UPDATE: The Jet Range is no longer manufactured by Hardy. Read the review on its successor, the Demon here.
Today we are going to look at the Hardy Jet Series of fly rods. We are going to review the best and worst features, compare how they stack up against other rods in their class, and look at some reviews from real life users. We’ll also show you the best place to find the Hardy Jet fly rod for sale online.
Place in the Hardy Range
The House of Hardy is a long established English fly rod firm, which these days is part of the Pure Fishing Inc group. The Hardy name is a premium brand and their rod offerings reflect that.
The Jet Series is their entry-level product, which comes in as a mid-range rod in the market. Other rod series in the brand include the Zenith, Zephrus, Wraith and Alnwick. The name Jet is a tribute to the John Tarantino fibreglass rods of the 1970’s.
Rod Action
These rods are middle to tip rods, giving a fast action that casts with good accuracy. Like most fast rods however, they are less forgiving of mistakes. This suits the intermediate to advanced fly fisher, which is consistent with their place in the market.
Technical Details
Number of sections: 4
Cover: comes supplied with a cloth cover and hard tube.
Body
The Jet Series is manufactured from Sintrex® 330. This material is a lightweight carbon fibre matrix developed in conjunction with Cambridge University and 3M. The next rod up in the Hardy range, the Zenith is made from Sintrex® 400 which makes it a stiffer rod. The carbon fibre material is encased in a reinforced resin that gives it its high strength.
Users report that the Sintrex® blank gives the Jet an excellent power to weight ratio and very smooth action. The colour of the blank is a clear ‘Pearl Grey’ finish with silver highlights. Most of the rods in the range have a reel seat that has a lovely burl wood spacer and an anodised aluminium thread. The 9’6’’ 6 and 7 weights, and the 10’ 6, 7 and 8 weights have a full anodised aluminium reel seat.
Handle
The handle of the rod uses the same high quality cork for which Hardy rods are renowned.
Rings
One lined butt ring, and then single leg snakes.
Sizes in the Series
| Model | Code | Length | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jet 7′ #5 | HRJE010 | 7′ | #5 | ||
| Jet 7′ 6″ #3 | HRJE020 | 7’6 | #3 | ||
| Jet 8′ #4 | HRJE030 | 8′ | #4 | ||
| Jet 8′ #6 | HRJE040 | 8′ | #6 | ||
| Jet 8’6″ #4 | HRJE050 | 8’6 | #4 | ||
| Jet 8’6″ #5 | HRJE060 | 8’6 | #5 | ||
| Jet 9′ #4 | HRJE070 | 9′ | #4 | ||
| Jet 9′ #5 | HRJE080 | 9′ | #5 | ||
| Jet 9′ #6 | HRJE090 | 9′ | #6 | ||
| Jet 9’6″ #6 | HRJE100 | 9’6 | #6 | ||
| Jet 9’6″ #7 | HRJE110 | 9’6 | #7 | ||
| Jet 10′ #3 | HRJE120 | 10′ | #3 | ||
| Jet 10′ #4 | HRJE130 | 10′ | #4 | ||
| Jet 10′ #5 | HRJE140 | 10′ | #5 | ||
| Jet 10′ #6 | HRJE150 | 10′ | #6 | ||
| Jet 10′ #7 | HRJE160 | 10′ | #7 | ||
| Jet 10′ #8 | HRJE170 | 10′ | #8 |
User Reviews
“GREAT ROD
Been using the 10ft 7wt for a couple of months now and cannot fault it, replaces my old loomis after I could not get a broken tip replaced pure quality…”
geoffg, posted on Angling Active
“It’s incredibly low swing weight compared to other rods makes this a pleasure to cast all day long. This is another one that is priced well under the expensive rods and a bargain for the performance you are getting.”
George, posted on Yellow Stone Angler
Most users felt the rod casts well on short to medium distances. Over longer distances, the general consensus is that the rod lacks the power of its brother in the Hardy range, the Zenith. For the shorter rods designed for fishing small to medium sized streams and rivers this is unlikely to be an issue, however on larger waters this could become a problem. The Zenith may be the better option in the Hardy range if you do more of this style of fishing.
Note the actual distance where this becomes relevant will vary according to the model, as a long distance for a 7 foot rod is only going to be a medium distance for a 9 foot rod etc.
Hardy Jet vs Zenith
The Jet uses the Sintrex® 330 carbon fibre. The Zenith uses the 400 version, giving it a faster action and more power. The Zenith also has higher grade titanium line guides, and a skeletal reel set. On average though the cost of the Zenith is 35-40% more than the Jet range.
Our Rating
Based on our research, personal experience and user reviews, the Hardy Jet series appear to be an excellent mid range rod for intermediate to advanced fly fishermen. The fast middle to tip action provides good accuracy at short to medium distances, but may be lacking over longer distances relative to the rod size.
The fast rod action will make it harder for beginners to be accurate with their casting, and therefore may be too challenging for this group, however it will be a good rod to grow into as they progress.
The lightweight nature of the Sintrex® material makes for an easy to use rod that will place less strain on your body over a long days fishing, which if you suffer from any neck, shoulder or arm problems will be a consideration.
In summary we rate the Hardy Jet Series as 4/5
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