I need some help... I have limited my next rod to the two choices above... I have read every thread on here dealing with these two rods but have not found enough info to push me one way or the other but I am leaning to the Scott G2 9' 4wt. Do any of you have experience with both the G2 and SLT? All comments appreciated. I know I should be casting these rods but the closest dealer to me is 90mi away. I do have one 20mi away but these aren't in stock. I mainly fish the Willow, BK and EastBranch. I am looking for a rod that is a very good dry fly rod but can also be used occassionally for weighted nymphing. And being able to crisply mend a longer cast is important. Also I know very little about Winston but their BIIX continually pops up in the threads I read... so feal free to try to sell me on that rod also. Thank you for any help you can supply.
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Scott G2 8'8"4wt (or 9'4wt) VS Sage SLT 9' 4wt
- Thread starter jm112533
- Start date
skipper3245
Barbless Hooks save lives
That scott rod I fished with one day and it was a nice rod. Good for what its all about...dries and small rigs. Not sure if its worth anything close to $750. I would go with the scott a4 it casts incredible and can handle any type of nymph rig. Just a big heavier thats all. O and it costs 1/3 of what the g2 costs. I have not fished with the sage so I would not know. I have a the a4 and s4 in a few difference weights. They are my favorite rods. Only thing about scott is that their warranty program kinda sucks. takes at least a month to get the rod back. sometimes 2-3 months if they are busy.
Thanks for the response. I did hear that Scott's service time is long.. Hope I never need them! My son also has an S4 and that's what got me turned on to Scott's. The S4 is a great rod. The G2 gets very good reviews for what it is designed for. But your A4 may be a better choice for what I want it for... I'll have to look further into that one. $745 is a stiff price so I am looking used as well. Hoping I get some SLT info here too.
dcabarle
Administrator
Well... I've never been a Scott rod fan. They don't appeal to me in any way. I'd buy a St. Croix or temple fork over scott. The last scott rod I cast was a bit nicer than previous models but didn't compare to anything else. Yeah, it was a very smooth rod but it still lacked in the action dept.
The Winston BIIx is my all time favorite rod. It's a fast action rod with superb action. The Sage One is right up there with the Winston but definitely feels different (in a good way). You won't be disappointed with either of these rods.
Something else to mention... Because a rod doesn't feel good with one line doesn't mean it won't feel phenomenal with another line. Lines make a HUGE difference when trying rods but since you're so far from a shop, sadly you'll have to settle on virtual opinions.
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
the slt IMHO also not a rod for nymphing. A4 is a great rod and way more reasonably priced.
thrashers.wheat
New member
The SLT is a medium-fast action rod...closer to the faster end. The SLT has a very limp tip with a fairly progressive taper throughout the blank. The SLT is the smoothest overhead caster I have ever felt. The rod recovers quickly from being pushed hard. The SLT can handle everything from dry flies to double nymph rigs to weighted streamers. I own the 8'9" 3-weight 4pc version. Graphite IIIe was used on the SLT & XP, an 'enhanced' version of their graphite III which was used on some later models RPL's & LL's. I have heard the SLT be referred to as what the LL would have been if it were introduced in the 90's during the race for faster rods. This rod can handle a weighted streamer as good if not better than my 4wt ZXL, a deeper flexing blank. The rod is a savior of 6x & 7x tippet. Even small trout can be felt all the way down the blank to the cork while fighting, so the blank is not only extremely fun to fight fish but also a tippet guardian. It is a very nice rod but I feel that the SLT is slightly too quick for what I need out of a 3-weight.
Considered purchasing the G2, the 8'8" 3 weight and that felt to be more of a medium action rod. From every review I've read about the G is that this is considered to be a true medium action graphite rod. The un-sanded graphite blank of the G attracts some and is not appealing to others. These rods have quite a loyal following.
The Scott is American made out of Montrose, CO. The Sage SLT was made in America in Bainbridge Island, Wa. Now all Sage rods are made in USA, not sure about all of the Scott's. I imagine the Alpha series Skipper mentioned earlier are produced overseas. For what that is worth to you. Both American companies have solid warranty / return policies.
Considered purchasing the G2, the 8'8" 3 weight and that felt to be more of a medium action rod. From every review I've read about the G is that this is considered to be a true medium action graphite rod. The un-sanded graphite blank of the G attracts some and is not appealing to others. These rods have quite a loyal following.
The Scott is American made out of Montrose, CO. The Sage SLT was made in America in Bainbridge Island, Wa. Now all Sage rods are made in USA, not sure about all of the Scott's. I imagine the Alpha series Skipper mentioned earlier are produced overseas. For what that is worth to you. Both American companies have solid warranty / return policies.
skipper3245
Barbless Hooks save lives
A4 is hand crafted start to finish in montrose, colorado. DC is right. I have an 10 ft 8 wt A4 and had a SA steel series and casted like crap and did research since the one I casted in house was awesome i knew it was the line. put on an airflo ridge taper dang did that rod cast incredible.
Your best bet is to just cast them all. Weigh in the value on each rod. Pick what is best for you. I hate all winston rods and think they cast like pussies. yet they are like the best fly rods ever made. I love scott rods and everyone thinks they suck. Go figure.
Your best bet is to just cast them all. Weigh in the value on each rod. Pick what is best for you. I hate all winston rods and think they cast like pussies. yet they are like the best fly rods ever made. I love scott rods and everyone thinks they suck. Go figure.
Really good piece of advice... thanks! Right now I own two 9' 5wt fast action rods... so I'm looking for something a little different and in the softer tip direction... that's why I am considering the SLT and G2 in 4wt. The A4 looks like it might fill the bill also and may be a better all around rod. I'm going to check to see if the dealer closest to me has an A4 in stock that I can cast. Please keep the comments coming...
Just a follow up: after the feedback I received and other threads I read here I decided to bite the bullet and not buy a rod without trying it out first. I found a fly shop in Darian Ct which had everything I wanted to look at and much closer than the other fly shops(90+mi) that had a similar selection. The guys down there were very accommodating and I went back twice before making a selection. The fly shop is The Compleat Angler. I was looking for a 4wt that would not be too close to my 5wt Streamdance but would be a good compliment. I tried the Sage ONE, Scott S4,Scott G2, Hardy Zenith and Winston B3X. All rods ranged between 8'6" and 9'. Man am I glad I listened to you guys and tried them out. Some of them were not what I imagined after researching... Especially the ONE(too stiff) and G2(too soft). And the S4 was too close to my Streamdance. That narrowed it to the Hardy & Winston. I liked both of these rods but for some reason the B3X had my attention but I hadn't planned to spend that much... But after two more visits(one to try those two again and one to buy) I went with the B3X. If money was no issue I probably could have found a reason to buy all 5 that I tried 
. All of those rods were beautiful in craftsmanship but some just didn't have the action & feal I was looking for. Thanks for your comments and advice.
. All of those rods were beautiful in craftsmanship but some just didn't have the action & feal I was looking for. Thanks for your comments and advice.
