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Sage XP 490-4

8K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Eddie 
#1 ·
Fished the Green River at the Flaming Gorge in Utah last month and I used the XP #4 the whole time. What a nice rod. Light,efficient, accurate. Not a defanged RPL+, this rod gives really good feed back from the butt, yet still feels supple. I used the SA XPS dt line and found it to match the rod perfectly. The rod roll casts and mends as well as I could hope for. I stunned my friends and my self with a laser like 50' single hand spey cast into the sipping snout of a beutiful brown.
As with any rod, cast it to see if you like it, but this is fast action rod for folks that don't like fast action rods.
The line was spooled up on a Galvan 3.0 BA. A good reel that balanced perfectly. Machined, Large arbor, black anodized, disc drag blah blah blah...still you couldn't ask for more. It's pretty in a modern way, machined like a piece of lace, but tough.
I probably would have caught a bunch of fish with any rig, but there is a pleasure in fishing with a perfectly balanced outfit.
 
#4 ·
Hey Nathan,
Hi Nathan,

I have two buddies that bought the 9'6" 8-weight XP in 4 piece design for bonefish use in Cuba. They handled all bonefish up to 9 lbs fine, but one brought the rod back to the store: he broke the tip section trying to pull the leader/line connection through the tip top. The way I see it the rod wasn't faulty.
The other guy (has more saltwater experience) had a few mid-size jacks on the rod as well and felt a little undergunned but otherwise fine rod, though.
 
#5 ·
Hi Nathan,


I have two buddies that bought the 9'6" 8-weight XP in 4 piece design for bonefish use in Cuba. They handled all bonefish up to 9 lbs fine, but one brought the rod back to the store: he broke the tip section trying to pull the leader/line connection through the tip top. The way I see it the rod wasn't faulty.
The other guy (has more saltwater experience) had a few mid-size jacks on the rod as well and felt a little undergunned but otherwise fine rod, though.
 
#6 ·
Nathan, the #8 890 XP is a terrific caster. I have not fished one yet, but I wouldn't judge the butt stiffness by its thickness alone. Wall thickness is a consideration too. Having said that, I'd bet that it would handle any fish that you'd cast to with an #8.
 
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