Need some help to choose a 6 wt. streamer rod

[Greyling]

I'm on the market for a 6wt. rod (9ft.), which I need primarily for streamer fishing for trout, LMB and aspius, which we have here in Europe. Don't want to carry second rod with me, so it must be capable also to toss dry flies when needed (all sizes trout flies, large beetles, foam hoppers and big dragon flies for bass).

I am hesitating between 6 wt. Scott Meridian, Scott Radian, Sage X and Sage Igniter. It's a tough decision, cause I am sure all of them are excellent rods. Unfortunately in my country I don't have the possibility to see and cast none of them. I am leaning towards the Meridian, but am not 100% sure that for my purpose its the best rod of all these, plus there is not much info on internet about this specific model. A month ago I bought my first non Sage rod (Scott Meridian #8) and fished it for a while only 2 times, so I don't have full impressions, but I like it.

Your thoughts, experience with some of these rods or advises will be highly appreciated!

Tight lines!

 

[Ard]

Greetings to you in Bulgaria,

I do not know these rods but a friend really likes his Sage X 6 weight if that helps. Someone will answer soon on the other choices.

Ard

 

[sweetandsalt]

There are several hard core 9'/#6's; the Scott's you are considering, T&T Exocett, Douglas SKY, have you thought about Hungarian Stickman?, new Winston Air Salt sounds promising but I've yet to see one and new Sage Ignitor. The two in this category I'm most familiar with are the now discontinued Sage Method and G.Loomis's NRX. These both excel at powering out large flies in the wind and presenting dry flies with aplomb. They are the two best preforming 6-weights I've ever fished. Method is a continuous flexer like a ONE with extra muscle and NRX is more progressive with more tip flex but taper transitions that keep adding power and more power the lower you reach. Differing personalities but both tops in their class.

 

[Greyling]

Greetings to you in Bulgaria,

I do not know these rods but a friend really likes his Sage X 6 weight if that helps. Someone will answer soon on the other choices.

Ard

Thanks mate! Sage X6 is a good option if you are looking for versatility I have X4 and love this rod!

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[possiebugger]

Among the rods mentioned, I have experience with all but the Meridian. All are gonna be really nice, high end sticks, albeit with slightly different personalities.

I'd describe the Radian as a really good take on a more familiar tip-flexing, progressive blank. I'd like more time actually fishing this one. Nice all-purpose fast action, though I got the feeling the tip might get a little hingey if big streamers were on the other end.

The X is a more unique new-school take on a deeper flexing but super fast recovering blank. FWIW my go-to rod right now is the 691 X. Light, fast, and with a ton of feel. Throws super tight loops, and you just always seem to know what the rod and line are doing. Feels equally good lobbing big nymphs, chucking streamers, or punching hopper droppers across a big river. I guess I haven't trying super small dry fly fishing with it, but should the need arise, I don't doubt it would do the trick.

I parking-lot cast an Igniter and was underwhelmed. It just seemed like a really high-tech take on a broomstick. I don't think it would be much fun to actually fish unless you plan on every cast being 50+feet, and even then, it seemed unexpectedly heavy with limited feedback. I wouldn't plan on doing much dry fly fishing with this one, especially if it involved a smaller fly or more delicate presentation. (I'd like more time with this rod, cuz there just has to be more to it, right?)

If you wanted to go the super fast route, consider looking around for a deal on a discontinued Method or Bolt. To me both are lighter, livelier, and overall more character.

Otherwise, I don't think you could go wrong with any of those choices. Happy fishin!

 

[Greyling]

There are several hard core 9'/#6's; the Scott's you are considering, T&T Exocett, Douglas SKY, have you thought about Hungarian Stickman?, new Winston Air Salt sounds promising but I've yet to see one and new Sage Ignitor. The two in this category I'm most familiar with are the now discontinued Sage Method and G.Loomis's NRX. These both excel at powering out large flies in the wind and presenting dry flies with aplomb. They are the two best preforming 6-weights I've ever fished. Method is a continuous flexer like a ONE with extra muscle and NRX is more progressive with more tip flex but taper transitions that keep adding power and more power the lower you reach. Differing personalities but both tops in their class.

Thanks mate! I have heard about those Stickman rods, but honestly I'm a bit sceptic. Spanish blanks assembled in Hungary costing 700 euro. For this price I won't do experiments and will stick with good old Sage or Scott and their years of experience in making some of the best rods. I got Method in 8 and 9 wt, they are very nice rods. Method 691-4 is always an option for what I need, especially now for 500$, but want to try something different with just a bit more feel. I'm not familiar with NRX, will do some research though.

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[Greyling]

Among the rods mentioned, I have experience with all but the Meridian. All are gonna be really nice, high end sticks, albeit with slightly different personalities.

I'd describe the Radian as a really good take on a more familiar tip-flexing, progressive blank. I'd like more time actually fishing this one. Nice all-purpose fast action, though I got the feeling the tip might get a little hingey if big streamers were on the other end.

The X is a more unique new-school take on a deeper flexing but super fast recovering blank. FWIW my go-to rod right now is the 691 X. Light, fast, and with a ton of feel. Throws super tight loops, and you just always seem to know what the rod and line are doing. Feels equally good lobbing big nymphs, chucking streamers, or punching hopper droppers across a big river. I guess I haven't trying super small dry fly fishing with it, but should the need arise, I don't doubt it would do the trick.

I parking-lot cast an Igniter and was underwhelmed. It just seemed like a really high-tech take on a broomstick. I don't think it would be much fun to actually fish unless you plan on every cast being 50+feet, and even then, it seemed unexpectedly heavy with limited feedback. I wouldn't plan on doing much dry fly fishing with this one, especially if it involved a smaller fly or more delicate presentation. (I'd like more time with this rod, cuz there just has to be more to it, right?)

If you wanted to go the super fast route, consider looking around for a deal on a discontinued Method or Bolt. To me both are lighter, livelier, and overall more character.

Otherwise, I don't think you could go wrong with any of those choices. Happy fishin!

Thanks for your answer! I have couple of questions about X 691:

1.What type and size streamers you fish with it;
2. What lines you use for streamer fishing with it;
3. How it performs with bigger streamers at longer distance.

Tight lines!

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[zjory]

Radian by a mile for an all around. All of those rods will throw streamers well. If you actually plan to use it for a trout all around, the time will come when you want to place an 18 dry with it and the Radian will do that. The ol Sage broomstick will make it a chore.

 

[possiebugger]

Thanks for your answer! I have couple of questions about X 691:

1.What type and size streamers you fish with it;
2. What lines you use for streamer fishing with it;
3. How it performs with bigger streamers at longer distance.

Tight lines!

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I fish a variety of streamers, from a size 12 squirrel leech, to a size 4 bunny streamer with a big tungsten head and a lot of lead-free wire, to a "schlappen bugger," (basically a big woolly bugger with schlappen for the hackle so the profile is slimmer) to a 3-4" feather game changer.

Lines I've used include Rio Gold, Orvis HD Power Taper, and Aqualux intermediate. X throws all of them well. The Gold or Power Taper could serve all-around duties. The Gold feels better for roll casts and dry flies; the Power Taper is better for heavier stuff and also loads the rod ever so slightly more. Once I put a sink tip on the Power Taper and it did well with that too.

The deeper flexing taper is fairly intuitive, and doesn't take much to chuck a size 4 streamer 50-75 feet. It can certainly go longer if you gotta. I mostly fish for trout with it, though I've daydreamed about how much fun it would be for bass fishin...one of these days...

What size streamers do you plan to fish? How far do you plan to cast?

 

[proheli]

I’m not trying to complicate matters, but if you like G. Loomis and the NRX, then the Asquith is their new rod. Also, if someone really wanted to truly go from dry flys to streamers in a 6wt, I’d throw the new Helios 3. The Meridian and Igniter are too stiff for what you want, the Radian IS fantastic, but hinges in the middle, and will I offend people if use the word, “dated” ?

If I wanted a true all around 6wt, which I don’t, I’d throw:

Douglas Sky - YA says it’s good in close !
Helios H3s, both of them
Asquith, NRX too
Sage X, but I’d put on a 10’ leader and cast a 18 dry with it, to see what it would really do in close and with a dry.

That sounds like a fun couple of hours of casting. I’m afraid I’d find the Asquith and H3s on a higher plane than the rest of them. I’d get the H3D to catch the windy/streamer side of my 6wt Air, but I think I’m getting a Sage X Switch or a Micro Spey in 5wt for that. Excited.

P.S. I do feel a little snobby when I just mention those rods, but the OP is looking at the higher end stuff, and I don't Really feel the Radian is dated. ( but it IS hingy )

P.S.S. The more I think about it, maybe zjory is right. Radian for the all around trout. So Helios 3F, Radian, Dougas Sky...... hmm.

 

[hollisd]

Greyling,

My college roommate was a sharp Bulgarian kid who went on to be valedictorian.

I feel your pain living in Spain. I would suggest looking for a 6 wt Winston BIIIx which were on sale recently. I think Trident fly fishing had them on sale for about $450. The #6 stick fishes great and would be pure sex in Sofia.

You may have to wait and pounce though so I think the NRX would be a no-brainer or even G Loomis's mid-range rods the IMX-PRO series might be worth looking into.

Fish on,

 

[Greyling]

I fish a variety of streamers, from a size 12 squirrel leech, to a size 4 bunny streamer with a big tungsten head and a lot of lead-free wire, to a "schlappen bugger," (basically a big woolly bugger with schlappen for the hackle so the profile is slimmer) to a 3-4" feather game changer.

Lines I've used include Rio Gold, Orvis HD Power Taper, and Aqualux intermediate. X throws all of them well. The Gold or Power Taper could serve all-around duties. The Gold feels better for roll casts and dry flies; the Power Taper is better for heavier stuff and also loads the rod ever so slightly more. Once I put a sink tip on the Power Taper and it did well with that too.

The deeper flexing taper is fairly intuitive, and doesn't take much to chuck a size 4 streamer 50-75 feet. It can certainly go longer if you gotta. I mostly fish for trout with it, though I've daydreamed about how much fun it would be for bass fishin...one of these days...

What size streamers do you plan to fish? How far do you plan to cast?

Thank you! I will fish 3.5-5 inch streamers (sculpins, zonkers, different baitfish patterns and small&light articulated streamers). When you fish for aspius (fishing is form shore or wadding, not boat), you fish with small and light baitfish patterns (like the ones I tied on the pictures below), but sometimes you need longer distance...for example 70-80 ft.

 

[Greyling]

Greyling,

My college roommate was a sharp Bulgarian kid who went on to be valedictorian.

I feel your pain living in Spain. I would suggest looking for a 6 wt Winston BIIIx which were on sale recently. I think Trident fly fishing had them on sale for about $450. The #6 stick fishes great and would be pure sex in Sofia.

You may have to wait and pounce though so I think the NRX would be a no-brainer or even G Loomis's mid-range rods the IMX-PRO series might be worth looking into.

Fish on,

Thanks mate! I don't live in Spain though...I live in Bulgaria But I wish I lived there, cause a lot of good options for fishing...

Tight lines!

 

[dennyk]

I've got a Scott Flex 6wt 9'. I've been very pleased with this rod. I typically use it for Smallmlouth bass and trout fishing at this time of the year. It's done everything I needed it to do. Scott has it labeled as a fast action freshwater rod I believe the big difference between this and the Radian is the recovery speed of the Radian is much faster and is probably lighter in the hand. This is just my experience with this rod, I'm not familiar with the other rods mentioned.

If you want to save $300+ bucks the Flex would be a good choice.

Denny

 

[ixoye]

My vote goes to Scott Flex 6wt 9' one of the best 6 weights regardless price.

 

[scoutm]

I have 3 6wts...Radian, Salt and NRX. For purely a streamer rod it's the salt no contest. For the all around rod it's the Radian.

 

[peaks2creeks]

Just got back from a trip and had the Sage Igniter overnighted as a last minute decision to purchase the rod. And, what a great decision that was, the Igniter is nothing short of AMAZING. We were BOMBING streamers and this rod was in its element, I don't think you could find a better streamer rod...

 

[sweetandsalt]

Yes. When it comes to sharp reflexed tapers with unlimited potency, Sage is in its glory. And they have no fewer than three high end #6's what with X, Salt HD and now Ignitor to make your decision fine tunably difficult. While I have effectively fished small dries on light tippets with my Method #6, I do think I prefer NRX #6 for that. My pard, Dillon, has the Radian #6 which is a very nice rod, my favorite of the Radians in fact...nothing at all wrong with it except it is no NRX.

 

[scotty macfly]

I 100% agree with Zjory on the Radian. Just a wonderful rod with versatility. It has the backbone your looking for to throw the flies you need, plus like Zjory said, if you want to toss a #18 fly, it'll do that too with plenty of feel. It's just a great all around, do it all rod that isn't too fast. It's nothing like a broomstick. The Meridian is a super rod, and will blast a line out like no one's business in one good cast, but too fast for my liking.

I can't comment on Sage.

 

[bob3700]

My pard, Dillon, has the Radian #6 which is a very nice rod, my favorite of the Radians in fact...nothing at all wrong with it except it is no NRX.[/QUOTE]

S&S
Ur statement above concerning NRX vs Radian prompts this question. How does #6 NRX compare to #6 Method or Ignitor.
Radian is not a med action rod. I would put it in the same category as ONE.
If that analogy is close to correct then NRX has to be a contemporary to Method or Ignitor. Those are pretty specialized sticks.
How do u see the comparison?