New Rod Decision

[YulianaBoyle]

My trout rod quiver has undergone a lot of changes over the past two months. I liquidated it and then started to rebuild it by trying to slot in just what I need. Currently, I have a Douglas Sky G 590, an Epic G 590, a Douglas Sky G 690, and a fiberglass Trout Smith's 886. I have 3wts too, none of them got touched in the shuffle. I'm just looking at 4wt-6wt possibilities right now.

I plan to add a Taylor Anomaly Z 486; along with that purchase, I allocated funds that would let me buy one more premium rod. I fish medium and large Michigan rivers, like the Au Sable, the Manistee (both the Upper Man and the tailwaters below the dams), the Muskegon, St. Joe and its tribs, etc. I hunt for dry fly action, but I will throw subsurface flies when conditions demand it. I have other places that I'd like to visit, even if I caught just one decent trout on the Henry's Fork and also on the Missouri, I'd be happy with that. However, I don't think I will be able to spend a lot of time on these rivers. I've heard and thought about them for so many years now that I want to fish them at some point, hopefully soon.

I've been looking hard at the NRX+ 590. I'm always a fan of a good 6wt too and these graphene rods are impressing me. The Anomaly Z 690 has caught my eye. It seems to be an all-around 6wt, which seems to make sense considering where things stand now. But the way my humble quiver is shaping up also makes me think that perhaps a distance-orientated dry fly rod would be good to add, maybe the NRX+ will be fine with the occasional wet and be perfectly competent in how it handles a 5 or a 6wt streamer line. My streamers are not too big. Sometimes I don't even streamer fish when mayflies are slow, I'm okay hunting and waiting for insects and risers. If I don't find them, I don't even consider that I've been blanked. Most of my trout fishing is with dries, but I do fish wets too. Thus, wet fly fishing is more occasional for me.

If time goes on and I find a void in my quiver, I will add to it then. (Let's see how long that takes, lol) For now, I'm trying to cover all my bases with ten trout rods.

Any thoughts or suggestions on the new rod?

[PitSterw]

Is there a significant difference when it comes to presentation at distance between NRX+ and Igniter? I've seen them both mentioned and described in similar ways.

[BrandonHarris]

Your detailed descriptions of the rods' actions and performance help others, even those who might stumble upon this thread later, make informed decisions about their own fishing gear. It's clear that you've spent quality time on the water, and your feedback is appreciated.Whether you ended up choosing the Hardy or Epic G 690, I hope your fishing adventures have continued to be enjoyable and successful. And if you ever want to add a touch of randomness to your angling decisions, you can still give the d20 roller for some fun and unpredictability in your fishing pursuits.