Gathering of the Clan

I traded some photography work several years ago for a Sage Xi-2, 9 ft, 7wt. I've fished with it a fair amount down here... enough to form an opinion... I just don't like the rod. It's fine at distances (45-plus feet) but there's just no flipping to be done (short distance, accuracy suffers) I got so aggravated with it today I put it down and fished with a $39 Redington Crosswater 9 ft, 5 at. Caught 16 bream out of the lily pads

The real question: will I even like that VXP?

Try it with heavier line, both 8 weight WF and 8 wt. Double taper. Maybe the extra weight will make it behave more to your liking. Bux

Why'n'hell you using a 7 wt on bream?

I don't know if you will like the VXP or not.

I do know that the Xi rods were aimed at salt water fishing and are fast rods.

The VXP rods are quite a bit slower than the Xi rods.

I was targeting bass in the lily pads with poppers the size of your big toe (including corns and bunions). And a couple of the bream were 10-11 inches long.

I have 3 Sage rods and like the ZXL 9', 4wt and Salt 9', 8wt very much but I love the X 9', 5wt. the two lighter rods handle short distances just fine and the 8wt beyond 30' (salt water hardly ever needs shorter). The type of line makes a difference as would one weight up or down.

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Fly fishing is NOT a hobby

Most rods are way too fast these days...or really marked one line weight too light, IMO.

...and that's from a guy who likes fast rods, and throws big streamers that benefit from the practice...

I agree, rods are fast these days but I grew up on glass. I'm taking yours and Eds advice and lining it with an 8 to see if we can tame it. In the meantime I have a slower 8wt I can try and a plethora of 5 wts (not sure I'll sully my Scott G with bream) its storming now so I don't know if I'll fish tomorrow or not

Can't hurt to up-line it.

That really should be a nice bass rod.

This whole thread raised an old Vaudeville plaint:
"If it was raining soup, I'd be the schmuck out there with a fork."
Bux