New Sage fly rods
- Thread starter Kfish
- Start date
Oliver1329
Life of the Party
Real question is who wants to buy me the new sage rod? Any takers?
Porter2
Legend
There's a bit of a quiet buzz around Bainbridge concerning Sage's rod tech group tackling the pesky problem of alignment dots. We're hopeful....
Itchy Dog
Steelhead
I recognize a certain XP 8100-4 up there.
Porter2
Legend
That is a sweet rod. It throws a Rio Grande like Mahomes. Also use it as a mini switch with a 300 grain commando. But, where are the Steelhead
? I’ll be going to Oregon a few times this year. It’s gonna be employed plenty. Have the Z-Axis 7110 and your former rod as my default counterpart and main single hand rod. Those two are a great long rod 1-2 cast punch combo 
Porter2
Legend
I’m almost in the camp not to do it. There is something about setting up your rig with some knowledge. I actually like eyeing my lineup…..with dots I do not trust. IMHO.
DanielOcean
Fart! : )
In my observation the less you truly need something the more aggressive they have to market. Look at Yeti coolers, golf industry, ect. Watch golf every week and commercial after commercial. " More feel" "More distance" "more forgiveness". I remember my first year golfing oh so long ago. Bought a nice flashy iron set only to get my ass kicked by a dude that walked with a cane and used walmart clubs.
Have they made a rod that does not explode when you cast a shooting head with it?
I’ll pay a kings ransom for that. Even it it’s like casting a water logged lead pipe, coated with tungsten. I’ll figure out how to cast it eventually.
Sorry….from the guy who just spent 2 hours self repairing the exploded male ferrule section of a 1k rod with tip too adhesive, Sally’s Hansen’s and sand paper. Did that because I’ve had another rod (in current lineup) in for repair going on 6 months now and yet another I cannot fix that needs to go in when their repair center reopens.
I want to support them. I really do. They’re 5 minutes from my house. I’d love to buy this rod and take it for a spin. I’d love to buy a couple more X’s at their current prices as backups. Can’t do it based on recent experience though.
Less art. Less marketing. Less “lighter is better”. More fishing tool please. I don’t car about pretty finishes. I don’t care about “high end” guides or “premium” cork. That will not help me catch more fish. A rod that stays healthy and in the lineup consistently will. Even if I cast on average 1.2 feet less with it and my arm becomes tired 2.1% faster on average.
I’ll pay a kings ransom for that. Even it it’s like casting a water logged lead pipe, coated with tungsten. I’ll figure out how to cast it eventually.
Sorry….from the guy who just spent 2 hours self repairing the exploded male ferrule section of a 1k rod with tip too adhesive, Sally’s Hansen’s and sand paper. Did that because I’ve had another rod (in current lineup) in for repair going on 6 months now and yet another I cannot fix that needs to go in when their repair center reopens.
I want to support them. I really do. They’re 5 minutes from my house. I’d love to buy this rod and take it for a spin. I’d love to buy a couple more X’s at their current prices as backups. Can’t do it based on recent experience though.
Less art. Less marketing. Less “lighter is better”. More fishing tool please. I don’t car about pretty finishes. I don’t care about “high end” guides or “premium” cork. That will not help me catch more fish. A rod that stays healthy and in the lineup consistently will. Even if I cast on average 1.2 feet less with it and my arm becomes tired 2.1% faster on average.
I get/understand that. I do, however, whenever I'm assembling another branded rod - with dots - find myself thinking, "Why the hell can't Sage add these.....?".
I'm in the camp that if you're gonna have dots, just make those dots line up. My high end 8wt....cough**H3**cough cough...has dots, which is great, but those dots don't line up....go figure. The only time (besides right now) that I think about it is when I'm assembling the rod. Fortunately, I can see relatively straight, so don't really need dots.
If beauty doesn't matter, I'll sell you a 697-4 X with a highly dented cork handle, it survived being stepped on by a super excited golden retriever that wanted to see my SRC and two headers onto barnacle and oyster covered beaches.....it is kind of started to look a lot like sanded, dull beach glass but it hasn't broken...yet.
SF
How ya fixed for space heaters, or bikes ?If beauty doesn't matter, I'll sell you a 697-4 X with a highly dented cork handle, it survived being stepped on by a super excited golden retriever that wanted to see my SRC and two headers onto barnacle and oyster covered beaches.....it is kind of started to look a lot like sanded, dull beach glass but it hasn't broken...yet.
SF
If beauty doesn't matter, I'll sell you a 697-4 X with a highly dented cork handle, it survived being stepped on by a super excited golden retriever that wanted to see my SRC and two headers onto barnacle and oyster covered beaches.....it is kind of started to look a lot like sanded, dull beach glass but it hasn't broken...yet.
SF
I don’t think I’ve broken my X yet. At least that I can remember.
It’s the One, Ignitor and Maverick that have their own special crew working on them continuously at the Sage repair center
.I understand a couple of things when it comes to these situations.
1. I am tougher on rods than the average fisherman. Not because I necessarily fish more than most. I definitely don’t baby my rods though. Constantly worrying about scratching or breaking rods would take a lot of enjoyment out of fishing for me. These rods in particular are in heavy rotation year around so stay strung up and rarely see the inside of a tube.
2. Most, (likely all) of my breaks on these rods are not manufacturing defects. I think it’s a combo of heavy shooting head use, multiple double hauls off the same point, especially when fishing coho (definitely stresses lines…maybe graphite too?), potentially horsing a fish more than I should have on a crowded beach to keep a fish out of others space and the number one reason …..loose ferrules. I think Sage should maybe consider some design changes to accommodate this type of fishing but the products are quality. I like Sage rods a lot. I think they are amazing for the application I use them for. I just wish they were a little tougher even if there is an impact to performance.
I also wish I could get my rod back in less than 6 months!! I understand why that’s happening though. I will say this, they’ve only had me pay for one repair (reality each of these rods have been in twice over the last 3 years I think). I appreciate that and am more than willing to pay for repairs as I know defects are not causing this. It’s how I fish and what I am using the rods for which might not be exactly what they were designed for.
So how much you selling that X for
.
I don’t think I’ve broken my X yet. At least that I can remember.
It’s the One, Ignitor and Maverick that have their own special crew working on them continuously at the Sage repair center
I understand a couple of things when it comes to these situations.
1. I am tougher on rods than the average fisherman. Not because I necessarily fish more than most. I definitely don’t baby my rods though. Constantly worrying about scratching or breaking rods would take a lot of enjoyment out of fishing for me. These rods in particular are in heavy rotation year around so stay strung up and rarely see the inside of a tube.
2. Most, (likely all) of my breaks on these rods are not manufacturing defects. I think it’s a combo of heavy shooting head use, multiple double hauls off the same point, especially when fishing coho (definitely stresses lines…maybe graphite too?), potentially horsing a fish more than I should have on a crowded beach to keep a fish out of others space and the number one reason …..loose ferrules. I think Sage should maybe consider some design changes to accommodate this type of fishing but the products are quality. I like Sage rods a lot. I think they are amazing for the application I use them for. I just wish they were a little tougher even if their is a small impact to performance.
I also wish I could get my rod back in less than 6 months!! I understand why that’s happening though. I will say this, they’ve only had me pay for one repair (reality each of these rods have been in twice over the last 3 years I think). I appreciate that and am more than willing to pay for repairs as I know defects are not causing this. It’s how I fish and what I am using the rods for which might not be exactly what they were designed for.
So how much you selling that X for
I'm waiting to break it. Once I do that, I'll let you know the price.
SF
Ever consider taping your ferrules? Might help.I don’t think I’ve broken my X yet. At least that I can remember.
It’s the One, Ignitor and Maverick that have their own special crew working on them continuously at the Sage repair center
I understand a couple of things when it comes to these situations.
1. I am tougher on rods than the average fisherman. Not because I necessarily fish more than most. I definitely don’t baby my rods though. Constantly worrying about scratching or breaking rods would take a lot of enjoyment out of fishing for me. These rods in particular are in heavy rotation year around so stay strung up and rarely see the inside of a tube.
2. Most, (likely all) of my breaks on these rods are not manufacturing defects. I think it’s a combo of heavy shooting head use, multiple double hauls off the same point, especially when fishing coho (definitely stresses lines…maybe graphite too?), potentially horsing a fish more than I should have on a crowded beach to keep a fish out of others space and the number one reason …..loose ferrules. I think Sage should maybe consider some design changes to accommodate this type of fishing but the products are quality. I like Sage rods a lot. I think they are amazing for the application I use them for. I just wish they were a little tougher even if there is an impact to performance.
I also wish I could get my rod back in less than 6 months!! I understand why that’s happening though. I will say this, they’ve only had me pay for one repair (reality each of these rods have been in twice over the last 3 years I think). I appreciate that and am more than willing to pay for repairs as I know defects are not causing this. It’s how I fish and what I am using the rods for which might not be exactly what they were designed for.
So how much you selling that X for
I have no loyalty to any particular brand. I simply use the best tools available for the fishing I do. Sage makes nice rods, no doubt, but for a number of years they haven't made the best tool for the fishing I do. The second they make a better 6 wt than the Helios 3D, I'll gladly buy a few of them. But their recent offerings simply haven't come close.
Skol_Engh
Steelhead
I mean since the R8 came out isn’t the X literal outdated garbage? Might as well toss it. I mean that’s what sage has me believing.I'm waiting to break it. Once I do that, I'll let you know the price.
SF
I have but sadly just learned that trick late last summer. I’ll probably do that for coho this year.
I was eying those this weekend. I might pull the trigger. It’s hard to find a bad thing written about them.
Don't underestimate premium cork; it's good stuff and lasts. (Many premium priced rods unfortunately use lower grade cork and lots of filler, which eventually falls out, leaving a grip that looks like crap, sometimes feels pretty bad too. Perfection hard chrome guides are plenty good and cost about half what the high end snob appeal guides run.