Whether you are throwing large streamers for big brown trout and steelhead or larger flies for aggressive smallmouth bass, the 7wt is the perfect fly rod. However, in my opinion the 7wt fly rod is one of the most overlooked rods in the fly fishing world and it can be the perfect option for certain realms of fly fishing.
In this article, we are going to take a look at some fly rods to determine which one is the best 7wt fly rod
The Best 7wt Fly Rod 2021 – My Top 5 Picks
Here is a quick preview of the rods that we are going to take a look at in this post. For more information on each one, please keep reading below.
- Temple Fork Outfitter’s BVK
- Sage X Fly Rod
- G. Loomis NRX
- Sage Salt Fly Rod
- 790-4 Redington Predator Rod
Temple Fork Outfitter’s BVK series
The performance of Temple Fork Outfitter’s BVK series tends to get better the higher the weight model. The 7wt model is a fast action rod that is available in 9’, 9’6”, and 10’ versions.
The rod features dark olive blanks and wrappings along with a dark olive graphite insert in the reel seat.
The seat is made from anodized aluminum and features a double uplocking mechanism that could be easier to adjust.
The grip is in a full wells design and is made from high-grade cork. It also features an extended cork fighting butt.
While not very sensitive, this is one of the more powerful 7wt rods that can toss heavy streamers and flies 100’+ no problem.
The swing weight on this rod is not that noticeable, but you might start to feel fatigued after a long day of fishing.
While long-range casting is where this rod stands out, it still has tight loops and accurate fly placement at medium range.
It picks up the line and heavy flies relatively well, but you do get some loose loops when trying to load too much line.
Sage X Fly Rod
Could the Sage X Fly Rod be the best 7wt fly rod? Let’s take a closer look…
This 10 foot 7 weight option from Sage is a powerful and smooth casting fast action rod that performs best with heavy streamers and long-distance casting.
The Sage Motive uses high-grade cork in a full-wells style along with a short EVA foam fighting butt for some extra lifting power when fighting fish.
It’s a visually striking rod with black spruce blank finish and wrappings.
It uses a black anodized reel seat with an uplocking mechanism that is easy to adjust. It uses Fuji ceramic stripping guides along with heavy-duty chrome snake guides.
While the rod is a little heavy in the swing weight from 50′ and below, it becomes near-effortless when you start loading up for casts in the 70-90′ range.
It forms tight loops, and you have a lot of control in fly placement at these ranges.
The power in the midsection and butt of this rod allows you to deliver really heavy flies that would normally be better cast with an 8wt rod.
It doesn’t pick up line as well as the NRX, but it loads the line quickly when you do get up and allows you to get the fly back into the strike zone quickly.
Additional Reading: A Shootout For The Best 6wt Fly Rod
G. Loomis NRX
The next rod on our list of the best 7wt fly rod is the G. Loomis NRX.
This fast-action high-power fly rod will get the job done when you need to turn to big flies for the big fish.
The 7 weight NRX is a beautiful rod with a flat gray finish with light blue wrappings. It uses high-grade full wells cork grips with a short fighting butt.
The reel seat is anodized aluminum with a gray graphite insert and two uplocking rings that can give your reel a secure fit that is needed when battling trophy fish.
The recoil stripping guides on this 7wt model are extremely tough and will come in handy when trying to retrieve a trophy fish.
The rest of the guides are nickel/titanium snake guides that are durable, but flexible and hold up well to a lot of pressure.
For a 7 weight rod, the NRX performs very well at short distances, although most of the time you’re not going to be bothering with 20’ casts for normal 7 weight applications.
From mid-range to long-range casting up to 100’ it’s going to be tough to find a rod that can compete with the NRX.
Not only is it accurate, but it picks the line up the water as well as any other 7 or 8wt rod and will load back up quickly.
When fishing for steelhead or salmon, this is a feature you can’t live without.
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Sage Salt
If you’re looking for a 7 weight rod to chase after speckled trout and redfish, the Sage Salt Fly Rod might be your answer.
This rod is designed for saltwater applications to resist corrosion and be able to deliver the necessary power for presenting flies and landing aggressive saltwater species.
This is a 9’ moderate-fast to fast action rod with moderate-high power.
It’s quite stiff and doesn’t have as much sensitivity as some might like, but it makes up for it in its strength.
This rod has bright blue blanks with darker blue wrapping and silver trim. It has a full wells cork grip with an EVA foam fighting butt.
The reel seat is black anodized aluminum with a double uplocking reel seat. The two SiC stripping guides are chrome plated, and the rest of the guides are chrome snake guides for extra corrosion resistance.
The swing weight on this rod is noticeable but nothing too concerning.
While the rod is powerful enough to put the lift on larger fish species, its stiffness seems to detract from its overall casting accuracy.
You will have no problem delivering large flies at 100’+ but they may not always end up exactly where you want them at that distance.
Overall if you need a rod that’s going to withstand the rigors of fishing in the surf and have the power to deliver large flies and land large fish, the Sage Salt has what you need.
Additional Reading: The Best Fly Rod For Bass Fishing
Redington Predator
The 790-4 Redington Predator Rod is a fast action 7 weight fly rod that is available in a 9’ and 10’ model.
The blanks on this rod are a dark gray with matching wrappings. It uses decent grade cork in a full wells design.
It uses a simple anodized aluminum reel seat and an aluminum oxide stripping guide with ceramic inserts for a strong and secure base.
This reel has a nice balance to it, and the swing weight is only noticeable when trying to cast distances of 40′ or less. If you are trying for these distances, the rod is going to feel a little awkward.
It’s a stiff rod, and the sensitivity might not be at the level some anglers will want. What it will do is send large flies over long distances with minimal effort on your part.
It also can pick a lot of line off the water with no problem and load back up. If you do happen to hook up on a large aggressive fish, this is a powerful rod that’s going to be able to take the pressure.
Overall, this is an incredibly strong and rugged rod that would serve you well if your hiking into remote areas and need a rod you know can take the abuse and still function properly.
Learn more about this series in the following video:
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Final Thoughts…
As you start chasing larger trout species, salmon, and bass, a 7wt rod is going to provide the power needed to deliver flies and land these fish while also still providing needed sensitivity for detecting light takes.
These five 7wt fly rod models will serve you well on the water for years of fishing yet to come.
Please share with us your thoughts, what have you found to be the best 7 weight fly rod?
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