Product Review

New Helios 2. They're here.
The Helios 2 is a featherlight war club that defies the laws of physics and has the backbone of an I-beam. Lighter in hand and 20% stronger than any rod we’ve ever developed, it transitions energy directly from your brain to the fly and casts with the precision of a laser pointer. Made by hand in our Vermont rod shop, it’s a fly rod built by anglers who fish their way home from work, anglers with sunglasses-shaped tan lines, anglers who tie blood knots in their sleep.

We made this rod for fishing addicts just like ourselves.

Featuring all-new tapers fine-tuned to transfer energy along a smoother curve, the Helios 2 offers unrivaled tracking, accuracy, and additional lifting power while maintaining tippet protection. Built with a proprietary material integrated into the tip, the Helios 2’s impact strength is 100% stronger, the dampening has increased, and the swing weight has been reduced by 20% from the original Helios. Finished with striking midnight blue blanks, accenting wraps, crushproof REC Recoil® guides, REC California buckeye burl freshwater reel seats, REC woven graphite saltwater reel seats, black nickel skeletons, super-grade cork handles, and a UV-inhibiting paint coating, the Helios 2 is the finest fly rod we’ve ever produced.

New Orvis Hydros Fly Lines

Here are the important new features offered on many of the Hydros fly lines:

Â	3D Technology Microtexture surface reduces surface friction, improves flotation, and eliminates tangling.
	Orvis ID is an innovative line marking system that allows quick identification of lines at a glance.
	Hy-Flote Tip technology lowers the specific  gravity of the tip section as compared with  Wonderline® and results in a higher and  longer floating tip.
	Improved Wonderline coating for even slicker performance.
	Significantly reduced weld thickness at the loop that eliminates hinging and increases weld strength.
	Saltwater lines have an enhanced rear loop as well for attaching to backing.
	IS (Integrated Slickness) additive is integrated throught the PVC layer of lines not compatible with the Wonderline coating process.

Specific line information regarding our different types of trout fly lines:

Easy Mend
This line is one of the most versatile tapers we offer. Let’s start with the value of its longer belly. When fishing inside 35 ft. the mend and roll cast abilities truly benefit from the even line grain weight found throughout the length of the head. This gives the angler more and longer line-mending control. The second value of the long belly comes from its ability to keep the line parallel to the ground during initial forward and back casts. Keeping the line on a parallel produces better casts. This is not only important during shorter presentations, but also when making longer casts as well.

The line’s versatility does not stop with the long belly. An additional advantage offered is the optional hi-vis tip, which is useful for a number of fishing techniques.

1.    When fishing calm waters with low riding emergers or wet flies, the use of an indicator on a leader can sometimes spook fish.

2. Indicators can also cause a leader to hinge and negatively effect the way it presents. When you need the quietest of presentations the hi-vis tip becomes the strike indicator allowing less surface disturbance and more stealth.

3.The other fishing method that benefits from the hi-vis tip is when using high sticking or short line euro-techniques. The hi-vis tip can be an added sight indicator to help detect the subtlest of takes.

Power Taper
This line has been redesigned with an all new compound taper. It now has an 18; belly which leads to a larger 7; front taper. As with any line designed with a larger head, it generates great line speed and higher floatability. It is built one half-size heavier than our standard trout line to help aid in loading rods quickly and easily. It throws larger flies and multi-fly rigs with more ease, but the advantage of this unique taper does not stop there.  This line not only enhances load awareness, but also lays out casts that by all rights should have ended up in a pile 20’ in front of the caster. While we all know there is no substitute for good technique, if a line can float well and help produce a better cast, it deserves serious consideration.

Superfine
This line is all about presentation. The new improved taper and suppleness takes less energy and casting motion to load. Although the Superfine line works well with softer rods or when making shorter casts, don’t think for a minute that it won’t work with stiffer rods or help make delicate presentations on larger streams. This should be the line of choice when stealth is of primary importance.

Weight Forward 3D
The dimples found within the new 3D make it far less abrasive and much easier to clean. It will project through the guides of a rod with less friction for better accuracy and distance, while also mending and lifting off the water considerably easier due to the reduced surface tension.