Scott Swing 987-4

Reviews

1. Rated 4 out of 5

   This rod caught me off guard a bit. I expected it to be a superhero streamer rod that could do double duty as a nymph stick. After casting it I wouldn’t call it a specialist’s streamer rod, or a rod that likes an exaggerated weight forward fly line typical of streamer lines. What it does exceptionally well, and what it is designed for, is a specialty big water nymph rod. A Scientific Anglers Infinity taper is very good along, as well as the Anadro. What it didn’t like was an SA Titan Long WF7F. That line felt like it overpowered the middle of the rod and I couldn’t really drive line through the cast on this rod. Completely different with the Infinity, I felt connected and so in tune with the line, my mends felt like I ran down the fly line and simply moved aside the portion of line I intended to. It reminded me of the old Scott Nymph special, although remarkably lighter in hand. Indicator fishing for salmonids up to about 15 pounds on the high end is what I see as this rod’s ideal spot. Swinging smaller flies on a floating line is another ideal application, the fine mending ability of the blank affording magnificent line management through the swing. Alaska trout and salmon indicator fishing would be ideal as well. I would personally take another rod for large mousing, like the Centric 907 or the Swing 988.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 4 out of 5

   Awesome with a nymph/indicator, this model is unimpressive with a heavy headed streamer line, such as the SA Titan Long WF7F. It’s about rod taper, not power. Characteristic of Scott’s most specialized historical nymphing rods, the Swing 987-4 flexes sufficiently into the mid-section to put a lot of graphite behind uni-directional techniques, such as roll casting and line mending. The stiff tip forces the rod to flex deeper than the 988-4, which casts more “off the tip.” The 987-4 is excellent for throwing awkward nymph-indicator rigs and doing all the critical post-cast work to manage line on the water. The Swing 988-4 is a better choice for pure blasting with a streamer. The Swing 987-4 fishes very well with an SA Anadro, SA Infinity or classic salmo/steelhead long bellied line.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)