Coho
Steelhead
Orvis Helios ZG 906-4 Tip Flex Saltwater – 9’ 6wt – NEW/UNFISHED – $495
Orvis Helios ZG (Zero Gravity) 9’ 6-weight, 4-piece Saltwater model, Tip Flex 9.5.
This rod was received directly from Orvis as a warranty replacement and has never been fished. It has remained unused since receiving it from Orvis.
The original Helios ZG was an exceptionally light premium rod, and this saltwater 6-weight weighs only about 2¾ oz. Fast Tip-Flex action and a great choice for light saltwater, bonefish, bass, streamers, schoolie stripers or as a lightweight all-around 6-weight.
Beautiful dark olive Helios blank with saltwater reel seat.
Condition: New/unfished warranty replacement
Length: 9’
Line: 6 wt
Pieces: 4
Action: Tip Flex 9.5 / fast
Model: 906-4 Tip SW
$495 Pick up only at my office in Issaquah
"The new Helios saltwater fly rod is so far ahead of all other fly rods it skips generations in how a fly rod should feel, cast, and fish. It is so sublimely light, incredibly responsive, deadly accurate, and just plain easy and enjoyable to cast
that to compare it to other graphite rods is like comparing graphite to bamboo."
It feels lighter, it casts faster and it's deadly accurate. A fast 6-
weight designed for "light duty bonefish, warmwater bass, schoolie stripers and small steelhead", the Helios I tested is a
fabulous tool for firing size 8 to 2 flies of limited air resistance to precise targets under windy, demanding conditions. It
felt at its best with a goodly hunk of line in the air - no in-close fishing feel here. I think I might drop the suggestion that
this is a warmwater bass rod. It isn't, at least in any of the ponds or rivers where I fish. It's probably well suited for
bassers on large flows like the Susquehanna or Columbia, though. But the soul of this fishing rod is a cannon. It's
about speed, distance and target shooting.
This is a rod that demands a lightweight reel to keep from feeling tip-light. Large arbor reels, like Orvis' own Mach III
are just the slightest bit overweight. Not displeasingly so, but with the reel mounted and the line strung the rod canted
up about 30 degrees in my hand with the pivot point being my casting finger while holding the rod with a proper
grip. Use caution if you opt for a heavier or larger reel. Most premium state-of-the-art designs in an appropriate size
will work. I don't expect to see too many Helios rods mated with a classic or entry-level reels. If you're buying hot
horsepower you're spending money on the good tires, too.
The Orvis Saltwater 906-4 Helios is a fine, fine fly rod. It's perfectly suited for the applications Orvis recommends. If
you're chasing big carp on Lake Michigan flats, or fat shad on the Delaware, this could be your rod. If you're chasing
Ohio River wipers or Rhode Island schoolies, this could be your rod. If you're swinging big streamers for monster
browns or shooting at tailing reds, this could be your rod. It's a specialized tool. If you regularly fish in situations that
require long, accurate casts under demanding conditions you might even find this rod to be a good value. After all, a great tool is never cheap.
Orvis Helios ZG (Zero Gravity) 9’ 6-weight, 4-piece Saltwater model, Tip Flex 9.5.
This rod was received directly from Orvis as a warranty replacement and has never been fished. It has remained unused since receiving it from Orvis.
The original Helios ZG was an exceptionally light premium rod, and this saltwater 6-weight weighs only about 2¾ oz. Fast Tip-Flex action and a great choice for light saltwater, bonefish, bass, streamers, schoolie stripers or as a lightweight all-around 6-weight.
Beautiful dark olive Helios blank with saltwater reel seat.
Condition: New/unfished warranty replacement
Length: 9’
Line: 6 wt
Pieces: 4
Action: Tip Flex 9.5 / fast
Model: 906-4 Tip SW
$495 Pick up only at my office in Issaquah
"The new Helios saltwater fly rod is so far ahead of all other fly rods it skips generations in how a fly rod should feel, cast, and fish. It is so sublimely light, incredibly responsive, deadly accurate, and just plain easy and enjoyable to cast
that to compare it to other graphite rods is like comparing graphite to bamboo."
It feels lighter, it casts faster and it's deadly accurate. A fast 6-
weight designed for "light duty bonefish, warmwater bass, schoolie stripers and small steelhead", the Helios I tested is a
fabulous tool for firing size 8 to 2 flies of limited air resistance to precise targets under windy, demanding conditions. It
felt at its best with a goodly hunk of line in the air - no in-close fishing feel here. I think I might drop the suggestion that
this is a warmwater bass rod. It isn't, at least in any of the ponds or rivers where I fish. It's probably well suited for
bassers on large flows like the Susquehanna or Columbia, though. But the soul of this fishing rod is a cannon. It's
about speed, distance and target shooting.
This is a rod that demands a lightweight reel to keep from feeling tip-light. Large arbor reels, like Orvis' own Mach III
are just the slightest bit overweight. Not displeasingly so, but with the reel mounted and the line strung the rod canted
up about 30 degrees in my hand with the pivot point being my casting finger while holding the rod with a proper
grip. Use caution if you opt for a heavier or larger reel. Most premium state-of-the-art designs in an appropriate size
will work. I don't expect to see too many Helios rods mated with a classic or entry-level reels. If you're buying hot
horsepower you're spending money on the good tires, too.
The Orvis Saltwater 906-4 Helios is a fine, fine fly rod. It's perfectly suited for the applications Orvis recommends. If
you're chasing big carp on Lake Michigan flats, or fat shad on the Delaware, this could be your rod. If you're chasing
Ohio River wipers or Rhode Island schoolies, this could be your rod. If you're swinging big streamers for monster
browns or shooting at tailing reds, this could be your rod. It's a specialized tool. If you regularly fish in situations that
require long, accurate casts under demanding conditions you might even find this rod to be a good value. After all, a great tool is never cheap.
