Orvis Helios F 8’6″ 4-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 4 out of 5

   This rod feels very different from the other Helios F rods. It has a very distinct hinge point and is a lot more springy than the other models. This is a great rod for smaller water and has a little more gas than the 9-foot version, giving you the ability to fish slightly heavier flies. It takes a little while to get used to from a casting standpoint. The fly line comes out of the tip of the rod with a lot of heat so it’s important to keep your loop high so it doesn’t nosedive on the water in front of you. I tried out a couple different lines on this rod and liked the Rio Elite Technical Trout WF4F best.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   This rod is a study in line pairing. Our first impressions of the rod were of a very one note, but purposeful, automatic casting rod that delivered the cast without much feedback or nuance, just good visual feedback, but not a lot in the hand. We cast a couple lines our first go around and the Rio Gold and Rio Technical Trout both lines left us with the same impression. The second time, we cast the SA Trout taper and SA Trout Standard taper and found ourselves holding a completely different fly rod. Both SA Trout tapers gave the rod a supple and springy character, loading the blank progressively in a manner resembling the best Helios models we’ve cast. A soft and stable tip that loads into a butt section that remains stalwart with that pleasant “rock back” and rebound. Line speed is generated expectantly but tuned and matched to the line and application. Even casting and delightful and a reminder to everyone out there, Y’all tune your fly rods! A great fly rod might be a fly line change away.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 4 out of 5

   This model is undeniably light in hand and springy in character but feels a bit bouncy with a Rio Technical Trout. I vastly preferred it with an SA Trout Taper, which seems like a good choice for the intended fishing applications for this rod: dry flies and light dry-dropper rigs. It casts with great line speed from 20-40 feet, a useful distance for fishing dry flies on a freestone or spring creek. With the SA Trout line, it loads evenly and casts gorgeous loops. Casting tempo is “medium-fast” rather than “medium,” one of the quicker sticks in the Helios F Series and clearly the little brother of the F 8’6” 5-weight.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   I was surprised by the softness of the blank, that casts like it was always meant to be yours. I found this to be light in hand with an even, deep flexing profile when really wanting to send some line out. I had a chance to fish the SA Trout line and found it paired well with the personality of this rod but imagine a Rio Tech Trout would be right at home as well. Anglers fishing smaller water and wanting a rod capable of small and medium/ large bugs will find this rod will work well for them.

   Wes Yarnell (Telluride Angler)

5. Rated 5 out of 5

   This was the first Orvis rod I ever cast and having never cast an Orvis rod I was pleasantly surprised. It was very light in hand and flexed deep into the blank. The soft, smooth feel when casting makes me believe it would be an awesome single dry fly rod and would be sick to fish out of a boat. This rod paired with the SA Trout very well.

   Curtis Nelson (Telluride Angler)