Scott GT – The Perfect Presentation Fly Rod | Simon Taylor
The new Scott GT Series is the latest evolution of Scott's legendary Scott G Series – a range with a long-standing reputation for smooth action, precision, and that unmistakable Scott classic feel.
When I found out the team at Scott had released a new rod, I was keen to get my hands on one and fish it as soon as possible. I'd heard plenty of good things about the GT rods, but I wanted to see for myself whether they lived up to the rumours.
As someone with an admittedly unhealthy love for the Scott Centric 9' 4wt , it took some convincing to put my beloved Centric away for a few months and fish the new GT exclusively over summer. But I was committed to giving it a proper test.
Over the past three months, I fished the 8' 10" 4wt GT across a variety of waters in the ever-changing conditions of a typical Tasmanian summer, from chasing early-morning tailers in rare flat-calm conditions, to polaroiding in the remote Western Lakes in near gale-force winds, hunting spinner feeders along lake edges and throwing dry flies to free-rising wild browns on lowland rivers. The GT has done it all this Tassie summer.
Chasing spinner feeders on a near perfect day deep in the western lakes backcountry.
Action & Feel
The Scott GT Series features a progressive-loading taper with a medium action. It's lighter and more stable than the original G Series and feels noticeably crisper and more responsive than its predecessor, while still retaining that smooth, connected feel Scott is known for. The feel and feedback through the blank is unlike any rod I have fished before.
Construction & Components
The GT utilises impressive technology in its construction. By using up to 35% less resin in the blank, resulting in a higher carbon-to-resin ratio, Scott has produced a rod that is both lighter and stronger. The higher carbon ratio results in more efficient energy transfer throughout the casting stroke, contributing to the rod's crisp recovery and stability.
Scott continues to use a spigot ferrule in the GT lineup, long considered a hallmark of premium rod construction due to its ability to preserve the natural taper of the blank while enhancing feel and action.
The GT rods feature Snake Brand guides and a REC aluminium reel seat paired with a beautiful cocobolo wood insert. The superb build quality, finish and craftsmanship are exactly what you'd expect from the team at Scott.
On the Water
The Scott GT is the kind of rod that simply makes you smile when you fish it. It's a wonderful fishing tool, and the feel and feedback through the blank are outstanding.
Fishing a medium actioned 4wt in Tasmania's Central Highlands can present challenges, particularly in the exposed Western Lakes fishery. To be honest, I was shocked at just how capable, and how much fun the 4wt GT was.
For anglers who love to wade and polaroid, the progressive loading makes the rod easy to load quickly and present flies accurately across a wide range of distances. It can turn flies over with just the leader out when needed, but it truly excels in the 10 – 30ft range, the sweet spot for wade-polaroiding in Tasmania's Western Lakes.
A solid brown taken on a #14 black spinner
We've been lucky to enjoy some excellent spinner hatches here in Tasmania this season, and the GT has proved to be a superb dry fly rod. The forgiving tip action of the 4wt has been excellent, (particularly as I can hit fish a little too hard at times) its ability to protect light tippets on the hook set has been impressive and saved me some heartbreak.
From both the shore and during several boat-based sessions targeting spinner feeders, the GT felt perfectly suited to the job. The butt section has plenty of power in reserve to turn large fish when they make a run or help keep them clear of snags.
On rivers, the GT 4wt felt close to perfect for the broad range of situations you encounter on a typical Tasmanian stream. Throwing single dry flies to sighted fish is always enjoyable, but the feedback and feel delivered by the rod improve the experience even further.
For those lucky anglers living in New Zealand, the 4wt GT is perfectly suited to your lowland rivers and spring creeks. The feel and precise tracking of the rod would be your new best friend targeting fish locked into feeding on willow grubs. The new GT would be perfect for anglers on streams down south like the Mataura and Waikaia, known for their large hatches of mayfly, ( Aussie Anglers) these prized dry fly fisheries are technical waters which rewarding anglers who effectively fish small flies on light tippet.
Verdict
Fishing the slightly slower-actioned Scott GT over the past few months has been a bit of a reset. While I still love my Centric, the GT feels like a more refined precision tool. Its progressive loading really shines on close-range presentations, giving the finesse and control that matter most at crucial times.
I've been genuinely surprised by the new 4wt. I expected an improvement on the previous model, but I didn't expect it to be this much better. After more than 30 days on the water with the Scott GT 810-4, its versatility, fishability and feedback are real standouts.
Many rods cast well, but not all fish well. The GT 810-4 does both. If you enjoy sight fishing for trout, throwing dry flies, and want accuracy and control at the distances that anglers enjoy to fish, the 8' 10" 4wt Scott GT is hard to beat.