Scott S4 Fly Rods Review

We're sending out the first orders to stores of the Scott rods. To start with there are two models, the fast action S4 and the medium fast G2. Scott have always been famous for the fuller flexing rods but like me you may not have known what they were like in the quick rods. So here's some thoughts about Scott's new quick rod the S4.

I've been fishing the 9'0" #6 4pc S4 for around nearly 12 months now and I was so impressed we picked up the agency. To put that into perspective I love the G2 but it would be impossible to justify just bringing in that model, so for me the fact that Scott have really got their fast action rods sorted is critical for us taking on the brand and truly believing in the product line. Anyway here's a few pics and the things I liked about the S4. (Excuse the grubby handle this rods done a stack of fishing).

The first thing you'll notice about the S4's is that they are light. At 3oz the 9' #6 is about 20% lighter than the primary rod in the market you'll compare it to. Cosmetics are very clean and simple, not glossy or flashy.

I've spent a fair bit of time designing and building rods in the past and one of the easiest area's to compromise is on quality componentry. The S4's are fitted with REC recoil snake guides, which are not only super durable, they are the lightest (and most expensive) guide on the market the result is when you swing the rod the guides don't affect the action and more energy is transfered into the fly line.

To back up the REC snakes are Fuji SIC strippers.....the best!

For a reel seat Scott have used custom REC seats, they call the insert "extra select buck-eye burl". Importantly it looks awesome. You'll notice the've engraved the butt cap for some added class.

As far as actual build quality Scott are simply the best. With unlimited attention to detail, like the hand written length markers for 12" and 20". Maybe we should get some bigger measurements added for NZ.

Again attention to detail, all of the ferrules have dots on the male and female parts to help you to line them up properly. One other thing you will notice in this shot is the rod blank is not ground ie instead of the rods being sanded and polished smooth they have a raw spiral finish. This is huge benefit to performance, it means the walls can be designed exactly to spec and strength is increased by well over 25%.

As for casting performance. The rods are delightful. They are a fast action rod, but unlike many of the fast action rods on the market these days. They have really nice soft tips, this means they cast well at any distance, can handle light tippets and have improved accuracy as the tip works throughout the cast.

In summary, check out the S4. It's likely to impress!