Gorge Fly Shop Blog: ALL NEW: SAGE R8 SPEY ROD REVIEW

ALL NEW: SAGE R8 SPEY ROD REVIEW.

Sage's Beautiful Spey R8 8130-4! (photo by Callum Brock)

"The Sage Spey R8 8130-4 is really light in my hand, easy to cast with a Scientific Anglers Skagit 600 grain Head combined with a RIO iMOW Heavy 5' Int/5' T-14 sink tip. A joy to fish!" - Callum Brock.

Every few years, rod manufactuers come out with the latest, and greatest, new and improved rods. This is a great thing for the consumer since the manufactuers are always looking for lighter and stronger materials and ways to make our fishing experiences even better than they already are. When I look back at older rods, some that I still have and love to fish, it is amazing the differences in them compared to rods of today.

I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a new rod and fished it and wondered how it could ever get better than what I already have in my hand. Well, needless to say everytime I think like that, here comes a new rod. We benefit from manufactuers competing for your recreational dollars. If they want to stay ahead of the game, they have to come through with the goods. We also know that manufactuers are looking out for us, as the consumers, but we also know that they need to generate sales. So these two factors keep pushing companies to come out with amazing rods every few years.

This leads me to this short review of the latest rod that I've been lucky enough to get my hands on. The NEW Sage R8 Spey 8130-4. Typically here in the Columbia River Gorge, where I do most of my steelhead fishing, a 7wt spey rod is most sufficient, even a 6wt is prefered during the summer months when throwing a Scandi line. But, I needed an 8wt for winter fishing the Oregon Coast and for future trips to the Skeena and such. So, I bought myself the 13' 8wt and I am very pleased that I did.

I know and understand that the rod is a tool for me to get the job done, but that being said, I also love the asthetics of a beautifully built rod. Asthetically when thinking of rods that stand out in this catagory, I think of rods like Winston, C.F. Burkheimer, and a few others automatically come to mind. I'd like to include the new Sage R8 Spey rod in this short list. They have done a wonderful job and asthetically, the rod is very pleasing to my eyes!

I'm loving the butt section of the handles design, making it very comfortable to hold during the stroke of the cast. I am not a huge fan of thick handles, and Sage has done a fantastic job with these handles. Also, I really love the Ale Blank color, as I also do on my Sage Trout Spey HD 2wt rod. In my opinion, I love this color for a rod second to only the famous Winston Green rods. In addition the Granite aluminum componentry is stunning and one of my favorite colors as well. Asthetically, that's my 2 cents.

Shop Sage R8 Spey Rods Here

FINE-TUNED ACTIONS:

Action: Switch - For Cast in Tight Quarters | 7116-4, 8116-4

Action: Lightweight Line Speed - Accurate Distance with Light Spey Lines | 5126-4, 6130-4.

Action: Max Versatility - Spey Casting Mulit-Tool | 7126-4, 7130-4, 7136-4, 8130-4, 9130-4.

Action: Most Powerful - Max. Power, Distance & Control | 8126-4, 8136-4, 9140-4, 10150-4.

MODELS TO COVER YOUR NEEDS:

5 wt: 5126-4
6 wt: 6130-4
7 wts: 7116-4, 7126-4, 7130-4, 7136-4
8 wts: 8116-4, 8126-4, 8130-4, 8136-4
9 wts: 9130-4, 9140-4, 9140-6 (6 piece)
10 wt: 10150-4

LINE RECOMMENDATIONS:

5 wt 12'6" | 5126-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 350-400gr
Scandi 300-350gr
Recommended - Skagit 375 - Skagit Max Power
Recommended - Scandi 320 - Scandi Launch

6 wt 13' | 6130-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 400-450gr
Scandi 350-400gr
Recommended - Skagit 425 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommended - Scandi 380 - Scandi Launch

7wt 11'6" | 7116-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 450-500gr
Scandi 400-450gr
Recommended - Skagit 475 - Skagit Max Power
Recommended - Scandi 440 - Scandi Launch

7wt 12'6" | 7126-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 500-550gr
Scandi 450-500gr
Recommended - Skagit 525 - Skagit Max Power
Recommended - Scandi 470 - Scandi Launch

7wt 13'0" | 7130-4

Ideal Line:

Skagit 500-550gr
Scandi 450-500gr
Recommended - Skagit 525 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommended - Scandi 470 - Scandi Launch

7wt 13'6" | 7136-4

Ideal Line:

Skagit 500-550gr
Scandi 450-500gr
Recommeded - Skagit 525 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommeded - Scandi 470 - Scandi Launch

8wt 11'6" | 8116-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 500-550gr
Scandi 450-500gr
Recommended - Skagit 525 - Skagit Max Power
Recommended - Scandi 470 - Scandi Launch

8wt 12'6" | 8126-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 575-625gr
Scandi 520-580gr
Recommended - Skagit 600 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommended - Scandi 520 - Scandi Launch

8wt 13'0" | 8130-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 550-600gr
Scandi 500-550gr
Recommended - Skagit 575 - Skagit Max Launch (don't be afraid of a 600gr head)
Recommended - Scandi 520 - Scandi Launch

8wt 13'6" | 8136-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 575-625gr
Scandi 520-580gr
Recommended - Skagit 600 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommended - Scandi 520 - Scandi Launch

9wt 13'0" | 9130-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 600-650gr
Scandi 550-600gr
Recommended - Skagit 625 - Skagit Max Power
Recommended - Scandi 580 - Scandi Launch

9wt 14'0" | 9140-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 625-675gr
Scandi 550-610gr
Recommended - Skagit 650 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommended - Scandi 580 - Scandi Launch
Recommended - Traditional - 710gr Mid Head Spey

10wt 15'0" | 10150-4

Ideal Lines:

Skagit 675-750gr
Scandi 610-670gr
Recommended - Skagit 725 - Skagit Max Launch
Recommended - Scandi 640 - Scandi Launch
Recommended - Traditional - 785 Mid Head Spey

Shop our extensive selection of Spey Lines

Shop other Spey rods from Sage

Is a new spey rod is in your near future? Be sure to give the new Sage R8 Spey lineup a hard long look. Rod's nowadays can cost a small fortune and getting your moneys worth is always important. If it weren't, we wouldn't spend hours doing research looking for that perfect rod. With the new R8 lineup, there's definitly a rod for your needs, including a rod for the traveling steelhead/salmon fisherman who need a 6 piece rod for traveling. The 14' 9wt comes in a 6 piece version for just that reason. Now that there's another rod choice in the mix, hopefully it doesn't make it even more confusing. If you find it hard to choose, we're here to help you get the right tool for the job. Sage has been around a long time, their seasoned at designing/building rods that are a joy to fish with.

We are always happy to talk about fishing, fishing gear and help with any questions you may have. Give us a call at 541-386-6977 or drop us a line at info@gorgeflyshop.com.

Thanks for reading.

GFS Team

John