Sage Salt Review...

Fish that live in tropical salt water seem like they're dipped in rocket fuel and given a case of redbull before they eat.

Needless to say,  the gear you need to fish for them are a slight step up from your every day 5wt.

Before my recent trip to the East Coast of Mexico, I was given the opportunity to test drive this set up

Rod--Sage Salt 10 wt.

Reel-- Sage 6000 Series 10 wt.

Line--RIO Outbound Tropical Short 9 wt. 


My other salt experiences centered mostly around bonefish and tarpon, so this deal of standing on a beach getting pounded by the waves with a what other fishermen considered a "silly little stick" felt a bit daunting

The third morning I was absolutely trucked by this Jack in the picture above.  It proved to be my only fish from the beach on this family vacation but it gave me a solid feel of this rod reel and line combo

Spoiler alert-- Holy Shit.

Here are my top observations 

1.  The ocean is daunting, so you end up blind casting a ton when you dont have birds or surface activity. The 10 wt Salt felt like a 7 in hand, but has a ton of backbone.  Casting fatigue was limited which helps a ton

2.  The line combo was perfect.  One of my Jedi salt fly fishing buddies recommended to size down on the RIO Outbound as the 10 wt line was too much for the 10wt rod.  Very true.  I could see how the additional 50 grains from the 9 to the 10 could throw this set up off.

3.  Without a good reel, you're not going to stop these fish.  Seriously.  The 6000 series was set to the nuts when the Jack took it's runs and it still did everything it wanted to and then some.  That's no detraction from the reel as I don't think there's a reel out there that can do much better.  The test is that after the big time runs, is the reel functional and in once piece.  Don't bring a plastic reel to Mexico, just don't.  Bring the big guns as you're going after fish that potentially are in that "lifetime" category

4. Solid side note.  If you're going to Pacific side of Mexico, consider bringing a stripping basket.
The only consistent issues I had was in battling the surf, the line would wrap around my legs and detract big time from casting distance.   A couple of times I had moving bait balls rolling by me and I'd get one good cast into the school only to be followed by the line into my toes and my ankles.  In an instance, the bait fish and the subsequent ocean thugs that follow them were gone.

5.  Solid Side Note 2, practice before you go.  If you're normally a trout guy and a 8 weight is big, a 10 wt does take a big of getting used to.  Additionally, if you've never fished with shooting heads and you plan on using a line like this....make sure you know when you practice as to where the line loads the rod.  Being quick with the line and your casts often means everything when the fish are flying by you.  Double hauls are a must and the ability to go from nothing to a 60-80 foot cast is HUGE. Repeat, HUGE.


I felt a solid gear lovers twinge when I had to send these items back.  Fishing with this set up for 10 days made me realize even more than I already knew that solid fly rods, reels and appropriate lines mean the world when your standing in front of a large ocean and waving a silly little stick

Slammed by a Jack...

They said, look for the birds.  The fish will be there.

Ok, no birds.  Now what?

You can watch Running Down the Man and think you have a clue but really, it's a whole new ballgame for this steelhead junkie

Being the eternal optimist, I figured something would be swimming along and if time, opportunity and luck came together, I'd find pay dirt

But seriously, when you're standing on the beach getting pounded by waves for a couple days, blind casting up and down the sand, you begin to doubt the effectiveness of what you're doing.

Couple that with the long stares you get from the other fisherman with their gigantic surf rods, I felt a bit  under-gunned

Each time I'd come back to the condo the family would ask things like "nothing again?" and I'd utter some stupid fishing maxim like "it's fun just trying".   Really though, I was getting frustrated.  Each wave came slamming in taking my line all around my feet and legs, making casting a bitch.  Next trip I now know that stripping baskets are a full on must.  MUST HAVE.

On the 4th day of the trip, I woke up before everyone and contemplated not going out for the morning session.    The bed was really comfy and last night's beers and tequila shots were still buzzing around my head.

Oh hell, get yourself up.  You're only in Mexico so long

I began the routine of the previous mornings.  Stare out into open sea, guess a spot and start casting.

On the second cast, no more than 30 feet out, I got dumptrucked by this ocean thug of a Jack

I yelled and hollered so much the neighbors and the rest of my family thought I was in trouble.  The 10 weight was to the cork and even with the reel dead set to the nuts, this fish was doing anything it wanted to do.  Clearly I was hanging on for dear life

After about 15 minutes of slugging it out and not knowing up till that point what I had on, a wave crested and in the brief moment when you can look into the window of the wave, the massive jack swam by.  At that point, my brother in law was there to help land the fish and we both uttered

HOLY SHIT...

Somehow the 20lb leader and fly held in the corner of the mouth and as the fish breached one more wave, my brother in law pounced on it.

My mind was telling me 25 pounds, but it's probably more like 15.  I didnt care, a rabbit was pulled out of the ocean's hat

I think that this surf fishing's going to have a spot on my roster of things to do for a long, long time.