8wt recommendations
- This topic has 15 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated Oct 6, 2006 at 1:06 am by
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Hello all,
This is my fist post after browsing many of your fine comments over the past couple of weeks.
I am newer to fly fishing and am looking to round out my rod line-up with a heavier rod– likely an 8wt.
I will use it as an all around rod but mostly for Salmon and steelhead…I think the absolute best 8 weight on the market is the Sage Xi2 — that’s just a personal opinion, but I doubt you’ll find anyone to say anything other than good comments about that rod.
thanks for the speedy reply guys.
Currently I have a Sage SLT 4wt and Orvis T3 6wt… the next logical rod to me would be an 8wt to round things out for my usual fishing suspects.I just bought a Scott S3s 8 weight and I’m waiting on a Waterworks Litespeed reel. I can’t wait to get out on the water with it. Its a nice rod but demanding. I hope to get into some stripers soon. If you like a fast rod this is the one.
The Cabelas FT 8wt has tamed a few fish for me. It casts a sink tip quite well and can be found on Ebay for under $200 often. They are made in USA, by St Croix I suspect. I’ve replaced almost all my factory rods with customs except this one. I just don’t think I can build a better rod for what I have in it. It’s not one you hear alot about but a great rod for the money.
Sorry to bring it up again but if your looking for a slightly forgiving faster rod that you aren’t going to out-grow soon those recently discontinued Sage XPs are pretty much that.
“…I will use it as an all around rod but mostly for Salmon and steelhead.
Let me say this about that.
Having just returned from Alaska and 3 weeks of reeling in way too many salmon, I’d suggest you don’t spend more than $200 for a salmon rod. Between the eight of us, we had four rods explode while playing fish. There were $600 Sages, a Winstons, and a Loomis. I used two rods I scored off Ebay for $100 each (an 8wt 4-piece Orvis Clearwater and a Diamondback Backwater) with no problems.
I mention this because we were using heavily weighted flies with large splitshot. Presentation was not an issue. A lot of chuck-and-duck 🙂 So…I’d suggest a cheaper rod for flinging heavy flies and lead as opposed to the more expensive rods. Now if you were using it for reds, bones, permit, etc…..I’d go with the more expensive rod.
Dos centavos…Drifter
I was going to suggest two rods (The Scott STS and the Sage XP) but when I started reading the replies, I noticed something.
…along the lines of Phil and Carter’s comments….when it comes to salmon, and if money is tight….I’d spend the cheese on a reel with a good drag and skimp on the rod.
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