Recon is the all-new rod designed for the anglers who chase blue lines on topo maps and spend their nights bent over Google Maps, plotting the next day’s adventures. For those who choose riverside meals of granola bars and jerky paired with the evening hatch over a sit-down meal at a sane hour. For anglers who would rather spend the day in the front of a skiff than behind a desk, we’ve created a rod ready to work as hard as you do in the pursuit of fish.

Recon teams high-performance feel with lightness in hand. With close-in loading ability and the power for longer reach, the rods feature a modern shadow green blank and covert black nickel hardware. Proudly made in the USA by people who love fishing as much as you do.

How do Recon Rods compare to Access Rods?
Recon Fly Rods are a replacement for Access Rods, offering a big improvement in cosmetics, swing weight, tracking, and overall performance. We put everything we possibly could into these rods to make them the finest rod in the made-in-USA $400-range.

Recon Rods use an improved unsanded ferrule design, which provides better ferrule engagement and fewer issues with the occasional twisting or disengagement of ferrules during fishing. The plastic reel seat filler and shiny gold anodized reel seats of the Access Rods have been replaced with a more subtle black nickel anodized aluminum reel seat with a dark burl wood spacer (in the freshwater models) and a plain aluminum spacer (in the saltwater models).

Like the Access Rods, the blanks of the Recon Rods are made in our Vermont rod shop, and the rods are also finished and assembled entirely in our shop.The Cordura-covered PVC case of the Access Rods has been replaced by a classic aluminum rod tube, completely made in the USA. They do not use the same blanks as Helios Rods—Recon uses a blend of intermediate and high-modulus graphite raw material with standard resins, and do not utilize the thermoplastic resins used in the Helios 2. The tapers are entirely new and are based on the award-winning design protocol used to develop the Helios 2. The rod does not come in a choice of mid or tip flex; we have chosen the best taper for each Recon model based on the rod’s line size and the typical use of that particular line size.

How do they compare to Helios 2 Rods?
Recon Rods are excellent casting and fishing tools. They are light, responsive, and track beautifully. If H2 Rods did not exist, they would be the go-to rods of the people who have tested the Recon Rods in the field. While the Helios 2 is lighter in the hand and has a lighter swing weight, the Recon also has that amazing ability to cast well in close but then pull out surprising reserve power for long casts or fighting a big fish.

If you are looking for a solid rod that's completely made in the USA, the Recon is waiting. Ideal for new or novice anglers as well as the most experienced guides