However, its pre-scuffed blue logo harkens just a bit too much of “worn” jeans. My only critique of the Helios 2 is of the tube (purely aesthetical), which seems silly, you might think. The Helios 2 was impressive and performed when and where it was needed: from long bombs deep for bass, to delicate shorts for feeding carp. The claim to transmit “energy directly from your brain to the fly and casts with the precision of a laser pointer” is not a far cry from the truth, marketing jargon as it may be. With a quick response time, it still had enough load throughout to power large and heavy streamers, as well as the delicacy required for up-close carp casts, where every motion and minute matter.Īccuracy, at both close and far ranges, was spot on. Laying out long casts, even with heavy flies to get deep in the cloudy and cool water, the Helios 2 was impressive. The newest graphite rod from The Orvis Company, who says it’s lighter and stronger than the first release, and in this case what’s purported in the glossy pages is true.

The Helios 2 is the second generation (which means better genes, or at least how my mind works as a former farm girl) of the acclaimed original. We headed to lower ground, for old gravel pits and a farm pond, where we found some early season carp and bass. Call it cabin fever or shack nasties, or poor judgment from sinus pressure. It’s the ultimate all-around rod, I believe one could argue-that perfect balance of dynamism, efficacy, and command.Īnd on a day when my fishing partner and I both had nasty headcolds but the sun was shining and snow was melting in clods off the roof, puddling loudly in the stainless steel dog food dish out the back door, we couldn’t stay in. A six-weight allows a diverse angler to power casts out deep and finesse accuracy up close. And my choice was no question: a six-weight.

So when given the opportunity to test and review the new Orvis Helios 2 rod, this is immediately what came to mind. Come spring, I start itching for warmwater – for carp and bass and the odd crappie or two. The trout fishing I love won’t open for a few weeks yet, and I don’t go to tailwaters or large rivers that keep moving through the year, with unrelenting currents of people and bugs. I see them as I walk to work through Boulder’s University Hill, peeps of yellow and small purple crocus, bulbs of memory, year after year. And when the daffodils have started blooming in the plains off the Front Range, there is still a thick covering of snow in my canyon, just below 8,000 ft. Living in two worlds makes you anxious, like multiple personalities will put you on meds (or wine, I suppose, lots of wine).

Orvis helios 7 wt review