The Radian could have been designed by Yakima River anglers. Winds regularly sweep through the canyons of Washington’s only blue-ribbon trout river, and the Scott Radian earned great praise from all testers for its ability to push line through stiff winds.   

Fit and feel
The Radian balanced nicely in hand and had a great swing-weight, allowing us to cast all day without over-tiring our hands. The rod loaded quickly and efficiently, meaning fewer false casts were needed to extend lines, further reducing fatigue. When fighting fish, it was easy to keep their heads up and out of the fast water, thanks to the rod’s stiff spine and solid butt.

Distance and Accuracy
The Radian efficiently throws a 4-wt line with more power and distance than some ‘fast’ 5- and 6-wt rods I’ve used. After fishing though 15-20 mph winds during an all day float of the Yakima’s Upper Canyon, I felt refreshed and ready to keep casting, while my companion struggled to get his line out by mid-afternoon. Hitting Oregon’s Metolious, though, proved to be a bigger challenge. There, I fought hard to accurately and gently present small dries to finicky trout. The Radian could be finessed into service here, but it took more effort than I’d generally expect from a 4-wt. 

General performance
The Scott Radian is a true fast-action powerhouse, able throw an assortment of big flies through tough conditions. It’s not a rod I’d generally pick up for delicate dry fly work, but when pressed, it can be pushed into service in that situation.

The Radian is also available in 4-wt through 9-wt versions of various lengths.