Winston BIII LS vs. Sage One

[Railking]

After searching and searching for a new rod, I think I've narrowed it down to the Winston BIII LS or the Sage One. I'm looking for a decent all around 9ft 5wt that can do light streamer duty but mostly tossing dries. My 10ft 4wt fills in my gap for nymphing. I know a few of you have the One, just looking for some insight on the BIII LS. I haven't made it to a Winston dealer yet to give one the wiggle test or cast it. I

 

[jdaddy]

For a general 5wt? Sage One, easy call, not even close.

(I own quite a few BIII AND BIIIsx. For a general rod III would be better than IIILS)

 

[johnstevens5462]

These three rods are each totally different feeling rods. You need to cast them to see which one best suits your need and feel preference. My summary is as follows:

Sage ONE - Very nice rod, casts well at all ranges and is the stiffest rod of the three (fast action by Sage's designation) yet still gets very good feel. It is a completely different feel than a Winston - not better, not worse just completely different. This rod will cast the farthest of the three but will have the least amount of "rod bend" feel at close ranges. At close ranges the rod loads at the tip and the rod simply transmits that feeling down the blank.

Winston Biii LS - Winston's replacement for the Bii T. The LS rod (medium-fast by Winston's designation) is a much softer rod than the Sage ONE and excels at close ranges. Don't expect to be throwing sixty foot casts, as this rod is designed for short range work. At close ranges the blank flexes close to the mid-point so there is a lot of feel in the bending of the blank. It is a totally different feeling than the Sage ONE. I do not consider the Biii LS to be a good choice for an "all around" rod. It is an excellent short range dry fly rod.

Winston Biii X - This rod is fast action by Winston yet is still soft compared to a Sage or Loomis fast action. In my opinion, this rod is the best dry fly rod of the three at normal casting ranges. Excellent feeling at close ranges with just the right amount of rod flex. It will cast farther than the Biii LS but not as far as the ONE. In my opinion this is the best dry fly rod on the market.

You can't go wrong with any of them but each has its strengths and weaknesses and the feel between a Winston and a Sage is totally different - you need to decide what feel you like. If you really are looking for a rod that can do light streamer duty but mostly cast dries, to me that is the Biii X (not Biii LS) or Sage ONE.

 

[Railking]

Thanks JDaddy and John. I'm primarily looking for an all around rod but it will mostly be throwing dries. It will replace a tip flex helios 2 that is just too fast for dries in my opinion. The BIII X sounds like a good bet being slow enough for dries but able to throw buggers in a pinch. Finding a happy medium seems tough in today's fly rod market. They all feel too fast or too slow to me. My superfine touch was an awesome rod for throwing dries at almost any range, but I often find myself fishing dries, nymphs, and streamers through the course of the day. Might try out a mid-flex Helios and see how it feels also.

 

[tridentfly]

As has already been stated, these rods couldn't possibly be more different. The LS is essentially going to be a dry fly only rod. I'd recommend the G Loomis NRX LP, Winston B3x or Orvis Helios 2 Tip-Flex. They are all solid at dries, but still have a little power leftover for the odd streamer.

Or if you want a little more confusion, check out our 5-weight shootout.

 

[Railking]

I already own two Helios 2 tip flex rods. While I love them for nymphing and streamers, the tip flex index is a little much for delicate dry fly presentation. I can't seem to find a happy medium with an action that "does it all" for me.

 

[Cold]

I think that it's a matter of personal preference at that point, then. It seems like for what you consider acceptable for dries and streamers, there's no overlap even in theoretical terms, and that a rod that is acceptable at one application will be by definition unsuitable for the other.

I tend to prefer faster rods, but the only rod I can really recommend that I'd consider ideal for both applications...that I've personally used...is a Winston LTX. I have the 9' 4wt and I've used it for everything from #22 BWO emergers for picky spring creek browns up to #2 streamers on a short sink tip for creek/river smallmouth. Naturally, it handles the middle of this range better than the extremes, but it's handled everything I've ever asked it to do.

 

[Pghtrouthunter]

Try a double taper line on your Helios 2 to slow it down. It's amazing what a change in line can do....

The Sage One in 9' 5 wt is a cannon, if you don't like a Helios 2 for a dry fly rod I can't imagine you would like a One, which might be the fastest action 5 wt. on the market.

I have a Hardy Zenith which I would recommend in the 4 wt category. It will pitch streamers easily and be much better on drys than the One. You can over line it at 4.5 or 5 wt. Line and it will perform phenomenally. Check it out.,,,

 

[Kuch]

The Sage One 590 is a real platter slapper when it comes to throwing dries inside of 25 feet. Its just not what this rod is good at. I would have highly recommended the H2 Tip Flex as I find it to be a near perfect all around rod. But as you state, the H2 does not suit you for dry flies. The B3X isn't going to be much better than the H2 and I think these 2 rods are fairly similar. You may be best served looking at the Scott G2 rods. They are excellent presentation rods for dries but can still handle some heavier stuff.

 

[krayfish2]

Does someone have a lightly used H2, 9' 5wt they are looking to part with?

 

[mcwillja]

^ I would like to have one of those myself Andy