Sage Spey R8 Thirteen-foot Eight-weight Two-hand Fly Rod

New for 2024, Sage has launched a premium line of two-handed fly rods built on their R8 proprietary aerospace graphite. There are a pair of 11-foot 6-inch rods on the short end of things, one 5-weight “ultralight” model and one 15-foot 10-weight for huge water, but the majority of rods land between 6 and 8-weights and are 12-foot 6-inches to 14-feet in length. Like any two-hander, the rods can throw combinations of line systems the angler prefers, but Sage has tuned each rod action in the series for specific and likely “swung-fly” scenarios.

Over the years, I haven’t loved Sage’s two-handed fly rods–the moderate versions felt a little too soft, and the fast ones felt too stiff or over-engineered. Friends I trust swore by them, but I never found one I liked as much as other rods in the same price range. The Spey R8, however, changed my mind.

I got my hands on the 13-foot 8-weight and fished during the Washington winter steelhead season and loved it. My previous favorites stayed in their tubes for most of the season, and if I was fishing a skagit head and sink tip, I always was reaching for the R8 two-hander.

For starters, the rod is extremely light in the hand and efficient. Without any additional effort, I routinely found myself carrying extra loops of running line and casting further. In fact, until I got used to it, I had to remind myself to chill out and actually fish the good water on the inside instead of blasting over it. The rod tracks and dampens nicely without feeling like a club and fish fighting was surprisingly effective: enough backbone to lean into a healthy buck, but a forgiving tip to absorb the surges and jumps.

Like most two-handed anglers, I’m picky about spey rod handles. There are a number of great fly rods on the market with underperforming handles, which is generally a deal breaker. Sage got it right on the R8–smaller diameters, updated ergonomics and a lower handle that enhances leverage. The general shape is comfortable, with a bit of subtle flare at the top, and I especially like their bulb at the base. Also, huge bonus points for the walnut reel seat insert–a classic touch.

Sage describes the R8 8130 as a “mid-length heavy duty” rod with an action that provides “max versatility.” I thought the tip was quite fast and found the rod loads deep into the mid-section. In my experience, it’s a rod that requires a moment to load. When I kept my casting stroke soft and smooth, the rod had endless amounts of power. If I was a bit too quick, or tried to punch it, I struggled to feel the load and get the timing right. It felt like the rod had a generous sweet spot, but I did have some moments when I got frustrated, because I couldn’t quite find it, especially when using lines on the high end of the grain window. This is a rod where it feels especially important to dial in the right combination of line length and weight for an individual caster’s preferred rhythm and style.

I really like fishing multi-density lines and my favorite with the R8 8130 was a 570 grain Airflo’s Skagit F.I.S.T. For full floaters, the RIO Elite Scandi Launch (600 grain) and the shorter Rio Elite Skagit Max Power (570 grain) were recommended. They were pretty efficient, but for my cadence, I liked going a little lighter to keep the rod feeling relatively crisp. I think the R8 will smoke the field with scandi heads.

In the winter, I mostly fish T-11 sink tips and lightly weighted flies, though the R8 8130 handled the T-14 fine, whenever I put it on. That said, if I was going to fish heavy stuff more often, I think I’d look towards the shorter 8-weight in the line-up, since it is described as a more “heavy duty” model compared to the jack-of-all-trades: the R8 8130.

At $1300 the Sage Spey R8 8130 is an investment, but it more than performs in a variety of conditions, if you can brace for the financial commitment. Once you’ve taken the time to fine tune the correct fly lines for your individual casting stroke, this two-hander should provide a lifetime of memories. Hopefully, the fish will do their part.