By T&T Pro Staff Cameron Davenport |

Since December 2023, I’ve had the privilege of putting the new Avantt II through the paces around the globe. As a fan of the original Avantt, I was skeptical when the T&T crew reported that they were revamping what I already considered a superior rod. I was quickly proven wrong. Somehow, T&T took everything from the original Avantt and made it substantially better with the Avantt II, a rod offering ample adaptability and accuracy.

The phrase “effortless accuracy” is certainly every ounce true here.

From the first moment I picked up the Avantt II, it was apparent the rod was built to be smooth with appropriate power delivery for accurate casts from the handle, all the way through to the tip. The handle is the first noteworthy feature—small and much thinner than standard full-well trout grips. It feels almost surgical instead of general and responds with laser-like precision.

Over the last 6 months, I’ve reached for this rod in 5wt and 6wt over other options in my quiver. Trout fishing—almost all fly fishing for that matter—is about being able to place a fly where you want it, when you need to. I have full confidence in this stick doing that time and time again. It is simply fun to fish with loads of feel and an almost intuitive response.

After traveling and fishing with the Avantt II in Montana, Idaho, Cedar Lodge and Owen River Lodge in New Zealand, Martin Pescador Lodge in Chile, and while developing a new program for Eleven Angling in Iceland with the 10'0" 5 wt specifically, “adaptability” is the all-encompassing term for this rod series.

Fishing long 20' leaders in New Zealand with small dry flies and making the first cast count is paramount. When our team started testing this rod series at Eleven Angling's Cedar Lodge and Owen River Lodge in New Zealand, we knew T&T had produced a banger (as the Kiwis say), so much so, we turned our entire guest loaner fleet over to these rods for the 23/24 season and beyond. Our guests lost fewer fish throughout our 2024 New Zealand season. The rod isn't the telephone pole stiff fast action blank that can often lead to lost fish at the net or boat gunnel.

The Avantt II covers the bases of a dynamic day on the water during which an angler changes setups as temps warm, conditions change, hatches start and finish, etc. But throwing a single dry to prospect the bank, casting to single targets, fishing to pods, etc. is when this rod fully shines and makes the whole experience even more fun.

Go throw one and try not to catch yourself betting your fishing buddy about the pocket you’ll hit.