[ffffg]

what era and quality, and action is the sage rpl?? then the era, and quality and action of the sage LL? then please comment on the sage fli,, quality and action?? are all of these rods considered very good casters in terms of power? thanks dave...

[Joni]

I have the Sage LL (no longer made) in a 2wt med/fast action and I feel as comfident with it as I do any 4 wt. I recently tried out the TXL same length and weight and I do feel like it is the LL replacement.

[BigCliff]

The RPL and LL were sage's tip-top quality rods when they came out. I believe both had their highest quality components, guides and wrappings. I believe they occupied the same era of Sage's production, though I'm not sure exactly when that was. I would guess both were in production from about '90-'98, but I'm sure Doug or somebody would know better. The action of the RPL would be described as a fastish medium-fast with LOTS of power in the butt. The LL would be more of a medium action but one that still has tons of power down deep and can be made to throw 70-80' in the hands of a good caster. The LL falls into the category of "great trout rods" that aren't parking lot boomers like a XP or GLX, but work really well for short casts, roll casts, mending, and trick/fishing casts.

I'm not sure how the LL would compare with the TXL, (especially because my LL-derived VPS Light is 9' long) but I would guess the TXL is lighter for having similar power, and probably has a slightly faster action.

[fishing4trout]

According to the Sage 1998 catalogue, the RPL is a graphite III fast action rod ranging in the price range of $420 to $490. The LL is a graphite III medium action rod ranging in the price of $ 400 to $ 475. At that time, the SP/SP+ were the top of the line rods - graphite IV medium fast to ultra fast action rods ranging in the price range of $ 565 to $ 605.

The RPL is ideal for anglers with a deliberate crisp casting stroke and who want a high performance rod that is easy to cast. The LL is for anglers who fish smaller, quieter water and prefer the traditional action and delicate presentation. The LL requires a longer casting stroke with enhanced line speed so that one may turn over longer leaders and still make an ultra light presentation.

Hope this helps.
Doff

[dougm]

I’ve got a Sage Graphite III RPL 8.5-footer 5-weight that I wouldn’t trade for anything. It’s fast, light, and strong provided the angler knows how to fight the fish. Too much tip in the fight and the rod might break. It throws a long line smoothly and accurately.

I’ve also got its first cousin, a Sage RPL-X, 9-footer, 9-weight … I use it to show clients what I consider to be design flaws.

Interesting to see such a divergent opinion about two closely related rod series but the same manufacturer, isn’t it? The problem, in my view, was the taper. It didn’t take Sage very long to drop the RPL-X in favor of the then “New� RPL-Xi.

Sage builds good rods. They have, however, adopted the golf club manufacturing philosophy of changing names almost every year. It’s a marketing ploy designed to lead Fools like you and me into believing the “new� 2-Much Gravity ZZ rod will cast better than old faithful. (I learned this when I played golf and replace my clubs almost every year only to eventually learn the only thing that had to do with my score was, in fact, me.)

Doug