New Sage Line Up for 2013

[mike63]

See link:

Sage 2013 Fly Rod Lineup / Trident Fly Fishing


Vantage is replaced by the Approach ($295) and supposedly faster, and heavier.

Flight is replaced by the Response ($395), a tad lighter..

ZXL is replaced by the Circa ($770), buggy whip slow, maybe a good thing, but did they go to far?

Sage One Elite ($1295), are they serious? Adds a whole ounce and 2 tip sections. Have they reached the conclusion that the One is a distance stick and set back from the Z-Axis? If so, nearly $1,300 bones is a lot to pay for the fix.

Dunno, I guess they are going to make a slow rod (Circa) for that niche and keep focus on distance, faster, heavier rods for the rest of the line up. I am still highly ticked off that they discontinued the Z-Axis. It was probably the best rod ever made.

[winxp_man]

That is one expensive rod !!!!!!! 1300............ is a lot of money! I will stick to my lower end rods!

[moucheur2003]

You don't even need to stick to the lower end. You can almost get two Hardy Zeniths for the price of one One Elite! (Or three St. Croix Legend Elites!)

[mikel]

I may have to try one of those Circa rods. My estimate is approximately 9 months until you can find one for $350 lightly used and with the warranty card.

[jaybo41]

The $1000 mark is bound to happen sooner or later, they have been inching closer and closer with every year. I'll stick to being behind the curve and looking for the older models or picking one up pre-loved. ZXL is on my radar.

Nice find Mike.

[Hardyreels]

Disclaimer: [I truly hope I can say this without drawing too much ire from those who may not agree. I did right this right off the cuff so I will claim it as knee jerk posting rather than well thought out text.]

I have written opinion posts in the past regarding marketing and fly rods. I don't recall the titles but may have to search one up and re-post it as it seems about time. August 2012 and a rod company 'announces' the 2013 line up of new models that will surely improve your overall experience and of course pride of ownership...............

It is said that the tackle manufacturers are what drives the fly fishing industry and keep it alive. If one were to accept this as fact then the question that begs is, to where are some manufacturers driving the business? There is only so much that can be achieved via rod design given the fact that rods are used by such a wide range of people. Some casters are short and some tall while some are relatively weak and some very powerful. Besides physical attributes there is also a great profusion of skill levels in the flock. It would seem that there exists an athletic and financially willing element within the population tol support the ever increasing claims of higher performance and with it higher costs in each new crop of top tackle.

In the history of materials development and design improvements there have been times when it was possible to purchase a fly rod that could actually improve an individual’s casting. I believe that the technology has now reached the point of splitting hairs. The claims made by manufacturers seem farfetched to a fellow who has been casting all sorts of rods since the late sixties. The rods and their proponents seem to be reaching the level of smart phones with each model becoming obsolete in the path of the next generation of technology. But then, fly rods are not smart phones and lines are not 'Apps'. Successful marketing appears able to convince a portion of the fly fishing population that what I just said is not true. I see many posts where members are so confused about line choices and many of the line products are things I have never heard of. Because of this I don't answer many queries about textured lines or tapers I've not used.

I have one rod that I have been using for almost 34 years now and it works as well as anything I've ever touched. It seems regretful to me that many of today’s fly fishers may never develop such a long running affair with a rod. Those people may be driven away from each rod after a couple seasons by the promise of something better or perhaps what we could think of as a new App. If you actually do buy a 'graphite fly rod for over 1000 dollars you better hope you're fishing it regularly 33 years from now. Interestingly I watch the sales of rods like mine on the auction site and notice they consistently sell for either what I paid in 1979 or more. I will never know if todays mass produced and ever changing rods will retain such high value and price 33 years into the future?

I'm done now but I don't know if I feel better,

Ard

[chicagojohn]

Moment of silence for the ZXL...........

Sage just lost their best rod at their own hand, after they discontinued the 2nd best rod in their lineup, the Z-Axis.

I'd spend the $$$ and buy a ZXL if I didn't go out and burn a bunch of money on some Winston borons that I like even more.....

They should get rid of the VXP too, maybe bring back popular rods with older technology that they should be able to produce for less........ like the XP, Z-Axis, and hold onto the ZXL, while still bringing out their new expenisve rods.

My only "Resonse" to Sage's "Approach" is to go out and buy more green, "Circa" TMF or WT and "One Elite" BIIIX, Loomis NRX, 2 Scott A4's, or a few TFO BVK's and call it done!

It's a shame, I used to be a big fan of Sage. I appreciate how Loomis and Winston come out with new rods when technology warrants, but keep old favorites if they work, whether it's buy special order only like the WT's or out of the catalogue like the Crosscurrent GLX. The great rods stand the test of time and do not have to be cycled through every year or two. To Sage's credit, that's what they had with the Z-Axis and ZXL.

[mike63]

Speaking of the ZXL there are some good deals out there if you search a bit and some decent finds on eBay. Once the shops run out of the new ones they will get pretty spendy on the used market...sort of like what is happening with the Z-Axis now. I like the medium action rods and it seems there are not that many out there. Easier to cast and doesn't cramp my style.

---------- Post added at 02:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:47 PM ----------

Originally Posted by chicagojohn

Moment of silence for the ZXL...........

Sage just lost their best rod at their own hand, after they discontinued the 2nd best rod in their lineup, the Z-Axis.

Yes indeed. I don't know why they just don't reintroduce the Z-Axis and call it the "Z-Axis Elite." Leave the blank alone, add a couple bells and whistles and call it good. At least we could still get one.

[sweetandsalt]

I heard of this new version of ONE while fishing around Craig last month. Turns out it is not a performance "upgrade" but a titanium hardweared "presentation" version...905 model only. Since I fish both the 905 Z- and ONE and had the 9'/#5 (4pc.) Zenith in camp too, I fell comfortable in saying technologiacal and design advances do indeed make a performance difference. I don't know nore care much about fly fishing industry finances but both ONE and Zenith are terrific fishing rods. Diferennt in personality but both terrific. I found myself switching off betwween them based on the morning hatch and weather line or even "mood". One is a better technical dry fly presenter than Z-Axis, even at thirty feet (with a #5 Gold and 15' leader) though it is somewhat more demanding of good stroke and timing technique and Zenith is an unqualfied sweetheart, more forgiving than either Sage but still fully capable of of Missouri River grade performance.

If like Hardy Reels, I went to the epidimal Henrys Fork today with my 1985 Orvis Western 8'9"/#5 or 1982 Scott 8 1/2'/#5 I would still be impressed with what great rods they are today as back then and I would have a lot of fun. I am still having fun while simultniously marveling at the design/material achievments of designers like Jerry Siem, Howard Croston, Steve and Tim Rajeff, Jim Bartchi and others. Truely exciting stuff!

[utah daveii]

Originally Posted by chicagojohn

Moment of silence for the ZXL...........

Sage just lost their best rod at their own hand, after they discontinued the 2nd best rod in their lineup, the Z-Axis...

They should get rid of the VXP too, maybe bring back popular rods with older technology that they should be able to produce for less........ like the XP, Z-Axis, and hold onto the ZXL, while still bringing out their new expenisve rods.

My only "Resonse" to Sage's "Approach" is to go out and buy more green, "Circa" TMF or WT and "One Elite" BIIIX, Loomis NRX, 2 Scott A4's, or a few TFO BVK's and call it done!

It's a shame, I used to be a big fan of Sage... The great rods stand the test of time and do not have to be cycled through every year or two. To Sage's credit, that's what they had with the Z-Axis and ZXL.

You know that was basically the same thing that I said when Sage discontinued the SP. I felt the SP was the best rod on the market. i had two that I still fish with a ton. After a few months of casting rods, I begrudgingly had to admit the SLT was a better rod. i bought a 3 wt when they were discontinued and loved it.

I have been primarily looking at 486 zxl and have never felt in love with them. I for one am glad the circa is coming out. I also really like the one and think it is a superior rod to the z axis. PErsonally I really like what sage is doing right now on it's upper end rods. Blending the graphite so they can cut down on the mass in the bulk. It is a different concept and one that I think more people are not use too, but when the new rods are discontinued there will be people who will also say the same thing.

When i got my one i went and cast my VPS (RPL blank basically), SP and One all at the same time. Casting them all side by side there was no question the one was the better rod.

The other day I cast the 389circa vs a 380 BII T, The Circa was better, but that is for a different post.

I just find it interesting that evertime Sage discontinues a rod the fans of that rod scream foul. It has been going on since the ll,SP, XP, Z Axis and now the ZXL.