Sage Rods?

[Holy Grounds Coffee]

Thinking of purchasing a few new rods...hearing a lot of hype regarding sage rods..what makes them so good and are they worth the price?

[MK2750]

Sage has an almost cult following as does many other brands. They were the front runners in what most of us consider "modern" fly rods. The innovations they introduced were the envy of the industry for many years.

Today there are many brands that offer equal or better quality and performance depending on who you talk to. I have several Sage rods that I truly enjoy but have no interest in running out and grabbing their latest offerings. Not because there is something wrong with them, they just are not answering any questions I have asked.

As much as I like my Sage rods, my favorite rod is a Hardy Zenith. I noticed someone here wanting to sell a Zenith so they could upgrade to a Sage. On another thread there is rave reviews for TFO. I wouldn't say they would be my last choice but they would be very near the bottom.

You should try some rods and find what speaks to you. G Loomis, Hardy, Winston, Loop, Scott, Sage, Orvis and others are producing some wonderful rods.

Are Sage rods worth the price? Not to me but people drop $600 on a cell phone and $120 for a pair of jeans and think nothing of it. All things being equal they are a decent value. I prefer to be patient and buy the rods I want used or on closeout.

The starter or mid range models from the big names are often the best buys on the market. Most use not so old technology that was state of the art a few years back. Some like them better than the flag ship models. ZXL is my favorite Sage rod and it was rarely mentioned as everyone wanted Z-Axis.

There are some fly shows coming up where you could no doubt try a few.

[rycoma]

Sage rods are not my cup of tea. Not only the price but even their "moderate" rods I find are way to fast. Don't get me wrong they make some beautiful light weight rods I personally don't care for them.

[dereke]

Go to a wholesale sports and give them a feel. As said really nice rods but I'm not sure they are of value. Many companies that are not quite as expensive that feel close to the same when in your hand. Scott, Pieroway, Loop, and even Temple Fork make great rods that you can find for less. In BC with fish that will blow a reel up I've always been more interested in investing money in my reels. That's where I've noticed the bigger difference

[FlyTheory]

I'm just gonna say that my Loop opti coast is just as fast and smooth as some sage rods I've tried. but I do like my sage bass II.

[lannie]

Try as many rods out as you can before making a decision. Sage does make some very nice rods but not everyone's pick for sure. If they aren't the best for re sale value they are very close. Always appear to command a high dollar when ever they are posted on any buy/sells. One of the most important aspects of a fly rod or any other larger ticket item is who the dealer is, and if I feel the dealer will support me. I know Sage the manufacturer will support me as I was in Belize when there was not a dealer and I broke one of the rods that I had with me. I called them and they sent one down via courier to where I was staying without me paying for it. They earned a lot of loyalty there. I also had a TFO BVK in 10 wt that is a nice lower budget rod that works well but if I broke it I would not have bothered picking up a phone. Vic Bergman is the nearest dealer for me and is always fair and has helped me in many aspects of my passion for fly fishing. Between Vic and Sage the manufacturer it has been an easy choice for me.

[draytonv]

Originally Posted by dereke

Go to a wholesale sports and give them a feel. As said really nice rods but I'm not sure they are of value. Many companies that are not quite as expensive that feel close to the same when in your hand. Scott, Pieroway, Loop, and even Temple Fork make great rods that you can find for less. In BC with fish that will blow a reel up I've always been more interested in investing money in my reels. That's where I've noticed the bigger difference

Don't go to wholesale sports! Support a local fly shop who knows what they are talking about.

You're likely blowing up reels because you are taking advice from wholesale sports. Unless you are fishing the salt you should have no issue with reels blowing up. Plenty of good options that are relatively cheap.

[32-40win]

For what I have/had for 5wt rods, I like the old 5 wt Orvis Clearwater the best of what I have. Had a VPX for a few years, I liked the Orvis better. I like the little Fly Logic I have, it has been indestructable. I find I can overline the 9-10wts 4 pc TFO's pretty heavily with shooting heads, and they work well that way, but they work fine with matching lines as well. Orvis 7wt Clearwater in the newer version handles heavy heads pretty nicely as well. I like the TFO Lefty Kreh version extra large tip guides, they do handle larger knots and swivels better.
Haven't used the Pieroway yet, see how that does this year.
Do I need to run out and spend the bucks on a Sage again, not really as far as I can tell.

[Jayhad]

I've been collecting Sage rods since 89, they are worth the dollar to me as I consider them heirloom quality. I find many of the old Sages I have are still better in my hand than other brands current offerings.

Where high rods really excel are at far out distances requiring perfect fly placement, where most anglers won't use them.

[Okotokian]

I own one Sage rod. It's nice, but I would not be so foolish as to say that you couldn't find one just as good for less. Evaluate it the same way you would evaluate any other rod.

And don't be too swayed by their "lifetime warranty". It's not free. I broke the rod tip last summer, cost me nearly $100 Cdn for a new tip, and had to wait a few months. TFO's warranty is much better. (last rod I bought was a TFO BVK)

[kilgoretrout]

Originally Posted by Jayhad

I've been collecting Sage rods since 89, they are worth the dollar to me as I consider them heirloom quality. I find many of the old Sages I have are still better in my hand than other brands current offerings.

Where high rods really excel are at far out distances requiring perfect fly placement, where most anglers won't use them.

Still have not found any to match the original RPL's and have owned all the models since

[lannie]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I own one Sage rod. It's nice, but I would not be so foolish as to say that you couldn't find one just as good for less. Evaluate it the same way you would evaluate any other rod.

And don't be too swayed by their "lifetime warranty". It's not free. I broke the rod tip last summer, cost me nearly $100 Cdn for a new tip, and had to wait a few months. TFO's warranty is much better. (last rod I bought was a TFO BVK)

If you send warranty work in to them mid summer it is slow compared to winter which is much quicker. The 75.00 U.S. is not cheap but supposedly it is there to cover processing and return shipment. I also think Sage was one of the original manufacturers to offer the no fault warranties that encouraged other manufacturers to follow. TFO's do offer great value for your dollar but the rods and reels are not in the same league as the top line rods or reels from other manufacturers. What model of Sage do you own?

[slivers86]

Originally Posted by lannie

If you send warranty work in to them mid summer it is slow compared to winter which is much quicker. The 75.00 U.S. is not cheap but supposedly it is there to cover processing and return shipment. I also think Sage was one of the original manufacturers to offer the no fault warranties that encouraged other manufacturers to follow. TFO's do offer great value for your dollar but the rods and reels are not in the same league as the top line rods or reels from other manufacturers. What model of Sage do you own?

You can also trade up I believe with sage, if you have a damaged rod they will offer you to trade up to the next level which is a good plan... I might be mistaken, but Orvis does this as well!

[Macbrown1]

sage makes great quality rods, from the bottom to the top, and they back their product. I won't use anything else, you get what you pay for. my 2 cents.

[gs100bert]

i have a sage rod which they replaced after i broke it . while i was waiting i bought a tfo 4 weight 4 pc i like both rods the sage is a 6 weight.

[DocMcgillicuddy]

Originally Posted by draytonv

Don't go to wholesale sports! Support a local fly shop who knows what they are talking about.

You're likely blowing up reels because you are taking advice from wholesale sports. Unless you are fishing the salt you should have no issue with reels blowing up. Plenty of good options that are relatively cheap.

Wholesale Sports is a local company though with local anglers working there. I shop there and fishtales almost exclusively and enjoy both. I think WSS has more variety of rods but really enjoy chatting with people at fishtales.

[lannie]

Resurrecting an aged thread today. The fellow from Fed Ex just dropped off the top 1/2 of my 2 piece 4wt Sage Z-axis that is one of my favorite rods. It was packaged in a 5 foot long piece of cardboard tubing with 1/4 walls and they had received it on the 10th of February. It did cost me 75 USD which is quite a bit with exchange but the rod tip also fits the bottom perfectly and they certainly don't make any money when the processing, packaging and international freight are taken into account. I broke it as I had a newer rower row my raft on the Elk so I could fish and we went into a sweeper hanging on top of the river and all I could do is hang onto the rod and hope. I have many rods so I just put it aside and shipped it in the winter. Great to know it's back home and the days are getting longer...... Lots of great manufactures out there but I do like dealing with sage.

[upstream]

I do own 3 of the sage robs. So are many rods from other brands.
My personal opinion is sage rods are well made, the best thing is they are light weight and well balanced.
However most of the robs (I own) are the faster rods.
After 8 years of fly fishing I found that myself like the medium/slower rod for river and streams in Alberta.
3wt 8' BVK from TFO is now my favorite =)
I still use my 6wt Sage TCX for the Bow River lot of time.

[goggin]

didn't bring my gear from uk when I moved to Edmonton about 3 years ago, always used hardy back home so when I went looking for hardy rods I couldn't believe how cheap they were, I was then asked do I want the uk made hardy or Chinese, just wondering if all makes are now made in china

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by goggin

didn't bring my gear from uk when I moved to Edmonton about 3 years ago, always used hardy back home so when I went looking for hardy rods I couldn't believe how cheap they were, I was then asked do I want the uk made hardy or Chinese, just wondering if all makes are now made in china

Eastern technology is just as advanced as western now, so I'd say the Korean blanks are just as good as the American blanks. But the handcrafting location might matter, but I'd say they're all the same!

[Marty S]

You got to make friends with a Steelheader guide, they give free ones away! They don't know what to do with them all!

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by Marty S

You got to make friends with a Steelheader guide, they give free ones away! They don't know what to do with them all!

3113 with a center pin or a 3106 and a level wind. It doesn't get much better in my book for Steelheading.

[scel]

Originally Posted by Jayhad

I've been collecting Sage rods since 89, they are worth the dollar to me as I consider them heirloom quality. I find many of the old Sages I have are still better in my hand than other brands current offerings.

Where high rods really excel are at far out distances requiring perfect fly placement, where most anglers won't use them.

I only own 7 rods, but my 6wt Sage VXP is my favorite rod. It somewhat surprised me when they discontinued it. It is a workhorse that can handle any Bow River conditions. While it is not my first choice, it can still accurately cast a size 18 BWO dry after a day of nymphing or streamers.

I am presently looking at the 2 pieces of my tip section. I am hoping I can hold out until the dollar rises a little before I pay the $75 repair.

[Sundancefisher]

I have some sage XI 2's and 3's that I only use for saltwater coho and Chinook and cuda, permit and bonefish. Quite like them. Bought them used and paid about 1/3 retail.

I use templefork and Allen for everything else.

All brads have different speed rods. Like golf clubs if you are a very good golfer you can prefer the feel and performance of one high end rod over the other.

If you are a beginner to just above average I don't think you get any value from a more expensive rod. Templeforks are warranteed in Calgary. Sage you send away and costs $100 for a repair. You can buy a used templefork for that.

I advise to save your money.

[Speckle55]

I have a 6wt Sage and reel and enjoy the feel n casting ability

when fighting a Trout or Lake Whitefish the bend is addictive

with the singing of the line sometimes it makes the fight Epic

it does the job with ease and I recommend a Sage rod n reel

7 Fly Rod tippet World Records in 3 years

I have broken mine twice and got them repaired within 2 months

I also have a Hardy rod n reel but a 60's model that I seldom use now

would I buy another Sage ..the answer is yes

as always this is

Food for thought

David