Orvis Helios 3 Rods - Our First Look

We are very stoked to have Orvis here in the shop.  We love their rods, reels, waders, dog beds, etc... but we are most stoked about the ...

We are very stoked to have Orvis here in the shop.  We love their rods, reels, waders, dog beds, etc... but we are most stoked about the new Helios 3 rods.  American made, accurate and powerful, they are everything you want in a fly rod.

These rods come in two models, the Helios 3D and the Helios 3F.

The D is for distance,and it sure delivers.  Lots of power all the way up the rod, with a soft and accurate tip so that a long distance cast doesn't spook that fish that you worked so hard to get a fly to.  While the Helios 3D can push a fly a long ways, it still provides tons of accuracy.  This rod is what you want when you are fishing the big rivers and need to cover lots of water with ease, or find yourself on a tropical flat in a howling winds and bonefish tailing at 60'+ away.  

The Helios 3F model is similar, but the F stands for finesse.  This rod has more flex in the upper mid-section, which means more delicacy when dropping a fly on a wary trout.  While the distance capabilities are more than adequate, this rod excels at delicate presentations in that 30 foot range.  While we say that it excels at short casts, this rod can't be boxed in like that.  Most fish are caught at 60' or less, and we had no problem getting 60' of line out on a 5wt in the street on a windy day.  This "finesse" rod is more than powerful enough to take out to the flats to chase bonefish that require that precision casts.  In fact, that is one of the fantastic things about this rod; it has power and more power behind that nice, accurate tip.


One of the things that we love about the Helios rod is the MADE IN THE USA!  This means a lot to us and to the fine folks making rods at Orvis.  It's harder and harder to find quality gear made in the USA, and these rods show every bit of quality that American manufacturing is known for.  The attention to detail is fantastic and these rods are very impressive.  Along with our Big Y Boss rods, these are the only USA-made rods in our shop. 

The latest and greatest technology is integrated into the Helios series.  This is not an article about technology in fly rods.  If you want to read up on that, you can find a nice article on the technology behind the Helios right here.   I will say that by using the latest and greatest resins (that hold the graphite together), the rod can be made using less overall material while improving strength and reducing the weight dramatically. This allows the rod to wobble and wiggle less as it unloads.  It snaps back to center very quickly, which means that the line will fly more accurately and further than with other rods, and it has that "crisp" feeling to it when you cast it.  

So beyond the technology, this rod does a couple of things:  It casts really well, like smooth as butter.  There is very little effort required to get it to respond.  Another feature is a clean look.  The matte graphite finish gives it a simple look, with the white label gives it a little modern flare.  The reel seats are clean looking; nothing fancy, just a quality component that works well and doesn't scream at you with any new-age features. The aluminum rod tube is pretty slick too.  It adds a really nice touch to the overall product.

Wherever you are in your fly fishing journey, this new Orvis Helios rod should be on your wish list.  The looks, feel and performance of the Helios is unmatched, and will immediately improve the game of any angler.