Last weekend at IFTD we told you a little bit about two new products in the world of spey – TCX switch rods from Sage, and Steelhead Scandi heads from Rio. We thought they were both pretty interesting, so we asked George Cook, Pacific Northwest angling stalwart, to make a few casts at the spey…
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Sage
IFTD Gear – Sage, Rio, Redington, Tibor
…and the gear reports from IFTD continue! This afternoon’s update covers the highlights of what we’ve seen so far from Sage, Rio, Redington and Tibor. Sage 589-4 Xi3 Sage is making the kick-butt Xi3 in a 5 weight. The 8 foot 9 inch length helps it feel really light in your hand. This rod would…
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Sage 99 Review
Last summer, Sage introduced their ’99 Series’ rods – purpose-built nymphing sticks from 4 to 9 weight, and all 9 feet, 9 inches long. We cast them at the big industry trade show last year and thought they felt fine, but after a shoulder shrug and a grumble that “the world doesn’t really need dedicated…
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Sage 6080 Reel
One third of our zany $1375 Sage Xi3 package drawing (you’re signed up, right?) is a Sage 6080 reel. We used this particular reel a bit during Deneki FIBFest on South Andros, and guess what – we continued to like it. We’ve had great luck with the high-end Sage reels at Andros South – the…
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Sage 790-4 Xi3 – Light with Fight
Michael Gracie got to spend some time at Andros South a couple of weeks ago fishing the Sage 790-4 Xi3. Michael was one of the cast of characters at our first Deneki FIBFest – a casual gathering of folks who write about fly fishing online. He writes a great blog about fly fishing, finance and…
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Free Sage Xi3 Setup, Anyone?
Everyone who is signed up for our weekly newsletter on June 25 has a shot at winning a (very slightly used) Sage 890-4 Xi3 rod, a Sage 6080 reel and a matching Rio Tropical Clouser line. Really? Really. If you’ve been reading our blog over the past few weeks you haven’t been able to get…
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Sage DXL Typhoon Boat Bag Review
Sage has recently released a new line of bags and packs they call their ‘DXL Typhoon’ series. We’ve written up their large waist pack in the past – we liked it. The past couple of weeks we’ve gotten a chance to play with the DXL Typhoon Boat Bag, and we think it’s pretty darned cool….
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Sage Xi3 Rods – 1090-4 Review
The Sage 1090-4 Xi3 is a really fast rod. Sage’s Xi3 series of rods are, of course, the update to their very popular Xi2 line of saltwater rods. We’ve written about other rods in the Xi3 line in the past. In general the Xi3s are faster and lighter than their Xi2 counterparts, and they tend…
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Sage Click Reels
In lots of trout fishing situations, you don’t need a drag system that’s capable of stopping a locomotive. There, we said it! Slapping a mega-reel on a lightweight trout rod isn’t going to result in an outfit that’s well-balanced. And really, you don’t need all that technology most of the time. If you’re targeting trout…
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Sage 7136-4 Z-Axis Review – The Perfect Summer Steelhead Rod
Take it pretty much anywhere. If you fish for summer steelhead anywhere in or near the Pacific Northwest, the Sage 7136-4 Z-Axis is a rod that you pretty much need to have in your arsenal. The 13’6″ length is extremely versatile and blends easy all-day casting (because it’s not too long) with the ability to…
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