Sage Fly Rod
Sage TXL Fly Rod Tested
The next Sage TXL fly rod I tested at the Denver Fly Fishing Show 2007 was the model 1710-3 7'10" 3 pc for a 3 wt line. The 1710 was was equipped with a Sage 3100 fly reel and 1 wt fly line plus a 6 or 7 foot leader. Working from the short end of the casting pool, I worked out about 15 or 20 feet of line with overhand casts.
Compared to the TXL 000, the 1710 model felt substantially stronger on the overhand casts. On the pickups, I could feel the rod start loading immediately. On the backcast, I had good line feel and could feel the rod loading on the beginning of the power stroke. Keeping muscle to a minimum, this light weight effortlessly put out 20 foot casts and could probably drop one to 50 feet without much effort. (Remember most trout are caught within 20 feet).
I had to try several roll casts to become accustomed to how this lightweight fly rod loaded. Then I enjoyed dropping 6 roll casts in a row into the casting hoop at 15 feet. Even within the 3 minute rod test limit, I got a good feel for the Sage Model 1710-3. This rod has the feel of a much larger and stronger rod. I liked this rod very much and plan on purchasing one before spring fishing to replace my older small stream rods. For small stream fishing or beaver pond fishing, I would definitely recommend this rod.
PROS:
- 7'10" is a great size for small stream fly fishing.
- Rod breaks down into 3 pieces for easy travel.
- The TXL series uses G5 technology which uses replaces glass fiber in the rod blank scrim with graphite. This results in a lighter stronger fly rod with superior handling, line feel and fish fighting performance.
- Good line feel.
- Light weight
- Ultra light guides
- Round tip top
- Six inch cigar type grip
- Vera wood reel insert
- Uplocking Nickel Silver reel seat
CONS:
- Price is a bit high to suggest to a beginning fly fisherman.
Suggested retail is $515.
Later, Jerry Siem, Sage Rod Pro, told me the 1710-1 had enough power to play and land almost any size trout. Since Jerry tests a lot of Sage Fly Rods, you can bet he has caught some reasonable size trout on this rod.
Sage 1710 Fly Rod Priced at $520 Select model 171-3 for 1 wt line. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one to complete check out.
Abel Super 2 Fly Reel at $450 with a 1 wt Sage Quiet Double Taper II fly line to balance out this light line fly fishing combo.
Best Buy is a Sage Ultra Light Fly Fishing Combo: Includes
- Sage TXL 171-3 fly rod
- Sage Quiet Double Taper II with backing
- Abel Super 2 Fly Reel
- Priced at $997 a savings of $53
Did you know Sage Fly Rods have been used to produce 75 IFGA World Records
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
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