Pre-Show Peek: Sage Announces Two New Rod Series

September 8, 2010 By: Marshall Cutchin

We’ve been fishing Sage‘s new TXL-F ($625) three-, four- and five-weights on Colorado’s Elk River for the past couple of days and can confirm that Sage has engineered the rumored sensitivity into the new rods. Via Micro Ferrule Technology, and an exclusive, ultra-light guide package, Sage reduced the weight of the TXL-F by 33 percent from the earlier TXL series. Our favorite rod in this range is the three-weight: it seems to hit the sweet spot for lightness and control, and while we were challenged to land 20-inch rainbows with it, we can’t say it wasn’t fun.
Meanwhile Sage has used different materials, different mandrels, and even a new taper in its replacement for the XP seies. We fished the new VXP ($485-585) extensively and think the four- and five-weights are great all-around rods. They certainly don’t have the sensitivity of the TXL-F’s, but they did throw streamers and multi-fly rigs well and did fine on the Trico hatch as well.