St. Croix Legend Elite, Sage Z Axis, or ????

[Cleep1700]

Guys, I'm pretty new at this. Two years ago I took up fly fishing. I attended a fly fishing 101 class at the local junior college, have taken lessons/guided services the past two years in Colorado, and practice casting very regularly in local water here. I'm five years from retirement and know that the amount of time I am devoting to the sport now will only increase when I have unlimited time. My beginning rod has been a St. Croix Reign 9'0" 5 weight on the recommendation of a friend. I mention all of this because the opportunity to move up to better rod has been put in my lap and the St. Croix Legend Elite and Sage Z Axis have been recommended. I know I need to go to a shop and cast them (and others) to compare, but do any of you have any recommendations about these rods or others at those price points? Thanks in advance.
Craig in windy Kansas

[BigCliff]

The Z-Axis could be a good fit, but its action will be a good bit different than the Reign you're used to. You'd be best off going to a shop that carries multiple great brands and get their advice on which kind of rod best suits your casting stroke. You might even be better off with something with a slower action like a Scott G2 or a Winston WT or LT.

[FrankB2]

I'd take a look at the Sage ZXL rods as well. They are a bit more responsive
and sensitive than the Z-Axis, at least for me. Both of these rods like to do the
work for you, and don't respond well to brute force .

[kruggy1]

I had a st croix reign rod and the z axis is totally different, its alot faster and if your not used to it , its hard to short cast it at least for me. The st croix ultra might be worth a look its slower then the elite but faster then the reign.

[fishosopher]

I love my 6 wt. Z-axis. While considered a fast rod, it is not as stiff as most fast rods so that you a feel it load. The rod has a tremendous amount of energy. Works well for dry, nymph and streamer. True, it's not as delicate as my ZXL, but it will do short casts. Great in the wind.

[MoscaPescador]

I have sold a lot of Z-Axis rods to guys who came off of medium-fast action rods because the Z-Axis is not quite as stiff. With the right line, it's easy to throw 15 feet of line off the tip to a fish that is 30 to 40 feet away. I recommend the Rio Grand or the SA Mastery GPX.

Of course, the decision is going to be based off which rod works better for your stroke. There are a lot of good recommendations in this thread. Another rod to throw into the mix is a Winston B2X. It's another fast rod that isn't too fast.

Here's an informerical for the Sage Z-Axis.

YouTube - Sage Z-Axis Fly Rod - Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters

YouTube - Sage Z-Axis Fly Rod - Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters

MP

[Cleep1700]

Thanks for all of the input. I was in St. Louis last weekend and went to Feathercraft where I tried out the Winston BIIX, Sage Z Axis, ZXL, and Launch, and the G. Loomis Eastfork. They didn't have the SC Legend Elite in stock. All great rods, but I kind of liked the feel of the Sage Z Axis and the GL Eastfork. Gonna try out some more this weekend.

[MoscaPescador]

Originally Posted by Cleep1700

Thanks for all of the input. I was in St. Louis last weekend and went to Feathercraft where I tried out the Winston BIIX, Sage Z Axis, ZXL, and Launch, and the G. Loomis Eastfork. They didn't have the SC Legend Elite in stock. All great rods, but I kind of liked the feel of the Sage Z Axis and the GL Eastfork. Gonna try out some more this weekend.

Cleep,
You are doing the right thing by trying out different rods. Eventually, you will narrow it down to the rod that feels best to you.

MP

[Cleep1700]

Thanks for all of the advice. I went back to Feathercraft this past weekend and got to compare the SC Legend Elite with the BIIX and the Z-Axis. I like the way my cast felt with the Legend and liked the weight. I decided to buy the Legend and am looking forward to trying it out on the water. Thanks again.
Craig in windy Kansas

[MoscaPescador]

Cleep,
Enjoy your new rod. I hope that you catch a lot of fish with it.

MP