Years ago when I first started fly fishing, I invested heavily in the Scott STS model of fly rod. At one point, I owned a 4wt, 6wt, 8wt and 10wt, all Scott STS. At the time, I also began investing in Galvan fly reels and all four sported Galvans. The STS was a heavy fly rod by modern standards and also, not a particularly fast rod. It was a compromise for freshwater, particularly dry fly fishing and also for saltwater. Being a slower rod it did not handle wind or heavy flies very well and was also not good at shooting line. Shooting line is something that is very important when fishing from a flats boat.
My transition off of the STS line began when I invested in my first G2, a 3wt. It was light weight and cast dry flies like a dream. It was love at first cast! It wasn’t long after that I began selling off my STS rods and invested in more G2. At one point I had a 3,4,5 and 6wt G2s. However, I was not so in love with my 6wt G2. For me, a 6wt is a streamer rod and t needs to handle sink tip line and a tanden rig of heavey streamers. The G2 just didn’t have the backbone for this, nor was it designed for that.
When the Scott Meridian came out, the reviews were excellent. Here was a fast saltwater rod that was still very well behaved. I ended up going to my favorite local fly shop – Western Rivers Flyfisher and I purchased a 9′ 7wt rod new. This was a big splurge for me. At $845, it was the most I had ever spent on a fly rod. You see, I bought all of my STS and G2 fly rods used for much less. I also splurged on a new reel. In this case, I chose a Nautilus reel matched to a 7wt rod.
Flats fishing was the target for the 7wt Meridian. Bonefish, redfish, snook, sea trout and perhaps baby tarpon were the target species. Thanks to my friendship with Reid, I was able to make it to Florida and fish with him almost once a year. Also, I got bonefishing time in with my friend Rob who owns an inn in Xcalak, MX. The 7wt is perfect for casting light flies in light to moderate wind, catching fish under 10lbs. In Costa Rica, I learned the hard way not to target a species that was not designed for the rod. While fishing near shore with a guide, I hooked a yellowfin on my 7wt Meridian and ultimately broke the butt section trying to lift the fish from the depths.
The experience above is what lead me to ultimately purchase a 9wt Meridian. As I was selling off my STS rods over the years, I made the concious decision to shift from a 6,8,10 to a 7,9. Both my friends Reid and Mel, who have extensive Saltwater fly fishing experience, suggested that the 7 and 9 can handle 90% of the species and conditions. The exceptions would be adult tarpon or GTs. I have owned the 9wt for a few years now, putting it to the test in Costa Rica, targeting rooster fish, and ultimately landing a couple of big jacks. It was also my go-to on my last Everglades trip targeting big snook and tarpon. My Galvan T10 (previously on my 10wt STS) paired beautifully with the rod and I love the combo. With 9wt Rio Permit line on the reel, it casts a mile. OK, I was regularly making 80′ casts on my recent trip to the Everglades.
OK, now back to the 6wt G2. After putting a 6wt Streamer Max line on my Galvan and trying to cast my 6wt G2 with that combo, I realized that the set-up was an abysmal failure. It was more weight than the G2, a “feel” rod could handle. I was thinking about a new Scott Centric in a 6wt. So I sold the G2 and decided to save my pennies for the Centric. Then, I got an Ah Ha moment – what about trying out the Meridian? So, I put the Galvan with the Streamer Max line on the 7wt Meridian and I absolutely loved it! So now, my 7wt is my go-to for streamers, particularly tandem rigs, and because I have the Nautilus for salt and a Galvan for fresh, I don’t need to make line changes, just grab the right reel.
Anyway, Meridians are fantastic fly rods. I’m really happy with the way they perform!
Big Jack below was landed on my 9wt Meridian
