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So about 10 years ago maybe 11, I bought a SAGE TXL 000wt to use here on the east coast (WV, VA, TN, MD) to fish for brookies. I fished the guts out of this rod until I broke the tip section. I sent it back to SAGE and due to the age and older generation of graphite in this rod i was quoted a price of $195 to repair my rod. The problem was that it was going to take 10 to 16 weeks to make the graphite and build the tip section.

So the guy I was on the phone with ( Steve ) threw me a fantastic offer out there. He offered me %50 off the price of any new rod in their catalog. Naturally I decided it was too good to pass up and selected the 7'6'' 0wt DART as a replacement.

Before I got off the phone with Steve, I had asked him for a recommendation on the line since not everyone makes a 0wt fly line. Steve told me he'd throw in a new line in my package at no extra cost.

Today FedEx dropped off the package. Inside was my new rod and a new Rio Lightline Premium Double Taper 0wt floating line. I'm as excited to fish this setup as I would be to shoot a new gun. Now I need to pick me up a new reel and I'll be ready to go.

Thought I'd share my excitement with the 🔥 fire

Sounds like a great rod. Congratulations. Have fun.

Good deal, let’s see some pics!

Now that is customer service! 👍👍
Enjoy your new rod, post the first fish you get with it.

Did my first fly rodding around Wardensville WVa.

Never gone that light but do have a 7-foot 2 wt Orvis that's amendable to tight environments and small fish. The hook set motion doesn't skate those 5 to 10 inchers across the surface like my 9-wt does.

I do have a fondness too for the Sage products. Been using their blanks for several builds over the years. Good products, but never had to exercise their warranty.

Free swimming Rainbow


Snake River Cut on a Hare's Ear

I thought I was doing something dropping to a 3wt. Have to imagine those lighter rods play a fish rather nicely.

Good setup! The only thing I'd do different is switch to a WF line. In fact, I had a 0 weight TXL-F. Since I had the 000, too, and a couple entry level 2 and 4 weights, I figured the 0 was "extra" and sold it. Later, when Rio started offering a WF floating line, I picked up a Dart 0 weight. Since, I also added a Dart 6'3" 3-weight.

Different pros and cons. Obviously the 000 weight won't throw far and even in a fly-fart of a breeze, a cast lands in a pile at my feet. Still .. fun! The 0 is more practical. Not sure if I like it better or not. It casts a little further. I wouldn't say it handles a breeze better, maybe safer to say "less poorly." And the little 3 does <a lot>. I keep reading / hearing how specialized it is .. that's not my experience. If I had to pick one .. I'm not sure which it would be. Limited to a DT, it wouldn't be the 0, but with a 0 weight WF floater, it gains a lot of utility. IMHO can't go wrong.

I've used these for lower Rogue half pounders, basically sea run rainbows from 13 to 15 inches with the potential for a 17 to 20+ .. and they handle those fish just fine within the limits of the 2-3 pound leader I generally use in that application. These are not "muscle" rods but they are not weak or toys either. In fact, about the only time I go heavier than that 3 weight now is if I need to switch to a clear lake line.

I'm glad you had a good experience with Sage. I have been a Sage missionary for 30 years and have swung over to the Orvis side in the last couple of years because of their customer service. Orvis is head and shoulders above Sage when it comes to customer service and I mean, its not even close. I sent 2 rods back (sage) in the last year and because they were current models, my option was to wait for repairs. both of them took 3-4 months to get them back. I broke an orvis Helios 3 this January in South America and had the piece to make my rod complete within a week.

I have fished with Sage rods since the 80’s and am a big fan. I bought the 0-wt off T O M described above. I love it and have fished with it widely here in northern PA. I actually landed a 20” wild brown on it here in Slate Run a couple summers ago - that fish rose unexpectedly and it was certainly touch and go for a while! I will be using it here later today in the Little Pine Ck drainage.

John

Brilliant offer from Sage. With the money you saved on the rod and line, buy yourself a Sage Click in 0/1/2 in the new Flint colour.

Enjoy it.

I have a saltwater trip coming g up and wanted to upgrade my 8 weight rod for bonefish, I have my 10 and 12 weights all sorted but my 8weight was lower end.

After reading and reading to death, I ordered a sage maverick 8 weight, it should pair well with my tibor everglade reel and work well for bonefish and permit.

Enjoy! Good CS goes a long way!

Have you cast the new rod yet? My lightest is a #2 weight. I can't imagine what a #0 weight would be like.

84–first off, I’m a hack fly fisherman, in the early 90’s I got a new 9’ 5 weight fly rod from Trout Inlimited for buying a Lifetime membership, I’m pretty sure the rod had a lifetime warranty. I’ve recently retired and thought I might try and get back into fly fishing. Good luck with the rookies!

When I left fly fishing about 25 years ago my lightest rod was a #4 which I'd only used twice. Mostly it was a #7/8 on lakes and a #5 on rivers. Since getting back into it at the start of 2023 I have dropped down to #2 and #3 weight rods which are just brilliant to use on small rivers and creeks. I use the light rods 95% of the time for river and stream fishing. Occasionally I take a #4 as I found a sink tip line from Cortland in #4 weight for one river where I want to get down. Most companies start their sink tip lines at #5. The #2/#3 rods have taken rainbows to two pounds but most of my trout are 3/4 to 1.5 pounds. The crazy thing is I can cast a weight forward #3 (8'8" and 9.0') about as far as I cast my 9' #4/#5 rods, maybe 90/95% as far and my weight forward #2 (8'6") maybe 80/85% as far. Going to a lighter rod doesn't have much of a negative impact on casting. The lighter line landing on the water scares less fish and adds to the fight. And they are just bloody fun to fish with to tell the truth.