01-12-2015, 05:39 PM
I think they do a very good job of trying to be objective with their tests. George even states that he has helped design for Loomis, Sage, and Tom Morgan (formerly of Winston). They use several testers for their results and actually use a combination of grass and hoops and on the water. Take a look at their 8 wt shootout, they were in both Boca Grande and Cuba testing them.
Having said all of that, there is obviously going to be some bias built into them, just like all of us, based on their style of fishing. They are in Livingston, in the Paradise Valley, with the Yellowstone flowing right through town and some of the most famous spring creeks just outside of town. If they don't want to fish those, they can make day trips to the Mo, Blackfoot, Maddison, Beaverhead, Jeff, Ruby, Big Hole, Gallatin, the Park, blah, blah, blah. The point is that I think they are looking, in this case, for the best rod to throw big foam on the Yellowstone (once runoff subsides, it's big stoneflies and then terrestrials with droppers) one day and size #18 PMDs or Sulphurs the next on, say, DePuy Spring Creek.
Obviously being able to try rods and find the one that fits your fishing and casting style is more complex than this shootout but it is helpful.
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Having said all of that, there is obviously going to be some bias built into them, just like all of us, based on their style of fishing. They are in Livingston, in the Paradise Valley, with the Yellowstone flowing right through town and some of the most famous spring creeks just outside of town. If they don't want to fish those, they can make day trips to the Mo, Blackfoot, Maddison, Beaverhead, Jeff, Ruby, Big Hole, Gallatin, the Park, blah, blah, blah. The point is that I think they are looking, in this case, for the best rod to throw big foam on the Yellowstone (once runoff subsides, it's big stoneflies and then terrestrials with droppers) one day and size #18 PMDs or Sulphurs the next on, say, DePuy Spring Creek.
Obviously being able to try rods and find the one that fits your fishing and casting style is more complex than this shootout but it is helpful.
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