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Gear — 5 Comments
26
Jan 16

The 8 Weight Shootout

The Yellowstone Angler put out their 8 Weight Shootout, comparing the 8 weights from around the industry from the pricey Helios 2 to the cheap Echo Base.

fly rods

I think I’ve cast five or six of these rods and my go-to bonefish rod is the Orvis Helios 2. I also own Reddington Predator 10 and 12 weights. I also also have a TFO Clouser 8 wt. and a Rise 8 wt. as well (just to lay down my saltwater rods, I think I have 16 fly rods in all weights).

The good news, I feel safe in proclaiming, is that there are a lot of great options out there.

There are also some bad ones… and this group doesn’t pull punches.

Here is a rod that is slow in action, heavy in swing weight, and performs badly at all distances.

Don’t get that one.

I would have like to see Clutch and Rise in the mix as well, but they have done a good job putting this together.

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Gear — 1 Comment
23
May 14

Sage Motive Saltwater Fly Rod – a review

A good place to be.

A good place to be.

Yesterday, I talked about the Evoke reel I brought to Long Island. That reel was attached to another loaner, the Sage Motive 11 weight fly rod.

The rod… what to say about the rod? There are no real moving pieces. The mechanics are those of the caster, more so than the inner gears of a piece of machinery. The rod is exactly what you’d think it would be. It is a fast action big stick. The 11 weight is not a dainty thing, but it isn’t for dainty fishing. It’s for big fish. Mean fish. Fish who fight like wrecking ball on bath salts.

I did more casting than I did fighting fish with this rod and I never found my drugged up beast of destruction (again… found them, but not happy and in the mood).

The rod, in my opinion, casts well, but you need to not try and pick up too much line. One of the guides tried to pick up too much line and show off a bit and it didn’t go well. However, if you are patient, take in a bit of line and really load the rod, you can shoot line with this like like a potato launcher.

Sage Motive 11

I cast an 11 weight textured line on the 11 weight. Some may argue the need to over line. I didn’t do that.

I was happy with the rod. I did get to catch a few jacks and barracuda on the rod and it felt great. It’s nice color blue, which I like, although I doubt the color matters a whole lot when it comes to performance.

I good, solid, saltwater rod. The 11 is a rod I would turn to again for a Belize or Keys tarpon hunt. I wish I got to hold on to it for a few years, but alas… it is now back with the good folks at Sage.

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