Hope I don’t come across as “snobbish” but all my rods are Sage. I really like the way the SP’s and SLT’s feel and cast. I am in the market for a 6 wt. 3-5 pc. 9’ or so rod. What other high quality rod manufacturers have a rod that may be similar to the Sage. There is not alot of choice near me. The closest fly shop is 1-1/2 hours and he is a Sage dealer. About 5 years ago I played with a Hexagraph for a couple of hours and really liked it. Any ideas?
Thanks, Sundance
Winston BIIx.
Check out Scott. I was hoping (and still am)to get an SLT. After realizing that it may be awhile before I could spend close to $600 on a rod, I looked at options. I found a nice Scott A2 for a good price used and I am thrilled with it! Of course, if money is no object, you can’t do much better than Sage (I have fished a DS2 for some time and am very happy with it), but there are definately options out there for high quality rods. Scott is one of them!
“Dad can we go fishing?”
“Yes. Of course we can.”
Say yes, always say yes.
[This message has been edited by SteelieD (edited 26 April 2005).]
Sundance,
Jackster was right on the money. Take it from a die-hard Sage fan, and a hopeless SP fanatic, the Winston BIIx 6 weight casts better than both the 6 weight SP, and SLT. I find it smoother, and more progressive all the way down the blank. The Sages have some dead spots from the taper they use.
Jude
Small flies work best. Elephants eat peanuts.
www.customflys.com
On the other hand, JC and I both cast the
Winston BIIx 6 weight at the request of Joan Wulff. Joan was looking for a rod she could fish for Atlantic salmon - an 8 wt was too heavy and she wanted something more like the Gatti ‘feel.’ The BIIx is considerably heavier than a Gatti of the same weight and without the smoothness. We were both very disappointed.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
The Gatti website lists their 6 weights as weighing between 3.1 ounces and 3.4 ounces. They only list 2 and 3 piece rods.
The Winston 4 piece 9’ 6 weight weighs only 2.75 ounces.
I guess I don’t understand.
I had a friend try one of my BIIx’s and proceed to just wail it. The rod rejected his efforts. When he slowed the stroke down and let the rod talk to him he ended up buying one.
Then there are warranty considerations…
Went through the same process last year only in a 5 wt. Got to cast the B2X and SLT side by side, on the water, while actually fishing. The SLT had more feel or feed back than the B2X. I could feel nymphs (shot) ticking the bottom better with the SLT and also could feel the rod flex more while casting. Inside of 50’ line speed was similar. Beyond 50’ the B2X had the edge, but I don’t usually fish over 50’ so I ended up with the SLT. The B2X was a very good rod, the SLT just fit me better. They were close so at that price you really need to try them side by side, sure it’s a long drive but you also don’t wnat to end up with a $600 rod you don’t like.
Also I looked for cheaper alternatives and couldn’t find one for me. I ended up building the SLT (with Burl madrone reelseat and snake brand guides) for about $400.
Good luck.
Might give the new Scott E2 series a try, or the Loomis Metolius series. [url=http://www.thefullcreel.com:893c2]www.thefullcreel.com[/url:893c2] does a 14-day “test drive” program so you could give the loomis a try before you’re fully committed.
Stick with Sage and grab the Xi2.
Like I said to mfielder. I won’t tell your wife.
I have a Gatti 9’ 5wt FRHP, the rod weighs less then 2 ounces, I can’t believe the 6wt weighs much more. I couldn’t find any weights on their website.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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?
Fish more, work less!
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.
I really enjoy fishing my Sage 389 LL 3 wg purchased this rod back in 93 Sweet rod to cast…
I really enjoy fishing my Sage 389 LL 3 wg purchased this rod back in 93 Sweet rod to cast…
I really enjoy fishing my Sage 389 LL 3 wg purchased this rod back in 93 Sweet rod to cast…