Sage Salt R8 790-4

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   The R8 Salt 790 is not only one of the best models in the R8 Salt lineup, it is one of the best 7 weights Sage has ever built. Light as can be with just the right amount of inherent stiffness in the blank, the Salt R8 790 embodies a perfectly designed fly rod for flats fishing. Firm with a feeling of strength and a progressive flex that conspires perfectly with the amount of line leaving the rod tip, the feedback to the caster is tremendous. As you rock the rod backwards to begin the cast you feel the tip engage. The 790 R8 Salt carried an Elite Bonefish line in the air with such extraordinary fluidity. The rod never made me feel like it preferred to be cast a certain way, rather encouraging me to lead while following along in perfect step. I could hammer the rod or sit back and feather it. The Rio Elite Bonefish is an ideal match with lightly dressed bonefish flies up to a size #4. The Elite Flats Pro would be my choice for Redfish, more general saltwater use and larger flies. For the flats fisherman that wants a lighter touch without compromise, get your hands on the Sage R8 Salt 790.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The 790/4 R8 Salt is one of the most well-rounded 7wt saltwater rods I have ever had the pleasure of casting. This is easily one of my favorite rods in the R8 Salt family. It isn’t as stiff as some other 7wt Saltwater rods but still has plenty of power to drive bonefish flies into the wind. It would be easy to mistake this rod for a freshwater 7 when you first pick it up due to the physical weight, which is ideal for the flats. Once you get some line out you will realize it is very much a saltwater fly rod. It has power but also possesses superior feel and touch which is crucial for a bonefish rod. It is cut from the same cloth as the 6wt and 8wt in the R8 Salt family in terms of physical weight and castability. All three of these rods shoot line well and hold a nice tight loop well into the running line of a long headed fly line like the Rio Elite Bonefish (which is my favorite line on the 790/4). I have also messed around with the Rio Elite Flats Pro on the 790/4 and surprisingly the rod handled the heavier fly line very well. Though it is not the line I would typically reach for with a rod like this it is nice to know that the heavier line doesn’t fold the tip of the rod at all. The Elite Bonefish line quickens up the rod a bit and is a sensational match on the 790/4.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   Love at first swing, the Salt R8 790-4 casts hair-thin loops with the combination of accuracy and feel found in my favorite fast action trout rods. It’s like a dry fly rod for bonefish. This rod far exceeds functional. I threw it with both a Rio Elite Bonefish and Flats Pro. The Flats Pro loads and delivers more naturally at short distances and might be a better choice for redfish but I prefer the bonefish taper because that line presents with more touch than the Flats Pro or other overweighted saltwater lines and seems well-suited to the purpose of a light flats rod. Many anglers will fish this rod for trout, bass and other alternative applications. It is stable enough to handle heavy streamers and the full range of specialty streamer fly lines.
   I put no saltwater 7-weight above this one.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)