When Orvis unveiled the Helios 3 series of rods in 2017, the Gear Institute test team declared them nearly perfect. The 9-foot, 5-weight Helios 3 earned a score of 99/100 – the best score of any trout rod we’ve tested in nearly 20 years.
Enter 2024, and the new Helios series (NOT Helios 4 – Orvis dropped the numerical labeling). How do you improve on near perfection? By grabbing that final 1 percent, which is what this new Helios does.
During extensive testing on rivers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana, we tried to push the 9-foot 5-weight rod to its limit, but we couldn’t find one. Consider the use on the West Fork Bitterroot. A week of fishing had us cast into 20+ mile per hour winds, mending through fast currents, and fighting a plethora of fish of different species and temperaments. Through it all, the Helios proved accurate, powerful, and yet delicate enough for fine placement of tiny dries in the small headwaters of the river. I was able to bring in big browns, rainbows, and cutthroats with the Helios (all in one day, on the same stretch of river!)
Casting into the upper West Fork Bitterroot.
Comparing the new Helios F to Helios 3F, we found markedly better accuracy with small and mid-sized flies cast in close (less than 30 feet), and much better accuracy when throwing any flies into windy conditions at a distance.
That said, one question commonly asked by other anglers we’d encounter on the river: Is the improvement enough to warrant trading up from an H3 to a new Helios? Probably not – after all, in our scoring, it’s just a 1 percent upgrade (granted, that 1 percent gets its score to 100/100!).
But for anyone not currently casting a Helios 3, grabbing the new Helios is a great idea. It’s the ultimate trout rod, with power, precision, fighting strength, and fine-line control.
The Helios is available in two distinct series, Distance (D) and Finesse (F). The D-Series offers increased line speed, lifting power, and stored energy and is available in a variety of sizes, from 4-weight for small stream trout to 14-weight for billfish in saltwater. The F-Series features increased sensitivity optimized for delicate presentations and tippet protection and is available in sizes ranging from 2-weight to 8-weight.
The Helios fly rod collection (MSRP $1098-$1198) is available online and at select independent fly shops and Orvis retail stores. To explore the Helios collection, please go to http://www.orvis.com/helios-fly-fishing-rods.
Moon rise over the Bitterroots
Orvis’ New Helios Delivers as Promised originally appeared on Gear Institute.