Since the early 2000s the British company Greys has established itself as one of the most famous manufacturers in the fly-fishing industry. Like the previous and unanimously esteemed GR70, its new GR80 series offers a wide and eclectic range of products for less than 350£. And every type of practitioners will find a rod that suits him, according to the type of water they prefer to fish. We have chosen to test and introduce several models of the GR80 series, starting with the very classic 9’ #5 intended for dry fly and sight fishing with small nymphs.
Static test :
The GR80 series keeps the same olive-green colour as the GR70 on the blank and the dark wraps. Two chartreuse borders on the first piece bring a light flashy touch. The main difference with the previous series is the use of a new resin Powerflux 1000 which gives to these blanks new mechanical properties in fishing action. The blank of the GR80 has its SIC stripper guide is followed by 10 single guides. In order to simplify the alignment of the pieces, small dots have been painted at the inverted sockets. The cigar-shaped cork handle (grade AAA) has standard size. It overcomes a gun metal anodised aluminium reel seat with olive-green coloured carbon insert. The Greys GR80 9’ #5 is delivered in a rigid tube.
MEASUREMENTS
The Common Cents System protocol was used to characterize the action, the power and the reactivity of this rod :
Regarding the power, 46 cents were required to load the rod over a third of its total length, which gives after conversion an ERN of 5.79 and a #5/6 line power, just a little more than expected.
Although it’s advertised as a Medium Fast action in the Greys catalogue, the AA for the GR80 9’#5 is 63° which classifies this rod as a Moderate category according to the Commin Cents Protocol (AA between 59 and 63°). But it is very close to the moderate fast category, though.
With its CCF at 88 cpm, the reactivity of this rod is impressive given its length and action. From all the 9’ rods tested here at Trout & co, it is the most reactive we’ve had so far.
The rod is perfectly balanced with a reel weighting barely 3.8oz (about 5.2oz when spooled).
The PTE at 8.6oz attests an excellent comfort given the length and power ratio of the model. It makes the Greys GR80 worth every high-end reference on the market.
Greys GR80 9' #5
The opinion of the editor :
While the new American rods are part of the trend “soft action and power down” these days, the GR80 9’#5, designated in England, is certainly very moderate in terms of action, but rather underrated in power matter. It’s actually more a #5/6 than a #5. It’s a relatively powerful rod we have to deal, but its soft action confers the ability to bend during intense fight with eventually big fish. This kind of model, powerful and soft at the same time, is not so easy to find nowadays. A powerful rod is usually very fast. This is quite unique in our database to be honest. And there is no better choice for short and precise edge fishing. Using a #6 line is recommended, though, in order to fully and quickly load the rod. Indeed, oscillation frequency is important despite the soft action. It means that the casting rate of this rod will be surprisingly close (or superior) than a standard 9’ fast action.
So, this GR80 9’#5 will be best for fishing 20 inches trout (or more) with a dry fly or a nymph (sight fishing) or even with a small streamer pattern. It can also be a good all-round travelling fly-fishing rod thanks to its slight extra power. It is the perfect model if you intend to go and explore New Zealand after trophy brown trout. Some members of the team tested it in the country of the Long White Cloud and they concluded it is a very suitable for big trout in turbulent waters. As usual with Greys, this rod has an excellent quality-price ratio.
