Fished Massachusetts this past weekend for Stripers in the Ipswich area. The fishing was “so-so” but I had a chance to fish my Sage Z Axis 9 and 10 weight rods. I used Lamson Litespeed Fly Reels and Rio Striper 26 foot DC Fly Lines.
I matched the 9 weight Sage Z Axis Rod with a Lamson Litespeed 3.5 Fly Reel and the Rio Striper Line in a 350 grain, 26 foot DC sinking line. This was a perfect match. Throwing some pretty big flies like 3/0 half and halfs and some local favorite flies was no problem. The rod was great, light weight, easy to cast and accurate. The line casted well, sank at the right rate of speed and didn’t tangle too much, as compared to many other lines I’ve tried for Stripers.
The 10 weight Z axis with Lamson Litespeed 4 and Rio 400 grain Striper DC line was also a very impressive set-up. Similar experience to the 9 weight set-up but obviously a bit more “heavy duty”. A great outfit for some of the 9 pound blues we caught.
Nice thing about the Sage Z Axis in these heavier weights is they feel very light and aren’t too “stiff” which makes for an easier day when casting for hours, as we did for 3 days.
Gene Ercolani – Owner A.A. Outfitters
Tags: Sage Fly Rods
