The tail might've wagged the dog, but at some point rod buyers seem to have largely wanted ultrafast rods even for walk and wade trout fishing. I feel like it's a partly a measurability thing that led to the success of ultrafast rods -- there's something more concrete about "this thing can really bomb out casts" versus nebulous statements of "that [insert rod company here] feel."
Ah. The new lighter, faster, more accurate Sage
- Thread starter Porter2
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Rods labeled IM6 were based on the Hexcel graphite materials utilized in the manufacture of rods. Loomis made IM6 blanks/rods for Loomis, Winston, L.L. Bean, Cabela's, to name a few. He rolled the blanks to manufacturer specs e.g. Winston. Because many companies determined their specs, it created a 'feel' unto its own e.g. Winston's and Loomis.
Each rod has its own purpose. From noodles to broomsticks or river staffs. Long casts are great e.g. fishing PS. or large rivers. So are more delicate, shorter presentations. IMHO stiffer rods have less 'feel' and do not protect the tippet as well. Also each rod should match the casters capability. Good casters can cast as far with a moderate action rod as with a stiffer action rods. Just different techniques and amount of effort/work involved.
Choose what you want, fits your style and technique, intended target ---> go have fun!
Each rod has its own purpose. From noodles to broomsticks or river staffs. Long casts are great e.g. fishing PS. or large rivers. So are more delicate, shorter presentations. IMHO stiffer rods have less 'feel' and do not protect the tippet as well. Also each rod should match the casters capability. Good casters can cast as far with a moderate action rod as with a stiffer action rods. Just different techniques and amount of effort/work involved.
Choose what you want, fits your style and technique, intended target ---> go have fun!
This is true, although I'm not sure the opening up of fly fishing drove the ultrafast rod trend, more that the trend was reinforced by it. Early major rods from Sage (and I think Loomis) still centered on trout and steelhead in my memory, but I didn't follow saltwater/tropics fishing so maybe I'm off base.
Rumored to come with a polarized sunglasses display unit that has a HUD. Also included is a "fly box" containing a sampler of variable buoyancy (depth) "drone fly hooks" of different styles that can be dressed by the angler. Additional drones can be purchased separately. The drones can detect fish and projects both a target "blip" and the drone's position indicator to the HUD that also calculates current speed, water depth, target depth, and drone depth data to the sunglasses. The glasses display unit also has a laser rangefinder. Once a fish is detected the target location is displayed on the HUD. A computer in the glasses also marks a location for a followup cast and puts a circular shrinking "pipper" on the HUD showing drone distance to target based on data received from the drone. When the pipper fully collapses an "X" appears on the HUD indicating the drone has reached the target. Using a phone with a wifi or BT connection you can select various data points to display on the HUD... water depth, current speed, target distance-bearing-speed-depth, drone distance-bearing-speed-depth, and configure drone depth (bouyancy) in imperial or metric system units. The rod detects "load" (weight of fish including water speed and depth) that can also be displayed on the HUD in imperial or metric units.
Wow, sounds almost as effective as Tenkara
Had a 9' 6 wt built from a IM6 Loomis supplied blank in the late 80's when I was really into float tubing on my Woods River Gliderider, wanting a rod that could handle deep sinking lines with a fast hookup response, and it did just that. Took it out for grins this summer, comparing to the Echo Carbon XL, Fenwick Aetos and Douglas rods that are in my boat quiver it did just fine.
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I’ll say one thing, Sage makes some pretty sounding rods.
Huh? I hear you ask?
Yep. Saw a Sage rep give a talk about what separates their rods from those of their competitors and the rep started chucking sections of blanks onto the ground so we could hear the higher-pitched sound they make vs other brands. The idea is that the rod has a higher resonance frequency which means it is a less-dense and faster-recovering blank.
Farbank: not just throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks—they also throw it at the floor.
Huh? I hear you ask?
Yep. Saw a Sage rep give a talk about what separates their rods from those of their competitors and the rep started chucking sections of blanks onto the ground so we could hear the higher-pitched sound they make vs other brands. The idea is that the rod has a higher resonance frequency which means it is a less-dense and faster-recovering blank.
Farbank: not just throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks—they also throw it at the floor.
@J Watrous With the newer rods being, IMHO, more brittle , cast one to verify it was still intact?
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These were individual sections of rods, but I sure wouldn’t trust one I’d thrown at a cement floor. I can’t even trust one my kid hit with a clouser. Theoretically the new epoxy is more resilient, but in my experience all graphite has the special “nick it, you’re fucked” feature. One of the reasons I’m slowly switching my travel and boat rods to fiberglass.
Fast rods are great when they're great. For the most part, that means big flies and/or big water for me. On a small stream, I really like medium action rods. Most fast rods don't even flex until you get 30 feet into the line unless you overline them by at least 2 weights, which in turn renders them much less effective for longer casts.
Right tool for the right job....
Right tool for the right job....
White gel pen dot topped with clear nail polish...at a fraction of the price...
Flymph
Life of the Party
I am at the age and fly fishing time-line in my life where I hardly remember what kind of Sage rods I own. I know my wife says I have too many and she is probably correct. I do know this for sure; I have some excellent sage fly rods that have served me well but none of them have the same great response and feeling of "oneness" that my Gatti rod displays. Unfortunately Gatti no longer produces this series of rods and I am kind of glad they don't because like the Sage RPLs it's hard to beat perfection. I am much more inclined to throw money at worthhile environmental endevours to improve fishing conditions and preserve what we have left.
No, your wife is wrong. The number of rods a man needs is equal to whatever the current number is, plus one. Basically the same formula women use for shoes and purses.
The AI rod will prompt you: “Hold…cast now!”
I, uh, have that problem with shoes!
And flashlights.Pocket knives, too, apparently!