I been here from Trident fly-fishing bringing you. Another great gear review today we're reviewing the sage Excel. Now the Excel is sages mid-priced medium fast action freshwater fly rod directed straight at the trout angler who doesn't like to cast as rod as fast as a sage. Or a sage method you know the rods. That sage is so famous for so let's start at the bottom. And show what this rod is. All about starting at the bottom we've got a single up locking reel seat with a nice wood insert of course we're pairing this today with our favorite setup which is sa GPX line. And the Lampson Lightspeed which is the winner of our 5 weight real shootout moving on up we've got a snub nose half wells grip. While that's a little complicated. What it really is a full wells grip without quite the same hump in the middle think of.

It as a smooshed in reversed half Wells. Ireally like this grip a lot. Ithink sage makes some of the. Most comfortable grips out there. This is no exception it's really become standard on. Most of their rods moving on up you'll find the same great construction on the excel. You find on every Sage rod with nice tight wraps the excel also features. This great emerald green blank. We get to that first joint you'll notice what's missing the alignment dots. This isn't a big deal but. Ido find it saves you a lot of time. If they have them so sage. If you're listening let's get them on the next set of rods next you'll notice the stripping guide which is a lot smaller. Than the stripping guide on sage. This is a freshwater only rod as opposed to an. All water rod finally it's got the same Fuji hard chrome stripping guides as you'll find on every sage rod finally. Iwanted to talk a little bit about the construction of.

This rod the sage excel is built with sages generation 5 technology which is a little bit older. Than sages kinetic technology generation 5 was used in great rods like the z axis. And the t CX but just isn't as accurate as the latest kinetic technology nevertheless. This rod is still really light comes in at two. And seven-eighths ounces which puts. It lighter some of the other great rods on the market today like. This hardy zenith now for the. Most important part we're going to take. This right out it casts so casting the excel at 30 feet it's really clear why sage built. This rod it gives me laser tight loops. And the rod loads really well I'm so much better. Then the sage and the sage method at. This particular distance which is a key distance for the average trout fisherman.

Even big water trout anglers will make. This 30-foot cast all the time I'd give it a 9 out of 10 at 30 feet so bringing the excel back to 45 feet brings out. Some interesting features of. This rod the first thing. Inoticed right away is. How much been there is in. This rod compared to the faster rods. You see today you really get a ton of feel. More importantly you don't really have to double haul. It at 45 feet to get. It out there the other thing that's really apparent is it's really not the. Most accurate rod at. This distance so that I'm missing the target. Than I'm hitting it at 45 feet. Whereas at 30 feet it was almost always right on I'm gonna give. This about 7 out of 10 at 45 feet so. Iwas casting the excel at 45 feet. Ithought to myself I'm not. Even sure this rod can make. It out to 60 feet but. It turns out it actually does a pretty good job at 60. This is not the rod. That I'd want to take to Armstrongs. Ihad to make this cast land on a dime it's certainly not accurate at 60 feet.

Iwould definitely not want to bring it into. Any headwind or a crosswind for. That matter but it does get there. You know particularly with the drive fly. That we've got on it's not too bad I'd say I'm gonna give. This six out of ten at 60 feet so after casting this sage Excel. Iwas really impressed with. It performed particularly at short distances. It did alright even at medium. And longer distances which surprised. Me quite a bit that really means is. This rod is gonna make a great rod for the average trout angler particularly the average eastcoastrod angler is not fishing. That bigger water well we've learned from our shootouts is. Most anglers prefer a moderate to fast action rod that's got high performance. This is a moderate to fast action rod with moderately high performance so it's not quite up there with the top rods.

We see today in terms of Sage's line-up. This rod is gonna be a better trout rod for most anglers. Then the sage one is which is really saying a lot I'm also looking forward to seeing how the new 2016 mod which has the same type of action but it's built with kinetic technology. It should be a lot more accurate at those middle. And longer distances. One thing I found a little strange about the stage AFCEL is its price point well sages marketing department says they're building a rod for the action not for the price it's pretty clear. That with the upcoming mod that's not really the case. And furthermore the excel is priced at six hundred. And fifty dollars so it's not really an inexpensive rod. And it's really bordering on moderately priced after. All the Hardys Zenith was priced at about six hundred. And fifty dollars as well. It was a much higher performing all-around rod.

This sage AFCEL finally. Iwanted to touch a little bit on line choice well cast. This rod with sa GP X which is a half size heavier. Than a standard line like a Rio gold. Or a Rio trout LT you wanted a little bit. More long-distance performance. Some of those lighter lines might be a little bit better for you overall. This is a great trout rod. And work great for a lot of anglers. Once again Sage Excel is priced six hundred. And fifty dollars is available with free second day air from Trident fly fishing comm. You have any questions about. This rod shoot us an email at support at Trident fly fishing comm. Is a call at eight eight four. One three five two one I'm Ben thanks for watching we'll see.

Iam Jerry seem I'm here in Orlando with a new fly tackle dealer show 2014 Detroit a couple rods here. That we're building on Bainbridge Island Washington. These are us made with excel rods it's a complete line of a-rod's boards. This year includes a couple of nice spear ons 13 a half foot anyway we've got. One down here that's 11 foot 9 inch 7 way switch the Spay rods family is a very approachable - gorgeous rod go with generation 5 technology here is a very tough durable really sensitive rods here Orlando showing the new rods itself. And loving it I'm very simple sales.

Hi sage Vance Jason at the Kingfisher fly shop in Missouri Montana. And the day I just got in the new sage Excel fly rod. And we're gonna take a look at a couple of the features today along with a couple of the ways. That they've changed. It over last year's of exp model right out of the gate. One of the main changes is the graphite in the blank they've reinvented the g5 graphite technology by adding hoop. And axial graphite fibers into the blank which has made. It a lot of lighter a lot thinner. And much more responsive the other main change. They made is the color the green. This year is a much. More vivid by a vibrant brighter green. Than last year's vxp model the single hand models only give. Me available in three through nine weights. And the switch and spade models will only be available through the six. And eight weights so let's go take a look. It casts on the water. Now guys hey guys a putter for the Kingfisher flush up here just outside of Missouri Montana I'm fine deep the Blackfoot River about five minutes from our shop. We just got a shipment of the new salt. And Excel rods in to try. This is the new nine foot five weeks age Excel. Ireally like the sage XP so. Iwas sort of biased right off the bat wanted to see. What this thing can do. Ifished the sage xi3 for salt water a bunch so. What the kinetic technology involved in making this rod is. Iwas excited to try. It very nice a mid flex action.

That has that power to finish. You really don't understand. It comes from you know you'll make a cast. All of a sudden there's. That little bit of extra poop at the end. That just finishes it out beautifully for you I'm not going to get into the technology of. It we're going to do an inside section of. This review I just let. Me say as a guy really liked the XP. This thing closed its doors. It plenty of line speed but a very nice feel to the cast finishes off smoothly great dry fly rod in a six-year seven is to be an awesome streamer rod. And a three or four it'll be great for. That light pimping and light dry fly fishing on the spring you.

Hi Ben here from Trident fly fishing today we're reviewing the sage 2016 lineup. And I've got with me the 9 foot 5 way sage bolts. Now the bolt is sages ultra fast action generation 5 graphite rods so. You remember back in the stage lineup. This is essentially the same specifications. That the old TC X had but at a slightly. More reasonable price point. Now the TC X was an ultra fast rod. It was not a rod that was designed for every man angler, so we're not expecting this bolt to be a rod. That the beginner is gonna want to pick up. And start casting the bolt starts out with a matte black single up locking reel seat connected to a rosewood insert. And today it's important to note. That we're casting this with Rio Grande which is the heaviest of Rio's trout lines next it's. All sage the great snub nose half wells grip made with only the finest cork. That quickly turns into. This orange what they call salmon fly blank like the method. Everybody on the river is gonna know you're casting a bolt. When you're out there. Ipersonally like the bold colors but. If you're a traditionalist. You might think it's a little bit too much the bolt just like. All sage rods is built with meticulous quality on Teignbridge Island Washington it's got the same hard chrome snake.

And stripping guides. That you'll see on all the other sage rods but the. Most important part is. It casts so let's go check. It out, so we've got the bolt here at 30 feet our first trout distance. When I'm leisurely casting this rod. You can really barely feel. This distance you were fishing a rising fish on Armstrong's Spring Creek at 30 feet with the bolt. You would not have a lot of luck getting it in there. It really just only the last little bit of the tip Lexa's at. You get almost no fee but. Something you can get used to. If you're willing to really kind of launch. It down kind of force the rod to flex. It actually works okay but it's not anywhere near the rod that's designed for this distance, so I'm gonna give it a 7 out of 10 at 30 feet so bring the bolt back to 45 feet it's a lot better. It was a 30 the rod definitely starts to kick in but honestly. This is an ultra fast stage rod. And it's as advertised.

It still just wants to pump out line. And accuracy at 45 feet it's still not great I'm gonna give it an 8 out of 10 so at 60 feet the bolt starts to come alive. You can start to feel. It loads with that double haul but. You still definitely have to haul. It's not it's definitely not an easy rod to cast by. Any means but it's by far the best at. This distance of the three. That we've casted at so far I'm gonna give it a 9 out of 10 at 60 feet so after casting the new bolt. Ican tell it does exactly. What saige intended. It to do it is an ultra fast action rod. And because of that it's really not. That great at 30 or 45 feet. It back to 60 feet it starts to flex. And starts to become a lot. More fun to cast so. That means for the average crowd angler is in the 9 foot 5 weight size you're probably not gonna love. This rod that said. If you're fishing big western rivers. You really need all the power.

You can get all the line speed. You can get you might really like. This rod but then again you'll probably want. It in a 6 anyway the other thing this rod is going to be great for is distance casting so. You want to show your friends. You can cast the boat we'll do. It with no problem being the older generation five graphite it's priced below the method. And comparing the two they're similar in action but the methods kinetic technology just makes. It a little bit softer. And a little bit more accessible. And overall I just much preferred the method to the bolt. You have questions about the new bolt. If you're lonely you just feel like talking to. Somebody give us a call at eight eight four. One three five two, or we're available 24/7 online at support at Trident fly fishing comm. You enjoyed this review don't forget to like. And leave a comment in the box below I'm Ben thanks for watching we'll see.