Sage Salt R8 fly rods: read our model-by-model review. The best ALL-AROUND freshwater 5wt? Scott or Sage? The 390-4 R8 is a bit of a unique rod. Gear Review: Sage R8 Core Series Fly Rods. Best Uses: This is a general-purpose trout rod, but its softer than youre used to from Sage. Sage designed the R8 Core series to tackle the shortcomings of high-performance fly rods, such as roll casting, loop control, technical mends, and delicate presentations. I would personally use this rod for all manners of Stillwater fishing, and as a nymph rod for pre runoff, there may be no equal. The R8 Core 896 has a faster rod feel and produces higher line speed, giving the caster a more empowering feeling. I think well see the upper-weighted-end of this series both throwing streamers for salmon and pike, and wandering into the salt flats for bonefish and permit. There was no kick at the delivery and the rod absorbed those inherent aberrations that ripple through the line when casting short heavy heads. It seems sensitive to its line pairing, but I would unconditionally recommend the R8 490-4 with an SA Trout Taper. Fly fishing rods are constantly changing with improvements in construction, fly lines, reels, and technology. The rod also lacked the versatility found in the other models. I spent a few days fishing with a Carbon XL after my gear was delayed in transit and Ill admit, it fished just as well as my go-to rod. Thanks to excellent leverage and control, heavy fish come quickly to the net. Best Uses: This rod has Alaska written all over it. There, fish like tarpon and marlin call for super-stout rods in the 10- to 16-weight range! We see this as both fly rods are accurate in capable hands. Version 2022 forms casting loops with a bit more elegance and nuance than the X or ONE, but like previous generations, this model fundamentally throws tight loops off the tip as a mode of operation. Now, the fun part. The delivery is perfectly balanced at all distances and the slow-motion load and rebound of this rod is delightful. SKU: N/A Category: Fly Rods. The carp angler who frequently fishes longer, lighter leaders, and smaller flies will love this rod too. Alex wanted us to cast a 905-4 X Series rod, which was replaced by the new R8, and the 905-4 R8 Core side-by-side. JavaScript is disabled. My overall impression was that the R8 Core 4100-4 is a specialized model ideally tuned for fishing all manner of nymph rigs for trout. The line really feels solid behind you. Constructed with G. Loomis Multi-taper Design, this rod is strong where it needs to be and light where it can be. "When should I use this rod?" I rarely fish 6-weights over 9 because they are too much for me to cast all day, but the benefits of extra length are undeniable on big water. Just a really great rod, the best Ive used in over 45 years of fly fishing. The Heritage Taper is reminiscent of the old glass rods you might find in a dusty garage. Sage built this rod not as a generalist but for specialized tasks but it begs the question, does anyone need a 9 3wt? The growing popularity of spey casting led Sage to reconfigure the G5 to accommodate the most recent advances in spey lines available on the market. Another thing well always suggest is to head to your nearest fly shop and ask questions. From slow-action rods to the perfect nymphing setup, these are the best budget fly rods of 2020. The Gold really kicked up the line speed of this rod and felt very good from 20 feet out. If you're new to fly fishing, you may be wondering what is fly rod action? Lightness and responsiveness are both enhanced, improving the spring and underlying his ability to create rods of different character from the same material. Roll casts feel good and look good with this rod. That line really personified the line speed potential of this rod and made it feel lively and zippy through the guides. The bulk of my rods are Burkheimers, and the Scotts mix into my quiver nicely. Are they worth the high price tag? Add to cart. The Sage Trout G5 ($650) took home the award for Best Spey Rod, and for good reason. A slow-action rod is more flexible throughout to allow for short, accurate casts. You must log in or register to reply here. A good caster can take just about any rod and make it work for him/her self. I do not own a 10 foot single hand rod, but I may have to now. -John Duncan, No rod is this series surpasses the performance and feel of the 596-4. The 9 4wt is another interesting model. I cast it with a Rio Gold, SA Infinity Taper and Rio Predator, 3 of my favorite lines for 6-weight fishing. This is a finely tuned fly rod. Because of that softer action, its a better dry fly rod than previous models. The Gold Standard Starter Kit ($356) from Bozeman Flyworks is one of the few truly complete packages to get you going. Stability and horsepower are characteristic of the Sage legacy, recalling rods such as the RPL, XP and X. My local shop got several R8's in a couple days ago and I gave the 904 a wiggle, but refrained from casting it. Sage R8 Core Fly Rods | Model-by-Model Review. I have the R8 9 9 wt and it is the absolute best rod in my arsenal of high end rods. The rod is incredibly light in hand yet has a noticeably stiffer feel all the way through to the tip. We spend a lot of time testing gear and writing reviews to give you all the tools to make your next trip a success. Coming in a range from 3wt to 9wt, with a variety of lengths from 8'6" to 10'0 . The Airflo Ridge 2.0 Power Taper pairs savagely for dry dropper fishing. Pretty plain. This category has no bearing on the quality of either rod. Why Ultralight People Need to Chill Already, Kershaw Iridium Review: A Great Flipping Knife Under $100. I am partial to dry flies and do value a rod that casts accurate with good line control, good fly placement & presentation. It isnt hard to find glowing reviews as fishermen have sung its praises for having the power and accuracy of a 10-foot rod while still casting with the ease of a 9-footer. Posts. When you start talking about rods that reach past the 11-foot mark, responsiveness becomes an issue. Best Uses: This is a tremendous all-around 8wt. It has more personality than the X. All our users found both rods to be very light compared to other rods. Rachelle Schrute has been writing about hunting, fishing, and conservation for several years, as well as being a wilderness guide in Yellowstone National Park. Me too. This is one is progressive, meaning that it casts from short to long with action that feels metered to the power input from the caster. These are the best fly rods for fly fishing trout - The Fly Fishers I found it to be equally capable with both freshwater and saltwater fly lines, but a heavy headed freshwater line such as an SA Titan or Rio Predator would probably be my first choice on the water. Does the 9 wt outbound overload this rod? They cast with familiarity and intuition. My favorite line for this model is the Rio Perception and my least favorite is the SA Infinity Taper. That said, of course, the marketing of just about anything these days is based to some extent on notions of a person's desired self-image. After casting the R8 Core 896-4 I was left thinking that Sage bumped up the power and made the rod feel as strong as it casts. Choose this model over the 956-4 for light line steelheading, high stick nymphing on big rivers and fishing lakes at distance. Both lines were excellent. Fish these rods with meat flies, whether in Alaska or somewhere in pike/musky country. What reels are those fishing the Core 6wt using? Loops were perfect right out of the hand and line speed was sizzling with a Rio Elite Gold. As a mending rod you feel a little stiffness. Scott G-Series GS 905/4 ? These models are springy and powerful in the butt section but require patience in the casting stroke. Our rating went from zero being heavy and ten being lightweight. Two tone trim wraps and first-rate cork? This delineates the amount of flexion versus stiffness in the rod. Like all the 10 foot R8 rods, an easy stroke and more relaxed cadence produce remarkable results for the amount of effort the caster applies to the rod. The extra length allows the taper to relax just a little more than the 790 and makes it more adept at fishing indicators and swinging flies. Is it possible that maybe there's a better line for it than what you tried? when I read reviews, I read them, and if I sense or feel the review was bought and paid for by the company I will refuse to buy that company product for a year, look at the 2022 tackle show, Winston got 1-rod one the rest sage? Appalachian anglers will find this length and weight combination particularly beneficial on overgrown freestones when a bit more backbone than a 4wt is called for, but a nine-footer is quarrelsome. We just got our hands on the new Sage R8 Core Rod, and tested it right outside the shop. A common critique of the Centric is that it falls short on small water or better yet, it struggles to fall short. Think of the R8 seven as more of a trophy trout rod for the angler who uses a variety of tactics and could be a nymph rod for steelhead in certain situations. The draw of one-piece rods is both weight reduction and improved performance. It casts progressively with a natural casting stroke and offers plenty of command to handle streamer tapers and sink tips in addition to floating lines. Your review of the 7wt sounds like they are very close. A proud hero caster, the R8 596-4 is just as impressive at reasonable fishing distance with a Rio Gold, SA MPX, Airflo Universal Taper, etc. Everyone will talk about these rods because they are noticeably different from their X predecessors. This one might have a bit too much bang. Scott Centric or Sage X?? With that, all our testers rated both rods very high. The Infinity taper slows the rod down a touch, but it gives it more of that flow state. With its target demographic being drift boat fisherman, it has become a favorite for guides who spend long days afloat. A fishing field test is coming. S. steveg47 Member. With all that said, lets get to it. The X 896 was so good and I really didnt know what they could do to improve that rod. It casts off the tip, mid section and butt, generating line speed and dead level loops at all distances. Enjoy the rod! The Centric is a normalizer for the Scott company, a versatile freshwater rod designed to cover the full range of fast action rod applications: big water, wind, large or multiple flies and wind-resistant streamers, all with exquisite casting feel and the all-around fishability of a rod that anglers will reach for without caveat. I felt like the rod could handle a heavier and longer headed nymph specialty style line well. In other words, does the cost justify the performance of the rod? But I still found myself reaching for it when wading. Both rods are on the expensive side but live up to the 'flagship' designation they are intended to be. The smaller the fish, the lower the weight. Rich Post, When lawn casting this model for the first time, I was transported to the bow of a drift boat, strafing the banks with a grasshopper. Best Uses: Striper fishing, permit, pike - this was a favorite. Both rods earn high marks for fit and finish, from the cork to the wraps to stripping guides. Overall, this is a truly impressive fly rod and the best ten foot 5 weight I have ever cast. What that equates to is a cool, modern fly rod that feels like the rods many of us grew up with. TheSuimenka Zoom($260) from Zen Tenkara is just a cool rod. "How does the 9wt compare to the 10wt?" The SA Infinity Taper is a natural fit for this long 6-weight, but anglers who prefer a shooting style line such as the Rio Outbound will marvel at the distance this rod achieves. We asked three well-seasoned fly anglers who range in casting ability to perform this review. R8 Core lands at the center point between Igniter and Trout LL, but Walker emphasizes that the action of each model is purposeful and unique. "Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." It casts a Rio Elite Bonefish line reasonably well, but I expect it will get more reps with freshwater lines such as the Rio Gold, SA MPX, SA Titan, Rio Predator and the range of sink tips customary for Alaska and similar environments. It loads evenly and naturally, allowing the angler to dictate loop shape at any distance, equally suitable for floating and sinking lines, nymphs, dries and swing flies. I have benefited a lot from S&S's discourses on rods and fly fishing. It might even be too light to throw a sink tip and big articulated streamers all day. We understand multi-disciplinary as versatile. Not line picky but I like it with a rio TT or a gold or even a 406 DT. This rod is a prime example of a company that tried something, realized it didnt work, and changed course. The line rolls off the tip with conviction and loops so long and level they appear frozen in time. The 8wt leans on the softer side of things, so wind on the flats could be an issue. Both are aesthetically pleasing and possess a polished and well-refined buildsomething youd expect from both Sage and Scott, especially from the high-end rod lineup. However, they can be brutal to transport. This model does not have a fighting butt and I found that a heavier reel provided a better balance and also made the overall outfit feel lighter as well. The R8 896 had a shooty feel with this line and was truly fun to watch the head of the line race away and turn over. Others I find to be narrow in purpose, but unique within the Sage toolbox and valuable to the purposeful angler. This can of course be seen in graphite rods as well, and I thought it would be interesting to compare the weight distribution on two identical physical weight, length and line weight Sage rods one generation apart which have different swing weights, and to the Sky G 6 wt if you had one, which has a famously light swing weight. Overall, I would describe this rod as slightly less stiff than its predecessor, the X 486-4. Tenkara really takes it back to basics, and the Suimenka is one of the coolest Ive seen. In theory, it seems like a simple concept, but rod designers have often struggled to find the right balance with fast-action rods. Ten foot 5 weights have been getting better and better recently and there are some very good ones out there right now, but there is just something about the R8 5100 that grabbed me. It includes a rod, reel, fly line, leaders, tippet, a fly box, a rod case, a reel sleeve, and even the option to add a net. I'm laughing my ass off, on all the Sage far bank threads. A good fly rod doesn't just cast well but is equally effective in real-world fishing scenarios. The Airflo Superflo Universal Taper brings the best out of its presentation qualities as well. My favorites are the Rio Gold and Rio Technical Trout, but the rod also handles the long-headed SA Infinity Taper, the SA Trout Taper and the Airflo Superflo Universal.