Never thought I'd retire my Sage SLT

[MikeA]

But this new R8 Core from Sage is hands down just pure casting perfection. I've never cast anything so nice. People who fish with me know I fish Redington most of the time. They are great rods and get the job done. So when I was out fishing last month and throwing a Vice 5wt with an indicator I decided to cast my new R8. I'm being honest when I say I love my Vice rods. But the difference between it and the R8 is almost hard to believe. The Vice is a rod I've fished for years when I want a little faster rod than my SLT. I use it in a 5 and an 9 wt and have been totally happy with it, and recommending it to people. If you can cast, you can make any rod work. But,,, it's not until I picked up the R8 right after casting the Vice for a few hours that I really felt the difference. I was blown away at how light in the hand the R8 is and how little effort it takes to put a fly, a fly line length away from you. I don't post on here much anymore because it's been hell finding a place to fish without hordes of assholes. I don't usually post tackle posts,, but this rod is deserving of some praise. Might be the best Sage rod I've ever handled. I have a 5 and a 9 now. 

[icthus]

I remember the ole Brown beater... A few of the pals liked to cast that rod.  I was a fan of the red sage.... can't remember what kind it was...bought it for the Colorado trip I never went on.  As for the best sage out there...I still say the Xi2 8wt hands down the best casting rod.  Stiff enough to punch through the wind, and enough back bone to keep a red out of the mangroves.  Either way... Sage makes a great product, and they know they do by their price.  Glad you found a new stick...

Cast on Pals,

Pal