Scott Wave Fly Rod Review | A NEW replacement for the Scott Tidal

[@dutchflyfisher]

Hello there, Just bought this rod today. It looks and feels amazing. It is as light as a feather. I'm really happy with this one. It was a 9 foot 7#. Greetings and tight lines.

[@jeffreyhildebrand4867]

Ben, your rod reviews are by far, the most comprehensive available. The Poseidon score gives a guy a good picture of a rod’s performance compared to other rods. Good job.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Thanks for the kind words, Jeffrey!

[@theepicridecom]

I picked up an 8wt Tidal from you guys a couple years ago and it’s been great! Granted, I’m not a super accommodating angler, but I’ve fished it everywhere from lakes in Minnesota with a full sinking line, to in shore/bay fishing in San Diego, to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC for shad & small mouth. Definitely interested in what the wave may have to offer in larger line weights.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

It's a solid rod, for sure.

[@kevingeary1472]

Sounds like a great sinking line rod. Great striper rod! Can't wait to try it in a 9wt

[@Tridentflyfishing]

We think so!

[@z6615]

Do you have the poseidon scores listed somewhere? Would love to see all rods you have reviewed ranked that way.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Noted

[@ericammerall695]

Nice review as always. I have a Tidal 8 weight which has seen all types of action. The one thing I wished is that it had more guts on windy days. Looks like the fast action of the Wave solves that dilemma. Still love my Tidal. Pricing for everything has gone up. You get what you pay for…

[@Tridentflyfishing]

It should fit the bill perfectly!

[@anonym1anonym243]

Would this one be a good pick up with rio outbound short for streamers and rio single handed spey for anadrom species?

[@jjm4643]

Great review. agree, that $675 is pushing the limit of mid-priced rods. However, sounds like it is still a good value at that price. Sounds great for folks like me who don't care to drop $1100 on a nice rod.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Not everyone has a skiff and is out fishing 200+ days a year. We love seeing rods built and marketed to the average angler who still wants a quality rod. We know $675 is getting up there, but the Wave doesn't look/perform like a second-rate option.

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Nice rod!!! Scott is an amazing brand.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Absolutely

[@mantismamba]

Love these reviews! One recommendation, I would like to suggest is recalibrating the Poseidon score card. I think when you rate a rod, its should be rated based on their tier of class for e.g. Top of the line rods, mid tier, entry level. Another easy way to this probably by rod price range... Bc. I don't think you can rate every rod with the same standard and expectations. A rod, that might get a perfect score, is probably a rod that's on the top tier of a companies rod, therefore the price point is going to be the highest. For example, a rod like the Wave, I do not expect it to have the top of the line components, if they were, I'm going to have to pay $900+ for that rod. But if the component is being judged against other mid tier rods, then I get a better evaluation - apples to apples. Appreciate these reviews. 😊

[@GlitchMan1011]

But then again, how would Trident Fishing’s rod compete then?? They priced theirs at $499 but with top of the line components.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

We greatly appreciate your feedback, and we'll look to address your concerns for future reviews.

[@jeremiahgiles3593]

What's the warranty like on Scott rods?

[@LaurieBarron-b5x]

Hey Ben, What are your thoughts about the Scott Wave 8wt for freshwater striped bass fishing. Some do not like a fast action with the the full sinking lines (eg. Rio Outbound Short i/5/7) that we use in northern CA for stripers. Would also appreciate your thoughts about best mid-priced (less that $700) 8wt for this application. Thanks

[@davidhudak4180]

I fish a Scott Tidal 9 weight for Pike and Bass. It handles throwing BIG poppers (xl & x dbl barrel) and BIG streamers. Wondering how the Wave will be with this. I like that it’s a lighter rod. Also, I don’t understand why they didn’t put a hook keeper on the Tidal. Is there one on the Wave?

[@Tridentflyfishing]

It should work great!

[@davidhudak4180]

PS - Thanks for the review. I always look forward to these

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Thanks for watching, David!

[@markbannister1110]

A possible freshwater streamer rod in the 6 weight?

[@Tridentflyfishing]

For sure!

[@tomwiggins1225]

2nd that.

[@Joesmith-p2h]

Scott really cheaped it out on the reel seat. Tiny locking rings on it and it is basically the same reel seat that they used on their outgoing trout rod... the Flex. Scott should have just used the same reel seat that was used on the Tidal which the Wave replaced. Scott cut some corners on this rod to save a few bucks. Also, their reel seats across all their rods are not consistent. Got rid of two Radians because of this. I've still got two Meridians, a 7 wt. and a 9 wt. The 7 wt. has more clearance on the slide ring than the 9 wt. which makes it hard to really lock down both my Ross CLA II and Lamson Guru reels on my 9 wt. Meridian. Scott needs to clean up their act in the reel seat department of their rod making. Now, all my Sage and Loomis rods have consistent reel seats and fit any reel I put on them.

[@RSdd11]

Any comments on durability and ability to fight fish in the lower 1/3 section? This seems to be important to me in the salt more so than being able to bomb casts 80 feet. I'm usually casting somewhere 30-50 feet in normal conditions.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

The Wave has a stout butt section, for sure

[@whsiu0203]

What is the weight of the fishing rod? g or oz ?

[@Tridentflyfishing]

The swing weight is around 85 gm^2

[@StaTic1126]

How would you compare it to the Sage Maverick?

[@tlfu6836]

He mentioned at the end it scored quite a bit higher than the Maverick

[@Tridentflyfishing]

It feels lighter in hand, for sure.

[@cachi-7878]

Would you use this rod for other than saltwater fishing?

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Absolutely! Bass, pike, and even trout streamers in the lower weights

[@BoxingFishingGuy]

Gorgeous rod.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Scott really did a nice job with the Wave

[@ibookje]

Agree about the confusion Ben. The price is in my view NOT mid priced. For me a mid priced rod is somewhere around $400-450. Good review all together! Ps. around 1:24 am I seeing a blob of epoxy on the edge of the extension butt?

[@tommythompson9090]

$400/450 is a mid/upper-level foreign made rod that is manufactured outside of China, such as Douglas, Taylor, etc. $675 is squarely mid-level for a U.S. made rod.

[@69texaseyes]

650 gets you a top of the line Korean made rod. Taylor, Douglas etc. This Doesn't even come with an metal rod tube. 🙄. American rod companies are pricing themselves to upscale market only. Shame.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

Understand your concerns, but it isn't just US-manufactured rods going up in price. The debate over what qualifies as 'mid-range' will continue

[@mantismamba]

Good point - I will also say a top of the line Korean rod, is also out performing rods made in the US, and the price point is even cheaper. The Douglas Sky G, is my new favorite rod, I have a 5wt and 6wt. That being said, I am bias towards Scott Fly rods bc. I'm from Colorado. Deep down, I wish I can say my Scott Rods are better, but when I put the Douglas Sky G against my Radian, and Centric, I have to objectively say the Douglas Sky G, casts much better - and yes the rod tube holder and sleeve is better than Scotts as well...

[@garretthonaker2323]

No doubt US rod makers need to keep quality and price in mind. But we American buyers need to understand the importance of buying American. It affects not only the manufacturers, but the people they employ, their families and the community in which they base their company. The more American products you buy, the more influence you have on the market. As a rod builder, I hear people say “Why should I pay $500 for a rod when I can buy three foreign made rods? Yes, some foreign rods are amazingly great rods, but it doesn’t help us as a fishing community to outsource our buying power. Keep it local….keep it alive. Rod makers here should supply tubes, rod socks, service and warranty that is competitive to foreign manufacturers, but we should be more observant about the good we create by buy local and American. As for this rod…it is beautiful work and quality. If you think of the life span of a good rod, providing you care for it properly, that price is quite fair. Maybe give the buyer a free hat or fly with the purchase to say thanks.

[@mantismamba]

@@garretthonaker2323 love your points! I’m fascinated how the landscape of consumer purchasing behavior is changing within the fly fishing industry. I’m specifically really interested how the sales of the high end fly rods are doing - especially in current times with inflation being so high. I wonder if rods like the Sage R8, are meeting sales numbers or not… I suspect customers who buy the best of the best who have the deep pockets will pay the increase in rod price, however, I suspect there are number of customers who aren’t going to spend that much for a fly rod. My predictions are that the fly rod companies going to increase the mid range priced market to increase sales and to be competitive in the inflation market. I think that’s what Scott is doing with the release of The Wave 🌊.

[@jonc.5310]

@@garretthonaker2323 These companies aren't charities. If they want to retain business of the average American consumer, they need to stay relevant. I think the problem is that they no longer care about "average" and they're gunning for the growing number of rich people who are willing and able to drop thousands in fly gear they'll use twice a year. The middle class is disappearing.

[@tlfu6836]

I think Scott missed the mark on the price. Four years ago, I bought a brand new Meridian at close-out prices when they released the Sector. I paid $650 for it... less than what they're asking for this "mid-priced" rod.

[@jimmyrocket02]

I think that's not just Scott, but across the industry right now. Three years ago an Orvis Recon was $459 and now they're bumping up against $600 which feels like the new "mid-price" mark.

[@tlfu6836]

@@jimmyrocket02 I see that the Sage Maverick is similarly priced. I bought one in 2021 for around $525.

[@jimmyrocket02]

@@tlfu6836 I understand the rod companies are all feeling the inflation crunch too when it comes to raw materials, but those prices definitely wont come back down when inflation improves. I was just considering filling out my 5wt spot with a mid-priced rod and kicking myself for not doing it a year ago.

[@Tridentflyfishing]

@@tlfu6836 Yeah, the Maverick, along with the Sonic and Payload, are up to $650

[@Tridentflyfishing]

@@jimmyrocket02 The chances of prices going down are slim

[@tinoyb9294]

Cool factor? WTF? You can stick that where you put your cigars and scotch.

[@jason-ian-Van-Sloten]

Great channel! Good reviews, helps out a lot. With this rod review seen a couple of times..overhere in the Netherlands, this rod costs €800,00 Euro's. A G.Loomis NRX + (Freshwater) is €900,00 Euro's. The are in the same price range ..give or take.. What would you say is the best bang for your buck and the overall better rod for streamer fishing? G. Loomis NRX+ ( Freshwater) or the Scott Wave?

[@thewetfly9207]

Another modern action fly rod, what's new? Nothing...