Review: Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 Fly Rod 

The new Exocett 88 from Thomas & Thomas was designed with large flies and powerful fish in mind.

My general impression of fly rods is that the more things they can do fairly well, the fewer things they can do really well. According to the folks at Thomas & Thomas, the new Exocett 88 fly rod was designed to do a number of things really well, especially with larger flies, heavier lines, and bigger species of strong, sporty fish.

The Exocett 88 comes in line weights 6 through 11, and all are 8 feet, 8 inches long (hence the “88”). According to the rod’s designers, the steep taper results in ultra-fast recovery, which makes for easier long-distance casting. Made from proprietary multi-modulus carbon and S-Glass layups, these rods offer significantly increased strength compared to previous composites. T&T also claims that the materials increase hoop strength, reduce swing weight, and offer excellent tracking, precision, and accuracy, along with extreme lifting power when required.  The tagline for the rod is: “Strength when it counts, versatility where it matters.”

The author chose the 8-weight, 250-grain model and a 210-grain line (a 250-grain line wasn’t available) for a trip to chase bonefish on the windy flats of Ascension Bay, Mexico.

What’s My Line?

On a trip to Ascension Bay, Mexico, I put that claim to the test. Targeting bonefish specifically, I paired an 8-weight Exocett with a Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Floating Bonefish Line. Before leaving on my trip, I had picked up the new fly line at my local fly shop. Based on what was in stock, I had to choose between overweighting my line with a 9-weight 260-grain or underweighting it with an 8-weight 210-grain. (The shop didn’t have a 250-grain 8-weight floating line available.)

Because I planned to use the rod specifically for bonefish in skinny water—possibly sheltered in backwater mangrove bays with low wind—where I didn’t want to spook fish, I went with the 8-weight line.* In short, I was prioritizing stealth and presentation with smaller shrimp patterns over trying to punch larger baitfish imitations through gusting winds.

Ready for action in the panga. Photo: Will Rice

That rationale and decision-making all sounds great in theory while you’re looking at cardboard boxes on a pegboard. But when I first got on the bow of the panga to take a shot at a group of bonefish moving out of a sheltered mangrove bay onto a larger flat, my shirt was howling like a helicopter about to lift off.

“Damn, it’s always windy on the flats,” I reminded myself. “I should have overlined this and gone with the nine-weight.”

But to my surprise, in that moment the rod and 210-grain line worked great together.

Over the years, I’ve run into two recurring issues with saltwater floating lines and rod pairings which I try to avoid. The first is a setup that demands one or two many false casts just to get the line moving for a 55 to 65 foot shot at the target fish or school of fish.  When the wind is really going, this can be an absolutely frustrating disaster. The second is the opposite: a line and rod combination that loads immediately but results in a splashy, overly aggressive presentation that spooks the target.  Both types of mispairings can cause missed fish.

The 210 grain line was enough to load the Exocett 88 quickly enough in a stiff breeze and my presentations in those stealthier situations were subtle and worked great.

Making Shots

When I first picked up the Exocett 88, my initial impression was, “This is fast . . . really fast.” I wondered if it would be too fast for some of those more intimate bonefish encounters that happen in places where I have fished before, such as Ascension Bay, Mexico; Ambergris Cay, Belize; or the bights and flats of the Bahamas.

I had also wondered about the rod length.  At 8 feet 8 inches, would those missing 4 inches make any difference compared to a standard 9-foot saltwater fast-action rod I was more accustomed to? I had never cast an 8’8” rod on a saltwater flat before. The short answer: no negative effect. If anything, the slightly shorter rod made my casts feel more “cannon-like” and punchy in stiffer wind gusts. One feature I noticed was the Exocett’s ability to pick up a lot of line off the water after a misplaced cast, and its ability to re-deliver with a single stroke to put the fly exactly where it needed to be.

I see the fish… blow the cast…F@$&!… regroup… make another single cast… Boom! Eat! Let’s go!!!

The rod performed admirably, and many bonefish came to hand. Photo: Will Rice

Once on the water, and having to make that cast in a stiff breeze that felt pretty ubiquitous and unrelenting during our weeklong stay, my conclusion was that this is a rod very well designed for bonefish and all of these bonefish centric places and applications. And it does the job really well.

The Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 is clearly a fast-action fly rod that delivers the power and line speed needed for windy conditions, while still offering accuracy and feel when things calm down. If you’re targeting bonefish or other saltwater species on the flats where the weather can change quickly, this rod loads fast and makes the kind of accurate casts that matter when it counts.

For me, the Exocett 88 performed in those small, real-life moments on the flats that can make or break a destination fly fishing trip. I don’t care that much about fly rod technology, but I care a lot about making that one cast.

Click here to learn more about the
Thomas & Thomas Exocett 88 Fly Rods

Will Rice (@will_rize) is a freelance writer whose work has been featured in The Denver Post, The Drake Magazine, The Flyfish Journal, Fly Rod & Reel, Outside, Saltwater Fly Fishing, Fly Fusion, Flylab, Angling Trade, and more. Originally from upstate New York, he spent many years living – and fly fishing – in Colorado before relocating to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he now lives with his wife, Sara, and their dog, Buzz.

* Quick side bar and tip for any angler reading this who’s new to saltwater fly rods: If you’re going to research and ask questions about a fly rod, do yourself a favor and put just as much thought and energy into the fly line (or lines) you’re going to pair it with. It’s worth the time.