True enough, Mike. I bought the Sage XP because I loved the way it cast. The kid I was talking about with the money also has a Sage One, their newest and most expensive rod, and I didn't like it as much as the XP, not because there was anything wrong with it, it just didn't feel the way I wanted it to. He also has a long, willowy 9 foot 4 wt. Winston, not a fast rod by any means, but smooth as silk and surprisingly powerful. And all of them are beautiful rods. Rods really have personalities, and sometimes the ones that are the most fun to cast aren't necessarily the best ones for certain kinds of fishing. But it is just fun owning them.
I am a junkie for beautiful reel seats. I recently bought a five-weight kit from Temple Fork Outfitters, I haven't built it yet, but it came with a beautiful burl reel seat, and will be a showy rod when finished. I have no idea how it will cast or fish! I'm a late comer to the sport compared to some of you, I have only been at it for 20 years. I started out using a fiber glass Fenwick fly rod my father was given as a gift when he retired. He knew nothing about fly fishing, and the rod was never used. I had to take it in for a new tip before I could use it, and had a heck of a time casting it. Finally, in frustration, I went with a friend who knew how to fly fish to our local Sportsman's Warehouse to get "outfitted". I spent $70.00 for a 8" 6" St. Croix ProGraphite, and a cheap $30 reel with a $30 fly line and felt like I had busted the bank with fishing extravagance. Later the same friend got me started fly tying. Five years, and three newer and more expensive rods later, I finally felt like I actually had a respectable cast. Then one day I found the old fiberglass rod, and took it out to the back yard. It cast just fine, in fact it was a cannon! I think someone who has mastered the dynamics of casting a fly line could probably do respectably well with a broom stick. But who wants to fish with a broom stick? Tom Davenport On Feb 10, 2013, at 2:52 AM, Michael Bliss <[email protected]> wrote: > Well, it is a lot like cars. You can still get there in an old Toyota like I > have but a nice new sports car is better and feels totally different. I have > a couple of Sages and Winstons. I also have one I made, a few others. I > have caught fish on all of them. But they do perform differently. > > Mike > > On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 11:28 AM, Chuck Alexander > <[email protected]> wrote: > Folks: I just downloaded and started watching a video called “Sage Fly Rods: > Made in America” and it takes you on a tour of their factory, which is on an > Island just off Seattle Washington, and tells about how great the fly rods > are etc. Are their flyrods REALLY “THAT GOOD”?? Are they REALLY worth the > prices they charge?? I have never casted one, but I have always told ppl > that I think I’d put my $100 St Croix “Premier” against any rod on the > market. And the Bamboo rod Tony built for me puts that St. Croix to shame. > But that is sorta comparing apples to oranges to me, the bamboo vs. the > Graphite rod, cause they are just totally different in their action etc. But > anyway, the cheapest Sage I have seen, I believe is about $300 And that is > for their “entry level” rods. Are they REALLY worth the money or is it like a > lot of things and you are paying for that “name brand”?? Thanks, Chuck > > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en > > VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VFB Mail" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > > > -- > Mike Bliss > Aloha from Hawaii > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en > > VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VFB Mail" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VFB Mail" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
