I’ve been fishing this rod personally for over a year now, and I’ve also lent it to my friends who are fly fishing guides, and allowed my friends, both beginners and pros, to cast this rod on multiple occasions. After extensive testing and comparison, here’s my honest, unbiased review of the Sage R8 Core Fly Rod.

The Sage R8 is the replacement to Sage’s X series of rods. At first, we were a bit disappointed to see the X replaced because prior to the R8, the Sage X was one of our favorites.

Right off the bat I’ll just say that this is my favorite rod in my arsenal and it’s the best rod to come out, in my opinion, for quite a few years.

Me and the team have been testing a lot of rods in the $900-$1,100 category in the past few years and this one is definitely a standout in a long line of extremely good, but pricey rods on the market.

Why Trust My Sage R8 Fly Rod Review?

I’ve been casting fly rods since I was around 10 years old, giving me around 30 years of total experience in the sport. I’m not a casting instructor or a competition caster by any means, but I’ve cast enough rods in my day to be well equipped to offer a lot of insight when it comes to fly rod.

On top of that, since founding this website, we’ve had countless fly rods, from budget all the way up to top end sticks, being sent to us from manufacturers.

That’s actually how I got my hands on this Sage R8. I have been bugging Far Bank (the parent company of Sage) for years to send me some rods to review and in the past few years they’ve sent us a couple. The new R8 being one of them.

But like with all of our reviews at Into Fly Fishing, this doesn’t effect what we say about the rods. Half the time I send this gear to our team and they don’t even know it’s a comped piece of gear until after I publish the post or video with the disclaimer.

Suffice to say, I’ll trash a rod (and have in the past) if it’s not up to par, regardless if I paid for it or it was sent for review.

Sage R8 Review: How I Reviewed & Tested The Rod

Like I said, I have had this rod for over a year, so it’s been tested heavily. It’s been my main rod since I first cast it. The team has casted it in different weights as well and we’ve compared notes to bring you the best overall review here.

This means I’m not the only one who’s contributing to this review. I’ve also lent the rod to a couple buddies here where I’m living in Bulgaria to test it out, one of them was the European Fly Fishing 2nd place competition champion, the other was 1st place and is also a casting instructor.

So yeah, the rod has been tested. We’ve tossed dries, streamers, dry droppers, heavy nymphs, and just about everything else you can test a rod with.

We tested the rod for accuracy at 10, 30, 50, 70, and 100 feet casting distances and compared it against other rods in this class that we’ve tested and reviewed here on the blog.

Pros of the Sage R8 Fly Rod

Sage is known for producing some of the finest fly rods on the market and with their new R8 graphite technology, the rod is softer and lighter feeling in hand than previous Sages and pretty much any other rods we’ve been testing lately.

Super Light

At 2.75 oz the 5wt 9foot model isn’t the lightest in it’s class on the market, but for some reason it just feels super feathery in hand. When you pick it up and cast it, it feels a bit like a 4wt, but it still has the power of a 5 weight. 

Excellent Power

This rod feels light like I said, but it still has a lot of power. I’ve landed some nice 60cm (24 inch) and even one 70cm (27 inch) trout on this rod and it has the backbone to control them easily.

At 62gm^2 swing weight, the rod has some weight in the stroke, but it’s still comfortable and easy to get line out.

Accuracy

This rod is super accurate. The only time I really tried casting it beyond 60 feet was for testing long casts for this review, and it did well all the way up to around 90 feet. I’d say at that distance the accuracy breaks down a little bit, but at normal trout distances of 30-60 feet it’s pinpoint.

It also has tons of power. I think this rod is probably one of the best blends of power, accuracy and finesse on the market. It’s also a bit softer than the X and some other rods in this category, making it a better dry fly rod and a better overall trout rod.

All Around Performance

No the rod won’t shoot line out quite as fast as some others on the market, but the moderate-fast action is actually a welcome new angle from Sage.

The rod’s soft tip can easily protect that 6x tippet and so you can still toss some size 18 blue wings, but it can do much more than that, with plenty backbone to turn over larger streamers, dry dropper rigs, and big juicy bugs.

This thing is a superb all around rod in this class.

Easy to Find the Sweet Spot

Like with our recent review of the Redington Dually, the medium-fast action of the Sage R8 rod makes it easy to find the sweet spot and deliver an accurate and powerful cast, while still allowing the flies to turn over and gently land on the water for a perfect presentation.

This larger sweet spot means that newer/less experienced casters would likely prefer this over other Sage’s that have a faster action. 

Cons of The Sage R8 Fly Rod

Even though I love this rod, no rod is perfect. Let’s break down a few things I’m not too crazy about.

Durability

This is a hard one for me to put here, because I’ve beat this rod up (I’m not overly careful with my gear, even the expensive stuff) and it’s stood strong.

But I have to mention that the first Sage R8 that was sent to me was a demo model. Even though I think I beat my gear up, this thing was battered. There was visible damage to the blanks, the reel seat housing was bent, and the cork looked like it was an 8 year old rod.

On my first day out on the water with that demo rod, the rod snapped on a pretty typical back cast. I am fully aware that the blank was compromised. Probably a big tungsten bead smashed into the second to last blank and cracked the graphite before I even got it.

Sage sent me a replacement almost immediately, I think I had it within a couple of weeks. Needless to say though, I was nervous for the first few days on the water.

Since then, the new rod has held up beautifully, so it seems to be a durable rod, but I’d be missing a key part of this review if I didn’t mention that initial faulty rod.

Price

While this is a top-end rod and is worth the money, it’s always hard to drop over a grand on a piece of kit. Having said that, at this price point there could be slightly better hardware added to the rod.

Aside from the amazing cork grip that Sage has always nailed, the stripper guides and snake guides are pretty standard and not as good as something you’d find on a Hardy for example.

What’s In The Box?

The unboxing of the Sage R8 Fly Rod is pretty straightforward. At this price point, you’ll get the 4 piece fly rod that comes in aluminum tube with a nice 4 piece separated rod sock.

The Rod

The rod is sexy, light, and has a nice finish. It’s kind of like a green, with a cool silvery hue to it. It looks fantastic right out of the box. 

The 9’5wt has a fighting butt on it, and like I said, the cork on this rod looks and feels fantastic. Sage nailed it with this snub-nose half-wells grip.

Rod Tube

A pretty standard aluminum rod tube from Sage with a high quality threaded twist-off cap that’s labeled with the rod series and weight. It also says Sage on the side of the tube with a white coating on the aluminium.

Rod Sock

A standard 4 piece separated rod sock comes inside the tube. This sock is pretty standard from Sage with ties on the top and bottom to secure the rod pieces on either end.

Sage R8 Specs

While myself and team cast a few different lines on a few different weights and lengths of rods, this review is mainly for the 5-weight 9-foot Sage R8. Here are the specs for that rod, and others so you can make a decision on which is best for you.

All of the below rods are the same color and have a medium-fast to fast action. Sage would call them all fast action, but compared to the X and Igniter, they’re more medium-fast.

Model	Handle	Length	Weight	Weight
Sage R8 Core 9ft 5wt Fly Rod (590-4)	Snub-nose Half-Wells	9ft	5	2.69 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 6wt Fly Rod (Snub-nose Half-Wells)(690-4)	Snub-nose Half-Wells	9ft	6	2.81 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 7wt Fly Rod (790-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	9ft	7	3.44 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 8wt Fly Rod (890-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	9ft	8	3.69 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 9wt Fly Rod (990-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	9ft	9	3.81 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 3wt Fly Rod (390-4)	Snub-nose Half-Wells	9ft	3	2.63 oz.
Sage R8 Core 10ft 4wt Fly Rod (4100-4)	Snub-nose Half-Wells	10ft	4	3.13 oz.
Sage R8 Core 8ft 6in 4wt Fly Rod (486-4)	Snub-nose Half-Wells	8ft 6in	4	2.56 oz.
Sage R8 Core 10ft 5wt Fly Rod (5100-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	10ft	5	3.5 oz.
Sage R8 Core 8ft 6in 5wt Fly Rod (586-4)	Snub-nose Half-Wells	8ft 6in	5	2.56 oz.
Sage R8 Core 10ft 6wt Fly Rod (6100-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	10ft	6	3.56 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 6in 6wt Fly Rod (696-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	9ft 6in	6	3.38 oz.
Sage R8 Core 10ft 7wt Fly Rod (7100-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	10ft	7	3.94 oz.
Sage R8 Core 10ft 8wt Fly Rod (8100-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	10ft	8	4 oz.
Sage R8 Core 9ft 6in 8wt Fly Rod (896-4)	Full Wells w/Fighting Butt	9ft 6in	8	3.81 oz.

Sage R8 Fly Rod Review: How The Rod Feels

The rod feels beautiful. I’d say you can’t really fault how it feels in hand, how it casts, and how comfortable it is.

The snub nose half-wells grip is perfect, the cork is beautiful and ergonomic, it’s light, has a comfortable swing weight and is forgiving in the casting stroke while still having backbone to fire line out quickly and turn over larger flies. 

Overall Weight

The overall weight of this 9-foot 5-weight is 2.69 oz. Not the lightest like we said, but feels great.

Swing Weight

At 62gm^2 the swing weight has a bit of beef to it, but it’s perfect in my opinion. No it won’t be the lightest feeling caster you’ve had, especially if you’re casting others in this price range like the Hardy Ultralite, the Douglas Sky G, or a G. Loomis Asquith, but it’s a sick feeling rod when you’re casting.

Action

This is a bit softer than most other Sages, but it’s the perfect balance of finesse, power, and accuracy. I wouldn’t change a thing about the action and it runs through the entire line-up of R8s.

Power

When you feel how light this rod is, you’ll be surprised by the power. I’d say if you want a 4weight feel in your hand, but the power of a 5 weight, then go for the 5 weight 9 foot R8.

Presentation

This thing can turn over large streamers and dry dropper rigs with ease, while also laying size 18 Adams on the water with a feathery light touch. It’s incredibly accurate and allows for a silky smooth presentation.

Mending

The softer tip, but firm backbone of the R8 means it mends like a dream. You can easily pick up large amounts of line and gently dance it up stream with ease.

Sage R8 Warranty

Well having actually replaced the R8 I first had, I can say that the Sage Lifetime Warranty worked pretty well for me. Having said that, in this case I did reach back out to my contact at Sage, so I’m not sure this would translate to the same experience for normal customers.

But you get a lifetime warranty on the rod. If you need any repairs that fall under the warranty, they are free. Any repairs outside of the warranty are $50 per repair.

Casting The Sage R8

Like with any rod, casting the R8 at different distances and with different rigs provides a variety of results.

But I’d say unlike a lot of other rods on the market, even previous Sages at this price point, this rod is the most versatile.

It casts extremely accurately up to 60 or 70 feet. After that the power and accuracy breaks down slightly, but that’s to be expected and it can still fire the line out there.

The swing weight (mentioned above) feels beautiful on this rod and casting the 5 weight 9 foot feels like casting a 4 weight in the hand because it’s light and has finesse, but then the power makes it obviously a powerful 5 weight.

I love this rod for roll casts and mending as well. Basically it does exceptionally well in pretty much all fishing scenarios.

0-20 Feet

You’re not really loading the rod fully at this distance, but quick turnovers and roll casts are beautiful at this distance. But along banks and under brush at short distances like this, I’m easily dropping flies on a dime.

20-40 Feet

The rod starts to load beautifully at this distance and the power starts becoming obvious here. It’s super accurate and also incredibly forgiving from here up until the 60 foot range.

Roll casting at this distance is easy and feels great as well!

40-60 Feet

The rod really shines here. Like I said, the rod is so light and delicate feeling that you could think it’s a 4 weight, until you power out a 60 foot cast and feel the whip that these blanks actually have. Again, I can sit down flies with incredible accuracy at this distance.

This is probably one of the most accurate 5 weight 9 foot fly rods at this distance and it just feels fantastic casting here.

60+ Feet

Rarely are you ever going to be pumping out a 70 foot cast in trout rivers, but still we sprawled the line out to test the rod for this review and it still performs really well.

The accuracy is still there, but it starts to deteriorate at 70 feet. But what rod doesn’t? When you get this much line out, you’ll really see what I mean when I say it feels like a 4-weight with the power of a top-end 5 weight.

Other Rods That Compare To The Sage R8

At this price point you’re probably going to be comparing the Sage R8 to other top-end all around trout rods that span the weights from small trout to light saltwater prey. Those are going to be rods like the G. Loomis Asquith, The NRX+, the Hardy Ultralite and the Douglas Sky G.

Between myself and the team, we’ve tested quite a few of the R8’s competitors and for my money, I’d put it on this rod.

Who is the Sage R8 Fly Rod For?

Because this rod is so versatile, and the lineup spans from 3 to 8 weight, the rod is perfect for the angler who wants a stick that can do it all. I’d say the 9 foot 5 weight is the best in the lineup.

I’m biased on that, because that’s the weight that I own, but like I said, myself, the team, and my guides and friends here locally have fished different weights of this rod and for the avid trout angler, I’d say the 5wt 9′ is the way to go.

It’s soft tip protects super light tippets, but it has the power to turn over larger flies and get line out quick. It’s also super accurate. This is a SUPERB dry fly rod, but also has plenty of other applications, making it about as versatile as they come.

Of course when I say “this rod is for anyone”, I mean anyone who has $1,000+ to drop on a rod. That’s a fair amount of money and at that price point, you have plenty of other rods to compare this to.

But still, I’m pretty confident that once you cast this rod you’ll agree that there’s just something very special about the Sage R8.

Sage R8 Review: My Personal Thoughts

This is probably my favorite rod to date. Which says a lot. I’d say if you’re bringing the price into the equation, there’s an argument that $1,000 is too high for a rod like this, particularly with the slightly downgraded components when compared to similar rods at the grand plus mark… but I’ll say it again… there’s something special about this rod.

It looks sexy, it feels great, its super accurate, the cork handle is one of the sleekest and most comfortable I’ve had, and the thing casts like a dream.

If you’re in the market for a top end rod, this is probably the one for you. Pick one up from Trident and cast it a few times to see what I mean. If you don’t like how it feels, they’ll let you send it back for free, so you have nothing to loose.

Otherwise head down to your local fly shop (if they’ll let you cast it) and give it a go.

FAQs About Sage R8

Here are some FAQs about Sage and the R8 lineup:

Conclusion

I’m all about this rod. It’s currently my daily driver and I’m super stoked that I picked one up. If you’re in the market for a top-end rod, then I think you’ll agree with me that this is a top competitor for one the current best rods on the market.

Sage rods have always been good, and like I said at the start of this article, we absolutely loved the X, but they’ve outdone themselves with the R8! This thing is cool, accurate, delicate, powerful, and beautiful all at the same time.

From dry flies to big streamers, tiny trout streams to big wide rivers, this thing has you covered. For versatility, castability, and overall fishablity, the competition has it’s work cut out for them.

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