I was fortunate to have a casting lesson and tune up with Jim Fearn recently. Despite me having 28 years experience of flyfishing, he was able to teach this old dog a few new tricks. My casting performance and consistency improved with slight and subtle tweaks that Jim was able to suggest and demonstrate. I was also fortunate to sample the delights of the new R8 rod. I can quite confidently say that the R8 is the best casting flyrod I have ever used. I used to say that about the Sage X but now there's a new sherriff in town. That's the one to beat!
Picked up the sage r8 9 foot 5 weight from sportfish a few days ago …. I have owned the sage x, and method in 5wt and the igniter in 7 weight previously so have something to compare this rod to ….. I would literally describe this rod as butter with backbone ….. very smooth and very lightweight and it loves the Rio gold line …… loads in close and takes very little effort to cast ….. also extra feel does not mean this rod has no power ….. it has loads of backbone but it’s not gonna reach the same distance as the method or igniter but pretty similar to the x….very very impressed ….. it feels better to me than the x as I feel he x always had a slightly odd feeling taper to it ….. the r8 bends right through the rod and just feels like an extension of my arm ….. I totally get the negative comments I see about the price tag but if you can get over this hurdle you will find an amazing rod
Fishing with my 9ft for a 5 Sage X today. It's like the formula one car of rods. Not sure how they'll top it. I've had the RPL+ rods, SPs, TXLs, TCRs, SLTs, XPs...... Sage have always made top rods. Reading some critics on the American forums regarding the R8, that Sage haven't updated the snake rings and reel seats for years on the rods. Subjective subject... I'm wondering where it's all going in the industry, with a single handed rod now breaking the £1000 barrier.
RangerWhite, we had better equipment and you said truth about Russian level in fly fishing: less strong Standards flee away with 2022.💥 How you're doing in fishing the Month? Happy New Year to all.
Yes the 9’ 6’’ #6 is a great stillwater rod, delicate for all your dry fly and nymph work but with plenty of guts if you need to through a sinking line, its a beautiful allrounder that is a pleasure to cast and fish with.
I have 32 Sages Sp's, Xp's with a few SLt's mixed in. Whack on a Cortland 444 or Rio Gold and go out there and fish, andd/or repurpose the grand on a plane ticket to Montana and get some better quality fishing. As others have said here already, the XP SP era was the best. If you can't cast those classics then you can't cast full stop. This rod is not going to catch you more fish. I'm sure it's nice, but a grand nicer than a 590 SP or XP i really doubt it very much indeed.
Fortunate like you to have a few Sage rods and don't rate the X or one compared to the best, the XP . Having a good line is the best way to achieve a rods potential and most people can cast distance or perform other casts the same with an average rod but good line .Have A few Beulah Guide series rods/lines that will out cast most rods on the market today and at a fraction of the price but they don't appear on the market much for sale.
Two questions- If there is no bounce, that means there is no feedback to the caster. I use the bounce to time my casting strokes as this is the only way, other than turning your head toward the backcast, to determine whether your timing is accurate. Does this characteristic then make this rod harder to cast? Noticed you rotate the grip so you have the reel broadside to the casting direction. I’ve heard people mention some anglers do this to improve their casting. Unless the blank has no spine, which some rods such as the Asquith do not, aren’t you flexing the rod along an axis which would naturally be softer than that of the spine, had you not rotated the rod ninety degrees? Isn’t this method compromising the distance at which the rod would normally be capable of performing? Thanks.
Hi Cachi, we asked JT for some insight into your question and this is what he says: Having no bounce in the tip allows the line to be under constant tension, with the line therefore increasing feedback. Every time the tip bounces it places slack into your contact with the line. When the fly line straightens on both the forward and back cast you can feel it through the rod. No need to look at all, with your eyes closed you feel exactly what is happening between the caster, the rod and the line. This rod is very easy to use and not a rod purely for an advanced caster. It does flex, and a smooth stroke and a defined stop allows such a fast recovery of the tip that it creates great line speed with very little effort.
I cast the R8 today, I have the Sage X 590-4. I would say the X is better, weight we are talking ounces if that. I would not change will wait for the next one
Lee Wulff the famous American fly fisher caught a 140lb Sailfish on a click check Farlows Python Salmon reel. 40-50lb Norwegian salmon were caught using a click check Hardy Perfect and Silex reel. No disc drag needed, just finger pressure on spool !
A 7% increase in strength? That’s not a lot, and I own the same model. Then Z-Axis was a better rod in 5wt, but mine was stolen a couple of months ago.
Hi, you can't go wrong with a Sage Spectrum LT! Fantastic reels, built to last and maintenance free! www.sportfish.co.uk/sage-spectrum-lt-fly-reel.html
For river fishing, the endless hand stripping and sh style of casting is very tedious. Give me a middle to tip action Sage SLT with a double taper line every time. Lift, shoot and fish.
What is all the fuss about? A new Sage rod is always appreciated but "newer" rods are not always better tools when it comes to fishing. The new Sage R8 Core is a fantastic rod at an extreme price point but only very few people can use this rod to its full potential. Most people are better off spending their money for a good casting course instead of buying another high end rod they cannot cast...
I was fortunate to have a casting lesson and tune up with Jim Fearn recently. Despite me having 28 years experience of flyfishing, he was able to teach this old dog a few new tricks. My casting performance and consistency improved with slight and subtle tweaks that Jim was able to suggest and demonstrate. I was also fortunate to sample the delights of the new R8 rod. I can quite confidently say that the R8 is the best casting flyrod I have ever used. I used to say that about the Sage X but now there's a new sherriff in town. That's the one to beat!
Picked up the sage r8 9 foot 5 weight from sportfish a few days ago …. I have owned the sage x, and method in 5wt and the igniter in 7 weight previously so have something to compare this rod to ….. I would literally describe this rod as butter with backbone ….. very smooth and very lightweight and it loves the Rio gold line …… loads in close and takes very little effort to cast ….. also extra feel does not mean this rod has no power ….. it has loads of backbone but it’s not gonna reach the same distance as the method or igniter but pretty similar to the x….very very impressed ….. it feels better to me than the x as I feel he x always had a slightly odd feeling taper to it ….. the r8 bends right through the rod and just feels like an extension of my arm ….. I totally get the negative comments I see about the price tag but if you can get over this hurdle you will find an amazing rod
Will never better the XP, fantastic all rounder coupled with the Guideline Pounch Pro.
Fishing with my 9ft for a 5 Sage X today. It's like the formula one car of rods. Not sure how they'll top it. I've had the RPL+ rods, SPs, TXLs, TCRs, SLTs, XPs...... Sage have always made top rods. Reading some critics on the American forums regarding the R8, that Sage haven't updated the snake rings and reel seats for years on the rods. Subjective subject... I'm wondering where it's all going in the industry, with a single handed rod now breaking the £1000 barrier.
RangerWhite, we had better equipment and you said truth about Russian level in fly fishing: less strong Standards flee away with 2022.💥 How you're doing in fishing the Month?
Happy New Year to all.
The last rod in the video, is that a 9'6" 6 weight? If so how do you think it would be as a stillwater rod from the bank?
Yes the 9’ 6’’ #6 is a great stillwater rod, delicate for all your dry fly and nymph work but with plenty of guts if you need to through a sinking line, its a beautiful allrounder that is a pleasure to cast and fish with.
@@sportfish great thanks for that.
I have 32 Sages Sp's, Xp's with a few SLt's mixed in. Whack on a Cortland 444 or Rio Gold and go out there and fish, andd/or repurpose the grand on a plane ticket to Montana and get some better quality fishing. As others have said here already, the XP SP era was the best. If you can't cast those classics then you can't cast full stop. This rod is not going to catch you more fish. I'm sure it's nice, but a grand nicer than a 590 SP or XP i really doubt it very much indeed.
Fortunate like you to have a few Sage rods and don't rate the X or one compared to the best, the XP . Having a good line is the best way to achieve a rods potential and most people can cast distance or perform other casts the same with an average rod but good line .Have A few Beulah Guide series rods/lines that will out cast most rods on the market today and at a fraction of the price but they don't appear on the market much for sale.
Daiwa came out with this concept in the x45 rods they produce. But a lot less expensive.
Two questions-
If there is no bounce, that means there is no feedback to the caster. I use the bounce to time my casting strokes as this is the only way, other than turning your head toward the backcast, to determine whether your timing is accurate. Does this characteristic then make this rod harder to cast?
Noticed you rotate the grip so you have the reel broadside to the casting direction. I’ve heard people mention some anglers do this to improve their casting. Unless the blank has no spine, which some rods such as the Asquith do not, aren’t you flexing the rod along an axis which would naturally be softer than that of the spine, had you not rotated the rod ninety degrees? Isn’t this method compromising the distance at which the rod would normally be capable of performing? Thanks.
Hi Cachi, we asked JT for some insight into your question and this is what he says: Having no bounce in the tip allows the line to be under constant tension, with the line therefore increasing feedback. Every time the tip bounces it places slack into your contact with the line. When the fly line straightens on both the forward and back cast you can feel it through the rod. No need to look at all, with your eyes closed you feel exactly what is happening between the caster, the rod and the line. This rod is very easy to use and not a rod purely for an advanced caster. It does flex, and a smooth stroke and a defined stop allows such a fast recovery of the tip that it creates great line speed with very little effort.
@@sportfish thank you for asking him. What about my second question though?
I cast the R8 today, I have the Sage X 590-4. I would say the X is better, weight we are talking ounces if that. I would not change will wait for the next one
Nice rod!
Lee Wulff the famous American fly fisher caught a 140lb Sailfish on a click check Farlows Python Salmon reel. 40-50lb Norwegian salmon were caught using a click check Hardy Perfect and Silex reel. No disc drag needed, just finger pressure on spool !
Lee Wulff could do that, but 98% of flyfishers can't, so let's be realistic.
A 7% increase in strength? That’s not a lot, and I own the same model. Then Z-Axis was a better rod in 5wt, but mine was stolen a couple of months ago.
What reel would you recommend for sage 9’6 6# ? Thank you.
Hi, you can't go wrong with a Sage Spectrum LT! Fantastic reels, built to last and maintenance free! www.sportfish.co.uk/sage-spectrum-lt-fly-reel.html
if its stiffer than the x is it more like the igniter
The Igniter is definitely still the fastest rod in the range. The R8 is more like an X action with a lighter blank and enhanced feel.
For river fishing, the endless hand stripping and sh style of casting is very tedious. Give me a middle to tip action Sage SLT with a double taper line every time. Lift, shoot and fish.
What is all the fuss about?
A new Sage rod is always appreciated but "newer" rods are not always better tools when it comes to fishing. The new Sage R8 Core is a fantastic rod at an extreme price point but only very few people can use this rod to its full potential. Most people are better off spending their money for a good casting course instead of buying another high end rod they cannot cast...