A bit of a dilemma

[Stevie the Pisc Artist]

I am just getting back into fly fishing after a 20 year absence and was just getting some kit together as my old rods, reels and lines are shot.

After a bit of research I decided on a 9 6 rod with a 6/7 weighting.

I have been offered a couple of rods, some new, some second hand and I just wondered what people would suggest as the best option. (I will be mainly fishing small stillwaters).

Hardy Uniqua 9ft 6, 6 weighting (6 months old).

Sage SLT 9ft, 6 weighting (new)

Greys XF2 9ft 6, 6 weighting (new).


I am a pretty experienced course, match angler and I have always bought decent gear and looked after it and I want to do the same with the fly gear, trouble is I need a bit of advice and unfortunately all the rods are in different locations so I cant put them all together and make a decision- so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

 

[Wobbly Face (As Per Ed)]

Go for the best warranty. Hardy and Greys have come in for some stick. Though personally, I have Hardy and Greys rods. Had to send 2 Greys back but no problems with warranty. The problem with fly rods is their action when casting. Some will suit you personally, others will not. It's always best to try before you buy, if possible. My main got to rod for still waters is a 9ft, line weight 6#. If you plan on chucking nothing but lures, then a heavier rod will be better, a 6# will cope with most flies from 20s buzzers and dries to lures and even weighted lures.

 

[Stevie the Pisc Artist]

Thanks for the reply, good advice.

Ive had a waggle of the sage and it is an amazing rod but it felt a little on the light side, i will be using a mix of flies so as much as it pains me to say it this one might not be suitable.

The hardy one is second hand and discontinued so i cant have a waggle on that and the greys one is out of stock but from reading reviews it looks a good all round rod.

 

[mick b]

Go for the Sage......

Lifetime warrantee......superb!

Get it lined up and go have a few chucks with your fav fly, if it it doesn't load go up a line.

Get a fish on it and you will see the lower end kick-in...heaven in your hand

I have a bundle of fly rods but my #5 Sage is my go-to....every time!
.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Go for the Sage......

Lifetime warrantee......superb!

Get it lined up and go have a few chucks with your fav fly, if it it doesn't load go up a line.

Get a fish on it and you will see the lower end kick-in...heaven in your hand

I have a bundle of fly rods but my #5 Sage is my go-to....every time!
.

Another vote for the Sage, I have 4 of them and my go to rod on the river is a #5 but the #6 for lakes

Mick's advice is sound regarding line weights, if the rod doesn't load perfectly then go up a weight, I use a #7 on my z-axis #6

 

[Stevie the Pisc Artist]

Thanks guys!!

I was 50-50 so decision made!

 

[S-Kippy]

I knew where this one was heading so just for a bit of balance I will offer my thoughts on Sage rods.I hate em.

Why ? Because in my experience they are fast actioned rods and that means they need "working" that bit harder harder to get the best from. That doesn't suit my slower casting style & IMO this matters greatly with fly rods that you are working pretty well constantly. Personal choice really but all my fly rods are Greys or Hardy because of it. I've tried any number of Sages...in shops & on the bank and never remotely felt like taking one home.

But I totally accept that some people prefer the action of Sage's. They are good rods but I dont like them & cannot get them to work for me. I can't cast Cortland lines either. I dont know why...I just can't.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I can't cast Cortland lines either. I dont know why...I just can't.

Me neither.

I've tried and failed everytime.

These days I stick to Hardy and Snowbee lines for just about everything.

 

[nicepix]

I went to a fly-fishing forum meet a few years ago and got chance to cast with all sorts of rods and lines. Based on that I ended up with three Bloke XL50 rods. They had just the right action for me, are extremely well made and cost a fraction of the price of Sage and Hardy rods. I think about £70 - £100 at the time. They have a lifetime warranty and when I stupidly broke the tip off my 8 weight while kayaking they replaced the section no questions asked.

About 6 or 7 years ago I bought two Cortland Sylk lines from the States. They are unlike any other line I'd ever used. So soft and supple and the cast like a dream. Granted no good for chucking lures 30 yds out at Rutland, but for rivers and smaller still waters I've never cast a better line. Last month I took the lines off the reels for the first time in over two years and they laid as straight as a die. Super lines.

 

[S-Kippy]

Me neither.

I've tried and failed everytime.

These days I stick to Hardy and Snowbee lines for just about everything.

Good...I'm glad its not just me then. I think its something to do with the tapers.

Snowbee XS for me every time.

 

[trotter2]

You really need to cast them, its simply impossible not knowing your casting style and technique. Sage takes some beating if it was for me that would get my vote .

 

[fishface1]

I have 2 Sages (albeit quite old now so may not be the same as current models?...), a couple of Orvis rods and a diawa.

The Sages are fast action, stiff pokers, but the 9 ft 7# is great for the ressies and big flies, and the 8ft 4# is great for turning over dries on a long leader on the river. Neither could be classed a "finesse" rods, and with the 7# you've had a bit of a work-out by the end of the day....

The Orvis rods are much softer in action (without being floppy) allowing for a slower casting style and are much more "fun".

I use a 10ft Diawa in the boat, which is much more through action, and allows that extra bit of "dangle" without risking those smash takes.

As all the others have said, you really need to try them (and I don't mean just a waggle in the shop) to see which suits your casting and fishing style.

Good Luck

 

[andygrey]

I knew where this one was heading so just for a bit of balance I will offer my thoughts on Sage rods.I hate em.

Why ? Because in my experience they are fast actioned rods and that means they need "working" that bit harder harder to get the best from. That doesn't suit my slower casting style & IMO this matters greatly with fly rods that you are working pretty well constantly. Personal choice really but all my fly rods are Greys or Hardy because of it. I've tried any number of Sages...in shops & on the bank and never remotely felt like taking one home.

But I totally accept that some people prefer the action of Sage's. They are good rods but I dont like them & cannot get them to work for me. I can't cast Cortland lines either. I dont know why...I just can't.

The SLT is a fairly 'slow' rod compared with the Sage XP, Z-Axis or One and much slower compared to the 'super fast' Sages such as the TCR or TCX. Out of all 3 (Hardy, Greys and Sage) it's probably the slowest action of the lot.
But yes, ultimately you need to cast them to see which line suits.

Cheers

Andy

 

[Paul Boote]

Sage makes some very good rods, however much I have hated their prices since buying my first in the early-mid 1980s. However, some indeed are total out-'n'-out poker-like tournament / distance sticks (as are / were many of the original Loomis rods, which made some of the stiffer Sage models seem almost bamboo-like in comparison).

A lot of these makers, in order to sell rods to fashion-conscious often talent-lite punters, to compete with other makers and to stay in business, have had to innovate yearly - introduce new ranges and dump the old ones - when innovation wasn't really necessary.

Sage made two rod ranges / marks in the 1990s and early 2000s, the RPL Graphite III and the still much-missed XP, that were superb - both great casting tools and fishing rods - but it dumped them for fractionally lighter and thinner (and over-stiff) models.

Thank God I still have a few RPLs and one 9ft 4-piece 5-weight XP (rated by many as an all-time classic).

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[andygrey]

The 'out and out' Sage pokers as you put it are the TCR and slightly more manageable TCX now replaced the Method. All 3 are designed as distance casting rods and don't really come to life unless you have a good 50' of line outside the rod tip. The Rio Grand line was designed with the TCR in mind and sits if memory serves me right at nearly a whole AFTM rating above its stated rating.
The XP (of which I have quite a few and apart from one of them, love to bits) is still a pretty fast rod but it's all about a restively softish tip with very quick recovery and a more powerful mid-to-lower blank. Cast one against the later Sage replacements (Z-Axis and then One) and an XP will feel a lot heavier in the hand.
The SLT, ZXL, TXL and Circa rods are all 'medium ' actions rods and are more 'fishing' rods than 'casting' rods. The ZXL is to my mind one of the most buttery-smooth rods I own.
As for the Loomis GLX (which I think is the one you are referring to) I've got one of the original 2 piece rods in a 9' 5wt and it is a VERY fast rod. I have never fished with it as it's a ball-ache to cast anything under 50' of line but if you want to put a full line out it's the kid for the job.

Sorry about the long description, but I'm a bit of a self confessed rod and casting geek!

Cheers

Andy

 

[Streamfisher]

I am just getting back into fly fishing after a 20 year absence and was just getting some kit together as my old rods, reels and lines are shot.

After a bit of research I decided on a 9 6 rod with a 6/7 weighting.

I have been offered a couple of rods, some new, some second hand and I just wondered what people would suggest as the best option. (I will be mainly fishing small stillwaters).

Hardy Uniqua 9ft 6, 6 weighting (6 months old).

Sage SLT 9ft, 6 weighting (new)

Greys XF2 9ft 6, 6 weighting (new).


I am a pretty experienced course, match angler and I have always bought decent gear and looked after it and I want to do the same with the fly gear, trouble is I need a bit of advice and unfortunately all the rods are in different locations so I cant put them all together and make a decision- so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

Buy the SLT, probably best suited to dry fly but the pleasure gained from fishing with this rod will negate any potential shortcomings. :thumbs:

I have two Circas, softer still than the SLT but quicker to recover.....an incredible design!

SF