04-03-2008, 03:57 PM
I have a Sage 9' 5wt 4 piece z-axis rod (~$675 retail) and a T&T 9', 5wt, 3 piece (~$400 retail). I like both rods, BUT I like the T&T better. Sage is a great brand (as is T&T), but you need to "shake a few sticks" before you drop the big bucks on quality rod. Both companies insure against breakage 100%. I broke my T&T and it was replaced after a standard $40 handling fee. Same price for Sage if you break one of theirs. Go out to a dealer for both Sage and T&T and see what "feels" better to you. I found the best place to check out rods is all the yuppie-fly-shoppes in Jackson Hole or Park City. Anyway, you probably can't go wrong with either.
Your next logical question is reels. On these, I prefer a Ross (hands down over every other one I've check out). The drag is awesome, the reel is simple, durable, and bullet proof. I like the Cimmaron models which have a tradional arbor. But the other Ross models are "large arbor". These are the CLA, Evolution, and Rhythm. I think the large arbor is over-rated. I've fished the Rhythm and Cimmaron and both are nice. My reel to match my rod is a Cimmaron Size 2 (for 4-8wt rods), its a gem.
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Your next logical question is reels. On these, I prefer a Ross (hands down over every other one I've check out). The drag is awesome, the reel is simple, durable, and bullet proof. I like the Cimmaron models which have a tradional arbor. But the other Ross models are "large arbor". These are the CLA, Evolution, and Rhythm. I think the large arbor is over-rated. I've fished the Rhythm and Cimmaron and both are nice. My reel to match my rod is a Cimmaron Size 2 (for 4-8wt rods), its a gem.
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