Like the RP, SP and XP.......

[briansII]

If it was up to me, I'd use a symbol for the new rods. When you talked about the new rods, you would have to refer to them as "The Rod Formerly Known As One". This one would be cool symbol.



Brilliant, right?

Unfortunately I don't have any say in it, and Sage decided to go a different route. The new rods will be called "X". Yes, you read that right. X. What's left is the ever important question. What color is Sage going to use. Going off of recent history, my guess is mauve.

briansII

[fly addict]

I haven’t purchased a new Sage rod since they discontinued the SLT line. I have no use for fast action rods because I only fish for trout, and I have that pretty well covered.

[briansII]

For the past 5-6 years, I've been eagerly anticipating Sage, latest, greatest rods. Not so much that I wanted their new offerings, but more for the marketing hyperbole. If this is their official marketing jargon, I must say I'm a bit disappointed.

http://midcurrent.com/2016/06/18/sages- ... the-water/

Where is the laser straight loops, or rod casts itself. How about feel the soul, and presence Lee Wulff when you cast it. C'mon Sage! You're slipping. By the way, I noticed the rods are available for pre-order. Cost increase is minimal at approximately $45 more for a single hand rod.

briansII

[NorcalBob]

WOWZERS!!! They are slipping in the old marketing department!!!!

For the past 5-6 years, I've been eagerly anticipating Sage, latest, greatest rods. Not so much that I wanted their new offerings, but more for the marketing hyperbole. If this is their official marketing jargon, I must say I'm a bit disappointed.

http://midcurrent.com/2016/06/18/sages- ... the-water/

Where is the laser straight loops, or rod casts itself. How about feel the soul, and presence Lee Wulff when you cast it. C'mon Sage! You're slipping. By the way, I noticed the rods are available for pre-order. Cost increase is minimal at approximately $45 more for a single hand rod.

briansII

[fshflys]

Till last week that is. I traded in a 30 yr. old old Fenwick Eagle for a new Orvis Recon 10ft. 4wt. I had not fished that old Eagle in many years,

I did the same, had a 9' 5wt Silver Label Orvis that I have not fished in years having replaced it with a 9' 4wt Helios. I took the Silver label to the Pasadena Orvis shop & traded it for a 10' 5wt Recon. The guy @ Orvis said "you know you could have just brought in an old spinning rod". This was for 20% off if you donate a rod to teach a kid to fish program.

[briansII]

I haven’t purchased a new Sage rod since they discontinued the SLT line. I have no use for fast action rods because I only fish for trout, and I have that pretty well covered.

For what it's worth, I think Sage's "fast action" rods peaked at their TCR series, and then gradually got softer. I'm not saying the XP or TCX isn't stiff, but they are not even close to how stiff the TCR rods were. From my experience, the One was another step in softening the rods. Even though I made fun of the marketing hype, I thought every One I cast or fish was nice. They were anything but stiff feeling. Through the "fast action" years, Sage usually had a slower alternative to their premier lineup. Reading about the brand new X series, it sounds like another step towards slowing the rods down. I have no desire to buy a X, but I wouldn't mind casting or fishing one for a day.

IMHO, the race to the fastest fly rod is long over. Those super stiff rods were only a small blip in the progression of fly rod(trout) design. BTW, the TCR isn't the stiffest trout rod I ever cast. Powell had a short run of rods called Edge. That sucker was stiff!

So, back to the X series. It's now available, and the price increase is around $45 for trout models, and more for the two handed/spey rods. Go get em' boys and girls!

briansII

[BrownBear]

BTW, the TCR isn't the stiffest trout rod I ever cast.

Try the Temple Fork TiCRX!!!! Wow. The 8WT has become the go-to salmon rod up here in the land of big winds, big flies, big fish and big casts. It's put a severe dent in local sales of Sage, and visiting Sage-o-philes come back the next year packing TiCRX. Using them in Florida now for tarpon, I've dropped from a 12WT to a 10WT for fish under 100 pounds. With Sage, you better be packing a 12WT for anything much over 50 pounds.

Regarding the Sage One, I fell in love with one on the lawn and bought it, but sold it after a month on the water. When the chips are down and you really need to lean into a cast to beat the wind or pick up an extra few feet on a cast, it collapses in your hand.

Softer is fine for trout, but I doubt there'll be a move to soft any time soon for big fish and big casts.

[briansII]

BTW, the TCR isn't the stiffest trout rod I ever cast.

Try the Temple Fork TiCRX!!!! Wow.

Had one of the TiCR. It was too stiff. Sold it. But not before I used the snot out of it. Cork was shot. Ferrules were showing stress crack. Sent it in to TFO and they sent me a new rod.....then I sold it for a deep discount. I still have a TiCr-X. It doesn't feel as stiff as the now discontinued TiCr, but both are brutes. Also have a brutish TFO Axiom, but it's more friendly than the other two. But we're talking 7wt and up rods. Not 'trout rods". For 7 and up, those TFOs were stiff and stout. Another monster was the original Albright XX 9wt. I have been known to "boat flip" stripers with that rod......I grab the leader before the fish hits the carpet. My shoulder and wrist can no longer take a day long beating that rod dishes out. Short sessions and Advil work ok.

briansII

[BrownBear]

My shoulder and wrist can no longer take a day long beating that rod dishes out. Short sessions and Advil work ok.

Hoooboy, did you ever say a mouthful there! Wait till you hit the big 65!

Last winter the son-in-law and I paddled kayaks 4 miles into a stiff breeze for promised hot fishing in a particular mangrove channel. The fishing was all that had been promised, and we decided to paddle for home once our arms said enuff was enuff. Paddled out of the channel, and the breeze had swapped directions while maturing into a stiff wind. Looooong paddle back. The next day I decided fly tying and propped feet were a good idea. My only consolation was the moaning and whining of my aching 44-year old SIL!

[FIGHTONSC]

Hey guys,

Saw this a couple of days ago and thought some of you (Brian) might be interested in looking at the info behind the new Sage X rods. Click on the link below.

Best regards,

Jeff

http://www.flyfishsd.com/sage-x-fly-rod-coming-soon/

[BrownBear]

That's an insightful preview, Jeff. Thanks for posting it!

This caught my eye, especially the bit about "crisper tip-top." That's the region in Sage blanks giving me the most heartburn:

...greater blank recovery and a crisper tip-top, allowing anglers to dig deeper into the rod and access more of the lower sections of the blank, shifting power closer to the angler.

I'll have a chat with the local shop and see if he can get in an array of X demos so I can cast them. Enough money on the line ($895) I'm not buying on speculation!

[briansII]

That's an insightful preview, Jeff. Thanks for posting it!

This caught my eye, especially the bit about "crisper tip-top." That's the region in Sage blanks giving me the most heartburn:

...greater blank recovery and a crisper tip-top, allowing anglers to dig deeper into the rod and access more of the lower sections of the blank, shifting power closer to the angler.

I'll have a chat with the local shop and see if he can get in an array of X demos so I can cast them. Enough money on the line ($895) I'm not buying on speculation!

That quote is curious to me too. It makes it sound like Sage has gone with a regressive action on the X...... but that's just a guess based off of some cleverly strung together words.

The hype is ramping up. Maybe i won't be disappointed after all.

briansII

[BrownBear]

Zackly. The shop has signed up for an array of demo's, so as soon as those come in I can report back. The shop owner is curious too. A friend from Sage is due in town in the next couple of weeks, so I'll be twisting arms for more details, too.

For me it's going to be a cast-off between the X in an 8 and the Winston BIIIx in an 8. The 10WT BIIIx turned my head and a lot of others in the mangroves with sensational casting in tough spots, but for the run-of-the-mill tarpon we get back in there (20# the usual max) I'd rather be throwing an 8.