[esudol]

Gents,
I'm looking for some feedback or recommendations on a 6/7 spey rod. It appears that both Winston and Sage have rods in this category and was wondering if any of you folks have used either rod, or both for comparison. Also, what line would you recommend. I'm now using the Rio Accelerator and Windutter on my heavier rods. Thanks. Ed

 

[Grampa Spey]

6/7 Spey Rods

I have owned a Sage 6126 for about one month, and it is an awesome rod for me.

It will cast the W/C 5/6 or MS 6/7 floating lines as a dry line rod. It will out cast in distance my Meis 5/6 switch rod and Sage 7136 with either line. The best floating line in bigger waters is the MS 6/7, and in smaller tight waters, the W/C 5/6 works very well.

It rips the tip compensator and a 15' tip with a large sinking fly with the WC 678 with the upgrade or the MS 7/8 with tips right out of the water, including some high flows on the American River with large shad flies.

I can cast as far with this rod as with my Sage 7141 with less effort.

The rod brings large shad and trout up to 3 #'s in quickly (no trout over 3#'s yet ) , but I 'm sure that it will handle any trout on the West Coast with no problem. It should handle any steelhead that I'm lucky to get on in N California and S Oregon during the Spring to Fall seasons.

The shorter length enables me to cast the rod in areas where a 14' to 15' rod would become a 12' rod due to trees, brush, rocks and other stuff along the bank.
Thanks to this ability to use in close quarters, I have used it fairly successful with streamers in Putah Creek. I can get to seams that good one handed casters can't get to, inspite of the close quarters. It is a high sticking dream rod.

Yard overhead casting with any one handed 8 weight line works very well, (6 weight one handed lines don't load the rod for me). I can cast the entire head and belly of the Teeny 200 and 300 with a simple roll cast and one over head back cast of the head and a few feet of line out of the rod tip, the rest of the line shoots out like a rocket. I plan to test it in/on the surf in the next few weeks.

I wouldn't recommend the rod for trout that are smaller than 1 pound. The good thing about the small trout is that you get them in rapidly, release them in shallow water and monitor them until they swim away.

 

[t_richerzhagen]

Welcome go the Board

What are you going to be fishing for and what size rivers and flies? Those questions make a lot of difference in the recommendations.

Try to get out on the water and cast some of the options and then decide what works best for you. I very much like my Meiser 11' 7" for a 5/6. This is a "trouter" light steelhead rod that works very well with a Skagit style of short head line.

The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches should have some outfits for you to try and is a sponsor of this Board.

 

[Moose]

And if you want a lighter rod....

the CND Expert 6/7 is a light, soft rod great for dry flies and wets out to about 70 feet with the same Windcutter 5/6. Good used rods can be had on E Bay.

 

[debarb]

Just acquired a used Sage 6126-3 a couple of weeks back, and tried it out yesterday for the first time with an Airflo long delta 6-7. I'll second what Grampa spey said: an awesome rod. In fact, it's right up there with Burkie 1398-3 in my book. Very light, and remarkably powerful: long casts are a breeze with this rod. I was wondering how it would fare with a big fish on. Hooked what was probably a 28-30 inch steelhead yesterday on its maiden outing and had it on for 2 or 3 minutes before it spit the hook, but I didn't once feel undergunned. Haven't cast the Meiser or the CND, so I can't compare. I'm a convert, though, to light rods and tackle, though, at least until the winter.

 

[Grampa Spey]

DeBarb, enters the 6126/3 fan club.

Thanks for the feedback. Your experience sound like my trips with this rod. It has handled 3-5 pound shad and trout with no problem. It casts the full head and belly of the MS 7/8 and the WC 678 with the upgrade. It pulls big shad flies out of the water with either line with the tip compensator and sinking tips. Yet it can cast out the lighter WC 5/6 and MS 6/7 floating line. I can high stick, indicator fish and having fun fishing streamers with it.

The only time I felt a little out gunned was when a big striper made dinner out of a shad that I was bringing in. I was putting a turn on it when the striper broke a new 10# tippet. The same thing happened with my 7136 a couple of years ago, and I was helpless with that limber noodle of a rod. The 6126 feels like it has about 3-4 times the turning and stopping power that my Sage RPL 8 weight, 9'6", rod did.

The 6126 will make my life a lot more simple with one rod for most of my fishing from Spring to Early Fall unless I go for summer salmon. I'm getting feedback that it is a great rod for the small stripers and ocean perch in the surf. I haven't tried it in the surf yet.

We are having another very windy spring and summer (4 years in a roll). The 6126 with my limited skills does very well with strong and swirling winds. It does better with the MS 7/8 than my 7141. Last year when the wind was as strong as it has been this past month, I had to go to my GS 7/8 beat the wind with my 7141. That combo wears out an old 65 year old Grampa. The 6126 with either the WC 678 and the upgrade or the MS7/8 just slices through the wind without having to hammer it through the wind.

 

[ChromeFever]

LIght Rods

I am not sure what you are going to be using this rod for but the Sage is a very nice rod. I have had the chance to cast it and it works very well. I own the CND custom 1307SP and I love this rod. I have yet to find something that I cant do with this rod. It handles floating lines extremely well and also work wonders with short head and sink tips. Like a skagit line or a W/C. I dont think you would be unhappy with either of these two rods.

 

[juro]

CND has a few spey casting rods in this class, two available today and two on the horizon:

1) Expert 13' 6/7 which likes the WC 5/6 line and Hardy Mach I 8/9, $295

2) Custom 13' 7/8 which is a 6/7 midspey or 6/7/8 WC line class rod with guts enough for steelhead $395

Within the next several weeks two more will be available:

CND Speytracker 12'2" 5/6, 4-pc lightweight trout spey - which also likes the WC 5/6/ Hardy MI 8/9, but differs from the Expert 1306 in it's lighter weight, the finest components obtainable, the ultimate "trout and half-pounder" package.

The new CND Solstice Series (previously the "Greased-Liner" series) includes a 13'4" 6/7 4-pc IM8 graphite steelhead/salmon spey which likes the 6/7 Midspey and 6/7/8 WC range or equivalent (grains/ft). This is a steelhead and salmon

The Speytracker and Solstice Series are newer designs using higher-end components and materials like the Specialist series. The Solstice Series uses the same tough IM8 graphite used in the Atlantis Surf-tamer rods, but smoothed down into a light summer run spey package.

Both are expected to be available for the peak of the summer run season although the premium materials like flora cork from Portugal and hard-chrome SiC Fuji strip guides have been the cause for delay for many rod makers, CND included.

Prices will be finalized shortly but will generally fall between the Custom and Specialist Series prices.

The website will be updated shortly.

 

[flyfisha1]

...Yard overhead casting with any one handed 8 weight line works very well, (6 weight one handed lines don't load the rod for me). I can cast the entire head and belly of the Teeny 200 and 300 with a simple roll cast and one over head back cast of the head and a few feet of line out of the rod tip, the rest of the line shoots out like a rocket. I plan to test it in/on the surf in the next few weeks.

The 6126 loads with 8-weight single-hand line? This may be a silly question, but could the rod be cast one-handed as well as two-handed?

 

[Grampa Spey]

"The 6126 loads with 8-weight single-hand line? This may be a silly question, but could the rod be cast one-handed as well as two-handed?"

It probably could be cast with one hand, but the balance of the rod and the length would make it uncomfortable to me. I injured my right shoulder 3 years ago, and that is why I got into two handed rods and spey rods.

One of these days I will spend a day or part of a day trying to learn Turbo casting. Then, I will try it using the Turbo cast.

Since I can roll cast up to 10 to 60' with the 6126, I have never seen the need to one hand cast it. That handles being in a smaller stream surrounded by brush and a canopy of trees.

Last week, I practiced my truly ugly but highly effective over head lob with a downstream water load with a big right angle Boles indicator and a big sinking fly. I have the entire head belly down stream from me. Then, I pull in a rod's length of line to start breaking the tension and the process. Then, I lift the rod to free the line and water load it. Lob cast all of it overhead and up stream for 50 to 60+'. Then, I control and bring in the line with a high rod until it gets even with me. The rod goes down level with me as the indicator passes, and I start to release the line that I brought in as the indicator goes down stream and lifting the rod as it goes down stream. I can get drifts up to 100+ feet and control the indicator during the entire drift. This worked well with my 7136, but the limber tip made it hard to convert strikes into hooked fish. The 6126 should enable me to set the hook better than with the more limber 7136.

 

[Davel]

Lines for 6126

This may be a long lost thread but I"ll add 2 cents anyway.

Have tried many lines on the 6126 looking for that special combination. Started with an Airflow "Steelhead Spey" line (blue, now discontinued, which I like very much and still string occasionally) but kept moving up in weight trying to "work" the rod. Moved to WC 7/8 which was pretty nice but not a fan of short heads and stripping when not needed. Tried 7/8 w/upgrade, too much by far, and other lines also. Personal opinion is that this is a 7/8 wt rod regardles of model #.
Finally, obstinate and on a quest, I tried a single hand SA 8 wt double taper out of the line bag. I confess I'm a double taper guy anyway but WOW, what an epiphany! Talk about line control and delicacy, this line is sooo smoooth coming out of the water, nary a drop or ripple with care. It got me thinking about line/water disturbance, out there, where the fish are. I have since dropped back to a 7 wt double taper which is a better match when using most of line. I know it's an un-manly length of line but I'm typically only fishing at +-90' reel to fly with this rod anyway. As G.S. said, upstream indicator type fishing is super.
I have cast single hand and do so occasionally (when 2nd is busy) but not as steady diet. Works ok w/60' or so of fat line out but a bit much w/more. Casting 2 hand overhead is very easy, quick and long if there's room behind.

 

[Grampa Spey]

Davel, was that the WC 678 with the upgrade or the WC789 upgrade. The WC678 with the upgrade works very well with my 6126. In fact with a heavy wind, it works better than my MS 7/8.

I have the feeling that the 6126s are like Meise's 7/8 rods. It is really hard to find a line that doesn't work on either rod. Some work better than others in certain situations.

Somewhere I have a Wonderline Steelhead 8 double taper, if I have time, I will try it.

 

[Davel]

6126 lines

GS - That was the WC 678. Thought it seemed a touch light (and short) so I added the upgrade. Then it was heavy but managable with floating tip but seemed way over lined using any of the sink tips. I swear I tried so many lines I felt like Goldilocks.
I'm fond of the Long Delta (on a heavier rod) and would like to try a 6/7 &/or 7/8 on it. However, I do like the double taper as is and w/ airflow tips too. Ego boost is that I'm into backing with any decent run. yipee

 

[Grampa Spey]

Thanks!

We are so fortunate to have so many great Spey Lines and one handed lines to try.

I have Meise's 8910 Surf two handed critter launcher. The GS 7/8 and 8/9 work with it. The Rio Striper 26 350 grain line is an awesome line with it. I bought the Rio Striper 26' interchangeable head line. It sucks when I try a modified spey cast, yet in 30-40 plus mph winds yesterday, I was able cast a large fly with a cross wind with a sidearm semi overhand cast, the full length of the running line. So it should work great in our rivers when the salmon are in with a lot of wind. So far 3 spey lines, and 3 single handed saltwater lines have worked well with it.

 

[Grampa Spey]

peter-s-c
Eclectic fly fisher

My 6126 can cast the MS 6/7, but in my hands, the MS 7/8 or WC 678 with the upgrade are the best lines.

I'm getting feed back from others not on this site to try my Rio striper 350 grain line with it or my Teeny 300 with it. If it can overhand cast or allow me to do a modified spey line with that line or the SA intermediate striper, that will be great. Both lines fit very well on the Orvis Large Arbor Battenkill to make a light but heavy duty fish fighting combo for the smaller stripers and surf fish.

Peter, you, would have been proud of me yesterday. I went to the coast yesterday to try and catch the Chinooks milling around the mouth of the Russian River. The wind was horrible a good sized fishing boat was forced ashore near where I planned to fish. The wind actually blew my height challenged 200 #'s and size 12 shoes off of a flat rock. So I decided not to try casting there.

Later in the afternoon I finally found a place to practice cast Meise's 8910 two handed surf rod with my new Rio Striper line with the 26 ' tips. The wind was a cross wind of 20 -30 mph. At first I tried some modified double speys which I can do with the Rio Striper with the built in 350 grain tip. That line works very well with Meise's rod with modified Spey casts from the shore. It sucked with this line as there is basically very little belly and just a lot of intermediate blue running line.

I put on the 26' clear intermediate head and a large fly. Then, I used your two handed over hand cast if the wind wasn't too high. With minimal effort I was casting 90 to 100 ft with strong cross winds. I could not believe how tight the loop was when I slammed the butt against my ample gut while keeping my right arm low and close to my body.

If the wind gusted during my cast, I would have to sidearm it. I wasn't as good as I was the pure overhead. However, I was driving it through the wind 70 to 80'. I normally do better with the solid sinking tips. So it will be interesting to try it with them.

I was thinking good thoughts about you when I did all of it right. Some casts took up the 30 to 50' foot of line coiled at my feet and several more feet off the reel. Most casts were done with only one or two back casts. I would strip the line after each cast do a roll cast and usually fired the first back cast out due to the wind.

Besides the neat casts, as you noted, my shoulders and arms didn't feel it. Also, there is a lot less strain on the right wrist/hand as the butt in the gut takes the stop and the second collision.

 

[spey_bubba]

Another option you may want to check out are the new Scott LS2 rods, coming out next month. A 12' 6 weight (6 oz.!) and a 13' 7 weight (about 7 oz.) will be available in four piece sleeve ferrule designs; I understand they will retail in the $500 range. They have been a blast to work with in the prototype phases, are unbelievably light, yet have a smooth progressive action capable of short in work, and distance casting as well with a variety of line head lengths.

I also understand that new rods from Sage and Loomis are on their way as well, although I don't know much about individual rod specifics (actions, pieces, price, length, line weights). Should be a very invigorating Fly tackle retailer's show in September!