The Airflo Universal casts well throughout this rods range, too, and I suspect that the Rio Perception is also a good match. Single handed Spey casts and powerful roll casts leap from the tip. This requires a patient stroke, even more so at short distances than long, but the tip snaps back with resilience, delivering excellent line speed with little effort from the caster. I believed there was a few shills on the forum, for different fishing products, most of which are gone, I have posted about it and pointed some stuff out. Off-shore brands even more so in order to take advantage of both cheaper labor and automation. Unless you live on the beach, youre going to need to travel with the thing, and a 9-foot-long tube is a pain to move about with. Versatility- We see this as the rods ability to be used in various fishing situations. Sage R8 Fly Rod Price: $1050.00 Line weights: 3wt, 4wt, 5wt, 6wt, 7wt, 8wt, 9wt A brilliant choice to tackle your next fishing trip, the Sage R8 fly rod gives you a terrific tool to catch trout. All rights reserved. The soft tip to protect light tippets and the mending focused taper make for a highly specialized nymphing rod and one technical tailwater fisherman should pay attention to. It excels in all the subtle techniques including roll casting, line mending, informal Spey casts and tippet protection. Since one of them broke and since trying a friend's Sage X (which was far superior for casting/presentation), I am in serious need for a serious upgrade for a rod that can do all freshwater things reasonably well - streams, rivers, lakes, small dries up to medium+ streamers & nymphing, from delicate presentation to punching through the wind. Guides have praised the noticeable reduction in fatigue after a long day of throwing streamers, as well as noting the power it has relative to its lightweight feel. I did not feel like I wanted to fish a dry or dry dropper with this rod, but I do not believe that to be its purpose. The 5wt feels like the fours older sibling and is an excellent option for when the wind picks up or the fly size increases. Choose this model for freshwater or a fresh-salt crossover. Stillwater anglers looking for maximum distance, those throwing larger flies and fighting larger than average fish should take notice of this rod as well. Check Price at AmazonCheck Price at Trident Fly Fishing. The Infinity taper slows the rod down a touch, but it gives it more of that flow state. Thanks partly to the rods length, it pairs best with a line that has a short-to-medium head. I was looking over a few rods today and noticed how horrible the cork is on all the Hardy rods even their high end. The 8 wt is 315, the 9wt is 375. Sage R8 Core Fly Rods | Model-by-Model Review. We understand multi-disciplinary as versatile. Choosing a fly rod really comes down to three components: where youre fishing, what youre fishing for, and what flies youll tie to the end of the rod. Its interesting to me that you have found the R8 noticeably lighter than the X in this model. I would personally use this rod for all manners of Stillwater fishing, and as a nymph rod for pre runoff, there may be no equal. -John Duncan. This would make a fine all-purpose rod for Alaska or anywhere in bass country, but would not be my choice for heavy streamers (Montana) or fishing in major wind (Argentina, Chile, Northern Rockies). I thought the Rio Elite Gold WF7F was just a shade too light and didnt match the rod as well as I like. Sign up for our Newsletter, a monthly dose of new ideas and exclusive deals on great gear, sent directly to your inbox. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. We ask much of our 6-weights, but the R8 690-4 FB exceeds all requirements. The draw of one-piece rods is both weight reduction and improved performance. -John Duncan. Required fields are marked *. The Centric is decidedly a fast action rod; the G-Series more of a medium-fast. Flats anglers neednt worry; we had zero issues throwing tight loops with a Flats Pro Fly Line. I really enjoyed the Rio Elite Gold on this rod. Weight, Casting Distance Capability, Accuracy Capability, Versatility, Recovery, Fit and finish, and Value. We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one. The 10 foot R8 rods really have a special ability to direct line via water based anchors. Everyone will talk about these rods because they are noticeably different from their X predecessors. This fly rod offers wonderful feedback to the caster. If the only bad thing about it is the components are the same they always use, then it sounds like a pretty good rod. Alex wanted us to cast a 905-4 X Series rod, which was replaced by the new R8, and the 905-4 R8 Core side-by-side. Whether you prefer to fish on the beach or off rocks, this 9wt can handle any type of striper environment. R8 Core lands at the center point between Igniter and Trout LL, but Walker emphasizes that the action of each model is purposeful and unique. Because of that softer action, its a better dry fly rod than previous models. Your mileage may vary. The Airflo Superflo Universal Taper brings the best out of its presentation qualities as well. Best Uses: Dry fly fishing on tailwaters where medium distant casts are needed. The best way to equate it to something we all understand is those Star Wars lightsabers we had as kids that you could jab your brother with, and they would collapse inward instead of sending him screaming to your mom. Sage introduces the new R8 CORE fly rod lineup - Hatch Mag When you start talking about rods that reach past the 11-foot mark, responsiveness becomes an issue. We are not a blog or a review site. I disagree, but it's a weird disagreement. Then, others are frustrated until they believe that Sage is just running a big con job and using this forum and its members to achieve that. Now, the fun part. To me, they are freshwater and fresh/salt crossover rods that allow the angler to make many casts without fatigue. The tip is stiff enough to force it into the mid and butt section on all casts, but its an easy swinger well suited for salmon fishing and other applications where a 9 #8 bonefish rod is just too stiff for the nuances of freshwater fishing. You must log in or register to reply here. Scott Centric quantity. The Sage Trout G5 ($650) took home the award for Best Spey Rod, and for good reason. Very light in hand but no weight inscribed on it. Anglers seem to agree with those claims. There are certainly lots of good/very good rods out there. With a Gold, it felt bouncy, the tip pulling from side to side with each stroke. If you continue to use this site we assume that you are okay with it. Different fly lines summon unique casting qualities, but the rod handles them all. The RIO Striper line fits like a glove, but it threw the SA Amplitude Bonefish nicely. One of the best rods in a great series of rods! Thank you for the excellent assessment and comparison of the R8 to your 690x tybo 11. . Without getting your hands on them, its a serious task to weed through the options and find the rod that best suits your needs. Stillwater anglers will find plenty of spine for lifting full sinking lines from deep water and casting from float tubes or personal pontoon boats. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. My overall impression was that the R8 Core 4100-4 is a specialized model ideally tuned for fishing all manner of nymph rigs for trout. Living in Montana, I cant seem to have too many of these. -John Duncan, A lively and playful 5-weight with all but the right lines, this flagship model is much more than a pure caster. Feel free to click the rods that interest you below, or scroll through to see the entire lineup: Released in July 2021, the Orvis Helios 3 Blackout ($998) missed many of the best of lists for last year. Scott Centric - Bigfork Anglers Stiff-tipped rods comprise approximately half of the R8 Core series. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. It would be interesting to know the weight of the upper 3 sections together of each rod, and the butt section separately. A rod of this style has advantages with wind-resistant flies, like spun deer bass bugs, and with a nymph-indicator rig in both the cast and line mend. I am partial to dry flies and do value a rod that casts accurate with good line control, good fly placement & presentation. Really, the hope was to mimic the power of the Sector for big freshwater applications. You feel more connected to this rod and get the feeling of hitting the gas in a sporty car when you stand on this rod. Fish these rods with meat flies, whether in Alaska or somewhere in pike/musky country. I spent a few days fishing with a Carbon XL after my gear was delayed in transit and Ill admit, it fished just as well as my go-to rod. All he wants to hear about is a Sage or a Scott on how well they cast, because he's either a lousey caster of just has the bucks to burn on an expensive rod. . -Rich Post, In the X Series, the high line class rods were saltwater style, designed for knifing into the wind with tight loops and relatively small flies. The X 896 was so good and I really didnt know what they could do to improve that rod. Were always trying to build a better spring. The new graphite consists of high-density fibers with improved sintering, a high modulus material that may be used higher on the blank without sacrificing strength. The other day our Sage sales representative, Alex Ramirez, gave The Fly Shop team a product demonstration on the new Sage R8 Core single-hand rods. This rod is more of an AK salmon rod than a large trout rod. Its just plain awesome with all three, which tells me that there is virtually no bad line choice for this rod. I also cast the Rio Elite Gold and the Rio Perception WF4Fs as well. These rods increase in stiffness incrementally down the blank. April 18, 2021 at 6:38 pm #886633. reel screamer. It seems like an odd omission since its such a small component. Almost Orvis bad. It has a very nice, progressive flex to it. This rod feels Incredibly light in hand but has plenty of range and is an excellent option for anglers seeking versatility from their 4wt. The R8 Core is an insult at the price point. The only item you have to purchase outside of this kit is a few flies. As a curiosity, do you happen to have a home kitchen scale which can weigh grams or tenths of ounces? The 896 has a similar fast rod feel to the R8 696, but the heavier blank of the 8 weight isnt quite as lively. The bulk of my rods are Burkheimers, and the Scotts mix into my quiver nicely. Both are approximately weight heavy for their line designation, so the difference must lie in the taper. This style of fly fishing rod is completely different than any other on the list because its an entirely different way of fly fishing. First Cast- Sage R8 Core and Scott Centric We had the pleasure of casting two newly released six-weight fly rods from two premiere fly rod companies, the Sage R8 Core 690-4FB and the Scott Centric C906/4FB. Scott Centric Fly Rods | Model-by-Model Review - Telluride Angler We had the opportunity to put them in hand and cast them, and see what the hype was all about. The carp angler who frequently fishes longer, lighter leaders, and smaller flies will love this rod too. This delineates the amount of flexion versus stiffness in the rod. All of the potential bases for "disgust" are prevalent throughout just about any market that is appealing to something other than actual need. Seems like profit margins are getting in their way. Constructed with G. Loomis Multi-taper Design, this rod is strong where it needs to be and light where it can be. At its Core, R8 CORE traces a direct lineage to Sage's multi application vision, one shaped by the fishing evolutions happening all around usfrom habitats we stalk and waters we frequent, to the flies we fish and the diversity of species we now target. -John Duncan, Im going to repeat my review of the 690-4 here because I honestly found these models to be nearly inseparable. Scott G-Series GS 905/4 ? Has the backbone needed to handle a 350-grain Striper line or Outbound Short. The 8wt leans on the softer side of things, so wind on the flats could be an issue. This shorter 4wt is the perfect rod for small-to-medium-sized rivers where accuracy and delicate presentation are crucial, but line speed and power are needed to punch a small terrestrial through the air.