Sage RPL+ vs. RPLX

[thrill203]

I've been saltwater fly fishing for about a year now and I have a few fish under my belt. I've found two rods I really like the Sage RPL+ and the Sage RPLX. I have an 8wt RPL+ and an 8wt and 9wt RPLX. The 8 wt RPL+ is stiffer than the 9wt RPLX. I like both but for different reasons. The RPL+ is great in windy conditions and really shoots the line out there. The RPLX is much more forgiving (I'm still not a perfect caster), I can cast it all day but it doesn't have quite enough backbone for some weighted flies. I was wondering if any of you knew ANY rod that has an action in between the RPL+ and RPLX. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[thrill203]

Maybe the Sage TCR? I've cast that one a few times.

[tailingloop]

The TCR is faster than both the RPLX and RPLX+.


Improving your casting skills will likely help more than changing rods. Changing the flyline may help toss weighted flies better than any rod change. I have both the 8 and 9wt RPLX and have no problem casting flies with xlarge lead dumbbell eyes tied on 3/0 and 4/0 hooks long distances with both rods. I use 350 to 400 grain shooting heads for sinking presentation and Rio Outbound Short floating lines for topwater presentations.

If you want a Sage rod that is smoother than either the RPLX or RPLX+ look for an Xi2 or a Xi3.

[thrill203]

I'm not saying I'm a bad caster, I've been freshwater fly fishing for a while. What do you mean by smoother? Is the Xi2 or Xi3 faster than the RPL+ or RPLX? Smooth is definitely a word I would use to describe the RPLX. Thanks!

[tailingloop]

I'm not saying I'm a bad caster, I've been freshwater fly fishing for a while. What do you mean by smoother? Is the Xi2 or Xi3 faster than the RPL+ or RPLX? Smooth is definitely a word I would use to describe the RPLX. Thanks!

I didn't mean to imply that you were a poor caster nor did I assume that. When I first started casting heavier rods, and especially heavy weighted flies, I had to learn some new techniques and improve those that I had already developed. When I first started fishing the San Joaquin river delta for striped bass in the mid 1990's, where four to seven inch heavily weighted flies are often used, is struggled with the large flies and had use smaller and often less productive patterns initially. I had done a lot of bass and saltwater fly fishing, could double haul well, reach out beyond 70ft, an cast well enough in stiff wind but struggled with big flies. As some of my skills using shooting heads, employing water hauls, and making the necessary timing adjustments evolved, I developed the ability to comfortably toss large, heavy flies over long distances all day without tiring. A couple of quick pointers from and observations of some very accomplished casters really helped.

And the rod I was using was an RPLX 9wt line with a 30ft shooting head that weighed around 350 grains.

Sage replaced the RPLX with the RPLXi which had a bit of a softer tip. The Xi2 replaced the RPLXi and the Xi2 followed the Xi2. The RPLX was my favorite rod until the Xi2 came out. I feel that the Xi2 provides more feedback on the cast than the RPLX and feels lighter in the hand. The Xi3 is even more so and both the Xi2 and Xi3 seem to have more strength in the butt section. When I cast the Xi3 I don't really even notice the rod is there - that is it never seems to get in the way. The RPLX now feels somewhat dead in the hand to me - not surprising for a design that is around 20 years old. In fact most of the fast action 8 and 9wt rods that I have tried at all price points that have been designed in the last few years seem to feel and perform better than the RPLX. Same for the RPL+ models that I have fished. I don't feel that the Xi2 or Xi3 are faster or slower than the RPLX but certainly seem more user friendly.

However I still fish my RPLX rods quite often, having never replaced them with newer models. My experience with the Xi2, Xi3, and other models comes from using guides' rods or rods that have been loaned to me for trials. The Xi3 in 6, 8, 9, and 10wts are now my favorite salt and heavy freshwater rods when I can borrow one or use a guide's.

[thrill203]

No worries about the casting. There's always room for improvement. I really appreciate your insight on these rods. I think you are right, I need to try some different lines and see how they work with the rods. Where I've been fishing lately we do a lot of water hauling. The RPL+ seemed to handle it compared to the RPLX that seemed maxed out. Not sure if I'm explaining this well. Hope it makes sense!