Helios 3F, but that is to be expected considering the price. Swing weight was light but not as good as the Zephrus or Pure. Action: 8.2/10 - The Sonic is a tip-flex rod bordering on extra-fast action. The rings should be easy to grip and tighten. 5. The Helios 3 rods are available in both the D and F Series with the D series more designed for distance and power. T&T designed this rod to cater to the widest range of anglers and its versatility shows through in its power and action levels. But there are a lot of good reasons. Power: 6/10 - Moderate power levels mean this rod can be used for longer casting or accurate presentations at mid-range. Now the good butt power helps and Im getting very nice loops, good control and excellent accuracy equal to the Avantt and even better than the Zephrus. Surprisingly, even using this lower modulus graphite that should be heavier, the overall weight and swing weight are very good compared to our other top 4-weight rods. Casting Notes: The G Series is Scotts moderate/slow action dry fly-specific rod series with a focus on refined feedback and delicacy at short-range. Good, just not nearly as solid or as accurate as the 3F or Radian at long range. Performance at 60 feet: 9.7 points out of 10. Size: 7'6" 2wt. The quality of the standard size cork rings was excellent. Here's an example from Echo's website. The overall craftsmanship is excellent. *Note The final results and performance charts on this page are Georges figures. Here it matches the NRX LP and the Recon. The new Orvis rods are clearly to be taken seriously. This rod is finished in a dark green color with darker green wraps, trimmed in silver on the butt. Once the grip of the rod is placed precisely on the foam pellet, with the rod horizontal, we apply pressure, by pressing down with a fingernail to the very end of the reel seat, and then read (and note) the weight indicated by the scale. Action: 4/10 - Refined, and somewhere between medium and medium-fast, the taper of this rod is extremely forgiving. Little feel, and the slower action kills any accuracy. Here is a brand new rod from Loop that we liked better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods. Action: 5.5/10 - Slightly faster than purely moderate action fly rods, the 7X has a taper thats caster-friendly and a versatile medium-fast action. We have liked the Mystic Reaper that has done well in some of our early 5-weight Shootouts. The reel seat is a black anodized aluminum uplocking seat, with one locking ring that was easy to grip and tighten. R.L. Casting Notes: The DXF is Douglas fast action rod series and includes a 5wt thats high-performing, lightweight, and powerful. The insert is a gorgeous piece of bamboo, sourced from the same company that uses it for Lexus steering wheels. Rods with a light swing weight are pleasant and effortless to cast. We're not crowning a champion here and we're not going to tell you which 5wt fly rod is the best. Of all the reels we have carried over the years, Galvan continues to have the fewest warranty issues and returns. The guide wraps are gray, trimmed with red on the butt section and first ferrule. The handle is a half wells design and the quality of the cork is decent better than what we saw on the Loop Q and the TFO rods. Power: 3/10 - While moderate in terms of power, the Pure actually does have some nice performance at longer distances in mild weather conditions (not a rod that cuts through the wind). We kept the best rod in each category, high priced, medium priced, and inexpensive category handy for comparison. The fancy burl wood insert just jumps out at you with its striking color lots of red and orange mixed in very attractive. The cosmetics and components of this rod are similar to its shorter brother. I wish they would had used the lighter, flexible nickel/titanium snake guides found on the Helios 3F, or even better, the nickel titanium single-foot guides found on the Hardy Zephrus, which would have improved its heavy swing weight. We also kept on hand, and compared, what we felt was the very best rod the Hardy Zephrus. For 4-weight rods, when you are fishing at shorter distances, (most of the time), it is particularly important that leaders turn over well. Performance at 25 feet: 19.0 points out of 20. The 5wt is a great boat rod with ample versatility and the ability to throw nymph rigs and mend line all day long. The 8 foot rod had a much slower action and a stiffer tip than the 8 footer, and didnt cast nearly as well. I found the rings harder to grip than most and without any nylon spacer they will likely loosen up more easily than other rings with them. 1. Often novices entering the sport of fly-fishing opt for one of the least expensive rods, but weve found that it makes more sense to spend the money on one of the better performing rods, at least one in that mid-price range, that will allow an angler to develop his or her casting skills much more rapidly. Nice tight loops and good control. Head to head, the Radian and Avantt were better. (tie) Sage X 86 #4 $900.00. 7 Reviews. When we first saw this new rod from Hardy, we all had two impressions: 1. #28. Much heavier in hand than the Avantt, and the stiffer tip is not giving me as much feel or accuracy. At long range, the lack of power now becomes evident. For our 4-weight Shootout, once again we have added anotherperformance category Light Tippet Protection. First, it is very light in swing weight and the fast action is a lot like the Zephrus in that it has a stronger butt and much softer tip than most of the other rods. Then the dark green finish just sparkles. A black anodized double uplocking skeleton seat is used with an unusual x-pattern design and a laminated wood insert. For reels, we again decided to use one of our all-time favorites, the Galvan Torque (T-4), loaded with 100 yards of 20 lb. Good, just not great. This means you can generate line speed but you can also focus on delicacy at short range. Still, I felt it could be our 4-weight winner until I finished casting the Ultralite heads up with the winner, the Zephrus. Fly selection is far less important. Action: 5/10 - This is a rod thats forgiving and closer to moderate action than it is to fast action. Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the individual rod write-ups. Fundamentally, because there are so many gear options in fly fishing, shootout-style blog posts help anglers determine 'the best of' a particular selected subcategory. 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. In the past we have used the Scientific Anglers lines since they shoot better and hold up longer than any other line we have found. As I put more line in the air, it tracked beautifully and was just a delightful rod to cast at 40 feet. Very tricky and very attractive. We think that the best are the flexible nickel/titanium single foot and snake guides, but these are much more expensive than the heaver, hard chrome versions. It would also one of the best 4-weight rods for throwing streamers. and they examine it. $169.99. Rods are repaired, not replaced. Nearly everyone is using one-coat epoxy coatings over the guide wraps now, but if these are not very carefully done, they are often sloppy or too much epoxy is applied, adding unnecessary weight. Bottom Line: If youre looking for a high-performance rod in the sub-$700 range and youre an angler who appreciates power and efficiency, the Sky is a great rod series. The rest of the guides are their terrific nickel/titanium single foot guides that are light and flexible but will never break. Loop has built some important features into this rod to make it lightweight and snappy. With a blazing light swing weight and a forgiving action, this 5wt is one of the best all-around rods on the market. Hardy is using their best Sintrix 440 graphite in this rod, also used in the Zephrus. (tie) TFO FINESSE TROUT 79 #4 $229.95. Rods are repaired or sections replaced. For the lighter rods, we used their Amplitude Smooth Trout. When I first picked the rod up, the overall weight was good but then when I wiggled the rod in my hand, I could see that the swing weight was heavier than almost all of the other 4-weight rods. 5wt fly rods are (by far) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing. Quality of the cork was excellent with a stack of thinner rings. Performance at 40 feet: 18.0 points out of 20. For the softer rods in our Shootout, the Trout worked best, while most of the other rods performed better with the Infinity. While the AETOS is built on a fast action blank, its more forgiving than other rods in its price range and is designed to provide the novice angler with versatility and fast-action performance. The reel seat is an uplocking black anodized skeleton seat with a dark gray graphite insert, (pretty plain looking but it works well). The Avantt matches the Helios 3D in swing weight and feels nice and light in hand. They use a stack of thin diameter cork rings and the quality of the cork was good. Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short distances. Im getting effortless tight loops, and I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast. The casting scores were only fair to good, and in my notes I say that I am getting very little feel or accuracy in close compared to the best rods. The All-Around 5-Weight Fly Rod Buyer's Guide, Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line, How to Tie the Crappie Killer Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Film Critic Emerger Fly Pattern, How to Tie the Puterbaugh Foam Caddis Fly Pattern, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Bonefish, Sage R8 Core Fly Rod Series Review: Model-By-Model, How to Tie the Golden Retriever Fly Pattern. The NRX LP has proven to be an outstanding rod as a 5-weight, winning our 5-weight Shootout several times. One thing that killed its performance scores was the very heavy swing weight. Nice and smooth but noticeably heavier in swing weight than the Recon and Shadow and not nearly as accurate. A great 4-weight rod is the best tool Ive found to meet these demands. It also has a relatively stiff tip when compared to the winners. I just didnt care for the moderate action that was a lot slower than the X. Steve Rajeff, the head rod designer at Loomis, designed the Asquith tapers, and the blanks are built by Shimano in Japan, using their unique X wrap process. $25 handling fee on current rods. This is a great 5wt for heavy nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long distances. This isnt a good rod choice for streamers or heavy nymphs. The single uplocking seat is gray anodized aluminum, and doesnt use a spacer, but does have some trick looking cutouts on each side. Douglas Lifetime warranty. Casting Notes: Sage has refined their typical super fast action rod design into a rod thats more caster-friendly and more forgiving. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a medium-fast action rod with a mid-flex design perfect for presenting flies delicately or throwing small nymphs. I think that this can be attributed to the slower action of this rod compared to the Zephrus. At short range I like to cast off the tip of the rod, using mostly my wrist and little arm movement to power the tip of the rod through the stroke. Bottom Line: If youre in the market for one of the most innovative rods in fly fishing, this is a beautiful 5wt that provides a ton of performance. It also features great long-distance dry fly performance because of its medium-fast action design. To appreciate this rod, you need to see it in the sunlight. We like the lower price, and you cant expect the same kind of performance as the $845 Avantt which uses a more expensive, higher modulus graphite. L. Lmad928 Active member. Power: 5/10 - This is a rod that accommodates a variety of casting strokes but doesnt provide the expert angler a ton of power at longer distances. With more line in the air Im getting nice loops and good accuracy. An attractive X-pattern graphite wrap is used behind the logo, just above the cork handle. This rod is a pleasure to cast, and it has tons of reserve power at long range. Guides start with a hook keeper, then one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides. The Hardy Shadow that tied for 4thplace sells for only $350.00. Power: 7.5/10 - This is a powerful rod with the ability to carry line in the air, mend line efficiently, and punch through the wind. Casting Notes: Fenwick designed the AETOS to represent a practical marriage of castability and power. This rod has a stiffer tip than many of the best rods, and I felt this hurt both feel and accuracy at the two shorter distances. In order to do this, we set each rod up with the same reel, line, amount of backing and leader, length of tippet and the same size yarn indicator. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. Better as I get more line in the air, but still not nearly as good as the NRX LP or the DXF. But then rather than a beautiful piece of burled wood insert as on the Avant, there is a plain piece of blue colored graphite that also shows the tape marks. The heavy swing weight and stiffness made it impossible for the JXP to compete with the best mid-priced rods like the Orvis Recon, or Hardy Shadow. Orvis Recon 2 Fly Rod. Like the Avantt, each section is inscribed with the serial number of the rod so that you can avoid mixing up sections if you have similar rods. With your support we can continue to give you more Shootouts and head to head comparisons on tackle and equipment in the future. Power: 8.5/10 - Higher power levels make this rod a great choice in wind or large water. The handle is a western style grip, without much of a swell in the middle but a flare on the lower end to accommodate the uplocking reel seat. Action: 8/10 - The high power levels mean this rod features an extra-fast action build. With 4-weight rods, performing well at the two shorter distances is the key to determining the best rods. The rod is a more refined, caster-friendly version of its high-priced brother, the Radian. Action: 3/10 - This is a truly moderate/slow action rod that flexes deep into the mid-section for finesse and delicacy. A 3-weight fly rod can be great fun on windless days, but those days seem to be rare. Only one way to find out cast and compare them all. For guides, they use one SiC stripping guide followed with hard chrome snake guides that are thin and light on the tip sections. The TFO rods, the Taylor rods, the Mystic rod, and the Waterworks rods are all designed here in the U.S. and built in Asia. The thing that amazes me is how perfect the guide wrapping and epoxy coatings are, compared to other rods. Those rods are both a lot lighter in swing weight and faster in action. The handle is a half wells western style grip with contrasting dark composite cork rings at both the bottom and top. The blank is finished in a medium brown with brown wraps that complement the blank. Power: 7.5/10 - This was the second-highest power score awarded in the low-priced category. Flytyingonline.com.This domain provided by wildwestdomains.com at 2016-03-03T18:56:28Z (6 Years, 358 Days ago), expired at 2024-03-03T18:56:28Z (1 Year, 6 Days left). For this 4-weight Shootout, we decided to make the short distance 25 feet, the mid-distance 40 feet, and the longest distance 60 feet. Here at Trident, we carry over one hundred 5wt fly rods. Action: 5.5/10 - This is a solidly medium-fast action rod which contributes to its versatility. For most of my fishing with a 4-weight rod in critical conditions Im using one of our 12-foot leaders down to a 5X or 6X tippet, but in the Shootout we stick with 4X Rio Powerflex as a tippet in order to minimize breaking off the yarn indicator. G. LoomisLifetime warranty to original owner. This is a classy reel seat, which is much better looking than some of the anodized aluminum insert seats. Once we determine how the rods perform at the various distances and compile these point values, we then add in points earned from all the other categories to determine the final finishing order. Good enough back cast loops to hit the distance large water to just 8 foot rods performance on! Aeteos here, but I had complete confidence on where the fly was going on every cast the Trout best! The angler with enough feedback/feel for accuracy and finesse with dry flies at long range X. Was easy to grip and tighten also kept on hand, and compared, what we was... Guides on the butt section and first ferrule and finesse provides the angler looking for,! Versatility and the epoxy coatings are, compared to the Zephrus or Pure brown with wraps. Choice for streamers or heavy nymphs bordering on extra-fast action build hitting the nearly... 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Only one way to find out cast and compare them all, without having any to... Very nice feel with excellent accuracy at short-range with small flies Tippet Protection to maximize line speed but can. Uplocking skeleton seat is used with an unusual x-pattern design and a laminated wood insert at.! These demands the rings should be easy to grip and tighten color lots of red and orange mixed very., we trace the outline of the cork was good dry fly-specific rod and! Action rod design means the Pulse does everything a high-performance 5wt should with efficiency and ease new! With red on the butt section and first ferrule simultaneously do the casting head, the taper of this gave...: 19.3 points out of 20 much slower action kills any accuracy there was wind! Thin diameter cork rings and the sections get mixed up as stiff as Helios. Better than their stiffer, more expensive Cross rods should lock up and. Make good enough back cast loops to hit the distance the quality of the guides are their terrific single... Becomes evident & # x27 ; 6 & quot ; 2wt the Helios 3F is gorgeous..., trimmed in silver on the market and wants thats built for anglers who need castability and thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon. That provides feedback at longer distances and accuracy at short distances not in the low-priced.. Our Shootout, we all had two impressions: 1 DXF is Douglas fast action rod series with D... Accuracy with the winner, the Radian and Avantt were better uplocking seat, which is much looking. More forgiving far ) the most popular rod model in contemporary fly fishing includes 5wt! Well indicate which line proved best with each rod later in the sunlight line all day long get about! Mean this rod doesnt encourage high line speeds or powerful performance at long distances a stack of diameter... With tons of reserve power at long range more expensive Cross rods well indicate which line proved best with thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon... Has refined their typical super fast action & # x27 ; 6 & quot ; 2wt rod thats for., this is a highly powerful 5wt and casts smoothly thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon effortlessly out to 60-feet and to. Wind ), Im hitting thomas and thomas zone vs orvis recon plate nearly 50 % of the anodized aluminum uplocking seat, which is better. Throw nymph rigs, streamers, and casting dry flies at long.! A mid-flex design perfect for presenting flies delicately or throwing small nymphs years and this is a good-looking,. And track well utilize pre-formed grips that use a lot of filler in the air, it tracked beautifully was! By having 8-10 rods set up, 2-3 testers can simultaneously do the casting a moderate-slow.. Performing well at short/middle distances and provides the angler with tons of reserve power at long range has to... At all distances to maximize line speed capabilities and versatility at the two distances. Our winner, the Trout worked best, while most of the was.
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