Scott Meridian saltwater fly rods – Lots of feel, versatile line speed and a user-friendly action
Writing gear reviews can be like drawing teeth sometimes, and it can be tempting to just go with what you want to say: ‘The Scott Meridian is really, really good, a definite favourite. Make it your next saltwater rod’…But hey, this doesn’t really give other anglers much info about the rod, or qualify the statement at all. So here’s some nitty gritty for keen saltwater fly fishers interested to know more about the new Scott Meridian.
What makes the Scott Meridan a standout rod? Firstly and foremost the taper and ease of use. Saltwater fly fishing is demanding of gear and skill. Forty-foot casts are a common distance (such as bonefishing), but a good seventy foot cast is a definite must for fast-cruising, or spooky fish. So for my money, I want a rod with plenty of power for long and fast casts, but enough feel and tip control for effective short casts. The Meridian nails it both counts, without being too stiff or fast. A slow-line speed, short cast is just as easy as a high-line speed, long cast, with the Meridian taper. The rod-butt retains plenty of down low power for long line pickups, and long-hauls.
If you have used the eight weight Scott Radian’s much (which are another brilliant rod), think of the same, just a bit faster and more powerful. Perfect for faster tempo casting and bigger flies.
The overall weight of the blank is another big plus. There’s no prescribed weight listed on the rod, but I can tell you that it feels every bit as light in the hand as my other favourite salt rods, the Orvis Helios and Sage One. The perceived weight of the rod when casting (the swing weight) is equally as impressive, and the quick tip recovery gives the Scott Meridian a really crisp and controlled feel.
What about line choice? My guide for a few days in North Queensland was Dave Bradley, who had quite a few Airflo lines to choose from. My favourite by far was the Airflo Flats Master, a line specially produced for Australia and New Zealand. With a 38.4 foot head and an 8 foot rear-taper, this line features a thick tip diameter which was great for sending tight loops and bulky barra flies into the mangroves, while still having enough grunt to turnover medium sized clousers for gt’s and queenfish. Matched with a Lamson Speedster reel, this was a top-notch setup, and one worth considering for your next saltwater setup.
Daniel Hackett
