Fly Fishing

Austin · Newbie Joined: Jan 10, 2005 Posts: 84

Hi everybody! i would love to hear what you think about sage fly rods. I saw what alex did for the scott fly rod review, and i liked all of the very valuble feedback, and i was looking to obtain some feedback about sage fly rods. I have no experience fishing with sage fly rods but I have friends that own sage fly rods and love them....but i don't know if they are right for me. When i go into fly fishing stores, i often ask questions such as "what is a great fly rod for me" and i am more often than not brought to the sage fly rods. Why is this so??? Is there any special technology that is put into sage fly rods?? Do sage fly rods have better features such as cork handles and guides that make these fly rods better than others? And does sage make fly rods that will fit a wide variety of casting styles??? Being able to choose from a wide variety of fly rods with different actions is a big deal for me, because i like being able to fish with a medium action for freshwater trout fly fishing, but on the other hand i prefer a fast action fly rod action for heavier rods when saltwater/steelhead fishing. Through the little amount of search i did on sage fly rods...i have found that ever since sage has been created in 1980, they (sage) have been trying to bring the most technologicly advanced and highest performing fly rods to the fly fishing industry. I also read and like the fact that sage offers an unconditional lifetime warranty on all their fly rods.
Anyway....i would appreciate any help or opinions (good or bad) on the sage fly rods. Thanks!

joey · Newbie Joined: May 31, 2004 Posts: 111 Location: Colorado

austin-

I have used a sage a few times. One season for steelhead, which it was difficult to tell casting wise beacuse we are basically nymphing. But, it was a fast action rod that could cast well with some weight on the end of the line. As you well know weight is an important element when chasing steel. But, the best experience I have had with a sage rod was fishing for snook in the eveglades with Dave Tepper. He had a very nice sage, top of the line. I don't remember the model but the rod was blue and I think the colors do represent models ( i could be wrong). It was also a fast action rod and I could fire line out of it. I don't consider my self a great caster by anymeans. But, I was dialing it in under mangroves at multiple feet. I think like anything that the more you spend the better the product (especially with fly rods) and Sage is no exception. I hope this helps.

jeremy · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:30 pm Post subject: sage

sorry austin -- the only experience i have with a sage fly rod .. is using the one that joey CAUGHT while nymphing in washington state .. it was, lets say, a bit beat up after spending a year or so at the bottom of some river .. and the tip was busted, and it had a glued on tip from a convention ugly stick rod .. and the cork spun around endlessly due to the fact that the glue had dissolved ... outside of that, it casted just fine and i used it for awhile cuz i broke both my good rod and back up rod .. .. but, i assume that's not the kind of "feedback" you were looking for ...

ps.. joey, do you want that rod back? .. i think i still got it .. although, now i think the handle is completely gone .. still works though

Boz · Newbie Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 65 Location: Portland

Joey,
The Sage you fished in Florida was blue? Likely a Sage Xi2. I've fished those in a 9x9 and think they are one of the best rods to date for hucking that ol' 350 grain sink tip with a big nasty fly in salt waters. Definately "the real deal" Striper/Blue/Albie rod...

jeremy · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 12:44 pm Post subject: price point

boz .. what is the price point for that rod? would you recommend buying online or through a physical store?

Boz · Newbie Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 65 Location: Portland

Sage Xi2 9ft 9wt 4 piece suggested retail $680.

I know you can buy them in Maine at LL Bean, Kittery Trading Post, and Kennebec River Outfitters.
Definately better to buy from a local shop as they will answer questions and let you try before you buy...

rhodyflyguy · Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 18

I just got a Sage VT2 9'6" 6 wt. for christmas. It is the model with the full wells grip, saltwater reel seat and fighting butt. It is not a super fast rod I would describe it a being medium action. I has to slow down my stroke quite a bit, because I'm used to faster rods. However, I can still cast 85-90 feet consistently with it, and find that it casts very accurately. I think that it will make a good rod for when a gentle presentation is needed in saltwater, such as during worm hatches or sight fishing in shallow water. It also has quite a bit of backbone, and i think that you could land a bonito without a problem with it. I also tried a 10 wt. line on it, like ken Abrams suggests doing, and found that i could boom out casts without having to haul at all, which was pretty cool.

waterwhippa · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:39 pm Post subject:

I have a few DS2's that have been kicking around for a long time. I beat them to a pulp and have never had one break. perfect boat rod.

Austin · Newbie Joined: Jan 10, 2005 Posts: 84

Thanks for the great help guys! Sounds like they produce some rods that can't be beat. Whippa....i love the fact that you have owned sage rods and they stand up well....THAT is a major factor for me, because admist all the mayhem(busting fish, high boat speeds, big fast fish, car doors,etc) it is very easy for a fly rod to break when i am fishing, and when i look into a fly rod the durability of the rod is a huge factor for me.

KodiakCommando · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 3:13 pm Post subject:

I have used a lot of rods over the years and there is a reason most of my current rods are sage. IMO they are the best rod company out there.

The main thing i love about them is there durabilty and customer service. They rarely break and everytime i have dealt with fixing a rod under warranty (which is lifetime) or had questions or dealt with their pro form service since i am a guide i have had nothing but great experiences.

You would think this would be true of all rod companies but i have had several bad experiences with customer service with g loomis, TFO and st croix. And did i mention the time where i was fighting a big coho and my brand new St Croix snapped for no reason and then i had it fixed which took way too long and then i got it back and it snapped again on a big rainbow! needles to say i'm done with st croix Evil or Very Mad

Of course there rods are great too!

My favorite rod in my lineup is the TCR. It aint cheap (just over 700 dollars) but if you like fast action cannons then this is your rod. I love fishing this rod in saltwater where long casts with big flies are key.

Probably my second favorite rod is my VT2 7130, I think these are the best bargain in the spey rod arena. Perfect spey rod for beginners.

I have some DS2's (great old rods)

I just got a z-axis switch rod and so far i am very impressed! The thing that sticks out the most about the z-axis line of rods is how light they are!

chromefinder · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:11 am Post subject:

I have several Sage RPL+ rods (mid 90s rod no longer offered by Sage).
IMO, the best nymphing/roll casting rods ever produced (for my style of casting). Very stiff rods with lots of backbone and a light fast tip. This rod lifts more line off the water than any rod I have ever cast. Throws indis and mends with authority, handles big fish and big flys well. It is not a good choice for delicate dry work and most people overline this rod by at least one line wt to get it to load. Sage has repaired broken tips (car doors) several times and the customer service was good.

ReelFlyRodcom · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:39 am Post subject: Sage Fly Rod Review

In my opinion, Sage Fly Rods are the best in the world. I have fished and field tested the majority of rods on the market over the past 25 years and now exclusively fish Sage Rods. There are some good rod makers out there, and the technology has grown by leaps and bounds, but Sage rods are very special. What they have accomplished with their 3 year Generation 5 Technology Project would make your head spin. This proprietary technology led to redesigning their entire rod building process and has enabled Sage to produce rods that are signifacantly lighter, stronger, and easier to cast for all experience levels. They utilize their Aligned Fiber Technology and Modulus Positioning System, then add a Proprietary Resin to finish the rod. Sage replaced the fiberglass center hoop fibers with lighter, stronger graphite fibers, and learned that during the baking process the graphite fibers bind together resulting in a much stronger, almost weightless fly rod blank. The end result is the lightest, most accurate fly rods on the market. We are an Authorized Sage Dealer and offer a 10% off retail coupon along with Free Worldwide Shipping on most Sage fly rods. You can visit our online fly shop at www.ReelFlyRod.com.

jeremy · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:19 pm Post subject: fairness

so .. now that flyrodreel has introduced the commercial end of this review ... in an effort to keep it real, where does everyone on this site usually buy their sage fly rods? online? offline? local shops? is it just about price? what matters to you when buying your sage gear? i think this helps .. because certainly there are no lack of choices for where to buy things .. i wonder what the commercially unbiased fly fisherman on this site consider the best sources ...

HERE IS MY .02 ... i actually like to buy higher ticket item things in person and use that purchase as a leveraging tool to build a relationship with the business i am buying from .. smaller ticket items, i don't necessarily care all that much .. but sometimes i do ... i guess the bottom line is .. i like buying things online but i like a company who has a physical presence too .. ebay interests me about as much as a garage sale ... and, to some degree, the more "middle men" between my product and the manufacturer is not really appealing to me ... so, in fairness, i have never bought any sage fly rods so i wouldn't know where to start ... but i would know where not to start .. and for me, i wouldn't start at some random website like www.isellflyrodsforcheapandusedcarstoo.com .. i wouldn't start at ebay .. i wouldn't start by anyone who sent me spam to my email or revealed their business ethics and character by spamming a website ... like all else ... i would probably start .. at GOOGLE

curious to hear other consumers recommendations concerning the general concensus on making wise purchasing decisions in regards to sage fly rods .. thanks.

waterwhippa · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject: Sage Fly Rod Review

My Sage fly rods have all been purchased from LL Bean. Price differentials rarely enter the equation when i make a fly fishing purchase. What does, however, is customer service, location and return policies. I fish alot and equipment breaks, when it does i want to send it back and have it repaired and returned in a timely manner. With that being said, why send my Sage rod to Bainbridge Island, WA when I can send it to Freeport, ME and have a new one (no questions asked) at my door in a 1/3 of the time. Not to mention Bean's cs reps and tech guys are extremely knowlegeable and available 24/7.

fleyes · Newbie Joined: Jun 09, 2008 Posts: 1

I also like buying rods in person. First of all, I have a fly shop that always lets me test out rods and therefore I buy my rods from that shop. But also, I believe the the Lifetime Warranty is only for the original owner. Therefore, a rod off of ebay if not an authorized sage dealer has no lifetime warranty. Crying or Very sad

MarshallD · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject:

I had my Sage TCR 9-weight custom-made by Tom Shadley, owner of www.mangroveoutfitters.com

Jungle Cock and Kingfisher witness marks and beautiful wraps. The rod is a cannon.

He uses high quality guides and cork...better than the factory. He builds the grip cementing each cork ring and then, sands it on his lathe to fit my hand. Of course I live right there in Naples, so I could check in on how Tom was progressing, but that's a minor thing...I would definately call Tom and ask him about his prices. 239-793-3370 Tues -Sat 11AM-6PM

brooktroutbully · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject:

Austin,
I think Whippa hit the nail on the head when he brought up the warantee topic. He makes a good point when he says that he would rather buy from LLbean so he can send it back to a closer location if it breaks. Just for the record, I have been fishing sage rods for the last 10 years. My first Sage rod was a DS2 and it has been put to the test and is still kicking. Last fall I battled Kings on it and it was brutally resilient to there punishing fight. Most of my sage rods have come directly from the manufacture. I broke my XP a few years ago and had to send it back. It took about 3 weeks and I had a new one. Not bad considering it went across the country, but not as quick as walking in to LLbean and walking out with a new rod. Experienced good customer service as well. Also...just to add. I have been fishing the new z-axis rod (690-4) and I am impressed. It is a good neutral rod. Meaning I can high stick nymph fish with it and switch to dries if I have to. It seems to have a soft enough tip section for dry fly fishing however it remains fast enough for sensitive hook setting while nymph fishing, and you can’t beat a life time warrantee! For someone who fishes as much and as hard as you, warrantee is everything. I don’t have to much experience with sage rods for salt water, but I hope this helps.
(this is Taylor by the way)
Good luck