A Rod for Distance

June 14, 2011 — 1:09 pm | Posted by John Juracek in Essays & Opinion, 2011 Blog Archives

It’s a widely held tenet in fly fishing that most fish (especially trout) are caught at fairly close range. Say, somewhere between fifteen and fifty feet from the angler. I won’t quarrel with these figures and I don’t know too many other anglers that would, either. But as fly fishing is such a varied pursuit, exceptions exist to almost every truism. Naturally, the distance at which we catch fish is among these. There are times when the ability to fish at great distance is critical, times when success is more a function of distance than anything else.

Real distance work (casting over eighty feet) requires special tools, none more important than the rod. Since most fly rods are designed—rightly so—to fish at much closer range, it’s not all that easy to find a great distance rod. (It’s a thin market to begin with, so it’s no fault of the rod companies in failing to address it.) Nevertheless, what if you need, or simply want, a rod capable of great distance? Here is one I can recommend unequivocally: the Sage ZXL 9’ 5-weight.

This particular rod is not designed specifically for distance casting (not many five-weights are), but in my opinion it has no higher use. Yes, it will function acceptably at normal fishing distances, better than most even, but it lacks the in-close feel (like most modern rods) that would make it truly noteworthy. This isn’t a surprise; no one rod can be expected to do everything well. But if this model isn’t quite the cat’s meow at twenty feet, well, it certainly is at one hundred feet. It’s not just good at this distance, it is superb. (Anyone who knows me knows I don’t offer up this adjective lightly. In fact, for many folks this will be their first time seeing me use the words “superb” and “rod” together.)

It’s unfortunate that a fluke of design is likely responsible for the ZXL’s distance casting ability—an unintended byproduct in the pursuit of another agenda—but, well, that’s the way it is. What matters more is that this is a superior distance rod; the best I’ve seen in a long, long time. Intentional or not, I’ll take it.

What is it that separates this rod from others, especially other Sage models? The difference is this: the ZXL has tremendous power. Power that is fully developed at distances over sixty feet. Now, if you’re like me and read the advertising copy from Sage and various other rodmakers, you might surmise that there are, in fact, plenty of powerful rods being made today. There are not. Most of today’s rods lack power; they are merely stiff. (Here, it is critical to understand that stiffness and power are not the same thing. But conflating stiffness with power is such a common mistake among amateur and professional fishermen alike that I feel it necessary to point out that they are not the same thing. On this subject, more in a future article.)

The action of this ZXL is extremely smooth. The designer has shaped the bend nicely throughout its length, though again this isn’t wholly apparent until casting sixty feet or further. When subjected to the stresses of casting a long line, the upper third of the rod takes a backseat to the middle and butt—precisely as it should. (This is where most rods fail; they are built with butt sections that refuse to accept their share of the casting load, pushing it up the rod to sections that cannot handle it.) The feeling the ZXL delivers is one of a rod loading where it should, when it should, and to an ideal degree for a given length of line. By contributing substantially to the cast, the rod minimizes the effort required from the caster. And that’s exactly how a fly rod should work.

So if you need extreme distance from a five-weight fly rod, be it in your fishing or on the practice field, this is one rod that will deliver it. In this day and age, I think that’s a feat worth talking about.

Comments

John,

Very insightful commentary. I imagine that your comments regarding what a great many fly fisherman probably consider the “softest” rod in the current Sage line-up somewhat heretical. Especially when Sage produces a rod, I don’t recall the model, that is considered by many to be a cannon of a fly rod.

By Mike Edwards on 06/15 2011
Mike and John,

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. We all appreciate it. I’ll look forward to seeing both of you this summer.

By John Juracek on 06/16 2011
Very interesting post, John. Always appreciate your very different perspectives on such things. Reminded me of an interesting podcast of an interview with Jerry Siem by the Itinerant Angler. Check it out if you have a chance: http://www.itinerantangler.com/podcasts/2009/08/podcast_rod_lore_with_sages_je.html

By Steve Johnson on 06/18 2011
Steve,

Thanks for the link. We knew Jerry from his days at Winston; he’s a good guy. I always remember him telling us he was leaving for Washington so he could do some serious gardening! He is an excellent caster, as mentioned in the interview.

Bill,

Well, I’m typically casting this rod with a Rio Tournament line, mostly as a distance exercise. But for fishing, a DT would be my preference. Perhaps a long belly WF, too, but then, why not just use a DT? For shorter fishing distances, you could easily use a 6-weight on this rod if desired. Firehole has dropped dramatically; fishing is good…

By John Juracek on 06/20 2011
John,

Very nice post—and welcome because I find the Sage line pretty confusing. Have never been comfortable with a Sage rod in any size less than 7wt. Do you think this rod would behave similarly in 4wt.? Or even 3? Or is the power you identify peculiar to the 5wt.?

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