by Mike Brown

In the fall of 1997, the world of lightweight flyfishing as we knew it changed dramatically when Sage publicly introduced their ultralight SPL Series fly rods. Lightweight enthusiasts the world-over went crazy for them. SPL lightweight/ultralight rods were groundbreaking; extreme overall light weight coupled with the latest buzz in rod building technology had created a remarkable, light-in-the-hand fly rod that performed like no other. Small stream trout fanatics were in seventh heaven. I fell head-over-heels with my first SPL 080-3 so much that as my credit card allowed, I purchased several more over the next several years.

The year 2002 saw another generation of ultralight fly rods emerge from the Sage drawing boards – the SLT Series. The only real change I was able to note between my own SPL and SLT (ultralight) rods was a difference in color. Although the materials used in the making of the SLT had changed, to me the SLT resembled the SPL in every other regard. As if Sage hadn’t conquered enough ultralight territory with their SPL and SLT 0-2wt Series rods, they outdid themselves again in 2005 when they introduced the TXL Series line-up of ultralight sticks. Just when ultralight enthusiasts thought it couldn’t get any better…

My own TXL 00710-3 arrived on my doorstep five business days after I had ordered it from a reputable Eastern Sierra fly shop. I remember waiting by the front door on that last day, listening for the sound of the FedEx truck as it drove down our street. Like a chained dog waiting for his master; my tongue was hanging out, my tail was wagging and I was jumping all over the place trying to squeeze just one more foot out that short chain. A flyfishing friend, who coincidentally had stopped by to bum some of my hand-tied flies, was with me when the rod tube arrived. God knows I dearly love my friends, but when I finally got that cardboard tube in my dirty little mitts, I forgot all about my poor friend.

In my humble opinion, the TXL 00710-3 is one of the most magnificent pieces of artwork I’ve ever had the pleasure of throwing. What surprised me is how strong the 00wt rod is when a large amount line is being aired out. Keep in mind; I had been religiously using the SPL and SLT Series 0wt rods, which to me required learning a sensitive touch to command and cast appropriately. Surprisingly, the TXL 00wt was much easier to air-out than I ever thought it would be. My TXL feels much stronger in the middle of the rod, making it a breeze to manage a DT0F line (for those that like to line-up one size higher than the rod weight they’re throwing). I rarely throw more than ten feet of floating line with my TXL, so I tend to stay with a matching Sage Quiet Taper DT00F line. Some ultralighters’ fish everything and everywhere with their TXL’s, but mine only comes out of its’ tube for small stream trips into the Golden Trout Wilderness, which in my mind is exactly the kind of flyfishing this rod is best suited for. Coupled with a sweet, machined ultra-lightweight reel, my TXL 00wt is the most amazing flyfishing instrument I own.

For those of you that can’t ever seem to get enough of a good thing – or just plain want to run yourselves into the ground (like me) getting all ultra-specialized, Sage has outdone themselves yet again with the Sage TXL 000710-3. I found very little difference between the 00wt and the 000wt while lawn casting a loaner rod that my good friend Rob let me play around with. Is the 000wt worth the investment? Sure, if you just have to have one. But if you already own a 00wt, I don’t think the slight difference between the two is enough to run out and buy one. I’d suggest saving your pennies for something you really need. The two rods are just too similar to me. In my mind, the 000wt is a great marketing ploy that has attracted the, “gotta have it bigger, better and faster,” group.

My only question is this; how far is Sage going to go in search of the ultimate ultralight weapon? And how long will it be until they come up with the noodle-thin 0000wt? Regardless, the advent of the TXL Series has changed forever the world of flyfishing ultralight-dom. And if they do happen to come up with a TXL 0000wt in the future, I’ll probably be the first guy standing in line to buy one.