Sage Xi2 Vs. Loomis CC GLX

[Jason726]

I'm looking to upgrade to a new 9wt for a good all around Striper rod next week. I don't think I'll have a chance to cast either rod before I go away on vacation so was hoping you guys could help. I fish mostly from the surf in the Harbor and N. Shore so I'm constantly in wind. It needs to handle at least 350 grain line with mostly small to medium sized flies. I've fished Sage rods for years on my trout rigs and love them, but never on saltwater. Never touched a Loomis rod, but heard they have a great reputation. I've heard the Xi2 is a little light on backbone for a 9wt. Anybody have any feedback on these rods?

Thanks in advance!

Jason

[JennyB]

I fish a Loomis GLX 9' 10wt and 9' 12wt and really like the rods, easy to cast and good back bone though some will probably argue otherwise - caught a 35lb sbft on the 10wt without a problem.

Loomis also has a good warranty program.

Can't speak to the sage.

[Potter]

The Cross Current would be my first choice of any 9wts on the market right now. The rod is light but throws an absolute ton of line. The Xi2 would be right up there, along with Winston's boron stuff, but that Loomis is one killer rod. Pair it with an Abel Super 8 or Tibor Everglades and you'll be stylin'. FWIW, try throwing on an Orvis Zero G just for a point of comparison. It casts great, too. I can't say I've landed fish on those specific rods other than the Sage; but for me, the ability to reach fish supercedes the landing power of one rod versus another, provided we're talking about fast action rods in general. Trying to fight and stop a big fish is a nice problem to have-and that's where a quality drag comes into play. Any of the rods above should handle good sized stripers and albacore, even small bft's, with a good reel.

[Smcdermott]

Here's my $.02. Cross Current is a slightly stiffer/faster rod. Xi2 has a little more feel. I love the CC in 9 or 10. I also agree the warranty is second to none. $50 and you will have a brand new rod in your hand no questions asked as long as you have the butt section to return. Pay maybe another $10 or so and you can have it overnighted if it is in stock. Sage is good too but it takes about 3 weeks to get it turned around to the east coast in my experience. If you like fast/stiff rods go for the CC. If you like a little more bend and feel go for the Xi2.

Sean

[Tarpon41]

I'm looking to upgrade to a new 9wt for a good all around Striper rod next week. I don't think I'll have a chance to cast either rod before I go away on vacation so was hoping you guys could help. I fish mostly from the surf in the Harbor and N. Shore so I'm constantly in wind. It needs to handle at least 350 grain line with mostly small to medium sized flies. I've fished Sage rods for years on my trout rigs and love them, but never on saltwater. Never touched a Loomis rod, but heard they have a great reputation. I've heard the Xi2 is a little light on backbone for a 9wt. Anybody have any feedback on these rods?

Thanks in advance!

Jason

Hard call without trying them out in wind condtions...if your wind is 10 plus then I would consider 10 wts. I ve' fished sage, winston and loomis in salt ...in 10 they all have guts but in 9 with what tippet? 8-10-12-16? I'm not sure ...suggested test get a 9 and a 10 close friend hopefully you won't break it...you won't if right pull(right pull angle is nearly parallel not perpendicular) set a small pully then line and tippet through pully...attach to jug with water hanging down... in it ...1/2 gallon or 1-2 gallons ...place a set pull in the butt section of the rod not the top half ...what's your maximum drag that you will use ...that depends on tippet but with 10 lb you can put 2-4lb on the reel then the rest up to 8 lb with hand on grip... on the 9 I would go slowly up in water weight and tippet test...get the feel for the fighting guts of a 9 and a ten. My use rods, in order of use frequency, are 10 wt 9' Sage TCR, 11 wt 9' Winston XTR 3 piece, 9 wt Sage TCR, 12 wt XTR Winston, lastly Sage RPLX 11 wt which is actually equivalent to Loomis' old Mega 12. In order to save money all my rods are assembled by me..I am not so sure that the 9 or 10 TCR is worth its highest price of them all... for store bought try Sage Xi2, Winston IIB boron...now Winston is coming out with a new saltwater boron and I imagine Sage will answer in kind by altering their i2 line...if you are not in a hurry ...wait for the new lines out then the old lines probably will be discounted

[sgiunach]

Jason I agree with the sentiments above that you should cast it before laying your good $$ down. I switched over to the 9wt GLX cc after casting a guides rod while off Montauk. I ran right out and bought one eventhough I get comp'd rods from another maker. I love my sage for trout and use a different stick for salmon but truely fell in love with this stick. I've matched it with the Rio outbound 350 for my NShore fishing and also use the Rio Aqualux intermediate 9wt for Bonito, albies etc. I took it down to the Keys this March and found I had a lot less arm strain fighting the wind this trip. Talk about falling for a rod and rod maker hard, I went and bought a Loomis Native Run 10 ft 7wt for steelies and the 12wt GLX CC for Tarpon. Man I have issues! The folks that have cast my stick have all given positive feedback...including Potter above.

Good Luck on your trip!

[NMB]

i own both an9 wt xi2 and a 9wt 9'9"cc. i typically use them for flats fishing. the difference between the cc and the cc glx is little more than cosmetic. the taper is the same. that said, i prefer the cc to the xi2. it casts further although it is longer. but it is more forgiving and i enjoy the action more. both rods are quite stiff.

[Jason726]

Thanks for all the great feedback! I just picked up the 9wt CC GLX over in Natick. I tested both rods and thought they both felt really nice. The GLX is definitely a faster/stiffer rod that can throw a ton of line. I set it up with an Abel Super 8 with a 350 grain RIO outbound. Can't wait to cast it so I'm heading down to the Harbor now to cast it...

Tight Lines!

jf

[Too Fly]

Good choice JF. I busted a 9 wt. CC GLX a couple years back, paid the $65 expedite fee and had a new rod not two days later. I exchanged rods right at the door too. The broken rod went into the tube and the Fedex guy took it away, shipping pre-paid.

Paul

[Flytyer07950]

I have the 9wt, Cross Current GLX and love the rod. Light weight, powerful, throws line further than my skill should allow.
Paul

[PhilDKreal]

I have the CC GLX in 8, 9 & 10wt. The first one I got was the 9wt a few years ago when they first came out with the CC line.

I love'em. The 10wt is a cannon, and I can cast the 8wt for 10-12 hours without fatigue. I have also thrown a 10wt line (int) on the 8wt (accidentally put on wrong reel) and it was NO Problem.

The 10wt is an albie killer and the 9wt is just a geat "all-arounder"

[sweet+salt]

Phil, Interesting observation about your (unintentional) over-lining. Do you feel these rods cast at their best with their designated floating or intermediat line size? S+S

[PhilDKreal]

Certainly doesn't hurt to overline. I was casting the 8wt with an 8wt floater for Bones in Andros this past April, but I may experiment with a 9wt floater in the future. For me, that's where I usually pick up the most benefit from overlining: with floating lines.

I think the main thing this illustrates though is the versatility of these rods. As I've practiced with them, I'm learning to throw the line more with the tip of the rod, and accuracy has really improved.

[El Bishop]

I'm looking at these two right now trying to decide whether it's worth upgrading from the TFO TiCRx.

[sweet+salt]

Check out the newer thread in "tackle" on "8 weight shoot out" and go on line and read the article. Though there has been some objection to the point rateing system used by the writers, the comparisons certainly offer thought provoking information.

[jimmy]

El Bishop. For me it was definitely worth it. I fished the TiCrx in a 7 and 9wt. The difference with the GLx is very significant. I now fish them in 7,8,9, 10wt. They are great rods. I did have a chance to fish a BIImx in a tournament this summer. It was a rocket launch in the 8wt! You should cast that as well. Good luck.