On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:53:12 -0500, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Just when you think you've heard it all along comes
another "innovation" in fly fishing.

Sage has come out with a pair of 7'11" fly rods that
are 7'11" for only one reason, to comply with silly
bass tournament rules ! Talk about the tail wagging
the dog.

http://www.sageflyfish.com/default.asp?p=139

These things must be monsters because instead of
giving them standard weights Sage sells them with
their own fly line identified only as a bass taper
of either 290 or 330 grains. According to AFTMA
290 grains is the top end of 10wt and 330 grains
is an ideal 11wt. For bass ?!?!

I went to the site, and from reading the description, the line sounds
like a cross between a shooting head and standard fly line, and so, you
may not be able to simply take the weight in grains given and plug it
into a AFTMA table. Frankly, the whole "system" (as well as many other
of the Sage, er, "innovations" - to wit, a "00 wt.") also sounds like
yet another way to separate suckers from their money (other than those
who fish tourneys that actually need a 7'11" rod).

I'd like to see a review of one of these things from
one of our resident gear whores before roff goes
completely belly-up. ;-) I'm too cheap to spend $350
on a whim but these two new rods sound equal parts
silly and fascinating.

See above...612 puppies eating peanut butter would also be silly and
fascinating...but do ya want 'em in all in yer canoe?

TC,
R