# Sage Saltwater 6wt Shootout



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

*Why a Sage Saltwater 6wt shootout?*










6wts have become extremely popular in recent years. Fish become wary, flies become smaller, and the lighter the rod, the more fun the fight. I have been reaching for my 6wt over an 8wt in most scenarios lately. Unless I’m around a lot of structure, the wind is blowing hard, or the fish I’m targeting is over 30”, a 6wt just does it better.

I am a big Sage fan and since they don’t seem to get any love in the more popular shootouts, I figured I would give anyone who is interested some insight into their current high-end lineup of rods. Sage rods no matter what model, seem to have more of a mid-flex action vs the popular Scott, Loomis, Hardy, etc. rods. This fits my stroke like a glove and I find myself casting more naturally with less effort than the competitors. Admittedly, this does give up some fighting power having the lower sections flex easier, but it hasn’t stopped me from landing a big fish. This is not a shootout meant to bash any rod manufacturer and proclaim Sage as the one and only, but chances are if you are a Sage fan, you will find this shootout helpful.

I acquired all these rods through the used market or through friends. I love to build custom rods and as much as I love Sage, their hardware is dated IMO. The winner of this shootout will be my next custom build and I will likely sell/give back the losers. The One will forever have a place on my skiff, plus who needs four 6wts?

*The Rods:*

Sage One – 3 ounces, $400-$500 used market

-This rod is very popular here on MS and if you start another “Best saltwater 6wt” thread chances are this one will pop up a lot. It’s a great rod and I have used and loved mine for years. That being said, it’s getting old and used ones are harder and harder to find. My inspiration for this shootout is to essentially replace my Sage One 6wt and compare all others to it.

Sage X – 2 15/16 ounces, $950 MSRP

-This rod fits Sages “all-purpose” category and is essentially the replacement to the One. The X is my current and all-time favorite 8wt rod so I will have to curb my bias for the 6wt. First Impressions of this rod are SUPER LIGHT.

Sage Salt HD – 3 3/4 ounces, $995 MSRP

-Sage’s “Saltwater Specific” rod. I’m sure you are aware that the original SALT had pretty terrible reviews across the board and Sage was quick to replace it with the Salt HD. This rod makes me curious though. It has the same Konnetic HD technology that I love in the X, so a beefier version in a 6wt seems like a great idea to me. First impressions of this rod are HEAVY, am I sure this isn’t a 7wt?

Sage Ignitor – 3 1/8 ounces, $995 MSRP

Sage’s “Specialty” rod, made for super long casts and windy conditions. Seems like they made this rod for days that you shouldn’t be fly fishing? Again this is a replacement for the Method with the new Konnetic HD technology. The Method was pretty much a love it or hate it kind of rod. I think some people liked it because it felt the least like a sage rod of all the sage rods, probably why me and others didn’t like it. I’m assuming this rod will cast better with a heavier line as it is notoriously stiff and considered to be a weight above its label.


*Location:*










Ill be testing the rods from a local marina where I have unobstructed forward and back casts into the actual water. If you have ever lawn tested a rod and the tested it in the water, yes there is a difference. Wet line and wet flies really affect how a rod will cast. This gives me the best idea of how a rod will cast in real fishing scenarios.

*Reel:*










The new Tibor Backcountry. Why? Because I have 2 of them and it fits a 6 wt perfectly.

*Fly Lines:*










Ill be testing all rods with the both the SA Amplitude Bonefish (true to weight) line and the SA Sonar Grand Slam clear sink tip (~75% heavy).

I typically only use a bonefish or true to weight line for my rods, that way I know what I’m getting and don’t have to cheat my stroke to make a rod work. A huge reason I throw a 6wt is because of the light presentation so a true to weight line makes sense. However, when wade fishing or throwing weighted crustacean flies, a heavier sink tip works great to get the fly down and make close shots.

*Fly:*










Size 2 craft fur baitfish. Pretty common fly for me to throw with my 6wt so that what ill be testing all rods & lines with.

*Criteria:*

Short casts & long casts. Ill be casting in the water so I can’t set up a plate every 10 feet, give it an arbitrary score, tally it up in the end, then sprinkle in my PeRfEcT 6wT PeRfoRmAnCe score so my bias can sell the most expensive fly rod ever made. NO POINTS, NO TALLY, NO BS. Does it cast well in close (under 45ish feet) and does it cast well long distance (50ish-80ish feet)? Is it natural, or do I have to fight it? Is it accurate or not? Is it Great, good, meh, or boo? That’s how I will be judging these rods. I am going to pick a winner obviously, but I am not making a claim that it’s the best one in the shootout, just the one I want to buy. Different strokes for different folks

*THE TEST*

Sage One-Bonefish:
Short cast-Good. Decent amount of feel in close, not deadly accurate. Took me a couple false casts to get it right on the money.
Long Cast- Great! Sending the fly out with confidence. I am hitting my target repeatedly.

Sage One-Grand Slam:
Short Cast- Great! Feel and accuracy increase form the bonefish line. No problems here.
Long Cast-Good, accuracy suffers slightly. Still easy to send it.

Sage X-Bonefish:
Short Cast-Great! Rod feels so light in hand. All the feel in the world, deadly accurate. Nothing left to be desired here.
Long Cast-Good. Now the lightness of the rod is translating into weakness. I feel less confident and need better timing to really belt one out there.

Sage X-Grand Slam:
Short Cast-Still good performance here. Accuracy suffers slightly over the bonefish line, but not much. Overall great in close performance.
Long Cast-Surprisingly better with the heavier line? Starts to feel noodly but requires less precise timing to send a long cast.

Sage Salt HD-Bonefish:
Short Cast-Still heavy! Has a stiff tip for in close shots but is deadly accurate. Would like more feel but I am smashing my targets
Long Cast-Confidence! Not as touchy as the other rods. Easily sending the fly long and accurate.

Sage Salt HD-Grand Slam:
Short Cast: Yep, still feels like a 7wt! Heavier line is giving me more feel in close. Still great accuracy.
Long Cast: Still very user friendly, like the feel of the bonefish better. I can get the line out there but it is slightly easier with the lighter line.

Sage Ignitor-Bonefish:
Short Cast: Stiff! Not what this rod was made for. Not much feel and not near the accuracy of the other rods in close.
Long Cast: Definitely has the power. MUCH better timing needed. This rod may be out of my skill level? Or maybe my arm is tired by now. I had a couple magic moments that sent the line flying, but I was very inconsistent.

Sage Ignitor-Grand Slam:
Short Cast: Still lacks feel but accuracy has increased quite a bit. Still not in love with how this rod casts in close.
Long Cast: Not sure what to make of this. I figured the heavy line would help load this rod and wake it up a bit. I wrote “BOO, is this a Sage rod?” in my notes. Rod seemed to fall apart for me. Again, maybe my arm is tired but I don’t like this rod.

*Conclusions:*

Sage One: 
Still a great performer. If you have one, don’t be in a rush to replace it. This rod worked great with both a true to weight line & a heavy line. There is a reason this rod has gained so much popularity is a go to saltwater 6wt. Definitely not getting rid of this one….ever?

Sage X: 
As much as I love this rod in heavier weights, I have to say, the 6wt feels a little too much like a trout rod. Super light and tons of feel in close for short shots, but that’s not all what saltwater fishing is. A rod needs to be able to put up a fight in the wind and make a long cast. Truth be told, I have been fishing with the X 6wt for a few months prior to this shootout and its still a great rod if it fits your application. I just need a little more punch out of my saltwater rods, which my 8wt, 10wt, & 11wt X’s have more of.

Salt HD:
This rod surprised me. Based on reviews I was expecting to hate it, but I didn’t! It performed all around very well with both lines, similar to the One. The main thing that stood out to me on this rod was that it is the most user-friendly Sage rod I have ever cast. My timing didn’t need to be spot on to get it to do what I wanted. Sending long casts was also very easy. My only complaint was the weight! Almost didn’t feel like a 6wt. So I did a little digging. According to online sources, the blank for the HD 6wt only weighs 0.08 ounces more than the X blank, yet the completed rod weighs 0.81 ounces more than the X. That’s quite a bit when talking fly rods. Why does Sage bog down this great rod with giant hard chrome snake guides, overbuilt extended reel seat, and dated stripping guides? Seriously, other than the size of the stripping guides, the rest of the hardware belongs on a 9-10wt rod from 15 years ago .

By the end of writing this review, I had already purchased a Salt HD blank. I knew it was the one for me. I plan to get the full performance out of this rod by using lightweight RECOIL snake guides, titanium stripping guides, and a reel seat actually made for a 6wt.

Sage Ignitor: 
Safe to say this rod is not for me. It is an entirely different rod than I am used to casting and I have no shame in admitting that I may hate this rod because it is better than I am.

Hope you enjoyed my journey! Ill be sure to post pictures and reviews of my new Salt HD 6wt build.


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## Featherbrain (Nov 5, 2021)

Man this was great! Thanks for posting!! I hope to pick up a Salt HD in the near future as well.


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## ReelBoi (Dec 17, 2020)

That was awesome! Thanks for putting the time in to write it!


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## CAEX (Oct 29, 2021)

Outstanding! And love the (not so) subtle dig at the highly flawed TYA shootouts. If you can ever lay your hands on a Maverick or even a Payload, would be interested to know how those stack up. But just excellent!


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

I've me some sage rods most of mine are old school sages. Following.


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## Chapmanet (Apr 11, 2017)

Excellent review. Hard to beat the Sage One.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

You must be a Sage Rep. I had an old
Sage Graphite II, 6 wt. That was so stiff I put 7wt. Line on it. Alas I broke it in a vacuuming acident


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## Donovan (Dec 27, 2021)

Great write up! I went with a scott sector 6wt and absolutely love it. Ive got a sage method 8 wt that i haven’t fished since i got the echo epr 8wt(when the method was in for repair i grabbed the echo). Like you said about the igniter sometimes i wonder if im not a good enough caster for the method.


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## Tankerfly (Jan 22, 2021)

Thanks for putting this together. Great job with it!


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

Love me a 6wt too.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Great write up, thanks. Being a Sage guy myself, I have a particular bias towards their rods. I've cast and/or fished all of those except the HD. My 6wts (I have 3) are my go to rods until is gets windy or the fish want bigger flies. Of the rods you tested and I have cast, my preference is:

X (I have really liked how this rod felt in hand and cast in every weight I've thrown)
One (This was a very, very close 2nd to the X and I'm not totally convinced it is my 2nd place)
Salt HD (I haven't actually cast this in a 6, but have spent some quality time with the 10wt and liked the feel)
Ignitor (I have tried to make this rod work for me in a couple different weights and we just don't get along)
My 6wts are the Xi3, Sonic and the Approach. I replaced my Xi3 with the Sonic for better short game shots and more feedback from the rod. The Sonic is a pleasure to cast for me, fitting my preference for a rod that loads a little deeper in the blank. Currently, casting Cortland Liquid Crystal and pretty happy with it. The Xi3 is a powerful rod with a much faster action than the Sonic. Fishes like a 6.5wt and I usually have Grand Slam on it. The Approach was a mid range offering from Sage that I've had for more than a few years. Mostly a back up rod, just in case or a new caster guest rod. Better than expected casting performance although it seem to run out of power for really reaching out. Feels a lot like the Sage Pulse that is being discontinued currently.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Great review. 

I'm a big fan of the X myself.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

I liked my Salt's. But I love the SaltHDs enough that I sold off my Salts and went to the HD. Surprisingly enough I really like the Maverick. You should have added it to your test. Super rod and not just for the money.

Great writeup!


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

I'm admittedly not a Sage fan. I have way more Loomis and Scott rods. Sage One is the best 6W I have ever casted for Salt water. I can't believe you would ever mess with that success.


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## Poon.Patrol (Jan 28, 2021)

Great write up! I have the salt hd and igniter in 8wt. It took be a while to figure out the igniter although still learning when the igniter is timed right the line speed is incredible. Like you said the salt hd is so user friendly I really enjoy casting the salt hd I too find it on the heavier side but not a big deal imo.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Excellent detailed analysis. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Posts like this are what make this forum worthwhile.


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## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

Thanks everyone! Always fun to get my hands on a bunch of new rods. And for those wondering, no I am not a Sage rep....but if anyone knows anyone...put in a good word for me


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## ReelBoi (Dec 17, 2020)

Anxiously waiting the 7-12wt tests


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## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

ReelBoi said:


> Anxiously waiting the 7-12wt tests


Thinking of doing an 11wt test next!


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## UpStateAngler (Sep 2, 2021)

Very cool. Nice to read your comparisons, and slick that you cast with different lines. I've found that certain line/rod combos are magic. Incredible the difference a line can make when it comes to fly casting. Both the "feel" and performance. Thanks, enjoyed your write up and like your style.


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## Kingfisher67 (Jan 11, 2016)

Great review! I agree with everyone on here commenting on the igniter...it was horrible. I could never get used to it. Thought the Sage maverick blew it away.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

The comments on here are a great example of what is really wrong with the shootouts the Yellowstone Angler does.
1. The casters are all top notch guys. Nothing wrong with that but they really need a Joe Shmoe off the street guy.
But the biggie.
2. They only use one line to test each rod and to me this is a fatal flaw.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

I’d love to bring my Zane Pro 6wt along with my short Sector 6 to cast along side these. Seems like Sage blanks can be had for custom builds which I’m considering.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I'm not sure what I am more protective of...my Sage ONE 6wt or my Jack Foreman prop...will be painful to replace either...


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## k_lindsey14 (Sep 8, 2021)

Solid review! Have you casted the sonic 6 wt by chance? Was in need of a saltwater capable 6 wt and picked up the sonic, was very surprised with its capability but wasn't able to compare it with any of the rods in this shootout.


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## HelthInsXpert (Jan 24, 2018)

The only SAGE rods I own are an 8wt One and a 6wt One. I love them both, but both have had snake guides simply rust through and fall off..........................I don't love that part.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

k_lindsey14 said:


> Solid review! Have you casted the sonic 6 wt by chance? Was in need of a saltwater capable 6 wt and picked up the sonic, was very surprised with its capability but wasn't able to compare it with any of the rods in this shootout.


I'm fishing a Sonic 691 as my primary 6wt. The rod is light in hand, loads a little deeper in the blank, similar to the Maverick but not quite the strong butt section the Mav has. It's been a great redfish and sheepy rod. Landed a 45+lb black drum a month ago on my Sonic. Plenty of power. Pics of said fish and rod in the What are you catching on Fly thread from early January.


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## k_lindsey14 (Sep 8, 2021)

jay.bush1434 said:


> I'm fishing a Sonic 691 as my primary 6wt. The rod is light in hand, loads a little deeper in the blank, similar to the Maverick but not quite the strong butt section the Mav has. It's been a great redfish and sheepy rod. Landed a 45+lb black drum a month ago on my Sonic. Plenty of power. Pics of said fish and rod in the What are you catching on Fly thread from early January.


That's an insane fish on a 6 wt! I actually had a maverick 6 that I got rid of for the sonic because I mostly fish freshwater. I agree, very light in hand and in my opinion more enjoyable to cast than the maverick. Haven't had an issue with longer casts either and handles the salt just as well.


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## Ironhead (Mar 24, 2021)

From reading the responses, I guess I'm the lone person that likes the Igniter. I have that rod in a 691, 890 and 1090. 
The 691 is probably my favorite. I've casted it against the One series and X series. I sold my One series rods after buying the Igniters. It just works for me. 
I do like the X series. They were a close second.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Ironhead said:


> From reading the responses, I guess I'm the lone person that likes the Igniter. I have that rod in a 691, 890 and 1090.
> The 691 is probably my favorite. I've casted it against the One series and X series. I sold my One series rods after buying the Igniters. It just works for me.
> I do like the X series. They were a close second.


THIS is why I cringe when guys ask on a forum for a rod recommendation and then buy said rod. Getting recs on a forum is great starting place. But that's all it is....a starting place. Every caster has their own style and feel and its just something you can only really gauge when you cast a rod you are interested in and preferably with a line and fly close to your typical application.






this


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

HelthInsXpert said:


> The only SAGE rods I own are an 8wt One and a 6wt One. I love them both, but both have had snake guides simply rust through and fall off..........................I don't love that part.


I put recoils on mine like the NRX's have. Again, best 6w I've had.


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## td. (11 mo ago)

I have currently or in the past owned all the rods you tested. The X has a nice neutral tip on it and is an overall nice rod but I no longer own any of them. The ones I've narrowed down to are the Sage One Elite for my go-to 5wt, stands up to salt water a little better than the normal One, and the Igniter for my 6wgt. I've landed very large Bones and small Permit on the Igniter, to the point where I usually don't bother putting a fly on my 8wgt (Sage Method), it's become my wind rod. I personally love the Igniter but I didn't at first until making some adjustments and now it's nothing short of great. I also have a mix of Loomis Asquith (9, 12) and Sage Method (8, 10, 11) for my larger wgt rods, with the Asquith slowly winning out over the Methods. The only hole I have is a 7wgt. It will get filled this year and be either an Igniter or an Asquith, still deciding on that one.

I still have my old Sage XP 9' 5 wgt and 10' 6wgt. Those will stay with me for good.

Feel free to unload those lightly used Igniters my way so they stop pestering you!!


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## a_cole_p (Jan 15, 2018)

Awesome work… fish mostly Scott and loomis, but my Sage ONE 6wt is my favorite rod! 😎


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## Surfrat59 (Mar 30, 2021)

Great detailed unbiased review...thanks ! I build my own rods, mainly surf rods for the NE where I live but I've built rather than bought 3 or 4 fly rods. I agree with your assessment why not so much love for Sage rods...at their price point the hardware is dated and the cork no better than sub $500 rods...they do make a quality blank, and as you proved a good variety to meet every casters skill level or specific needs .Again a very informative post !


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## Oldsenilegoat (11 mo ago)

As others have said, thanks for the review. I have a couple of Ones that I use mostly for trout fishing, and a two hander that I just love for steelhead and salmon. So your plaudits for the One don't surprise me. I was interested in your comments on the X. I haven't tried that rod and have been curious about others experiences with it.....since it is now going on sale as they move to their next model. That all said, I absolutely love the old Z-Axis series.....anyone care to comment on what I would find different in that series compared to the X?


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## Tankerfly (Jan 22, 2021)

@Pierson what line do you like on your 8wt X? Just picked one up.


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## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

Tankerfly said:


> @Pierson what line do you like on your 8wt X? Just picked one up.


Big SA Bonefish fan. Works great on the 8wt X


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## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

My Sage X 6wt is up for sale in the fly fishing classifieds.


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## Blackdogfish (Jan 1, 2022)

6 wt one is a very good rod


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## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

My Salt HD is up for sale in the classifieds.


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## gestes11 (10 mo ago)

Great in-depth review on some good rods


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## JLT-SEA (10 mo ago)

Great write up and discussion. 

I have an X690, X8100, One7126. Pretty much off topic but the x8140 is the most fun rod I've ever cast. The x690 handles searun cutthroat and resident coho like a champ. Fish over 30" I'd lily want to step it up a weight. I find it punches through wind very well with a Rio outbound short. I recently used the x8100 in Belize for bones and i felt over gunned for the fish but it sure felt good having a chance to get line out in the relentless winds.


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## Mike Geer (Nov 22, 2018)

Now you need to go out and buy an R8. 

mike


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## Keith Sharp (10 mo ago)

Donovan said:


> Great write up! I went with a scott sector 6wt and absolutely love it. Ive got a sage method 8 wt that i haven’t fished since i got the echo epr 8wt(when the method was in for repair i grabbed the echo). Like you said about the igniter sometimes i wonder if im not a good enough caster for the method.


The Method 6 was my favorite for fishing (as opposed to ACA accuracy competition), until I recently picked up an Asquith. It is pretty amazing. Super light and easy to cast at all distances up to the whole fly line. The Asquith may work well for both. We shall see. Have previously used old 2-pc GLX, Pro 1, and Z-axis for accuracy.

(Been looking for a Method 8. Lemme no if you want to get rid of it.)


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## Donovan (Dec 27, 2021)

Keith Sharp said:


> The Method 6 was my favorite for fishing (as opposed to ACA accuracy competition), until I recently picked up an Asquith. It is pretty amazing. Super light and easy to cast at all distances up to the whole fly line. The Asquith may work well for both. We shall see. Have previously used old 2-pc GLX, Pro 1, and Z-axis for accuracy.
> 
> (Been looking for a Method 8. Lemme no if you want to get rid of it.)


I cant sell it when it comes down to big flies in the wind and heavy lines the method still cant be beat imo


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## Jason La Forest (Jul 2, 2019)

Awesome post, thanks for sharing!

I loved my Sage 6wt Flight, it was actually lighter than the z-axis and casted almost exactly the same for 1/2 price - super fast tip.
Not “salt specific” but 15 years without corrosion, what’s the diff?
unfortunately it was warrantied and returned with a “FLi” that is a totally different rod.It’s clearly downgraded because Flight was too good of value and hurting the Zs upsell IMO.

Same happened with my Orvis Access 8wt and Hydros 11wt -too good for the money so can’t get them anymore (if you find them used, do not pass them up). Off topic but hard not to vent every time I’m reminded.


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