ANGLING: Scott Radian Fly Rods
I have long enjoyed Scott fly rods—their soulful flex, the classic unsanded finish reminiscent of fly rods from my younger days. The Radian ($795) maintains thoses attributes but is decidedly not a fly rod from my younger days. Scott describes its new design as fast, and in many ways that is true: It recovers quickly, it can pick up a lot of line, and it generates significant line speed. But it doesn’t feel like a fast rod. You can feel the flex of every cast, but the loop is tight and powerful even in windy conditions, providing exceptional balance and control. The one situation where it doesn’t perform well (at least in the 6-weight model) is with heavily weighted flies, but if you fish drys of any size or shape, this rod is impressive. The Radian also demonstrates the attention to detail we’ve come to expect from Scott. The reel seat is both beautiful and functional, with a burled box elder insert. Scott even painted on a ruler to keep anglers honest.
