The Exocett 88: Redefining Fly Rod Innovation for the Versatile Angler

By T&T Advisor Rich Strolis

Refinement and innovation are concepts synonymous with advances in equipment from all walks of life.  These two concepts are not new to the fly fishing industry, especially when it comes to rod design. At the onset of every new fishing season, it feels like the consumer is bombarded with the latest and greatest in rod technology from one or more of the leading rod manufacturers. I am not a fly rod designer; I do not possess a degree in carbon fiber engineering, nor do I have the mathematical background or desire to devise equations that articulate the desired taper necessary in building a wonderfully casting fly rod from sheets of graphite and fiberglass.  What I can tell you from several years of casting flies for fish is that I know what kind of action I prefer when completing a specific task when fishing.

I, like many of you reading this, am a passionate angler who has spent a lifetime pursuing fish from a wide variety of locales and practices and refines his craft all year long.  I stay in my lane, but in doing so, I never settle. At one time in my life, I was a guide, one who would work hard for his customers to ensure that they walked away from our time together as better anglers but also invigorated with a thirst to constantly improve their craft. Nobody is on the water more than a guide, and their knowledge and insight of their fisheries is typically second to none.  Now, as a commercial fly tyer and fly designer, I continually look for better ways to refine my flies, the process of tying them, and everything in between until I cannot do so any further. This, too, affords me the ability to be out there fishing a lot per se, but in a very different capacity.  Experimenting with ideas in flies to constantly refine and make them better. 

The Thomas & Thomas fly rod company is no different, and they have built a brand around innovation, industry-leading wares, and the passionate angler who goes above and beyond the average pursuit. In today's world of traveling, information sharing, and knowledge-thirsty anglers, T&T has been a clear industry stand-alone in providing specific tools that not only make the angler's pursuit more attainable but also much more enjoyable.

The Exocett 88’s predecessor was the first rod series designed by T&T to accommodate the serious streamer fisherman across a very wide range of grain weights.  This series came to fruition as there was a gaping hole in available rods for this particular demographic of angling.  For decades, we streamer-oriented anglers have been trying to perform a demanding task that not only beat up gear but also the caster, again with industry-standard equipment. Many of the voices who led the charge have always had a differing point of view from what the industry standard droned into our heads as what we “should” use, but clearly, every single attempt fell short.  For a while, the answer, now rather comical, was to “Just use a super fast action 9 foot (insert rod weight for species)”, like trying to stuff a square into a round hole.   The competent angler could surely make it work, but at the end of a long day, repetitively casting and retrieving above-average-sized flies, weighted lines, and hunting a specific target, it often felt like there should be something better for the task at hand.  The task has been challenging; in essence, you are building a rod that can deliver flies with three different line configurations, both accurately and efficiently.

I can say with a very great degree of certainty that the Exocett 88 is the fly rod that meets that need.  Over the last 13 or so months, we put these rods to the test with many renditions of their intended target being reworked and refined until we felt they met the mark we envisioned.  From a summer's day casting a floating line with wind resistant foam headed poppers on a pond for largemouth bass, to a cold winter’s snow casting articulated streamers to post-spawn browns; to the depths of the Amazon with  large synthetic flies for Dorado, to the brackish backwater of Florida probing for tarpon; to large stripers and blues in a New England rip, to hunting redfish in a coastal marsh; to a northern hemisphere excursion in search of that magic 50-inch northern pike; the 88 is the most versatile piece of equipment that I have personally laid hands on. Simply put, the 88 will make casting, fishing for, and fighting fish in those settings a much more pleasant experience. 

The pursuit of larger predatory fish can be the most demanding endeavor in the sport, as stated earlier, in regard to the demands it places on the gear and angler.  A lot of thought from a very wide scope of international anglers and guides went into the final design of these fly rods.  From the oversized guides and matte-finished reel seats to the integrated grips and fighting butts, the 88 was built for abuse and exposure to extreme environments.  Their design was built around the concept of efficiency in casting integrated sinking lines with minimal effort for employing a wide variety of flies.  It was imperative that the rod was able to lift a sinking head out of the water and deliver a fly immediately with one back cast to an intended target and do so with precision.

An extreme amount of effort and thought went into how well these rods would fish and play their quarry as well as the ways in which these types of rods could be utilized as tools to dynamically manipulate the flies fished. Whether you prescribe to stripping line, employ action to the fly with manipulations of the rod tip, or like to do a little of everything, the person holding the business end of an 88 will quickly see the difference these rods bring to your game.   They have a defined sense of feel when casting and fishing, with a deceptive amount of power.  Like their predecessors, they fight fish well and have a distinct feel when casting as the angler can feel the lines load on the back cast, with enough flex in the blank to handle and play just about anything you chase, with a ton of backbone for lifting and fighting even the most extreme fish. 

Attention to the finer details was the goal, and many of these finer details are clearly recognized when you take a closer look into the 88.  Both the grain and corresponding line weight are inscribed on each rod in the 88 series. This was done with the sole purpose of alleviating any confusion when deciding on what lines to pair with these rods, and/or determining if the grain/line weight will handle it’s target species.  I wrote a piece a few years back on grain weights, and although it still is a rather confusing subject for most, we made a concerted effort to ensure that the 88 was a close match to its true line size with what is available in fly lines to the consumer. 

Like their predecessors, the grain windows that these rods will perform under are not absolute; in other words, you can go up and down in grain weights based on your personal preference/casting style or conditions.  Personally,  if you stick to the intended line/grain weight labeled on the blank, you cannot go wrong, as I found that they are very true to weight.  Because the 88 has a heavy focus on fishing with integrated sinking lines, their grain/line weights were based on those types of lines.  If, however, you are someone who fishes those on occasion, with a heavier emphasis on utilizing floating or intermediate lines, you may find your line preferences a bit different.  In those cases, depending on the line manufacturer, you might find it more advantageous to line up a weight, but not necessarily always the case.  Experiment if you can or come see us at the shows, or even reach out to me personally and I will gladly have the discussion with you in making the right line choice. 

Having put in several hours both casting, fishing and targeting a wide variety of species myself, I cannot do it all, so the input from many of our staff of guides and pros who fish for applicable species in some rather rugged environments assisted in building a fly rod that we are all extremely proud of.  I am very excited for those of you out there who, like myself, are passionate streamer anglers who fish for more than just one species of fish, as I truly believe the 88 makes any of those endeavors even more enjoyable.

As I did before, here is an even longer list of lines with some comments for most that will hopefully help in pairing a line with this rod series.  Experience has told me that lines are a personal preference that varies from angler to angler.  Although I clearly list my favorites, by no means are they going to be for everyone;  use the list as a general guide.  You will also notice that I DO NOT LIST any short-tipped sinking lines.  From experience, I am not a fan of shorter-headed sink tips as they have a tendency to hinge and cast very poorly, in my honest opinion.  They might have a place for some anglers, but I personally prefer a longer-headed integrated sinking line.  Each and every one of these lines I have or am currently fishing on the 88 for the species that I regularly target, so I hope the information that follows helps you in finding that line that fits your needs. 

 

Integrated Sinking Lines

• Scientific Angler Sonar Sink Cold 25:  A staple line for me personally in the last 4-5 years, performs well in many conditions, and is available from a 150-350 grain window. 
• Scientific Angler Sonar Titan 3D Sink 1/3/5:  Applicable and available windows from a 6 weight(160) to a 10(350).  A line that works well for those who like to carry line while false casting.
• Scientific Angler Sonar Titan 3D Sink 3/5/7:  Applicable and available windows from an 8 weight(250) to a 11(400) A line that works well for those who like to carry line while false casting. 
• Scientific Angler Sonar Musky Gen 2:  Applicable line weights for 300, 350 and 400.  Good moderate temperature line. 
• Cortland Streamer Sink Tip 25(type 6):  240 for the 200, 270 for the 250 and the 300 for the 300.  The 240 can be fished on the 250 actually matches that rod well when fishing normal non heavy wind conditions.
• Cortland Streamer Dredge 30(type 8): Like the 25, 240 for the 200, 270 for the 250 and the 300 for the 300.  The 240 can be fished on the 250 actually matches that rod well when fishing normal non heavy wind conditions.
• Cortland Galloup Long & Cortland Galloup Shovel new lines coming out in 2025.  Nothing more to share at this time, will update on these at a later date. 
• Cortland Compact Sink Type 6:  Line weights for all rods in the series, and still a very solid line.
• Cortland Compact Sink Type 9:  Line weights for all rods in the series, and still a very solid line.  Sinks hard not my favorite for regular conditions but when you need something to cut deep it is a good choice..
• Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Shovelhead:  Only two sizes, 280 grain and 330.  I like the 280 on the 250, will work on the 300.  The 330 is good on the 300 and 350 rods.  Also a ridged line and still a personal favorite.
• Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Streamer Maxx Long:  Lines for the 200, 250 and 300.  Still a very good line and I love the ridged line for less tangles and casting.
• Rio Premier 24 ft Sinking Tip: Good option with lines available for the entire rod series. 

Intermediate Lines

• Cortland Compact Intermediate Lines:  Lines for the entire series, some slightly overweighted but one of the best intermediate series on the market in my opinion.
• Scientific Angler Sonar Titan 3D Sink 1/2/3:  Applicable and available windows from an 6 weight(160) to a 10(350) despite being slightly over weighted.
• Scientific Angler Sonar Titan Full Intermediate:  Line weights that cover the full range of rods.
• Scientific Angler Sonar Saltwater Intermediate:  Line weights that cover the 200-400.  But you may find the 200 too light for your tastes. 
• Airflo Superflo Cold Salt Universal:  Slightly underweighted, I like to go up a line size on these.  so WF8 for the 200, WF9 for the 250 and the WF10 is about right on for the 300.
• Monic Striper Elite Intermediate Long:  Line weights slightly heavier than intended, but a totally underrated outlier fly line.  8,9,10 for the 250,300 and 350 grain rods.  Personal favorite line.
• Monic Striper Elite Intermediate Short: Same as the long, Line weights slightly heavier than intended, but a totally underrated outlier fly line.  8,9,10 for the 250,300 and 350 grain rods.  Personal favorite line.
• Rio Predator Float/Hover/Intermediate:  Good choice with line weights for the 200,250,300,350 and 400.

Floating Lines

• Cortland Streamer: WF6/185 grain for the 160 prefer that over the 160, WF7/210 for 200, or WF8/240 for 250.
• Airflo Streamer Float: lines for the 160 and 200, older model was better in my opinion
• Airflo Superflo Power Taper: Nice floating lines for the 160-300 (6-9 weights)
• Airflo Superflo Bomber: Good big fly line with lines applicable to the 200, 250 and 300.
• Rio Elite Smallmouth Bass: Good floater to accommodate the 160, 200 and 250.

View the Exocett 88 Here.