# TFO Axiom II 12 wt for Tarpon?



## Ken T (Dec 10, 2015)

Have the Axiom II but in #8. Really like it. I usually have 7 rods on my skiff and lately this is the one I seem to be holding the most.


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

If interested I have a tfo Bluewater 12wt for sale lightly used. I ended up with two of them and need to off load one. I casted all of TFO's line before I bought the bluewaters a couple years ago and like the lifting power and versatility of the bluewater more than the Axiom.

Message me for price and pictures.


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## skinny_waters (Jan 3, 2018)

@texasag07,
To be honest I'm just looking for a brand new rod. I have a hefty gift card for my local fly shop (the Compound in Sarasota). If it was a couple years ago wouldn't you have cast the Axiom and not the Axiom II? Correct me if I am wrong but I heard they are wildly different animals.


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Sorry I missed the II part. I haven't cast the Axiom II.


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## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

skinny_waters said:


> @texasag07,
> To be honest I'm just looking for a brand new rod. I have a hefty gift card for my local fly shop (the Compound in Sarasota). If it was a couple years ago wouldn't you have cast the Axiom and not the Axiom II? Correct me if I am wrong but I heard they are wildly different animals.



Yeah, so different that I don't know why they used the original's name. I test casted the 8wt Axiom II at an event at my local fly shop and I really liked it. 

Unfortunately I have not casted any of the other weights so I cannot give an honest opinion of the 12 wt Axiom II.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

So far, I haven't met anyone yet that has casted the Axiom II in a 12wt. But I'm itching to see how it fairs. Like the others, I've thrown that rod in the 8wt and really like it for the money. Great value. I'm hoping they don't follow suit with the BVK's where from 9wt and up they get stiffer and stiffer.


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## Ken T (Dec 10, 2015)

I would suspect that the feel of the 12 would be similar to the 8 based on the change from Axiom to Axiom II. The first was super fast but was very stiff. A very one dimensional distance rod.

The new version feels totally different. A beefed up mid section and a softened tip makes it more than just a distance rod. No problem with aerial mends, reach casts, etc.

There was also a mention of lifting power in this thread. If this is an important factor to you give the Mangrove a shot. Specifically designed for lifting and just a super sweet casting rod.

Ken


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## sidelock (Jan 31, 2011)

Has anyone fished te Axiom ll twelve weight since this post ? Also interested in reviews and opinions on this rod.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

skinny_waters said:


> @texasag07,
> To be honest I'm just looking for a brand new rod. I have a hefty gift card for my local fly shop (the Compound in Sarasota). If it was a couple years ago wouldn't you have cast the Axiom and not the Axiom II? Correct me if I am wrong but I heard they are wildly different animals.


Yes the Axiom is a different animal than the Axiom II (stiff vs reasonably feeling rod). Yes the TFO Bluewater is a completely animal than the Axiom 2 (stiff vs reasonably feeling rod).

Just saw Jacob the other day at his new location. He's been a great guy since I first met him a few years ago and I dig his new shop! Give your business to him, it'll be worth it to you. He also has great tying materials and carries many good fly lines. If you need help casting that rod, let me know and I'll give you a quick run down on what you need to know. I'm about 30mins from his shop if traffic is good.

For those who haven't made the trip there, here's his website. It's worth the road trip!

https://compoundboardshop.com/


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## sidelock (Jan 31, 2011)

Backwater said:


> If you need help casting that rod, let me know and I'll give you a quick run down on what you need to know.


Any particular reason why you don't care to discuss this in public ?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I have shared many things about it, in bits in pieces here publicly here on this Fly Fishing Forum of microskiff (notice numbers of replies I've made over the last 4 years). The majority of these replies or post (nearly 5k of them) is sharing my experience on each subject over the years and not just making 1 liner comments. At this point, I may be doing a teaching/training camp on the subject before and after this up coming season, here on the water or possibly writing a book on the subject. We'll see. I'll keep people posted when I get close to doing either one.


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## sidelock (Jan 31, 2011)

Backwater said:


> I have shared many things about it, in bits in pieces here publicly here on this Fly Fishing Forum of microskiff (notice numbers of replies I've made over the last 4 years). The majority of these replies or post (nearly 5k of them) is sharing my experience on each subject over the years and not just making 1 liner comments. At this point, I may be doing a teaching/training camp on the subject before and after this up coming season, here on the water or possibly writing a book on the subject. We'll see. I'll keep people posted when I get close to doing either one.


A teaching/training camp or writing a book on the Axiom ll ? My question was specifically about opinions or reviews on that particular rod as in the OP. Someone else started the thread over a year ago and I couldn't find anything else searching other threads. I don't see any questions pertaining to casting lessons, may be I'm misreading something.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I 


sidelock said:


> A teaching/training camp or writing a book on the Axiom ll ? My question was specifically about opinions or reviews on that particular rod as in the OP. Someone else started the thread over a year ago and I couldn't find anything else searching other threads. I don't see any questions pertaining to casting lessons, may be I'm misreading something.


I was telling that guy about what he needs to know about casting 12wt rods and how to practice setting up cast for tarpon, especially in the area.

Not sure why I would need to set up a training camp about a fly rod. Lol


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## R-Dub (May 15, 2018)

I’m with you skinny water. I’m looking for feedback as well. I just stopped off at my local fly shop and looked at the Axiom II in a 12wt. It felt like a great rod and have heard great things about it. My only, and kind of a big issue is the grip seems a bit small, small fighting butt and the reel seat seems kinda far back. All mentioned on a 5-8wt is OK but once you go 9+ you would think I’d be sized up a bit. But, yes, I’d like to hear some feedback from someone that’s tangled with a few bigguns with that particular rod.


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## Gorma (Nov 21, 2018)

I used few lighter Axiom rods and I like them for the same reason some do not like them. They have a lot of power but prefer less punchy casting style. If you superfast/strong/sporty caster you may not like it that much. It does not like to be pusched to hard. But, yeah, it torws very nice smooth and tight loops if you put a bit of love to it.
I feel confident enough I am taking Axiom2 12 for GT fishing (June) and I hope I will load it few times with fish without accidents. (Axiom2 in 12 is more like 11 and a half at most in my opinion/casting style)
I used Axiom2 in 8 bonefishing (Yucatan) with no problems whatsoever. 
(Mangrove and BVX are faster sticks. And I tend to overweight BVK to have more fun with it ---but to each his own...


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## R-Dub (May 15, 2018)

I bet your pumped for some GT action! That’s on my bucket list! Thank you for the feedback.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Gorma said:


> I used few lighter Axiom rods and I like them for the same reason some do not like them. They have a lot of power but prefer less punchy casting style. If you superfast/strong/sporty caster you may not like it that much. It does not like to be pusched to hard. But, yeah, it torws very nice smooth and tight loops if you put a bit of love to it.
> I feel confident enough I am taking Axiom2 12 for GT fishing (June) and I hope I will load it few times with fish without accidents. (Axiom2 in 12 is more like 11 and a half at most in my opinion/casting style)
> I used Axiom2 in 8 bonefishing (Yucatan) with no problems whatsoever.
> (Mangrove and BVX are faster sticks. And I tend to overweight BVK to have more fun with it ---but to each his own...


Well any update on how the the Axiom 2 12 wt performed?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Hey Str9-Six, no updates on the Axiom II - 12wt. I haven't gotten my hands on one as of yet. But in other news, TFO has come out with even a newer faster version of that rod (the Axiom 2), called the Axiom II-X. They say they have further improved the Axiom 2 with the II-X for longer punches. But that being said, on 12wts, super long cast are not always the deal and sometime I prefer a "fast" action rod to an "extra fast" rods in the heavier line weights.

https://tforods.com/axiom-ii-x/

https://tforods.com/axiom-ii-fly-rods/


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

I’ve been very much happy with the new Ax-2 in 7 and 10 wt.


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