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Saltwater Specific for Fast Action, More Fight & More Touch
The SALT R8 provides strength and touch to ensure rewarding fishing expeditions despite wind, weather, tides and spooky fish. The SALT loads quickly and predictably with a sweet spot that can be felt intuitively. It offers more strength to land fish quicker and more touch for precision short shots. The saltwater game requires patience and urgency, both equally critical to maximize opportunity. Whether on idyllic flats, coastal beaches or backcountry mangroves, you need faith in your cast, your reaction time and your choice of rod.
- 25% Greater Strength Per Rod - Greater Pulling power equals more fight for faster landing and less stress on delicate ecosystems
- Enhanced Durability - Enhanced toughness withstands more rugged situations and demands of remote travel
- More Intuitive Sweet Spot - Prioritizes touch and speed for shorter shots and on-demand casts
- Saltwater Specific Guide Set - Fuji K-guides resist corrosion, while angled shape prevents snags and tangling in the chaos of the fight. Oversized chrome snake guides and tip-top allow larger saltwater knots to pass with ease.
- Heavy-Duty Reel Seat - Built for enhanced contact and confidence, heavy-duty reel seat and oversized locking rings keep reel tight to the rod for greater contact, rigidity, and a more direct connection when fighting powerful high-stakes fish.
Key Features
- Revolution 8 Technology
- Tempest Blue blank color
- Slate primary thread wraps with graduated White and Grey trim
- Premium Flor Grade Cork Handle w/EVA Butt
- Black rod bag with new cord lock for quicker, easier, and cleaner storage
- Aluminium rod tube with Sage medallion
While saltwater locales often move slower, the fishing is faster, the pressure more intense and the variables more variable. From wind, weather and tides to spooky fish, seasonal migrations and salty guides, it’s a different game with a different set of rules in venues that range from tournaments and Grand Slam flats to legendary bonefish lodges and hushed redfish beaches. The shots are fewer, the stakes are higher and seconds matter in sight fishing. By the third false cast, your time—at least for that fish—has passed. But more than just delivering a fly on demand, saltwater sight fisheries necessitate a different tool than what works for your standard trout stream. A rod that loads quickly and predictably, a sweet spot more intuitive to feel. More strength to land fish quicker and more touch for precision short shots. A more durable rod that is built to survive both long skiff runs and remote destinations - where broken rods are absolutely heartbreaking. A precisely honed taper that will ensure your fly is presented in the right place at the right time. With Revolution 8 technology in hand, Sage shaped a dramatic advancement in saltwater rods that has proven performance on the water. Welcome to the SALT R8 — More Fight, More Touch!
Most salt rods are built for pure power and ultimate strength required for the venue and the discipline. With the new R8 graphite, Sage added 25% more strength-per weight as the easy part—a simple function of material advancement. But one that also increased the fight in the rod even down to the six-weight. Sage increased the pure pulling power without the need to add more material, fillers or reinforcement. The outcome is simple, providing the ability for faster landing times and reducing fish stress and catch-and-release pressure on ever so delicate ecosystems. More strength and fight were an obvious upgrade, yet few salt rods, especially in the heavier weights, achieve the importance of feel for fine touch shots and precise presentations. Shaping a taper that brought this increased touch into the equation took more time. The rod designers found the right profile and fiber alignment that delivered strength, fine touch presentation, and a more intuitive sweet spot to a class of rods that have long had a reputation as unwieldy, unforgiving and difficult. With the SALT R8, gone are the days of sacrificing the feel and touch in your saltwater rod.
