So I am not in the Sage club.
Emmanuelle has got a Sage rod; Alex recently bought one of those Sage Launch rods and finally Mike has went and bought himself a Sage XP- a 9 foot 5 weight. I am still plugging away with my old school entry level Greys rod (that everyone loves when they fish with it) Oh sure I still have my 7 foot 4 weight bamboo rod that outclasses their Sage rods but on the bigger rivers that I fish I often have to use my 5 weight and the extra length is handy.
I recently bought a Fulling Mill rod in a rather hasty move and have only fished with it a few times (for that take once- and even then it was only for an hour). My thoughts went along the lines of: I want a good rod, so should I either buy the budget range of a top end manufacturer or the top of the line of another less popular manufacturer. I went for the top of the line of the less popular and it has left me unfulfilled.
Alberto – casting instructor extraordinaire says that you should never buy a rod for 500 quid as you will only want a new one in a couple of years anyway, which is a good reason to buy cheap rods and often. However I am one of those people that when I get something I like I stick with it no matter what- I get stuck in a groove and refuse to get out. I am ever faithful to the end. I was that dog that sat at the grave.
On the other hand I know I need to get my hands on a 5 weight 9 foot 4 piece rod for , err, travelling and convenience purposes – it is the truth though as I intend to go a little further afar over the next couple of years. So if I bought an expensive rod I can pretty much guarantee I will still be using it in 20 years time.
You would think that some carbon rod manufacturer would maybe cotton on to the fact that I am up for it to receive any goods but alas I only get emails from pharmaceutical companies questioning the stiffness of my erections or Nigerians wanting me to assist them in the movement of large sums of money- it hardly seems worth it.
Now that Sage have brought out another super duper ultra sexy rod their last super duper ultra sexy rod is getting sold cheap (which is why Mike bought one, however he will continue to be an old hippy at heart by sticking a 20 buck reel on it) and this is why I may well succumb to the lure of sexy expensive rods.
Or have I just fallen for the marketing hype?
[tags]sage rods,fulling mill, [/tags]
My honest advice?
Buy a really nice scarf. It will keep you warm this winter, and almost certainly won’t drive you bananas with bizzare clicking sounds.
Hi Alistair. My chief reason for avoiding expensive rods is that the fish are unaware of the price and therefore fail to treat the rod with due respect. Thus, numbers of fish caught remain unchanged. The same goes for flies. I do buy various overpriced bits of fur and feather because they look good to me, but I still find myself returning to my scabby old butchers and hoppers when I actually want to catch a fish.
James
I can understand your dilema as I have been there before. 20 years is a long time and no rod will last that long and will probably be pensioned off long before that. What I will say is that quality rods from a brand orvis, sage et al will have a second hand value and should you wish to get rid of it you might get something back. For you Alistair with your casting I suggest you lie down and wait for the feeling to go away i believe that rods should now almost be disposable after a couple of seasons so buy cheap what about an orvis 9ft 5# 7 piece for £160 minus whatever,or a guideline rod really look the part and seem to cast well at £260ish.
Have fun!
Alberto
Alistair,
I agree with most of the above!! If you want a new stick , get one, treat yourself ! Don’t get bogged down in the why’s and wherefor’s. Confidence plays a huge part in our fishing , and if a new rod brings about rinewed vigour and enthusiasm come open day, then that’s all good. You know fine well what tool you need to do the job for the brownies, and i would say that along with your bamboo number for smaller situations, a 9 foot , 5 weight will cover all eventualities. Get one that will suit your casting action and will evolve with it. At the tail end of last season i lost / got stolen my 14 footer, along with reel and my favourite slow sinker. Now , i have to nuy a new salmon outfit for opening day on my river on the 1st of Feb,now, as Ray Liotta says, ” that’s a different matter” !!!
Alistair,
I agree with most of the above. For the brownies your bamboo rod will cover the smaller situations. For bigger waters a 9 foot 5 weight will do fine. If you want to treat yourself to a new stick, go ahead ! This will inspire new confidence for opening day next season, and that’s what its all about ! cHOOSE A ROD THAT WILL SUIT YOUR CASTING STYLE AND ONE THAT WILL EVOLVE WITH IT. I think that unless you are a pro or an instructer, the make and model are immaterial. I really believe that as long as you can throw a relatively neat line that it is more important what you do with your fly once it lands on the water, and sometimes one rod will give us more line control than another. At the tail end of last season i lost/ got stoloen my 14 footer and reel and favourite slow sinker on the North Esk, so i have to buy myself a whole new salmon outfit for opening day on my river on the 1st of Feb, and as Ray Liotta would say , “that’s a different matter!!”
Mike- yea thats ok for you to say…YOU have a Sage 😉
Hey James- I cen see exactly where you are coming from, however I have watched Alex and his catch rate increase since he got his Sage.(his technique has went waaaaaaay down hill though 😉
Alberto – The only reason I was looking at the XP range is because you can pick them up for around 200 quid now
Alan- Believe you me, I will be trying out the next rod before I buy it !!
Sage ? a wee trendies rod…now if you want class, try GLoomis rods, they cast like you wouldn’t know, the rods are quality, sheer quality :).
Now I am thinking of a Sage SLT…….will this madness never end ????