Fly Fishing

Tarsahamhain

New to the forum so firstly hi to everyone!

Im getting ready to build an 8 weight, 9"6 rod which I intend to be my new baby, replacing an old Hardy that was passed down to me when I was a kid. The Hardy still lands a lot of fish even though half its parts are now DIY replacements, but the two sections have become fused so it will never travel. I have a 6 weight so Im covered for most light applications. What I want from the new blank is something that will cover me for everything else!

Its a big ask but... I mainly fish mid-sized rivers (20-50 meters) in the West of Ireland where we get LOTS of wind, targeting salmon (averaging 5-10 lbs with a few bigger ones) and seatrout (1-2lbs). I will also be using the rod for seatrout at sea and (less frequently) lake pike with v big flies. I use both floating and sinking lines equally and will be pairing it with my 6.9 OZ LA Battenkill reel. Would hope to take the rod after some of the more exotic saltwater species someday (bonefish, permit, baby tarpon) but may never get the money together so thats definitely not the rod's primary function.

The blanks Im currently looking at are the Sage Z-Axis, Sage Xi3, St. Croix Legend Elite (SCV blank), Sage TCX, T & T Horizon 2 and the T&T Helix. Sadly Loomis are out of the question because they dont sell blanks anymore and Orvis dont offer a warranty with their blanks. I know a few of the rods i mentioned only come in 9 foot models but I suppose I could sacrifice 6 inches if the rod felt magic enough... still perfer a 9"6 though! My interest in these rods is based entirely on reviews (I fished 150+ days last year but nearly all were on my own so I get almost no experience with other peoples rods).

If anyone has any ideas about which of these rods (or any others) would suit my applications and reel best please let me know. I will be testing them before I buy but considering I wont be purchasing a finished rod from the shop where I try them I'd feel a bit guilty getting them to prepare 6+ rods! Maybe 2 or 3 would be ok...

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Ross

MarshallD · Location: Naples, Fl

Tars...

You are asking one rod to multi-purpose, and that will be a hard choice if you over obsess. I'd say go fast action because you're going to be asking for spine (sinking lines, etc) and asking for accuracy, possible salt applications, etcetera, etcetera...

Just get a fast action Sage, shit can the Orvis reel and get a better machine with 2 spools.

Tarsahamhain · Posted: Fri 06/11/10 6:55 am Post subject:

Really like my Battenkill LA IV. Its served me v well and already have 2 spools for it so cant imagine replacing it any time soon. What do you dislike about it?

AvidDavid · Location: Long Island, NY

Tbis may not be what you are asking about, but... Since you are considering travel, I suggest a 4 piece rather than a 2 piece blank. Airlines are charging a lot for extra bags and for special items like a fishing rod. You can carry a 4 piece as carry-on and very few airlines charge for carry-on items. (Also, with carry-on you are responsible for the safety of your rod rather than some baggage handler who may not appreciate the love and personality that you will be building into your new rod.)

Tarsahamhain · Posted: Sat 06/12/10 5:39 am Post subject:

Yep, 4 piece was what I had in mind. Now thinking that Im going with a Dan Craft FT. The reviews and value for money are just too good not to! Be nice to try before I buy but dont think I'll be disappointed Smile

rustayy · Location: Islamorada,FL

As far as getting an all around rod to do everything, well, that is hard to answer. If you are looking for a rod to chuck sinking lines for salon, and eventually fish for Bones and Baby Poon, then I would steer you towards the Sage TCX or XI3 in a 9 footer. The Z-Axis is considerably weaker( not as fast) than the other 2 Sage models, and if it is a 9'6"er than it ill be even softer than the 9'er. On the other hand, the 9'6" Z-Axis will mend better than the 9 foot version of the TCX or xi3 in my opinion, and will also deliver a more subtle presentation to bonefish. With that said, if u want an all around rod to do everything you are asking for, I would go with either a 9' 8 wt TCX, or a 9' 9wt Z-Axis. The TCX will be overkill for smaller Salmon, but you will be glad you have the extra backbone for the Permit and Baby Poonies, and will give you some more punch in windy conditions. And the 9 wt Z-Axis will give you just a little bit more stiffness in that particular rod. Hope this helps you make your decision

Tarsahamhain · Posted: Mon 06/14/10 6:26 am Post subject:

Thanks a lot, thats really helpful. The Dan Craft FT blanks which Im looking at are meant to be very similar to the TCR (so probably TCX too) but are even faster! A hell of lot of people also rate the FT more highly then the TCR in the super-fast category. I tend to fish in peat areas where the water always has a rusty hue, so getting the fly out into a gale is usually more important then perfect presentation. At half the price I think the FT is the right choice. The money I save will allow me to put a set of titanium SiC guides on it and give me a few full fuel tanks to get to the river Smile

caveman2bravo · Posted: Tue 06/22/10 8:41 am Post subject:

check out yellowstone angler online. they did an 8 weight shootout a few years back and while it had some flaws it did give some good info on a few of the newer rods out there. i would have like to see the helios on the list as well as the xi2. if i am not mistaken they rated the loomis the best. hope it helps

JohnB · Location: Mississippi gulf coast

You can still get loomis imx, gl4, and glx blanks on sale at the g. loomis superstore. I about to buy a glx blank before they run out.

Jeroen · Posted: Mon 06/28/10 6:33 am Post subject:

The Dancraft FT is a wonderful blank at a hard to beat price. I have only tried lighter versions up till #6, but the ones I tried were a pleasant surprise.
My absolute favourite 'workhorse' blanks are the CTS Affinity X. You can get them in different configurations (number of sections/colour) to match your needs. I think it is one of the best blanks on the market right now, for any money.
Maybe with the new top end Loomis blank coming this year (replacing the GLX as I understand it), Loomis might start selling GLX blanks in the future. If so, the Cross Current GLX #8 is my trusted travel companion. Very good rod. Poorly finished though for such an expensive piece of kit.

I like the Battenkills BTW, nothing wrong with that reel.

Cheers,
Jeroen

Citadel-onthe-Fly · Posted: Mon 06/28/10 8:14 pm Post subject:

its all about feel man what ever you feel is gunna work best for you go out and demo but im sayin the sage 8wt 9' xi 3 with a nautalis ccf #8 sweet set up balanced perfectly i dont think u can go wrong but like i said what ever feels good to you if ur looking for a heavy 8wt with alot of punch behind id say a loomis glx

Citadel-onthe-Fly · Posted: Mon 06/28/10 8:14 pm Post subject:

its all about feel man what ever you feel is gunna work best for you go out and demo but im sayin the sage 8wt 9' xi 3 with a nautalis ccf #8 sweet set up balanced perfectly i dont think u can go wrong but like i said what ever feels good to you if ur looking for a heavy 8wt with alot of punch behind id say a loomis glx