TFO NXT Combo Review: A Great Rod and Reel
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Introduction
Whether you are new to fly fishing or you have been in the world of fly fishing for some time, I am sure you have heard of the Temple Fork Outfitters brand.
TFO makes a great combo setup that’s good for beginners and advanced anglers, which is the big reason I wanted to do a full tfo nxt combo review, to give anglers details into the benefits and drawbacks of this great set up.
This article will walk you through the details of the combo itself, then towards the end we will go through some buying information for fly rods/reels in general, and finally some related questions.
Hopefully by the end of this you will have all your questions answered and you will be ready to make a buying decision on this great combo set up.
Lets get to it.
TFO NXT Combo Review Summary
TFO nxt Combo Review: The elements of Review
Reel
The reel that comes with this combination is the tfo nxt reel, check out its image to the right.
It has a lot of great features to it that include:
- Stacked alternating disc drag system
- Easy right hand and left hand conversion
- Machined aluminum frame (to resist rust… IT WONT RUST)
- Ported to reduce weight
- There are three different models of the reel, each one has the same great features and the only differences are the weight and the amount of fly line that it will hold.
- It is so important to note that this reel will not rust, so you can use it for both saltwater and freshwater fishing.
Rod
These rods come in a unique looking matte black color.
They come in either a half well (5 weight) or a full well (8 weight). Another great feature of this rod are the grips, which are made of reconstituted cork that are extremely comfortable and durable.
The rod itself is made of IM6 graphite and the rod can be broken down into 4 different pieces making transporting it a lot easier.
Guides
There are two different kinds of guides on the tfo nxt combo, there are snake guides as well as stripping guides.
The snake guides are made of stainless steel that has been impregnated with chromium, and the stripping guides are made of titanium oxide.
These materials are super strong and will also resist corrosion. The stainless steel is the most at risk material on this rod, but being impregnated with chromium reduces the chances of it rusting.
Handle
There are two small portions of handle on this rod. The handle itself is made of a cork material. This is nice because having cork as the handle maintains the sensitivity of the rod, but also just as important it is comfortable to hold onto.
These handles won’t bruise up your hand as the cork has a nice smooth finish to it.
Having handles as comfortable as these means that you can fly fish for hours and hours without cramping or hand pain.
The 8/9 wt fly rod set up comes with the second additional handle or the “fight butt”, wheras the smaller rods don’t.
Fly line
The nice thing about a set up like to tfo nxt combo is that the reel comes loaded with the line that you need.
It has a backing line, leader, and a weight forward floating line.
This is essentially ready to take out of the packing and hit the river with. You just need to select your fly and tie it on.
Drag System
The nice thing about this drag system is that it’s a stacked dual disc set up. This is nice because it will evenly distribute the pressure, and it has very minimal starting inertia.
We typically don’t think to much about drag systems on fly reels, well not as much as we do with spinning or casting reels.
When it comes to the tfo nxt combo, the drag is just right for your casting and won’t take a lot of effort to get the line out of it due to the minimal starting inertia.
Size
There are three different models. There is the 4/5 wt model and this is 8’6”, the 5/6 wt has a length of 9’, and the 8/9 wt also has a length of 9’.
The nice thing about the 8/9 wt set up is that it comes with the fight butt on it, for extra leverage.
These lengths are what we typically expect to see in most fly rods on the market.
Warranty
The warranty program is part of TFO’s core business since it was founded. Essentially they will repair the rod at the cheapest cost to you as possible.
It doesn’t mean that if the rod breaks you won’t have to pay anything, it just essentially means that Temple Fork Outfitters will always “have the anglers best interest in mind” when it comes to repairing or replacing a product. They have a goal of getting you back out on the water as quickly as possible.
You can learn more about the warranty that they offer by clicking here.
Pros
Cons
TFO NXT Combo Review: What other Anglers have to say:
- “The TFO NXT Combo is the Perfect entry level combo, that you won’t have to replace as an expert”
- “The TFO NXT Combo is great, highly recommend”
- “Great rod and Reel”
- “TFO warranty is great, sent my rods in with a $35 check and got them back line new in 1 week”
- “Stop shopping and just buy this combo”
- “Highly recommend this for any angler, skilled or novice”
Buyers guide to fly fishing combo set ups
Rod Action
When it comes to the action of a fly rod, this is the same as a spinning or casting rod really.
Action refers to how far down the rod it will bend as well as how quickly the rod will come back to neutral position.
There are essentially three actions with fly rods:
Slow, moderate, and fast
- Slow means that the rod flexes down to about ½ way through the rods length, and takes longer to return to neutral position. This kind of action is good for close range casting, lighter tippets, and very subtle casting techniques.
- Moderate action means it flexes about 1/3 the way down the rod. This rod has more strength to it and is more forgiving for those of us that are beginners and/or learning new casting techniques.
- Fast action means that only the tip bends really and that it will return to neutral pretty quickly. This rod is stiffer and cuts through the wind of your cast pretty easily. It will also allow for more aggressive casting with heavier lines and bugs on it. One of the key things to remember about fast action rods is that the hook will set very strongly with these rods due to their stiffness.
Rod length
The majority of fly rods are going to be between 6-10 feet. The shorter rods are classified as those in the 6-8 ft range.
The smaller rods work great in small bodies of water with obstacles in the way, such as creeks and small lakes.
The longer rods are great for larger bodies of water, where you need to cast further out too reach the fish and also have the room to do it.
Fly rod weight
When it comes to the weight of the rod, this actually refers to the weight of the line that the rod is rated for.
This is the case because the fly itself is so lightweight that it won’t be able to carry the cast, so the line is weighted in order to carry the fly and achieve a cast that you need to happen.
When thinking about what weight rod and line you need to need to consider a few things. What type of water (distance), fly size and fish size are the most important things to think about.
As a quick example for you, the basic trout fishing can be accomplished with a 4-5 weight rod/line no problem.
At the other end of the spectrum is a fishing for a Marlin in the ocean. Which should be done with 14 weight rod/line.
Here are some more examples of fish species and the typical weight you should be using with them:
- Trout: 4-6 weight
- Greyling: 3-5 weight
- Bass (large and small mouth): 5-9 weight
- Salmon: 8-10 weight
- Northern pike and muskie: 10-12 weight
- Mahi Mahi: 12-14 weight
Fly Reel
Fly reels today are made with machined aluminum, which means the reel is a solid piece of aluminum that is cut by a machine into the reel.
Another thing to think about with your fly reel is the drag system. In most fly reels the drag system is going to be a disc drag system, which essentially means that the drag is created by discs that rub together and create a certain amount of friction.
Drag is not as important when it comes to trout fishing as it is when you are fishing the ocean, but it still serves the same purpose no matter what, to tire the fish out in between fights. A good rule of thumb when it comes to the drag system is to buy a good reel, and it should have a good drag system, in other words don’t stress about the drag system too much.
Another important thing to think about is the overall size or weight of the fly reel.
Weights of the fly reel will be similar to the weights of the rod, 4,5,6,7,8 or 9 weight are the common sizes.
Matching weights
An important thing that a lot of anglers who are new to fly fishing forget is the fact that you want your weights to match up.
The rod and reel are both rated for certain weights, which tells you the weight of line that you should use with them.
It is important that if you purchase a 5 weight rod that you also have a 5 weight reel, and then that you also use 5 weight line.
No matter what the weight is, it is important that you keep them all the same.
Line set up
The fly set up typically includes three different sizes of fishing line.
The first line attached to the fly reel is the fly line. This is a thicker line that provides good weight and strength to the line overall.
The second line attached is called the leader line. This is a little bit thinner than the fly line and serves to add weight and strength to the line.
The last portion of the line is the tippet, this is regular fishing line and is what you tie the fly to.
When you cast regular fishing line out with a hook or spinner on it, the bait or lure is the weight that carries the cast. With fly fishing the fly itself is so light it can’t do this, so the line has to have some weight behind it to.
Quick fly Guide
There are three main types:
Dry flies ,wet flies, and streamers.
Dry flies are designed to be fished at the surface of the water, and imitate adult or emerging insects like mayflies, midges, grasshoppers, caddisflies, and stoneflies. Dries are tough to fish with, they require the visual aspect for the fish to be placed in the right spot at the right time.
- It is best to have a medium to slow action rod so you can place the dry fly on the water delicately.
- For dry flies it is best to have a medium to slow action rod so you can place the fly on the water delicately.
Wet flies are designed to be fished below the water surface and look like pupal or nymph stage of an insects life cycle. Nymphing is a popular way to use wet flies, this mimics the nymph stage and places the fly in the feeding area of trout, which is typically about 12 inches below the surface of the water.
- This is a very popular way to fish for trout,as most trout feed under the surface of the water.
The last common kind of fly is a streamer. These are a essentially to fly fishing what conventional lures are to spin fishing.
- Streamers are longer flies that are meant to imitate a smaller fish, similar to a lure when spin fishing.
- Streamers are great when fishing new and unfamiliar water, or you don’t want to just sit around and slowly fish.
- Fishing with a streamer is very active and the strikes from fish on streamers are typically very explosive.
Other FAQ’s
Where are the TFO rods made?
TFO makes products in South Korea. Their products are hand crafted in a factory that’s dedicated to the production of Temple Fork Outfitters goods only. No other brands produce their products there.
Are TFO Rods any good?
I think so, when looking at reviews on e-commerce websites including Amazon, many anglers seem to be happy with the rods.
Who makes TFO rods?
The brand is names Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO).
Is the tfo nxt combo good for beginners?
Absolutely, with the rod coming in a few different actions, I would recommend beginners get a moderate action as it is the most forgiving.
Check out the TFO NXT combo right here.
Conclusion
I hope this rundown and in depth TFO nxt combo review has been helpful for you. I wanted to do a full review and give you all the details I could on this set up.
If you are a beginner or have been fishing for years, you need to check out the TFO nxt combo, this is a great rod and reel and you won’t be disappointed.
Check it out by clicking the button below
Good luck out there
Sean
