Scott on Scott - A Scott Centric Fly Rod Review from Scott Xanthoulakis
Ok, most people that know me know that I'm a gear freak, and that I used to work at The Flyfisher in Melbourne didn't help with this addiction, with most of my wage disappearing to new gear arrivals into the shop. So when I heard that Scott Fly Rod Company were going to release the much anticipated Centric fly rod it was going to be another to add to the collection.
The Scott Centric was to replace the much loved Radian, No No No! how could you replace one of the greatest rods built in the last 10 years? Yes, I'm a lover of the Radian and I was a sceptic from the start! How would this rod perform? Will it still have that lovely soft tip for excellent close range dun sippers on the lakes here at Millbrook Lakes, yet have enough power to deliver two heavy wet flys in the middle of winter?
Now I could give you all the BS about the new new generation ARC reinforcement for greater stability along multiple axes and the new titanium guides fitted but what you want to know is this a bloody good rod or not? In short the rod is mind-blowingingley good! When I first picked up the rod I was amazed how light it felt in the hand with a cork grip to die for, the finish of the rod was spectacular with a matt finish. After running a slightly aggressive tapered line through the rod it felt like I was waving a magical wand delivering the fly with pin point accuracy. Yes, it still has that lovely soft tip for close range casting and mid to bottom end power to deliver two heavy flies at 50ft into a stiff breeze. The recovery of the rod tip particularly when a fair bit of line was zinging out a noticeable upgrade for the older Radian.
The 6wt 9ft Centric would have to be the best all round lake rod out in the shops at the moment and I can't see it being topped for the foreseeable future. So if you're in the market for a high quality US made rod of a lifetime and love stalking large lake trout hers in Victoria, look no further than the Scott Centric. I'm sure that Santa will be bringing you a Centric this Christmas if not, it's time to head out to your local fly shop and grab one of these gems. It'll be the best thing to come from 2020, cause we all know what a sh*t year it has been!
Scott owns and operates Wilderness Fly Fishing and also guides at Australia's best private trout fishery Millbrook Lakes.
