[Dr. Swing]

Finally got a trout spey into my hands for a little testing and fishing. Our local Sage rep was nice enough let me use his 5 weight demo with a windcutter 5/6. I have been a little skeptical of spey rods this size and their usefulness, though I have also been anxietious to give one a work out. To make a long story short, after an evening with this rod, I was incredibly impressed. It is light, well balances, powerful enough to cast in wind, loads up deeply on a decent fish, much less fatiguing to cast than my 7 weight and pretty much absolutely perfect for the river, flies, and fish that I will be putting it up against. When my time with this demo comes to an end, I will purchase one as soon as I can. It is a far nicer rod than I had imagined and I am looking forward to fishing the doors off of it this fall.

 

[Grampa Spey]

Dr. Swing
Trout Swinger

Ask the Sage rep to let you try the Sage 6126 with the WC 5/6 and the MS 7/8 with tips.

The 6126 can cast the WC 5/6 well into the green running line with a very soft landing with about zero effort. Then, it will really reach out and touch the far side with the MS 7/8 if you want to use tips.

If you can, try both of them on the same day.

 

[beau purvis]

I tried both on same day at sandy clave.My style liked the 5 better.especially if I am going to fish for large trout.Beau

 

[fredaevans]

I tried both on same day at sandy clave.My style liked the 5 better.especially if I am going to fish for large trout.Beau

Given a choice I'd take one of R B Meiser's 'switch rods.' These were designed/tested by a ton of 'real fishermen' to be 'trouters.' Better part is they will handle a reasonable sized summer run steelhead who wants to be a 'player.'

fae

 

[o_clarki_clarki]

I just returned from a trip to the Uncompahgre in Colorado using the Meiser 11' 4" 5/6 with a WC 5/6 and a Hardy Mach 1+ 8/9. Both lines worked wonderfully, (though I prefer the WC for this rod and my casting) and though I did not catch anything with size to it, it was still a blast to test this rod!! I should get a job so I can afford to buy more of Meisers rods!

I like the Sage also, however, I have a sweet spot for the Meiz 11'4".

Vinnie

 

[Dr. Swing]

Dr. Swing
Trout Swinger

Ask the Sage rep to let you try the Sage 6126 with the WC 5/6 and the MS 7/8 with tips.

The 6126 can cast the WC 5/6 well into the green running line with a very soft landing with about zero effort. Then, it will really reach out and touch the far side with the MS 7/8 if you want to use tips.

If you can, try both of them on the same day.

Grampa,

Where I am fishing, I have no use for casting well into the green running line. With a 14 foot leader and a 12 foot rod, I normally have just the head or a little more out on even the largest pools I am fishing. I am sure the 6126 is a great stick, but it is more rod than I need.

 

[Grampa Spey]

To Dr Swing:

"Where I am fishing, I have no use for casting well into the green running line. With a 14 foot leader and a 12 foot rod, I normally have just the head or a little more out on even the largest pools I am fishing. I am sure the 6126 is a great stick, but it is more rod than I need."

No, you don't need a 6126 for that fishing. In fact Meise's 5/6 10'6" Switch rod would be a great rod for that fishing. I have one and it is my small stream rod. Yet it is capable of casting into the green if I want to with the W/C 5/6.

My only concern about the smaller rods are the potential deadly impact to big fish re taking too long to bring a fish in after it is hooked (1 minute per pound) and releasing it before deadly lactic acid build up happens.

Last year I saw several 5# plus trout in Putah Creek dead or dying after being fished with puny 5 weight rods. This year on the American River I fished below two expert shad fishers with 6 weight rods. They were deadly in hooking the shad fought the shad for a long time. I was about 150' down stream. Most of the shad when released died or were dying by the time they came by me. After an hour I was surrounded by about a dozen dead or dying shad released by these two guys. I got one of them to come down and see what was happening, he shrugged his shoulders and said he still was taking the 6 weight to Alaska the next week for trout and Dolly Varden. The other gave me the one finger salute and continued to catch and kill shad.

I have no idea how much backbone the Sage 5 weight has. I do know that Meise's 5/6 switch rod can make a 5 pound trout heel in a minute or two, and the 6126 is even more effective. I do know that the Sage 5 weight casts a lot better with the WC 5/6 than it does with the Sage line built for it. It is an easy rod to cast and to mend lines with. The main thing is how comfortable you are with a rod. It sounds like you and the Sage 5 weight are a good match up for your fishing. Sage makes great rods, and I have owned several one handed and two handed Sage Rods. They have been excellent rods.

 

[Dr. Swing]

G-Pa,

I understand your concern. However, most of the fish I am up against are in th 2-4 pound class and overpowered by larger spey rods. I don't baby tackle or the fish. I agree that a lot of fisherman fight fish like nancy boys, but I assure you that I am not one of them. I am confident that I can quickly land any fish I might encounter with a five weight rod.

 

[MJC]

Hey Doc...

Did you try a SpeyTracker yet? When ya coming over here to see me? Maybe you'll have time to take a test drive and you can give me a comparision between the two.

 

[juro]

Just to keep the list of trout speys current, the 12'2" 5/6 IM8 Spey Trackers are on dealer's shelves as well as fishing in capable hands over at Kamchatka right now. The 9'8" 6/7 over/unders are also in stock.

They like the WC 5/6, the Hardy Mach I 8/9, and custom lines built by Ed Ward for Skagit Style casting. The 9'8" casts WF lines as well as spey lines, single or double handed.

The updated website will be up soon, and will include the Solstice Series rods that cover light steelhead to big river greaselining (the original name of the series).

Spey Tracker IM8 Trout Spey Action 3pc Rods
12' 2" 5/6
9' 8" 6/7

Solstice Series (Greased Liner) IM8 Spey Action 4pc Rods
13' 4" 6/7
14' 3" 7/8
15' 2" 7/8
16' 1" 8/9

Look for availability of Solstice Series rods shortly after the Denver Fly Tackle and Trade show (9-17 thru 9/19)

 

[inland]

Juro,

Now where did you go and sneak another rod in on us? A 16'1" 8/9. Please do tell more...

William

 

[juro]

Good eye Inland!

The full Solstice Series has finally passed a particularly rigorous field qualification on salmon and steelhead streams around the globe. The 16'1" 8/9 was Nobuo's most recent addition to the series and the final approved (production) version will be shown at the Denver Fly Trade Show along with the rest of the series. I hope to give it a short tour of steelhead rivers immediately after the show. It will be nice to be casting over rivers with real steel in them for a change!

 

[Dr. Swing]

Did you try a SpeyTracker yet? When ya coming over here to see me? Maybe you'll have time to take a test drive and you can give me a comparision between the two.

MJC,

Haven't gotten my paws on the Spey Tracker. If it is as nice as my steelhead specialist I am sure it is a hell of a rod. I was surprised by how nice the Sage was and also by that size rod's suitabilty to the fishing I do with it. The twelish foot light speys are perfect. As for which one is the best, I haven't the slightest. I am still busy as crap and actually haven't had the chance to get it wet since the initial day, but that will start to change. I'm looking forward to gettting over to see you in November. I'd love to throw the little CND when I get there.

 

[Dr. Swing]

Been fishing this rod now for about a month about 3-5 days a week and I am even more impressed than I was on day one. Inspired by Riveraddicts skagit head posts, wanted to see what this rod would do with a similar line. Not having access to the many different line weights to construct the line to his specks, I just took a DT 12, cut it at 30 something feet, spliced the front taper to some slickshooter and looped the fat end to accomidate tips. I took a 7 weight type 3 15 foot tip and put a loop in it and threw it on. A few test casts were enough to see that the line was way to heavy. With a little line pulled into the guides it started to work. I found the right length this way (sorry I forgot what exactly it wa) and one more cut off the fat line was all that it took. I think the total length is right around 42 feet with tip, but I need to double check! With the running line splice about 1/3 of the way into the rod, this line works extremely well with Perry pokes, snap t's and Doubles. With the splice in my top hand, it works less well with snakes and singles. Now for the shocking stuff...

This line will turn over every big nasty in my box. Big sculpins, coneheads, lead eye leeches.... yup... on a 5 weight. And the 16-20 inch fish still feel like something.

The line worked so well I decided to toss on a 150 grain type 3 15 foot sink tip which is a RIO 10 weight tip. NO PROBLEM... On a 5 weight. I haven't tried any of the faster sink rate tips as I have no need to get much deeper, but I have no doubt that they would cast just fine given the EASE of casting with the other tips.

I am having so darn much fun chucking big buggers and sculpins that I haven't gone back to the windcutter and the small soft hackles that I am normally so addicted to fishing this time of year. This line does fine out to 75 feet or so, even in my clumsy hands and that is plenty far for what I am doing. Casting is effortless, so long as I take my time and position my anchor properly. Wind is no issue at all with the sink tips. I AM HAVING FUN!!!!!