So Ben and I had been trying to get our hands on a couple of Loop Opti NXT spey rods for this recent steelhead trip . Our Loop sales rep...
So Ben and I had been trying to get our hands on a couple of Loop Opti NXT spey rods for this recent steelhead trip. Our Loop sales rep sent us a
couple to borrow and we couldn't be happier! We had varying river and
weather conditions that made fishing challenging, but that is ideal for
testing a rod to see what it can handle.
We were sent a 12'4" 7wt and a 13' 8wt NXT. Both were spot-on for what we were going for. I had my doubts that a 12'4" 7wt that is super lightweight would be able to push big flies and heavy tips, but it was surprisingly nimble with 10' of T-14 (MOW Heavy). Ben even threw 10' of T-17 (MOW X-Heavy), which makes most rods feel really sluggish. It did slow that rod down a bit, but Ben had no issues fishing that T-17 for two days.
The 13' 8 wt is what I spent the most time with. I threw a couple of different heads on it, but with the water on the high and clear side, I opted for an intermediate Skagit head. Rio's iFlight 525 grain was buttery smooth paired with 10' of T-14. The rod remained crisp and light, even with the sinking head. I never felt as if I had to push the rod at all to do what I needed.
The components and the finish of the Opti NXT are clean and simple. The cork is very comfortable and has a nice "mama bear" feel to the grip. Not too thick, not too thin. Temple Fork rods, in comparison, have much thinner cork grips on them, as well as thinner blanks. Either way is fine with me. Some guys like the thinner grip, some like a medium grip, but no one really likes them thick like the old school Sage brownie. That was like casting a baseball bat. The Opti NXT is a nice, comfortable rod in hand.
Another feature I liked about it was the lack of wobble, and the recovery. By that, I mean that when you make that forward casting stroke, the rod flexes, then snaps back to center in a clean, crisp manner without a lot of wobbling as it settles in. It recovers quickly with little side to side movement of the rod tip.
The action is right in that happy fast zone that a lot of rods live in these days. There are definitely faster rods out there, but if they get much faster, they are harder to keep casting all day as you must be more precise on your motions in order to maximize the returns. The NXT has a good action that will load a big tip, but also throw a light, dry line with ease. You can use the line weight to load the rod, or you can use line speed. This rod responds well to both.
Our final thoughts on the Opti NXT: It is a rod that most anglers would be super happy with. They are crisp, light, just fast enough, and really powerful. I am not saying that it is my favorite rod that I have cast, I tend to like slower actions. I am also not say that I am going to sell any of my other rods to get one of these. I did fish with it for 4 or 5 days straight and felt really comfortable with it when I was finished. I chose not to purchase it. Ben agreed with me. He likes his Beulah Platinum more than the NXT, but if he was told he had to fish the NXT instead, he would not hesitate. It is a good rod at a good price and should be on the radar if you are looking for a new two-handed rod.
We were sent a 12'4" 7wt and a 13' 8wt NXT. Both were spot-on for what we were going for. I had my doubts that a 12'4" 7wt that is super lightweight would be able to push big flies and heavy tips, but it was surprisingly nimble with 10' of T-14 (MOW Heavy). Ben even threw 10' of T-17 (MOW X-Heavy), which makes most rods feel really sluggish. It did slow that rod down a bit, but Ben had no issues fishing that T-17 for two days.
The components and the finish of the Opti NXT are clean and simple. The cork is very comfortable and has a nice "mama bear" feel to the grip. Not too thick, not too thin. Temple Fork rods, in comparison, have much thinner cork grips on them, as well as thinner blanks. Either way is fine with me. Some guys like the thinner grip, some like a medium grip, but no one really likes them thick like the old school Sage brownie. That was like casting a baseball bat. The Opti NXT is a nice, comfortable rod in hand.
Another feature I liked about it was the lack of wobble, and the recovery. By that, I mean that when you make that forward casting stroke, the rod flexes, then snaps back to center in a clean, crisp manner without a lot of wobbling as it settles in. It recovers quickly with little side to side movement of the rod tip.
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| Clean and simple finish |
Our final thoughts on the Opti NXT: It is a rod that most anglers would be super happy with. They are crisp, light, just fast enough, and really powerful. I am not saying that it is my favorite rod that I have cast, I tend to like slower actions. I am also not say that I am going to sell any of my other rods to get one of these. I did fish with it for 4 or 5 days straight and felt really comfortable with it when I was finished. I chose not to purchase it. Ben agreed with me. He likes his Beulah Platinum more than the NXT, but if he was told he had to fish the NXT instead, he would not hesitate. It is a good rod at a good price and should be on the radar if you are looking for a new two-handed rod.
