From the very moment we held the first sample of the new XTZ rod blanks in our hands, we knew that the design process had turned it into a masterpiece. To do this exceptional blank justice, we had to find some of the highest quality rod components available on the market to compliment its qualities to build an outstanding euronymphing rod. Each of the components was chosen for its special features and contributes to the overall performance. Let’s have a closer look at the individual components to be able to appreciate the finalized product:
Adams XTZ Euro Nymph Rod
$96.59
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You can find my review of these rods at this link.
Thanks to Austin Curtin for several of the product photos.
A new favorite here at Tactical Fly Fisher, this Adam’s XTZ has run with the best of the best in our testing so far. Excels at virtually every point we look for in a rod and at a lower cost than the rods we would compare them to. Excellent progressive taper, quick recovery, and low swing weight combine to make this a winner at every level. The rod features very small single foot recoil guides and an un-sanded spiral wrap blank finish to decrease weight. The first stripping guide is very close to the handle to reduce sag in the line between your hand and the guide and the penultimate guide is a snake guide to reduce leader wrap near the tip of the rod. The fighting butt also has a counterbalance weight hidden inside to make balancing the rod with lighter reels easier. This counterbalance weight makes the weight on the page look heavy, but the rods end up feeling very light at their respective lengths.
The XTZ series is available in three lengths of a 2wt, though all these rods are closer to what we would expect a 3wt to feel like in most brands. In other words, they are a bit faster/stiffer than most 2wts. The most polarizing feature of these rods is their carbon fiber handle. This handle was added specifically to increase the sensitivity of the rod. What I said in a recent video is still true, sensitivity will be impacted more by your leader choice than by the rod most of the time and most takes should be seen before they are felt. With that said, when fishing a micro leader, I have noticed increased vibration to my hand confirming the difference between takes and ticking the bottom while fishing these rods.
Warranty Repair Prices 2024: XTZ series=> $110 ( plus shipping) ( 15 year warranty)
10′ 2 weight: This rod is in between the flex profile of the Diamondback Ideal Nymph 10′ 2 weight and the T and T Contact II 10′ 3 weight. It is stiff for a 2 weight and quick to recover. It is a great all around nymph rod for smaller water and a rod that would excel at fishing dry dropper on a Euro nymph leader.
10′ 6″ 2 weight: This rod is similar in flex profile to the T and T Contact II 10′ 9″ 3 weight but with a slightly softer tip section. I have fished it a lot since December of 2022 and I have really enjoyed it. It is a great all around nymphing rod and has very low swing weight and fast recovery given its length. It is right up there with my current favorite nymph rods.
11′ 2 weight: This rod is definitely more of a 3 weight and is similar in its flex profile to the T and T Contact II 11′ 2″ 3 weight. It has more swing weight than the shorter models given its length, but has quick recovery for an 11′ rod. It is a good choice for larger water where extra reach and leverage for large fish are more important.
Adams says:
– THE BLANK
XTZ rods come in three different lengths, 10 foot, 10.6 foot or 11 foot for line weight #2 with a medium fast action.
“X-TorZion Technology” allows us to build thinner, stiffer and more lightweight blanks than ever before. This innovative technology combines 6 separate ultra thin layers of high modulus Japanese nano carbon material, applied at varying angles of 45 degrees which neutralize torque and increase rod performance – it can be felt when casting the line, drifting the nymph and playing any fish. XTZ’s main features are increased sensitivity, reactivity and a perfect balance. The blank has a smooth but very quick tip recovery with a crisp backbone. The tip section has enough stiffness for a positive and controlled hook set, while the amazing amount of rod flex will protect the lightest of tippets, even when fighting trophy fish.
Applying the advantages of “X-TorZion Technology” into a line of rod blanks, we have opted for a medium fast action, for a deeper flexing blank, enabling the angler effortless, controlled and delicate presentations of even very small, lightweight nymph patterns and great casting when switching to a dry fly setup. Dyed-in-the wool euronymphing purists will benefit from the unsanded spiral wrap finish of the XTZ blank, as mono rigs can be subject to annoying line stick with sanded and painted blanks under rainy conditions; the spiral wrap finish will counteract this effectively.
What sets the XTZ apart from all other nymphing rods in the business, are…:
– OUR HANDLES
In collaboration with CFX composite grips we have designed an innovative fly rod handle with an ergonomic shaped grip incorporating a natural carbon fiber sparkle and
shine textured finish; it looks great and feels even better. XTZ carbon fiber handles are extremely strong under compression while still retaining flex under load. Euronymphing techniques require the rod to be extremely sensitive in order to detect even the most cautious bites, cork being an insulating material by virtue, it will absorb energy thus making it poor at transmitting resonance from the blank. Since CFX Vibra Core material, located inside the XTZ handle, is a vibration-amplifying material, not an insulator, XTZ handles are extremely resonance-sensitive.
– THE REEL SEAT and THE FIGHTING BUTT
In keeping with all Adams nymphing rod series, we have mounted a down-locking reel seat in order to obtain perfect balance from the mass of the fly reel. The CNC-machined 6061-T6-aluminum reel seat is sourced from ALPS Rod Components, known for their innovative designs and high-end quality products. The reel seat includes comes with a CFX Composite Grips carbon fiber insert with the same finish and properties of the XTZ carbon handle. We have designed the fighting butt both to provide added comfort when playing a fish and to act as a counterweight. As we have added mass to the fighting butt, it was paramount to reduce the weight of another important component:
– THE ROD GUIDES
XTZ rods use ultra-lightweight single foot Black Pearl PVD-finished Recoil Guides, the most lightweight and durable guides available. Recoil guides are made of a special, extremely hard-wearing and smooth nickel-titanium alloy. The inherent physical properties of Recoil guides include extreme light weight, crucial in building an overall lightweight tip section, with substantially reduced swing weight resulting in a faster rod recovery, hence less counterflex for optimal casting precision. We are using ten single foot guides and one snake guide right placed next to the tiptop guide to help ease the fly line/leader knot through the guides.
The XTZ being a pure euronymphing rod, we chose to place the stripping guide just about 20 cm above the handle to reduce line snag to a minimum. With the reccurring line friction of stiff monofilament lines, SeaGuide ceramic stripping guides reduce the line abrasion to a minimum.
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