Scott Centric Fly Rod Review (Is it Too Expensive??)

The Radian replacement has arrived and it's Scott's best rod yet...
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Scott has replaced the much-loved Radian fly rod series with the Centric, their new fast action rod series for performance in a variety of freshwater scenarios. This series has a lot of similarities to the Radian Series and is built for anglers who prefer a fast rod and cast with a quick casting stroke. That being said, it's a little more refined than that. Tune in as Ben reviews this brand new Scott Fly Rod. If you haven’t cast this new series yet, trust us, you’ll be glad you did.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Rod Overview
4:32 - Casting
7:28 - Poseidon Score
9:45 - Conclusion
Got Questions?
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[@walkdawg216]

Everything I think about getting a rod i search to see if you did a review on it, these videos save me both time and money. Keep it up and thanks for doing what you do

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Cheers! Glad you enjoyed the review.

[@profpigeon5441]

of the higher end rods, in terms of pure aesthetics, there is always something so classic and endearing about Scott's design.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Scott knows a thing or two about building a quality fly rod

[@jacekmyslinski9629]

Beautiful review Ben , thank you.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Thanks for watching! We're glad you are enjoying our content.

[@jasonmullins6638]

Excellent Ben. 😊 thanks!

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Glad you liked it!

[@louisterblanche6609]

Thanks for the review, Ben. With all the marketing hype around fly rods and the Sector being a bit underwhelming for me compared to the Meridian, the Centric has very big shoes to fill. The Radian is much loved and Ill wait a bit more on user reviews on the new kid on the block. It's weird that the Centric does not feature the new Carbon web tech.

[@tatianaS988]

Bought this rod in 6wt. This review sealed the deal on Centric. Alas, couldn't buy from Trident as I am in Canada. The rod performs flawlessly. Yes, indeed, it casts the entire line out, which is very important for me for certain spots I fish. I tried MPX, double taper, but the rod really started singing with SA Mastery Infinity. Ordered RIO single hand spey for it, can't wait to try, should be interesting. The rod casts huge weighted flies, bushy top water bugs and anything in between. Throws sinking lines no problem. Very forgiving and it seems there is always more it can offer when I use it again. It fights big fish amazingly well, so much control. I could not be happier and can't find a single fault with this rod. I have a few good and expensive rods, but this was the first high end rod I got (rather reluctantly) and it absolutely is worth every penny. It was very confusing in the beginning, almost like the rod has a mind of its own (while still casting flawlessly). As soon as I "got" its action, fishing with it became a pure bliss. I do have a rod with noisy guides. I have to throw socks for big predators and I use SA Sharkwave Seige, which is super abrasive and together it all sounds like a distant chainsaw. But for most applications, I'd rather take cheaper and quiet guides any day. Thank you so much for making these reviews!

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Glad you are enjoying the rod! For future reference, we do ship to Canada!

[@tatianaS988]

​@@Tridentflyfishing Nice to know. I believe I did call regarding something else prior to buying this rod and there was either something with shipping breaking the bank (it might get tricky cross border), or, perhaps, I confused you with another US shop. Will DEFINITELY check with you for my next purchases. BTW, it took me months to find this Centric in Canada, the wt/length (9) combination I wanted was sold out in the entire country when it was launched. Your review and scoring format is the best. Any chance you can review Beulah line of fly rods (Not Spey)? Speaking of which, do you plan on reviewing Spey rods?

[@Tridentflyfishing]

@@tatianaS988 We always have a well-stocked inventory of Scott rods. Beulah is not a brand we carry, but we do see used rods come in from time to time.

[@tonyg3091]

Excellent line choice. Tried the Centric with SA Infinity-absolutely perfect.

[@DefLama]

Great review! Most of the others that reviewed the Centric during this period of release were very cookie cutter in their approach. Using mostly language pulled straight from Scott's own promos. Thank you. And I would say you've helped me look at the rod in a different light that did not hurt anything at all. It is a serious contender for my next purchase. That is if I can swing the price tag on this level of equipment lol.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Hi Adam! Glad you enjoyed the Centric review. Please let us know if we can help answer anymore questions. Tight lines

[@melstar9134]

Thanks for the review Ben, I watched your review and then finally I bought a Centric after snapping my Sage TCR 5weight ( the Sage must have seen your review as well ) - I am so impressed !! I was skeptical at first but once I used it in the river , this rod is unbelievable - as you say , tight loops, effortless casting and unbelievable distance - the Sage will be a spare in future This rod is a pleasure to use - I had no idea technology had advanced so much - I'm just very very pleased I own this rod, really makes fishing more fun.

[@MegaNicholls]

I got myself a Centric too. It's an incredible rod, it's worth every cent, such a pleasure to cast and fish with.

[@melstar9134]

@@anderste4649 Rio Grand 5 weight

[@shannonyork5300]

Ben, As always, thank you for your honest and helpful reviews. You mentioned it at the start of the video, but would LOVE to watch a video where you compare the much loved Radian side-by-side with Centric. That would be very helpful. Again, thank you. Cheers,

[@Tridentflyfishing]

glad you enjoyed the review! Thanks

[@richarde1355]

Agree!

[@carlchambers617]

Hey Ben, Do you like the 6 wt. Centric as well as you like the 5 wt?

[@theoutdoordad7395]

Is the centric saltwater safe? Would this in a 7wt or the Wave 7 at be a better choice for bass and redfish with a redfish line or sa titan taper?

[@stanreedy2686]

wish I had one

[@modicksey7349]

Might seem like one of the best allround rods ever, even for pro’s like me I will grab it when its in stock

[@ashtonmakowsky9838]

"Pros" like you 😂

[@tonyg3091]

He's right. Compared to the Radian the Centric is softer and slower. Not slow as in real slow but slower. I love my Radians to bits and am used to the way they load and to the sonic boom line produces when shot from a fully loaded Radian but I'd say the Centric is better fishing tool. Not by a huge margin but better. Especially in closer distances. Very very impressive rod.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Agreed.

[@richarde1355]

That's a great response, Tony. I remember when I first picked up a Radian at a fly shop, never even heard of it, did the "shop rod shake" testing the action and immediately told the sales clerk "wow, this is an amazing rod! Soft tip with a strong butt, this is awesome!" and he laughed, and said yep, he'd already bought one. I had a Hardy Zephrus years ago when they first came out, and it was a bit too soft for me. I had a person offer me a Radian in trade - should have taken it. :-) Did get $$ out of the Zephrus, which was much needed at the time. Thanks again, Tony!

[@tonyg3091]

@@richarde1355 I am well aquatinted with the Zeniths, Zephrus-not so much but guess they are pretty close. There is one rod in that line-up that is pure magic and IMHO one of the best rods ever made-the 8’6” #4. It is perfect-strong and fast enough to shoot the entire line plus some backing and at the same time delicate enough to allow fishing on 7x and 8x tippets. Laser like precision at short and medium distances. I was so impressed by it that I bought a back up rod and also 9’ #5 and 9’ #6 thinking they will be the same. But no. Neither of them was as good as the 8’6”. The 9’ #6 was a disappointment to me-felt a lifeless dud when compared to its little brother, so yeah with the exception of that one rod, Radians are better rods. Now, should one who owns a Radian upgrade to Centric I don’t know. Radians are prettier that’s first and second the difference is not day and night, so probably no. But the Centric is good. Real, real good.

[@sakarijukarainen2321]

hi,how long that cork grip is?

[@nemonemo4869]

Maybe a slightly heavier line than the MPX and rear loaded would work better (more progressive loading and smoother casting at all distances). Like closer to 170 grains for a 30.5 feet head. There shouldn't be any need for so much hauling with a properly loaded rod...

[@kevingeary1472]

Had to edit my comment after further experience with the centric and it is a great rod. I am also now a fan of the hardy ultralite x rod. I was hasty in judgement before and I will try not to make that mistake again. All I can say is I'm human and my favorite rods have changed with my experiences with equipment and location of use.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

All great rods

[@kevingeary1472]

@@Tridentflyfishing such a problem to have so many good choices these days. I don't think I'll ever have enough fly rods.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

@@kevingeary1472 You can always use "one" more rod!

[@tonyg3091]

Too stiff? The Centric? Compared to what?

[@tonyg3091]

@@kevingeary1472 You won't. This is a never-ending process. I own 50+ fly rods and there is always one or two more that I want. Terrible.😆

[@numlasan8877]

Could you do a review on the Red Truck Diesel rod?

[@ashtonmakowsky9838]

Let me do one for you... I had 17 fly rods in my possession last year. Its the worst one I ever bought. Never used it again. Makes a broomstick look like a fiberglass rod lol

[@modicksey7349]

Red Truck rod or Shane Diesel rod

[@danielerubiano9049]

which fly line for this rod?

[@ruebdogg1]

Have to disagree on the Centric high rating. Had one it was a cannon but the grip was weird, super fragile (broke on my twice in normal use), and their customer service was terrible. I went with the Douglas Sky G and like its accuracy, balance, and power much better. Plus no weird grip. Douglas' customer service is super fast!

[@dong8307]

How would you compare with a Winston Air2? Thanks for the review. 🍻

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Centric is going to be faster, for sure. The Air 2 falls somewhere between the Pure and Centric.

[@conslin1147]

I´d love to see a video of you casting the whole line easily, especially as you have a camera there - will make a great part of the review. Recoil guides burn through too quickly with serious double hauling, but then snakes aren't any better either. Tell the manufacturers to put 21 century guides on 21 century rods. I'm sick of having a $1,000 rod with the guides burnt through in a couple of months.

[@richarde1355]

Legit question here - how does "serious" double hauling, in and of itself, cause the guides to wear out more quickly?

[@nitronick1220]

@@richarde1355 sinking lines with tungsten i know eat guides away like he’s talking from hauling or even just stripping the line all the way to the tip. Alota the Esox fly guy’s experience this and get rods built with ceramic guides the whole way.

[@dols94]

This or an R8 in the 9ft 5wt??

[@cachi-7878]

Hi Ben, if you were to choose between a Centric and an Asquith in a 6 or 7 wt class, what would be your choice?

[@Tridentflyfishing]

6wt - Centric, 7wt Asquith :-)

[@cachi-7878]

@@Tridentflyfishing Thanks Ben. I think the 7wt Asquith is more of a saltwater rod, isn’t it? I’m looking for a freshwater rod I would use in NZ…

[@Tridentflyfishing]

@@cachi-7878 You can definitely use it in fresh

[@Honkus]

Which line would you recommend to pair with the Centric?

[@StoneFlyOutdoors]

SA Amplitude Infinity Textured

[@tonyg3091]

SA Amplitude Infinity. Smooth.

[@Nrussell11]

How does this compare to the SkyG? Looking for a new 5wt that can do everything from small dries, light nymph rigs, and hopper droppers.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Faster than the SkyG. The Centric sounds like a solid choice... especially if you fish out west.

[@markbotelho6543]

Disappointed in the reel seat, insert & components; Sorry to see Scott moving away from traditional wood inserts, really takes away from aesthetics. Seems to be a great casting rod, but to have to “customize” it to get above requests @ $900 is insane.

[@69texaseyes]

That rod does not look quality. Very cheap "save pennies" components on it.

[@rhonda837]

the insert should have been red to match.

[@Nrussell11]

It's more environmentally friendly.

[@barry4fish19]

It’s not any more environmentally friendly, wood is a renewable resource. The Radian is much nicer looking with its wood insert and matching thread accents, and the Centric doesn’t fish enough better to switch - I will keep fishing my Radians and taking care of them.

[@ibookje]

Good review Ben. I think reviewing rods is such a personal thing, it's actually very difficult to give an objective view. Very few people will be using a rod to its capacity. High end rods are basically 'Hey look at me' item. For me a rod is for fishing at distances less than 40ft and I prefer a more softer rod. A soft action graphite (even my Scott G2 is still too fast for me) or fiberglass is what I prefer for my fishing. Casting 60+ ft is only for fun on the lawn.

[@westlandmountainsthesounds9457]

This discussion will never end My point of view is that the more expensive rods tends to be much much much more versatile As a tool for everything, but not best on everything.

[@tonyg3091]

@@westlandmountainsthesounds9457 Fly fishing rods is one area where the difference between the real top end products and second best is YUGE. Take Radian and Flex for example. The difference is so dramatic to anyone who knows what a fly rod serves for that it more than justifies the price difference.

[@hollisduncan3293]

Asquith guys eating popcorn as they read the swing weight comments.

[@tonyg3091]

And then go to the river for some actual fishing and realize they have been screwed royally.

[@steveg8443]

I'm tempted to keep my radian and wait for the review of the new hardy rods with the ceracoil guides.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Those reviews are coming soon! Stay tuned...

[@steveg8443]

Great, thanks Ben. Your observation that both the actual and swing weights being heavier than Radian suggests to me that some rod manufacturers are struggling to get big performance improvements between models, and are now trading off some key qualities between successive models. This is a big compliment to just how good the Radian was in 2013! Another example is NRX LP versus the LP plus, with the old rod (which I own) arguably nicer to fish in close. In addition to waiting for the new Hardy review, do you think the Sky G will come out with more models (other than the 905) in the foreseeable future? I haven't case the Sky G 905, but this looks like one rod that has introduced some 'significant' step change since the original Sky rod (eg Graphene and Ceracoil guides - for $795).

[@rhonda837]

@@steveg8443 heard there will be a 8wt. and 4wi. to come

[@steveg8443]

@@rhonda837 for the Sky G?

[@rhonda837]

@@steveg8443 yes

[@flacko_cado]

Best fly rod 9’ #4? (Unlimited budget) for fishing in small rivers

[@rootedrotor525]

Winston in that range - always Winston.

[@tonyg3091]

For fishing in small rivers 9' is not optimal IMHO. Look for 8'6" or shorter. And there is rod series where the 8'6"/#4 is the absolute best.

[@vreth22]

Can u do a Moonshine Vesper review plz ?

[@Subaruuu12]

junk

[@vreth22]

@@Subaruuu12 why u think that? Have u casted with it? U own one?😯😯😯

[@Subaruuu12]

​@@vreth22 Moonshine doesnt actually produce anything. They buy chinese or south korean blanks and get them rebranded with their logo, then resell them at a ridiculous mark up.

[@vreth22]

@@Subaruuu12 so there for they are junk????🤣🤣🤣🤣 I bet alot brands buy alot materials, parts and grifite in Kina or Korea.... Its not where parts coming from its how good they are. So, have u casted with them then?

[@Subaruuu12]

@@vreth22 For $450, yes, overpriced junk. They dont produce anything. They literally take generic blanks, slap theyre logo on it, and sell it you. Why would you pay $450 for that? You could save $200 and get a redington or tfo, who actually have theyre own factorys, producing their own product, with a good reputation. Sage sells the foundation for $350 and the pulse for $450 , both made in the USA. Like i said, theres way better quality rods out there for the price. but feel free to let moonshines marketing get to you as if its a quality rod.

[@jonmunch3298]

Would love to see a review of Burkheimer trout rods and Moonshine rods

[@srv29]

Agree on the Burkheimers!!!

[@ashtonmakowsky9838]

Moonshine is garbage

[@jamesbrede8700]

That rod was dead on arrival! DOA!!!

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@kentbergstrom3020]

The high swing-weight was a disappointment, I sold my Radian because I did not like its high swing-weight, so if this new version are worse I am not interested anymore.

[@mikefsher]

Kent Bergström the Radian certainly does not have a 'high' swing weight... not sure where you got that notion from...

[@kentbergstrom3020]

@@mikefsher Compared to other rods I own, it has, it's also something they have been criticized for, look at Yellowstone's Shoutouts for example.

[@mikefsher]

Kent Bergström while you’re entitled to your opinion, I’m not sure where you get your info from... Here’s a quote directly from Yellowstone’s 2020 5wt shootout (for what it’s worth) ‘One thing that I’m not crazy about is the large swell shape in the grip, designed to make the angler “choke up” a bit on the rod, making the swing weight even lighter. I know a lot of people love this, however, including George’. I’m a Scott Pro Guide but have owned hundreds of rods and love all sorts and brands so can say without reservation that the Radian has a relatively low swing weight... My mates had a laugh when I showed them the comments here about the Radians ‘high’ swing weight. Simply not true...

[@backbonz]

Radian swing weight? How friggin light do you snowflakes need a rod to be? And sorry, I’m not trying to insult you personally..the first flyrod i ever used, was a 10 foot fenwick fiberglass that must have weighed 10 times what my radian is, and I was probably 12 years old. Don’t ever remember complaining about it’s weight..

[@Talos353]

@@mikefsher Of course 'high swingweight' is a relative term. Is the Radian heavy? No. Is the swingweight FEELING heavier than other rods (Asquith, Stickman etc.) yes it is. Is it still a great rod? yes.