Review - Vision GT Four SW Mid Flex - £149.95

Vision GT Four SW

Now this is an interesting one! Vision have lowered the price of the GT Four SW range by 100 quid since last year so I was expecting a drop in the quality and performance to account for the price reduction. It now sits slightly above the cheapest rods on the market so lets see how it fairs.

Is it any good?
Initial impressions always count so straight out of the bag the tube has to say "Quality" and by gum, it does. The pale blue cordura tube has plastic reinforcement caps on the tube to stop the ends fraying over time. It also has the name and model number in bold letters on the end so you can easily spot it if you happen to own a few weights in the same rod. On opening the tube it has an unusual trilobal design around the central opening. The three smaller sections of the rod fit into these and the butt section slides down the centre. Getting the rod out of the tube, first impressions are good. No change in the reel seat from the other, more expensive GT Four rods which are still well over £200. It have a satin finish and a cross hatched section which ooses quality. No skimping here. This design is unique to Vision and sets the very pleasing blue blank off extremely well. The rings are single foot and the two strippers are the right size and a matching blue. Again, it comes over as quality. The quality of the whippings are excellent and the epoxy work is neat, precise and carefully applied. The cork is excellent for a rod of this price. All good so far! It has a nicely shaped and good sized fighting butt too.

Fighting butt

on putting the rod together, the reel fits perfectly into the reel seat which then screws up tightly with no jamming or other issues. The rod is straight and feels light and comfortable in the hand. You can tell it's already softer than the Snowbee Deep Blue and Bloke Bass Special in the same weight. No dramas so lets give it a whirl!

Yeah! Yeah! But how does it cast?

The UK is only getting the Mid Flex this year so we can only test this one. They also do a Tip Flex model which is made from a faster graphite.
As usual, lets see what Vision has to say and how this compares with reality. They say on their web site:
"Medium fast models flex more from the butt section to handle heavier lines and big flies easily. This is what makes them a very good all-round rod to cover a wide range of heavier single hand fishing."

OK, sounds pretty usual stuff so lets string it up with a Vision extreme distance line as see how it gets on.

Action wise, it's a softer middle actioned rod that instantly feels "different". I'm pleased to say its a good different and the rod has an unusual but very pleasing feel to it. Last year I praised the Vision extreme Plus rods for having the same feel. Its unique to Vision be very enjoyable and I'm quite surprised to find it in the GT Four SW too. Now this is a *very* easy rod to cast. It's extremely forgiving and will let you get away with murder (not literally of course). The first word that sprung to mind when casting it was "Creamy" and that word then stuck throughout the rest of the test. On winding it up, it still felt creamy, in shorter effortless casts, it felt creamy and even when deliberately cocking the casting up, it felt the same. I've found my new Float tube rod and anyone who fishes from a kayak of float tube, this is the rod for you! Its very very easy to cast sitting down. For those who fish standing up, its a rod that you could use all day, without having to concentrate and even at the end of the day when you're getting tired, it'll still allow you to get away with it.

Stripper and single rings

However, A while back I tried and Vision double handed rod that was prone to singing! It was a 14 ft rod with single leg rings on it. When the line traveled over the single rings an effect similar to a violin bow young across the strings occurs and the rod actually sings. I presume this is the line finding the frequency of the rod just like rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a wine glass.

Well, this also happened on occasion with this rod too! It's only the second time I've ever encountered it! I wet the rod to see if this would happen in real use and the sound instantly disappeared so it's only a dry line thing and it only happens on gentle hauling and even then only occasionally. Just to let you know. It doesn't detract from the performance, but it's unusual.

Weight wise, Vision claim this rod weighs 129 grams (4.55 oz.) and this one tipped the scales at only 126 grams (4.44 oz.) so top marks to Vision for not exaggerating!

Test 2.

In the same way we tested the Snowbee again the next day to see if we still thought the same about it, myself and Danny the Mullet King went out and tested it again. There was less wind on the second outing and this made the rod eve more pleasurable to use. Danny got his personal best ever with it at 34 meters! (measured!). Scary seeing as he'd only 13! It also felt the same over several different 8 weight lines which means it'll suit the line you happen to have.

So, Who's it for? Well, Anyone! from the top to beginners, this rod should find favour. If you're a kayaker or float tuber, look no further, It'd be hard to find an easier rod to use in a seated position! certainly, I don't know of one!

Overall, its a excellent rod for the money with not a lot of downside. In my notes under "faults" there's a big empty piece of paper with "Singing?" written on it. That's it. When using the rod, you shouldn't ever hear it so don't worry about it.

If this has whetted your appetite, you can get them in the UKSWFF shop.

See you in the Forum

Tight loops.

Carl

Carl Hutchinson is a qualified instructor with the EFFA and FFFUSA and runs saltwater fly fishing Mullet with www.corporateflyfishing.com He is a member of the 55 yard club and current Roxtons International Saltwater Fly Casting Champion and has fished extensively in many saltwater locations and specialises in saltwater fly fishing for Salmon in Canada.