Scott Centric vs Session: Which Scott Rod Should You Buy?

If you have already decided you want a Scott rod, the next question is usually this one. Centric or Session. Both rods are built by hand in Montrose, Colorado. Both follow Scott's signature fast with feel design philosophy. Both come with the Scott Unconditional Lifetime Warranty. So which one is right for you?

We get this question almost every week at the shop. Here is the honest answer based on what we have cast, what our guides choose, and what our customers come back to tell us.

The Short Answer

The Centric is the better rod. The Session gives you most of the Centric experience at a lower price point. If you can afford the Centric and you fish hard enough to know the difference, buy the Centric. If you want a Scott rod but the Centric stretches the budget, the Session is one of the best mid-tier trout rods on the market and you will not regret choosing it.

That is the short version. Now the details.

What Each Rod Is

Scott Centric is Scott's modern flagship freshwater fly rod. It is the rod that replaced the Scott Radian in the lineup. The Centric is built around Scott's most advanced tapers, multi-modulus layups, ARC reinforcement system, and premium components throughout. Flor grade cork. Titanium and zirconia stripping guides. Fully milled aluminum reel seat with self-indexing hoods and a Delrin lock washer.

Scott Session is Scott's design philosophy in a more accessible build. The Session uses similar fast with feel design principles as the Centric, but with a simpler component package that brings the price down. Custom machined aluminum reel seats with dyed box elder wood inserts. Silicon Nitride stripping guides. Low glare light wire snake guides. The build is clean and premium, just not flagship tier.

Both rods are hand built in Montrose. Both are made by the same craftspeople in the same building.

How They Cast

This is the part that matters.

The Centric is a fast action rod with feel. The blank loads at fishing distance, which means you feel the rod work on a 30 foot cast and not just on a long bomb across the river. The recovery is faster than the Session. The tip stops where you want it to stop. Tight loops form naturally without forcing the cast. Accuracy at 40, 50, 60 feet is exceptional. The Centric also handles wind better than the Session because of the faster recovery and stiffer mid section.

The Session is also fast with feel, but slightly more relaxed. The action is a touch softer. The recovery is a touch slower. The rod loads a bit deeper at short range, which some anglers actually prefer for small water and roll casts. At fishing distance the Session casts beautifully. At longer distances or in heavy wind, the Centric pulls ahead.

The difference is real but not dramatic. An angler who has not cast both rods side by side might not immediately notice the gap. An angler who fishes both for a full day will feel it.

Components

Centric components are premium tier:

• Titanium stripping guides with zirconia inserts
• Snake Brand Universal low glare snake guides
• Flor grade cork
• Fully milled aluminum reel seat with self-indexing hoods, micarta insert, Delrin lock washer
• Type 3 flat black hard coat finish

Session components are excellent but a step down:

• Silicon Nitride stripping guides
• Low glare light wire snake guides
• Custom machined aluminum reel seat with dyed box elder wood inserts
• Premium grade cork

Both component packages will last decades. The Centric components are more refined, more corrosion resistant, and feel more premium in hand. The Session components are nothing to apologize for. Many flagship rods from other brands ship with components less impressive than what comes on a Session.

Who Should Buy the Centric

The Centric is the right rod for the angler who:

• Fishes hard. Multiple times a year. Often.
• Wants one rod that handles everything from small streams to big rivers and varied techniques
• Casts well enough to feel the difference between fast and faster recovery
• Plans to keep the rod for decades and wants the absolute best Scott freshwater rod
• Is buying once and wants to buy right

The Centric is also the rod our guides fish. They have access to every rod in our shop and they choose the Centric for a reason.

Who Should Buy the Session

The Session is the right rod for the angler who:

• Wants their first Scott rod
• Is building out a second or third rod in the quiver and does not need another flagship
• Is on a budget but still wants hand built American craftsmanship
• Fishes mostly inside 50 feet and does not need flagship long range performance
• Wants the same general feel as the Centric without the flagship price

The Session is also a great choice for an angler upgrading from an entry level rod. The jump in performance from a budget rod to a Session is dramatic. The jump from Session to Centric is meaningful but smaller.

What We Tell Customers in the Shop

When someone walks into the shop trying to decide between these two rods, we put both in their hands. Same line. Same reel. We have them cast at 25 feet, 40 feet, and 55 feet. We have them fight a stiff breeze if there is one.

Most anglers feel the difference. Some prefer the Centric immediately. Some surprise themselves and prefer the Session, especially for short range presentation work. There is no wrong answer.

What we never recommend is buying either rod sight unseen if you can avoid it. Both rods reward an angler who has put time on them. Both rods feel different in different hands. We have a casting area outside the shop. Bring a reel or use one of ours. Make 30 casts with each rod. Then decide.

Pairing With Reels

For either rod, we typically pair with a Ross Evolution LTX, a Ross San Miguel, an Abel, or a Lamson depending on the angler's preference and budget. All three are also American made, two of them in Montrose. The combination of a Scott rod with a Ross or Abel reel is exactly the kind of all American, all Western Slope setup that our shop is built around.

For more on Ross Reels, read our piece on why Ross Reels are made in Montrose, Colorado.

The Real Final Word

Both rods are excellent. Both will outlast most of the gear in your bag. Both are backed by a lifetime warranty serviced by the same factory two miles from our shop.

If money is no object, get the Centric. If the Centric is a stretch, get the Session and know you have made a great choice. Either way, you are fishing a Scott rod built by hand in Montrose, Colorado, and that is something to be proud of.

Shop the Scott Centric and Session at Ed's Fly Shop

For more on the Scott lineup as a whole, read our piece on why Scott Fly Rods are made in Montrose, Colorado. For our detailed Centric review, see Scott Centric Review: The Rod Our Guides Fish.