Sage Salt R8 890-4

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   For the first time in at least a decade, Sage has designed a saltwater 8-weight that I recommend without qualification. I cast this rod over and over with a Rio Elite Bonefish and Flats Pro, the latter of which slows the cadence slightly without sacrificing crispness or fast action character. The Salt R8 showcases the design strategy of the series: saltwater fly rods in the classic “tip casting” mold that have a wider sweet spot and enhanced feel over their predecessors. I notice all of the details with this rod: the grip perfectly sized and contoured, a narrow diameter blank that slices through the wind, the hard chrome guides shooting without the drag of titanium. I like the look, I like the angled stripping guides, I like the shape and feel of the fighting butt.

   Above all, I like the way it casts. As the angler increases line length, the upper mid-section tightens in a pleasing and manageable way, assuring that the line stays high on the back cast and jacking line speed just as the caster aerializes the last of the line head, ready to shoot the fly to target. This rod is optimized, refined, natural, ideal.

   The Sage Salt R8 is a forerunner for best 8-weight in the world and should be compared head-to-head with the Loomis Asquith and Scott Sector.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The 890/4 R8 Salt would have to be my favorite Sage 8wt rod I’ve ever messed around with. It is wonderfully engineered and not nearly as stiff and disconnected as the Salt HD 890/4. This rod is light in hand but not too light to balance a modern saltwater large arbor fly reel. It shoots line very well and is a very easy casting 8wt. When you jump from the 7wt to the 8wt in the R8 Salt family the first thing you will notice is how much more line speed the 8wt generates. It is effortless to pick up a lot of line and send it back to the target. The rod is accurate and delicate in close and then absolutely rockets line from 60’ on. I’ve cast this rod with the Rio Elite Flats Pro WF8F and the Rio Elite Bonefish WF8F and liked both lines a lot. The Flats Pro is a great all around line for the angler chasing several different species and doesn’t slow down the rod as much as I had expected. The Elite Bonefish turns this rod into a high performance machine. With this line the rod throws dagger loops at all distances and feels light and sporty. The 890/4 R8 Salt with the Rio Elite Bonefish WF8F would make for an absolutely lethal bonefish outfit.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   I firmly believe this is the best 890 I have ever cast from Sage, and it is among the best Sage fly rods I have cast in any length and line weight. The blank has a light feeling and imperceptible tip weight, providing a sensation of balance and lightness without a reel. There is a suppleness to the tip that feels more elastic than soft, like there are bands along the blank sending signals back to the cork. The feedback circle was completely positive and left me with a feeling of rightness and a sense that I was getting away with something. The R8 Salt 890 performs like a fast, stiff rod without casting like one. You can feel the rod load into the cork, but the tip never gets away from the butt section and you don’t seem to ever have to wait for the line to straighten out behind you. I could cast with a very mellow tempo or frantically load the rod and nothing seemed to throw it out of sync. The blank feels like it possesses the ability to morph its taper to accommodate different applications of power. The Elite Flats Pro was my top pick and this line seemed to showcase everything the R8 Salt 890 possessed in the most electric and playful way. Select the Flats Pro for the best all-around performance as an inshore and flats rod and for redfish and permit specifically. The Elite Bonefish tightens up the blank a touch and gives the rod a business-like feeling. Fish a #8 gotcha or a #1/0 spawning shrimp without compromise. As fine as this rod feels with a floating line, the butt section stability of the blank under load lends itself to being highly capable of yanking sinking lines from surface tension. You can really stand on this blank and hammer it if needed, but the fact that you don’t have to is what truly impresses me. This is the 890 that I’ve been looking for from Sage and all saltwater fly fisherman should take notice.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)