Salty Saturday - Scott Meridian 8wt Review

This rod series was launched in 2015. Here I just wanted a great light saltwater stick - and I found it. This rod is amazingly light in the hand, it feels even lighter than the Radian 7 weight. This rod still has plenty of feel but it has more butt power than the Radian and can beat stiff winds with great loop control. My feeling is that this is more a flats stick than a power stick. It has a light tip that gives you some finesse. If you want a dedicated stick for throwing really heavy clousers 100 feet, or shifting stubborn fish in deep water, there may be better sticks for that than the Meridian. However, if you want a great all-rounder with feel that is fun to cast, the Meridian is the best I have ever used. Not that you cannot throw a 100 foot cast with the Meridian (or the Radian for that matter), you certainly can with the use of a good double-haul. It just feels to me like the rod was more aimed at genuine fishing distances and situations.

I will finish by saying that years of fishing other rod brands had me predisposed to like smooth, glossy aesthetics in a rod. The unsanded look of the Scott blanks initially put me off a little. However, this look is really growing on me now and I find I am really starting to like the Scott aesthetic a lot. The componentry on both of these rods is absolutely first class and will last forever. I should point out that the grip shape on these rods is a little different to the standard full-wells grip in that the swell is forward of the mid-way point.

I didn't like this at first but have reached a stage where I no-longer notice this eccentricity so my initial dislike was probably more a matter of what I was used to than anything real. I am not saying that I prefer this grip, just that I no longer notice the difference from the standard grip. Both of these rods cast better (for me) with true-weight lines and seem to prefer longer bellied lines to short head designs.

I strongly recommend these models to anyone looking for a great rod. Scott have certainly burst back onto the scene with some great rods and they are definitely back on my radar in a big way.