[indieangler]

Hello,

I'm fairly new to fly fishing and a first timer on the forum. I've been fishing with a pretty crappy outfit so far. It's gotten the job done, but it's a no name cheap $75 rig.

I'm about to buy two new fly rods tonight. I'm looking at getting a Sage FLi 7' 3 weight (2 pieces), for several small streams in my area, and a Sage Launch 9' 6 weight (4 pieces) for a bit bigger fishing and a travel rod. I've never bought anything made by Sage before but of course have heard great things.

Does anyone have any advice regarding these two lower end Sage fly rods? I thought I'd check around before dropping off the bucks. I really love the way the rods look, they look beautiful, but I thought I would ask and see if anyone thinks I'm making a mistake by purchasing a lower end model Sage rod. I think they will work very well and have heard good things, but thought I'd throw a feeler out here to see if anyone had complaints before I make the order tonight.

Thanks!
CF

[tie one on]

Sage are awesome rods ! You will not be sorry
you went with them. Just curious as to why you
would choose a shorter rod for a 3 wt ?? Is there
clearance problems on the smaller streams ? I have
never used a fly rod that short. Always heard that
shorter rods are harder to cast. My 3wt is 8'6", but
that's me. If your new to flyfishing you'll find that
you might like using rods others may not like, but
that's the great diversity of this sport. Try things
out, then make your choice. If you can check out
others rods at your local shop. One rod may work
good for you better than another. Scott, TFO, St.
Croix, are all nice rods. Personally I've always picked
rods that have the lifetime warranties, it's well worth
the extra couple of bucks.

Welcome to the forum & this great sport,

Tie One On

[indieangler]

Thanks for the reply! I've chosen the 7' model in the 3 weight because yes the streams here are quite small. I'm originally from the U.S. but I'm now living on a small island called the Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea, between England and Ireland). I'm afraid an 8'6" would simply be too big.....

I could consider getting the 7'6" Sage Launch rod instead of the 7' FLi, if you think the extra 6" will do much for the casting of the rod?

[FishyWrench]

I use a 7' 4 wt superfine that is a mid flex 5.5 for the small streams here. As far as my experience to casting it I have no problems due to length as most of the "small" streams I fish are 30' wide or less. The longer rod would make it easier to roll cast or mend the line but really between the two, IMHO, its more a matter of personal preference. However I wouldnt consider a 7' stick that was a fast action or tip flex. Although in my experience they do a better job roll casting, however with a tip flex, I cant seem to get the rod to load up on the small streams.

[zerolimit]

Since you are looking at the Fli you might want to also check out the Winston Vapor. If you prefer fast and stiff, the Fli is a very good choice. The Vapor offers a more traditional taper at the same price for those who prefer that type of action. I recently purchased a 9' Fli in 5wt. and ended up returning it for a Vapor. It is very much a matter of preference and application. There is nothing wrong with the Fli, it was just too stiff for my taste. It casts very well at distance but I found that I didn't care for it at short range and really didn't enjoy fighting fish with it.

The Vapor, though described by Winston as fast action, is a medium to slow action full flex rod by my definition (and certainly in comparison to the Sage). It does a fine job at delicate presentation and short range casting but still has the goods to pull off longer casts. It's in fighting fish where the rod shines for me. The Fli lacked the feel and sensitivity that I prefer. 90% of the discussions I see on boards about this rod and that focus purely on casting dynamics. It amazes me how rare it is to hear fly anglers talk about how a rod fishes.

I agree with the previous poster regarding fast tip actio rods in lower weights. I'm not a big fan. I have a TFO Lefty Signature 3 weight in 7'9" (also a full flex rod). Once again, your mileage will vary with personal preference but to me, it's a great small water rod at a good price.

[zerolimit]

Curious as to what decision the OP came to. Any Update Indie?