# Sage Xi3 vs G Loomis NRX - 8wt



## Labsrule

I have fished with the Sage Xi series for 10+ years. Except for breaking one rod on a 50+ black drum ( my fault, I saw a big red and wanted the black off ) these rods have performed well. Sage replaced that rod under warranty, no questions asked. I was not a big fan of the Xi2, the tip was a bit stiff for me, but I am happy with my current Xi3. Question: How good is the Loomis NRX? I have read a lot of good press about the rod but have not had the opportunity to cast one. What about back bone? I don't mind leaning on my Xi. Reds and Stripers are my main targets.


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## ifsteve

Not sure what you really are asking. If you are happy with your Xi3 (and I love mine) then why look to change? I am sure the NRX is a good rod so if you get a chance to try one check it out.


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## Dillusion

Both are top of the line rods from two competing companies.

Personally, I don't like loomis stuff at all and I love my Xi3.


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## Labsrule

This is a link to one comparison that got me interested. 

http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/8-weight-shootout

I would be really interested to hear from someone who has fished with both rods. It is hard for me to form much of an opinion lawn casting at the fly shop for a few minutes.


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## ifsteve

Yeah lawn casting is nice but it is not the same as fishing a rod. But the real problem is that we all cast slightly different from one another. What feels right and works well for me may or may not turn out to be the same for you.

For example I have fished an Xi3 12 and Hardy ProAxis 12 wts side by side several different days. I can't cast the ProAxis 12 for crap compared to the Xi3. So if you asked about those two rods I would say stay way away from the ProAxis. Yet my cousin casts the Hardy a country mile but cant hit the broad side of the barn with the Xi3. So he would tell you the exact opposite. 

The only way to really have an idea which you would like better is to try them on the water under real fishing conditions.


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## Marshfly

Yep. You have to cast them. Matty and I have mede these same comments in another recent thread. He hates the Loomis stuff and I absolutely love my 8 and 10 wt Crosscurrrents, which are extremely similar to the NRX. 

On the other hand, I have 7'6" and 9'6" Sage 4wts that work great. But I like slower rods for trout.


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## coconutgroves

Why just sage and Loomis? Take a look at winston. If I had to choose between Loomis and sage I would take Loomis. Sage churns out a new rod per year to keep the consumer churn going. Graphite doesn't change that much in a year. On the other hand, winston just update to the B3SX after 3 years of the B2MX. It is a progressively better rod, but they took their time refining it. But if it was a sage rod, there would have been 3 new versions of it, one for each year. Keep that in mind. Some companies are really good at marketing,


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## Labsrule

You are right. Sage Xi3, G Loomis NRX, Hardy Proaxis and the Winston Baron II SX should all be considered as top saltwater rods. This weekend a fly shop owner was telling me he thinks the Sage Xi3 is old technology and casts like a club compared to the Hardy and the Winston. But then he was trying to sell me a new rod. He also said Sage would be out with a new lighter saltwater rod, like the method but with saltwater guides, in 6 months.


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## Marshfly

Don't forget the Scott S4S. I have a 9wt that casts like a dream. Very similar to the Loomis rods.


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## billhempel

Sorry to break your bubbles. NRX has got it hands down, period. Owned the Sage Xi series in 8 and 9's and liked them when I had them. Always owned Sage for many years. Had more fly rods of every brand and size than some of your years alive. 
Now own four NRX Fly and two Inshore Spins. Pretty much whittled it down to NRX. I still do use a Winston Boron third generation in a 10 weight because it does what I want. A Thomas & Thomas 9wt that was special built for me, some other light Loomis, and very light bamboo. The Loomis series previous to the NRX are not near the new NRX in weight, stiffness, recovery, accuracy, distance, etc. I now use the 11 weight one piece with a Gulfstream in lieu of my Pro1 12wt (which I keep with a Pacific on it), Two are one piece, others are four piece.


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## ifsteve

> Sorry to break your bubbles. *NRX has got it hands down, period*. Owned the Sage Xi series in 8 and 9's and liked them when I had them. Always owned Sage for many years. Had more fly rods of every brand and size than some of your years alive.
> Now own four NRX Fly and two Inshore Spins. Pretty much whittled it down to NRX. I still do use a Winston Boron third generation in a 10 weight because it does what I want. A Thomas & Thomas 9wt that was special built for me, some other light Loomis, and very light bamboo. The Loomis series previous to the NRX are not near the new NRX in weight, stiffness, recovery, accuracy, distance, etc. I now use the 11 weight one piece with a Gulfstream in lieu of my Pro1 12wt (which I keep with a Pacific on it), Two are one piece, others are four piece.


You really shouldn't be making definitive statements like this. If you have been flyfishing as long as you indicate then you would know that the best rod for you may or may not be the best rod for anybody else.


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## billhempel

Nothing wrong with being very happy with a product and saying so. It's my opinion, true. You'll notice I really liked those Sage rods too.


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## Labsrule

> Nothing wrong with being very happy with a product and saying so. It's my opinion, true. You'll notice I really liked those Sage rods too.


Which Sage Xis have you fished? There is a big difference between the 2 and the 3 imo. To me the Xi3 has a more sensitive tip and I definitely prefer it to the 2. The NRX has my interest. I may have to buy one and give it a try. I wish I could get in tune with a rod by casting it on the lawn for a few minutes but until I fish with it, in varying conditions, it is hard for me to form much of an opinion.


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## coconutgroves

> Sorry to break your bubbles. *NRX has got it hands down, period*. Owned the Sage Xi series in 8 and 9's and liked them when I had them. Always owned Sage for many years. Had more fly rods of every brand and size than some of your years alive.
> Now own four NRX Fly and two Inshore Spins. Pretty much whittled it down to NRX. I still do use a Winston Boron third generation in a 10 weight because it does what I want. A Thomas & Thomas 9wt that was special built for me, some other light Loomis, and very light bamboo. The Loomis series previous to the NRX are not near the new NRX in weight, stiffness, recovery, accuracy, distance, etc. I now use the 11 weight one piece with a Gulfstream in lieu of my Pro1 12wt (which I keep with a Pacific on it), Two are one piece, others are four piece.
> 
> 
> 
> You really shouldn't be making definitive statements like this. If you have been flyfishing as long as you indicate then you would know that the best rod for you may or may not be the best rod for anybody else.
Click to expand...

You really shouldn't be discouraging people from posting their opinions either. That is one of the main points of this site. Posts like ByFly's should be encouraged, not discouraged just because you disagree with his opinion.

IMO, I prefer Winston to both Loomis and Sage, but if I had to choose between the two, I would go with the NRX. It just feels more responsive and accurate for my casting style.

But fly rods are a personal choice - go cast each and see what fits your casting style.


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## ifsteve

I was not trying to discourage anyone from posting their opinion on a fly rod.

State your opinion till the cows come home or hell freezes over (which might be tonight here   ) but trying to tell someone that brand X is the unqualified best is just flat out wrong. Especially when we know that Sage Xi3s are really the best. ;D


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## Salty_South

The Xi3 and the NRX seem, to me, different animals.  If I want to shoot to a fish 70' away, the NRX will do a great job at that.  If the fish is close, or for quick shots, I would prefer the Xi3.  Both great rods but it is hard to compare the two because they do different things very well.


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## billhempel

I had Xi2's and an Xi3. Liked the Xi3 best for my casting style. NRX has proven itself to me for speed and accuracy. I was amazed how responsive the inshore spins are. I still think Sage has great rods too, but NRX is mine for now. As others have said, it all depends on the caster. I push mine and want the fastest I can get.


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## MariettaMike

I put the Loomis NRX in the Orvis Helios category: over-rated and over priced

Sage, Scott, and Winston fly rods have never let me down.

Can't say the same about Orvis, I'm not going to give Loomis the chance, they should have stayed in the casting/spinning rod business. Oh yeah, $650 NRX spinning rods, "there's your sign!", they're just trying to build hype, same way as Orvis.


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## patrickrhea36

sage xi3 all the way!


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## billhempel

Gentlemen,
This can continue as long as you would like. Each of us has different needs and wallet sizes. I'm in the business so I can buy the higher end items on a thinner wallet. 
It would be worth your time to go to Yellowdog's reply (4th from top I believe.) And then go to the suggested "rod shootout". Take some time to review it WITHOUT having a steadfast opinion first. I believe these gentlemen know very well what they are talking about and each have decades of fly fishing knowledge behind them.


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## MariettaMike

> This is a link to one comparison that got me interested.
> 
> http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/8-weight-shootout
> 
> It is hard for me to form much of an opinion lawn casting at the fly shop for a few minutes.


I know what you mean, especially when the guy from the fly shop has a conflict of interest in what he tells you.

As for the comparison test I found most of it interesting, and thanks for posting the link.

Consumer Reports learned you have to build a graphical image for the results in all categories for each item. Then the consumer can base their decision by prioritizing the categories that matter to them.

For instance, the 100' category, I would bet that >95% of all fisherman using 8 weights will never cast 100' in their life. And even if they could, they aren't going to make many of them, so giving the same amount of points for that as 35' and 60' casts doesn't work for me.

Then the Perfect 8 category seems redundant for performance points and makes me wonder if it is just a cover up to offset the price and weight points categories.

Including 7wt fly rods using 8wt fly lines was also kinda cool. But for me, this just proves the testers are missing the designer's intentions. Or just maybe the testers are too slow to appreciate ultra fast rods? As an analogy consider most golfers can't hit a driver with an extra stiff shaft without slicing the ball, yet in the hands of a strong golfer you will see a consistent draw.

It's not mentioned often, but some persons would be better off taking casting lessons and/or fishing with a guide that can give them pointers than buying a new $800 fly rod with the expectation that it will fix a problem. (Same thing happens in golf.)

or you can stay on the self-teaching road...

http://www.sexyloops.com/flycasting/contents.shtml


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## Jackson

In my opinion if you liked the Xi3 you might not want to mess with the NRX. I would consider you a very fast action caster and the NRX seems to be a little more mild to me. 

For me, the NRX for the 7-12 wt, at least if you cast like I do. I have cast the Xi3 series in two or three of those weights as well and they are extremely stiff, which I liked for a while, but like a lot of fly casters, we start out with a soft rod, migrate to fast actions and then we eventually get to where we can cast these medium and fast actions just as far with way less energy. If you like to carry a lot of line they are good and you can also over line the Sage rods really well, but I think you lose a good bit of the 20-50ft ability of the rod to gain the 90ft power with the Sage. 

The NRX has a better taper for the shorter casts, but then has the power to keep the tip tracking well when you put the power on it.

I have also heard really good things about the Scott S4 as well, but I haven't messed with them enough to have an opinion. Those TFO BVK rods are shockingly good for the price, I have a few as backup rods. If you are in to building your own rods, the Mud Hole MHX line is very nice - especially the 1 piece blanks.


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## bboyet2

Bottom Line:  any rod is only as good as the person holding it.  Everyone casts rods differently and prefers different rod styles.  If you have access to a store with an NRX or a buddy with one, go cast it. Most likely it won't disappoint.

As far as the shootout is concerned, i hate it.  BVK ranked 3rd? forget about price. the reviewer even mentions they break more often, but TFO replaces them easily so it doesn't matter. That's crazy! EVERY company will replace broken rods, i don't want a rod to break on my trip that I shelled out big bucks for.

And the B3SX is last place? behind all those junk korean no-name rods? I've got the 8wt B3SX and it is money. I prefer the S4s, because the Winston is heavier, but I've boated 20+lb reds on it when my 9wt Helios exploded.   :-/

Alright, done venting. Sorry! but sounds like you like your XI3, keep it.  the NRX is sweet though.  Long distance, but very fishable tip. Good for those short redfish shots.


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## Bill_Nosan

I have some limited experience with the xi3 and own a couple of NRXs. Both exceptional rods and far better rods than 95% of the casters who use them. Myself included. To be honest, the reason I chose NRX was the titanium guides, they don't rust and I treat my stuff pretty shtty sometimes. I think the cork could be better on Loomis, though. 
As far as the yellowstone shootout thing goes, it's a good benchmark to shortlist rods from. After that it's a personal preference and style of casting decision.
As far as BVK goes, I'm very impressed with TFOs bang for the buck factor. I owned one for a while and had no complaints. i just liked the NRX better.


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