The Scott Sector fly rod range is a versatile saltwater rod series that has been around for more than five years now. Scott Fly Rod Company, based in Montrose, Colorado, and overseen by Jim Bartschi and Shawn Combs, doesn’t just spit out new fly rod series if there’s nothing genuinely new and exciting to add. (And in the fly rod business, new technologies, materials, fittings, etc. don’t come around that often.)
By the EDITORIAL STAFF
We purchased our first Scott Sector rods when the entire range came out in 2020. Scott marketed them as: “High-performance, hand-crafted saltwater fly rods that advanced on Scott’s award-winning Meridian series to bring a new level of performance and reliability in saltwater fly rods – with all the proven technologies in Meridian rods but with new tapers, new components and the all-new Carbon Web technology.”
Before the Sectors, we fished the Meridian range – with great excitement and confidence. So, we were both curious and a bit skeptical to see if the Sectors were able to outperform the good old Meridians.
The Scott Sector rods are hand-built to perfection, just like the old Meridians, but they’ve got an even more advanced material configuration, and we’ve come to love the Ceracoil guides. They have proven extremely tough, rust-proof and smooth. They feature nickel-titanium frames and highly polished zirconia inserts, along with Recoil nickel-titanium snake guides for low-friction and corrosion-free performance. These rods shoot line exceptionally well.
Durability
The main reason these rods shoot line so well is the way the blanks have been designed. But before we get to the actual action, let’s dwell a little on the Carbon Web technology employed in the blank design.
The Meridian rods were tough, but they weren’t unbreakable. The Sectors might not be unbreakable either (no rod is), but they have endured more abuse and stress than any other rods we’ve fished – on trips to Oman, Gabon, Saudi Arabia, the Seychelles, Norway, Slovenia and Mongolia. (Yes, they also double as amazing streamer rods for big predatory freshwater species.)
“If you ever get the chance to cast and fish a Sector fly rod, make sure you grab it.“
We believe that Scott’s Carbon Web technology has indeed made the Sector rod series more resistant to breakage. You can see the chaotically interlaced patterns of micro carbon fibres encasing the blank when studying it in detail.
Having landed 120cm-plus giant trevally, bumphead parrotfish, tarpon and halibut on these rods, we can definitely vouch for the fact that this rod series has plenty of backbone. According to Scott, Carbon Web increases torsional stability and durability by encasing unidirectional fibres in a web of ultra-light, multidirectional carbon fibre. These fibres help counteract torsional forces, giving you better tracking and positive long-line pickups for redirecting casts. They also help reduce the propagation of microfractures caused by stress and impact, which can easily run through unidirectional layups and lead to failure.
Casting abilities
We’ve fished the 9′ 6-, 9′ 8-, 10- and 12-weight Sectors extensively. They are a dream to cast: fluent, powerful and on point. You can cast them with razor-sharp loops that cut through the wind and punch out anything from weighted crab flies to jointed streamers and Beast Flies the size of waterfowl.
You may find other rods that are stiffer (a few Sage and G. Loomis rods come to mind), but we’ve not cast another saltwater fly rod that feels as comfortable at such a diverse array of distances as the Sectors – from precision casts at 10 meters to full-blown distance deliveries at 30 meters and more.
The 9′ 6-weight is our favourite rod for coastal sea trout. The 9′ 8-weight is our go-to rod for bonefish, batfish and permit. The 9′ 10-weight is what we’ve used for milkfish, triggerfish, bumphead parrotfish, jacks, barracuda, pike, zander, Danube salmon and taimen. And the 9′ 12-weight has been our trusty weapon for giant trevally, as well as halibut, sailfish, and tarpon.
We’ve found that they cast with great ease, that they’ve got all the power reserves needed to cast a full fly line and stretch a long leader, and that they do so with feel and precision.
When targeting seatrout, our preferred setup for the 9′ 6-weight is a Lamson Litespeed reel and a Scientific Anglers Volantis WF6-I fly line. Our favourite setup for the 8-weight, when tropical fishing, is a Lamson HyperSpeed -8+ paired with a Scientific Anglers Magnitude Grand Slam WF-8-F fly line. When it comes to our 10-weight, we’ve paired it with a Lamson CenterFire reel, also with a Scientific Anglers Magnitude Grand Slam line (or a Sonar Titan WF-10-I for freshwater fishing).
The 12-weight is set up with a Lamson Cobalt reel, 100 lb backing and either: a) a Scientific Anglers Big Water Taper WF-12-F (or WF-12-I) for GT fishing; b) a Scientific Anglers Sonar S3/5/7 for halibut; or c) a Scientific Anglers Magnitude Smooth Full Clear WF-12-F for tarpon.
In conclusion
If you ever get the chance to cast and fish a Sector fly rod, make sure you grab it. We highly recommend these rods.
Generally speaking, we’ve got a soft spot for Scott. They still manufacture their rods locally in Montrose, California, they provide excellent customer service, and they don’t flood the market with new rod ranges all the time.
But who knows? With six years under their belt, Scott just might have another saltwater rod range ready soon…
More info
The Sector comes in sizes ranging from 6 – 15, in two to four pieces, and in lenghts ranging from 8,4′ to 9,0′. More information is available at: www.scottflyrods.com or via the European distributor: www.flyfisheurope.com
