Until recently, 10ft rods rated for a four-weight line were fairly rare. This is where the boundary between conventional dry-fly/nymph rods and euro-nymph rods becomes blurred.
Pure euro-nymph rods rarely cast dry-flies well with conventional fly-lines because the supple tip essential for effective tight-line nymphing compromises accuracy, especially when side casting. Now there are rods that perform both functions well — perhaps not as well as ones dedicated to either dry-fly or euro-nymphing, but more than good enough. They will appeal to anglers who euro-nymph only occasionally but don’t wish to carry two rods.
On stillwaters, from the bank or in a boat, when using a floating line that lands gently and provides little resistance to a taking fish, these rods present stillwater dry-flies, wet-flies and nymphs delicately and accurately.
On rivers, where overhead cover allows their use, their longer reach keeps line off the water and out of conflicting currents, extends over bankside vegetation, and makes the manipulation of wet-flies and Spiders more effective.
When repetitive casting is required, they are slightly more tiring to use due to the extra leverage.
We tested ten 10ft four-weights, which naturally fell into three groups:
- Powerful distance-casting rods well-suited for use on stillwaters or large rivers.
- All-rounders, true four-weights, with a bias towards conventional fly-lines, great for use on rivers where a little more reach is needed and suitable for light dry-fly and nymph fishing on stillwaters.
- River rods that cast conventional dry-flies and nymphs well but were biased towards tight-line nymphing, with the supple tip required to euro-nymph efficiently. Best suited to small or medium-sized rivers.
All these rods should deliver flies accurately over a range of distances, from nymphing close in, to fishing dry-flies and indicator nymph set-ups at more than 50ft.
We cast them with a Rio Gold Premier WF4F, 126grains, with a 5½ft front taper and an Airflo Ridge 2 Tactical Taper WF4F, 120grains, and 20ft front taper. The shorter tip of the five per cent heavier Rio loads well at short range; the Airflo trades reduced short-range load for a more delicate delivery.
In this test we hope to have narrowed your choice; however, we recommend you cast these rods before you buy to decide which may best suit your fishing.
Airflo Streamtec V2
£149.99
10ft 4wt
A true four-weight that felt stiff without a line on it but came alive once it was loaded. If you like to really feel a rod load and work, then this is one to consider. It handled overhead, roll and spey casts equally well. Its moderate action led us to think it might be over-gunned with the Rio line, but in practice it worked well with both lines, although roll casts were crisper with the Airflo. An accurate rod with good feedback, the Airflo impressed at close range and at distance. The handle is better suited to larger hands.
“An accurate rod with good feedback”
Contact Airflo Tel 01874 618 510 Web airflofishing.com
Douglas DFX
£419.99
10ft, 4wt
A gentle, progressive action, down-locking reel seat, fighting butt and closely spaced stripping rings are features that are well suited to euro-nymphing. Both lines worked well, with the Rio predictably providing a greater load and more feel at close range at the expense of being a little too heavy for a long roll cast. Very good for tight-line nymphing while having plenty of control and accuracy for dry-fly work with a conventional fly-line. A great single-rod solution for small to medium-sized rivers, its well-controlled blank has minimal tip bounce and good feedback.
“A great single-rod solution for small to medium-sized rivers”
Contact Mallon and Green Tel 01629 810 520 Web mallonandgreen.co.uk
Greys Wing Streamflex
£409.99
10ft, 4wt
Like the Douglas, the Greys has a down-locking reel seat and closely spaced stripping rings. It has a slightly gentler action, perfect for spider fishing and equally good for euro-nymph or dry-fly. It roll cast very well but didn’t like to be pushed too hard, not that you needed to. The Rio line produced a distinct slowing of the action with good short-range loading. A gentle river rod that performs best at close range. The handle is particularly slim, a little too small for Don’s large hands. It transmitted
the feel of the blank very well.
“Equally good with euro-nymph or dry-fly”
Contact Pure Fishing Tel 01665 602 771 Web greysfishing.co.uk
Guideline LPX Tactical
£439.99
9ft 9in, 4wt
This rod is three inches shorter than the rest, which, combined with its lightness and crisp progressive action, made it feel like a nine-footer. It is a true four-weight and definitely preferred the Airflo line, creating effortless, tight loops with excellent feedback. It cast accurately at all distances with overhead and roll casts, but might feel sightly underpowered on a large stillwater. Both testers remarked it cast like an extension of their arms with the line flowing smoothly from the rod with precise feedback and tip damping. An excellent rod for dry-fly and conventional nymphing, it stood out from the crowd and got the nod from both testers.
“Effortless, tight loops with excellent feedback”
Contact Guideline Tel 07973 291 367 Web guidelineflyfish.com
Hardy Aydon
£539.99
10ft, 4wt
Like the Guideline, this rod didn’t feel like a 10ft rod. It felt light and controlled, generating high line speed and tight loops, but with a very slight lack of feedback. Both lines worked well on the Hardy, with the Rio bringing into play the blank’s ample reserve power and the Airflo delicately presenting the fly at long range. Effortlessly accurate and well damped, it performed roll and overhead casts very well at all distances. A real all-round rod for both rivers and stillwaters, which performed well at distance, while maintaining the delicacy of a true four-weight.
“A real all-round rod for both rivers and stillwaters”
Contact Pure Fishing Tel 01665 602 771 Web hardyfishing.co.uk
MacKenzie NX1
£449
10ft, 4wt
The Airflo line allowed this rod to produce very accurate loops from its well-damped tip and smooth progressive action. The Rio line was good at short distances, but attempting to aerialise the entire head overloaded the blank, leading to a loss of control. A rod that shines with a smooth casting stroke, it doesn’t like to be forced. Very much a river rod, it excelled at roll casting and would be superb for fishing spiders. Paired with a line that has a delicate front taper like the Airflo, dries and small nymphs would be a pleasure to fish.
“Superb for fishing spiders”
Contact Mackenzie Fly Fishing Tel 07771 330 729 Web www.mackenzieflyfishing.com
Orvis Helios 3F
£1049
10ft, 4wt
The Orvis felt very light in the hand. A well-controlled, faster-action blank, with almost no tip bounce, combined delicate presentation with pinpoint accuracy. At close range with the Airflo line, it was underloaded and lacked feel. It much preferred the Rio line, which produced a better rod load and significantly improved feedback. At the upper end of the four-weight spectrum, this rod would be ideal for small stillwaters or fishing dry-flies from a boat. On all but the largest rivers, it might feel too powerful.
“Ideal for small stillwaters”
Contact Orvis UK Tel 03334 004 188 Web orvis.co.uk
Sage R8 Core
£1049
10ft, 4wt
A powerful rod that produced some of the tightest V-shaped loops in the test combined with excellent accuracy at the cost of sightly reduced feedback. It was definitely best suited to the Rio line at close range and distance. Lengthening the line produced more rod flex and increased feel. It is advisable to check that your reel will fit as the reel seat was a close fit for our Orvis Mirage. A bit too powerful for small rivers, but perfect for a big river where long, accurate casts are required and a great choice for dry- and wet-fly fishing from a boat.
“Perfect for a big river where long, accurate casts are required”
Contact Guide Flyfishing Tel 01977 681 300 Web guideflyfishing.co.uk
Scott Centric
£949
10ft, 4wt
The Scott has a very smooth casting stroke with lots of feel transmitted through the well-shaped handle. A true four-weight, it worked well at all distances with the Airflo line, accurate tight loops flowing easily from the well-controlled stable tip. The Rio cast well, but rod tip control was not as good as with the lighter line, although the greater load produced excellent roll casts. A progressive-action rod that doesn’t require a fast casting stroke. With its delicate, accurate presentation, it would be at home on all waters.
“A very smooth casting stroke with lots of feel”
Contact Flyfish Europe Tel 07772 235 428 (Steve Peterson) Web flyfisheurope.com
Snowbee Prestige G-XS
£509
10ft, 4wt
A rod with plenty of reserve power and a stable, well-damped tip, the Snowbee performed all the casts very accurately and consistently, but lacked a bit of feel compared to some rods in the test. At close range, the Rio line improved flex and feedback, while for distance casting, the Airflo worked well once the entire head was out of the tip ring. This would be an excellent stillwater dry-fly boat rod and would work well on small stillwaters from the bank, but it might be a bit too powerful for small rivers.
“An excellent stillwater dry-fly rod”
Contact Snowbee Tel 01752 334 933 Web snowbee.co.uk
Prices correct as at April 2023