Orvis Recon 9’0″ 8-weight Saltwater (2026)

Reviews

1. Rated 4 out of 5

   Like the 907, the 908 errs on the side of power and durability, in most cases exactly what you want from an 8-weight. I like it best with slightly heavier lines. For example, I prefer an SA Bonefish Plus to a regular SA Bonefish or Rio Bonefish. If you’re fishing freshwater, you’ll find this rod handles the SA Anadro Taper, SA Titan, Rio Predator and other specialty nymph and streamer lines confidently. It also casts every version of the Rio Outbound quite well. This is not a dry fly rod, but excels in the onerous tasks that we ask of our 8-weights in saltwater, Alaska, etc. While neither light nor lively in the hand, the Recon 2 908 responds well to a powerful casting stroke. It is very stable, driving high line speed loops out to great distances in the hands of an assertive caster. If you have a relaxed and gentle casting stroke, another rod might be a better fit, but for power fishing in a challenging environment, this is an excellent fly rod.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   I was very impressed with this rod. It has tons of power but still fishes very well in close with decent sensitivity in the tip. Just like the other 9 footers in the lineup, the 9’ 8wt is a showstopper at distance. The loop opens up just a tad on really long casts, but that doesn’t impact the overall performance of the rod. It is a killer all-around 8wt rod that can handle several different fishing situations well. My favorite saltwater line pairing on this is a Bonefish taper whether it’s the Rio Elite Bonefish WF8F or the SA Amplitude Bonefish WF8F. If you plan on fishing bigger, more wind-resistant flies don’t be afraid to fish a heavier line as well.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)