sage fly rod review

There’s been a lot of hype around the new Sage Classic R8, Sage’s new presentation trout rod that replaces the outgoing Trout LL. The Classic R8 pays homage to a long line of moderate-action trout rods, such as the original Sage LL of the 1990s, and the Sage Circa of the 2010s. While Sage is well-known for their fast-action tapers, these softer trout rods represent a more soulful casting experience for the dry fly angler. In this review, we’ll cover the key details of the new Classic R8, including its flex and feel, who it’s for, and its price. With so many premium trout rods available, this review aims to help you cut through the marketing noise and decide if the Classic R8 fits your needs, style, and budget. Keep reading to learn all about the Sage Classic R8, and decide for yourself if this soulful rod belongs in your Trout quiver.

Sage is a brand with a long history of building legendary saltwater fly rods. However, their past few flagship salt series have largely disappointed. Sure, there were a few solid models, but most were too stiff, fast, and clunky for the average angler. When we had the opportunity to cast each rod in the new R8 Salt series, we were immediately impressed by Sage’s commitment to developing a salt-specific series that is enjoyable to cast for the average angler.

With the R8 Core, Sage seems to be back on track by making rods with a smooth, progressive taper that gives the caster exceptional feel and feedback but still delivers plenty of power. When Sage announced the new Salt R8 would replace the Salt HD, we were excited about the rod’s prospects but a little apprehensive over a new salt-specific Sage Rod. Has Sage finally delivered? You will not want to miss this review!

Sage changed things up a bit this year when they released the SaltHD to replace the 3-year-old Salt, disrupting their traditional 4-year replacement schedule. In traditional Sage fashion, the SaltHD has won every award it’s been up for including the prestigious IFTD “Best in show” award. While it’s clear that there’s nothing stopping the Sage marketing juggernaut, read up to see how this rod really preforms.

When Sage changes their flagship rod, it’s a big deal in the fly fishing industry. Sage is one of the largest and most innovative rod makers, so everyone is really excited to see what Jerry is going to come up with next. And then of course there are the haters, like my fishing buddy, who, when I mentioned that I had a new Sage X fly rod said, “Meh, it looks like a dressed up Sage ONE.” I can tell you unequivocally that it’s not another Sage ONE. Read on to see what this rod’s all about.

Sage introduced a plethora of new rods this year. We’ve had a chance to cast most of them at this point, so check back for more reviews, but we decided to start out with the new Sage Pulse Fly Rod. At first glance, the Sage Pulse isn’t that exciting – you might assume (like I did) that the Pulse is just a continuation of the long line of not-very-exciting Sage mid-priced rods: Response, Flight, FLi, etc. But, you would be wrong. Read on to find out why…

Following the success of our 8-weight reel challenge, we wanted to take on fly rods. Magazines, fly shops, bloggers… virtually everyone has an opinion on which fly rod is best. So, we decided to join the crowd. But, in typical Trident fashion, we’re going to take a different twist on the traditional fly rod review. As always, this shootout will be completely data driven, and we’re going to give you better and more objective results than you’ve seen anywhere else.

Here’s what we did differently….

This year was full of great new product introductions. Great new rods came out from Winston, Redington, Hardy, etc. But I’m always waiting to see what comes off the bench of Jerry Siem from Sage. This year boasted two new releases: the Method, which replaces the TCX, and the all-new Motive, a “low” cost saltwater rod.