Orvis Helios F 9′ 7-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   What Orvis is shooting for here is not easy to achieve: an easy-casting rod that is still up to the various and sometimes onerous tasks of a 7-weight. Of all the line weights, a 7-weight is most called upon to cast unusual, specialized fly lines, whether an Anadro for nymphing, Predator or Titan Taper for streamers, or a bonefish taper for the flats. This rod casts them all beautifully, albeit with a slower, more relaxed cadence than the Helios D 9′ 7-weight. The key to the rod’s magic is stability. Most “moderate action” rods lose their command with heavy headed lines, wobbling under the weight as the fly rod loads past the tip into the middle section of the rod, where the blank tapers steeply. The result is a general loss of control. The Helios F 9′ 7-weight gives us the best of all worlds: a rod that casts with the relaxed familiarity of your favorite 5-weight yet with the confidence and bottom end power to hold up those heavy line heads and shoot them with command. This is a superb all-arounder for Alaska and it would be hard to imagine a better rod for bass and carp. It casts an SA or Rio Bonefish taper magnificently, too, although, by degrees, I prefer the SA version of this line on less-stiff fly rods like this one. This is a cross-genre fly rod that holds immense appeal for virtually any angler.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is a cool rod that is among the most well rounded and versatile 7 weights I have picked up. A true jack-of-all-trades and a master of many, the Helios F 907 covers the criteria of an ideal 7 weight, especially if you only have one. The standout attribute being how well the F 907 handles trout lines and how adept and nuanced it is in that environment. Easy and familiar like you favorite 5 weight, but with a 7 weight line. An ideal rod for Alaska trout across techniques: mousing, bead rigs, streamers on sinking lines. An accommodating taper and a progressive action that truly likes a wide variety of head lengths and forward weighting. You get a change in character and cadence that is visually and physically communicated to caster without having to figure it out. The blank doesn’t fold with a short heavy headed or a really long one, but the rod helps you to recognize the different inputs required from the caster. Light in the hand in a meaningful way, you notice it. Springy and quick, but unhurried, the Helios F 907 is an easy rod to find your rhythm. Stability that does not waiver across a wide variety of fly lines. This is the ideal rod to have as your only 7 weight for the well rounded angler that either fishes all over or aspires to. I’d take it bonefishing and I’d be excited to have it in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. There are lots of more specialized 7 weights on the market, but few that fish so well across the spectrum of fly fishing environments.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)