Sage rod or??

[SW Ladyfish]

I'm a firm believer that shopping is half the fun and I savor the hunt for new gear! My other nick-name is Lady Gearhead!

Answering your original question...
Ken fishes Sage RPLXi most of the time in 8 & 9 wt. He had a 10; but, found it stiffer than its smaller siblings and not a pleasure to cast. Since the RPLXi has been discontinued, you may find an excellent deal on a new or demo rod.

Also, try the St. Croix Legend Elite SW. Ken cast everything that was available in the 10 wt saltwaters and this rod outperformed them all. Subsequently, I now fish a 6 and 9 in the same rod. A little less expensive than the newest Sages with great fit and finish.

You might also look at St. Croix's new Legend Ultra that utilizes the same IPC technology with a less expensive graphite. It's also a little more than 1/2 the price and still made in the USA.

I tried a new Sage 8 wt. FLi and Xi2 a few weeks ago. The best description I can give for the FLi is "tinny". Pretty retro blank, cheap fittings, yech! I liked the Xi2; but, no more than the St. Croix I already have.

I have also cast the BIIx in an 8 wt with sinking and floating lines. Loved it with the sinking lines (Int & 350 grain); but, hated it with a WFF. A very stiff stick with lots of butt strength.

Happy hunting!

[Jackster]

Agree about that Legend Elite! We did the same thing, two of us spent two days at a rod show casting every 10 weight in the place. The Elite won hands down. Ugly as sin but quite a tool!

[tbeez41]

rods rods and more rods. so many to choose from these days. ill give you my feelings on the rods ive used or casted. st croix, great rod not as fast as some; i like fast rods, but if you like the slt you might like the legend ultra. the one thing i do not like about this rod, call me vain if you will is the looks. this rod looks like a walmart special. the green and maple insert do not go well together. sage slts are a great rod, they have all the bells and whistles to make it enjoyable for a long time. the fli and launch suck, youd be better off buying a tfo rod. as for the legend elite, buy the ultra before the elite. sure it might be a highermodulus than the ultra but not worth an extra 200. the winston borons are too whippy for me but you might like them if you like a slower rod.
the slt is a very nice rod, i was able to cast out 60ft with a 15 mph wind easily on a 4wt with a haul. not sure how well it lifts line of water since ive never fished one.

[Jackster]

Darn SW Ladyfish, we got it wrong! Where was tbeez41 before we made our decisions?
Besides the graphite difference mentioned, and the fact I bought the Elite BEFORE the regular Ultra had IPC tech, and that the Elite has a graphite scrim which is such a grand idea that even Sage now uses it on only their highest of high-end rods I feel rod choice is a rather personal thing and my decision was well worth the extra money, had I paid it!
The TCR is a nice, fast stick but it isn't the end-all of fast rods. Anyone considering it would do well to also give the Loomis Max Linespeed a workout.
If fast is all you want there indeed ARE better rods than the Winston BIIx, even within the Winston line. It is soft up close as a rod should be, the magic doesn't kick in until you lace it up and start hitting the 70,80, 90' mark. For any rod to do all of that well is quite a feat.

[RickB]

As long as we're talking about choosing rods . . .

Why do most/all of the retail web sites list there rods (and reels for that matter) by manufacturer instead of by characteristics. Based on the questions that get posted here don't most of go looking for rod by the weight of line, maybe number of pieces or action and things like that? I would like to go to web site and say show me all the 4 piece 5wt rods and then let me sort them by price, action, manufacturer, warranty whatever.

Doesn't that make more sense than having to click on every manufacturer and see if they have a 5wt?

Anyone know a site like this where I could go?



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Fish more, work less!

[SW Ladyfish]

Just about everybody has 5 wt. 4 pc rod. Assume they have it. The information is available from some manufacturers on their website. Sage and Orvis not only describe their actions, they give you picture comparisons too!

Fly Fish America does nice comparisons of available products in specific categories and includes pricing information.

You're still better off if you can actually get your hands on the rod and cast.

[Steve Molcsan]

I really enjoy fishing my Sage 389 LL 3 wg purchased this rod back in 93 Sweet rod to cast..