Test Cast Results: Z-Axis 6126-4 and Rio lines

[Keith Kaneko]

Was down on the A river today with friends test casting some lines on the Z-Axis 6126-4 spey rod. We were casting this rod with Monic 0.030" shooting line and various heads. AND WOW!, this rod is wonderfully matched with a Rio 450 Skagit + Rio 8wt. 15 ' sink tips - OR - Rio AFS 7/8 + poly tip. Effortless casting... these are truly balanced setups.

I also liked the Rio AFS 6/7 for more of a tip cast stroke... however, when I throw faster sinking tips I will probably opt for the 7/8.

Also met Dave Anderson on the river today... what a great guy.

That's all... keep your fly wet.

-Keith

[Rick J]

Keith - I have the original 6126 and also love the 450 skagit. this rod and Anderson's 1204 are my two go to rods on the Klamath.

I recently switched to the monic running line from slickshooter and really like this line.

However, in other posts on Monic it sounds like it can become sticky and require pretty constant maintenance? Have you ever noticed this?

I assume a standard line cleaner would work with monic though wonder about this as the coating is not pvc?

Best regards,
Rick

[Grampa Spey]

Was down on the A river today with friends test casting some lines on the Z-Axis 6126-4 spey rod. We were casting this rod with Monic 0.030" shooting line and various heads. AND WOW!, this rod is wonderfully matched with a Rio 450 Skagit + Rio 8wt. 15 ' sink tips - OR - Rio AFS 7/8 + poly tip. Effortless casting... these are truly balanced setups.

I also liked the Rio AFS 6/7 for more of a tip cast stroke... however, when I throw faster sinking tips I will probably opt for the 7/8.

Also met Dave Anderson on the river today... what a great guy.

That's all... keep your fly wet.

-Keith

Thanks for the nice words, Keith ---Grampa Spey aka Dave Anderson

Gary Anderson custom wrapped a Z6126 for me and delivered it at this year's Speyorama.

Fortunately, Bob Pauli, Ian Gordon, Bill Malin and others were there to help me line my new rod.

In a few minutes, we found that the AFS 6/7 Head with the 15' Rio Spey Versi Floating and Intermediate Leaders were the best match for top water and intermediate use. Several of the good casters were casting from the side of one pond over to the next pond with that combo. In fact I had to wait to get my rod back several times.

The Rio Skagit 450 with the Rio Spey 10' sinking Versi tips worked well with this little rod. Ian Gordon could have hunted small game on the other side of the casting pond. Overhead/Hand casting with this combo was excellent.

Since then on the rivers and lakes I have stayed with the AFS 6/7 Head and the 15' Floating and intermediate Spey Versi tips. Recently I have attached the Air Flo 5' Extra Fast Sinking tip to the 15' Spey Versi leaders to get deeper. The combo works well once you get used to touch and going with the extra sinking tip.

With our winds, I have gone to the Rio 550 grain Skagit with the 10' Versi Sinking leader or the older 7' sinking Versi leaders. On a shad fishing trip with Bob Pauli and Ed Marcillac in late May on the Sac with very high winds, t :oops: hat combo didn't work. I had to go to my Z7136 with the Rio 650 grain Skagit and the 15' 7.0 IPS Sinking leader to get the Shad fly out

The Sage Z 6126-4 may be the best little Spey Rod, I have ever cast. It seems to have a wide grain window for the expert tip casters to the not that great middle of the rod to butt of the rod casters like me.

One day I let Doug Duncan and his two amigo casters try the rod at Watt Avenue. Each of them after a few casts were single speying it an easy 100' with a size 4 sinking fly and 6/7 AFS Head and the 15 Rio Spey Versi Leader with a few feet of tippet.

The Air Flo Ridge shooting/running lines seem to work best on the Z Rods with the AFS Heads.

I'm test driving a couple of Sharkskin running/shooting lines, and they may be the best ever re eliminating operator errors.

The Sage 2580 reel in the Green color is great match for the Z6126. I have one loaded with Air Flo Ridge Running line and the AFS 6/7 Head and whatever 15' Spey Versi Leader I'm using. My old Loop 3W is loaded with my Rio Skagit 450 on one spool and the 550 on another spool. Changing spools on the 2580 is not an easy task nor what I would want to do in a river or by the river. So it is easier to take the 2580 off and to replace it with the Loop 3w and whatever Skagit for the day.