Hardy Zenith #5 9'

[luckydude]

So I bought a Z-axis from Kienes and the tip promptly broke before I got to fish it.

I read the shoot out review that put the Hardy on top and I took a gamble on it.

It really is a better rod, I can cast farther and somewhat more precisely with it. I tried it with Rio Selective Trout WF5, Rio Gold WF4, and Rio Trout LT 6. If you want range, go with the 6 wt, adds about 15 feet to my "casts easily" range.

Nice rod, if you are on the fence, I'd go with the Hardy. I have to admit I was put off by a broken Sage before I even got to fish with it, but I think in a side by side, the Hardy will win.

[Rich Morrison]

How exactly did the tip of the Z-axis break? I don't know any rod brands that would stand up to being slammed in a car door for example. Or were you lawn casting the rod? Were you simulting playing a fish by hooking lawn furniture? Rod preference is about as subjective as dating preference. We all have a general idea of what is good - but when it comes down to it rod preference is a "one man's trash is a another man's treasure" gig. For over $600 I can get 3 or 4 outstanding slightly used graphite rods to cover a wide range of applications and distances.

[luckydude]

How exactly did the tip of the Z-axis break? I don't know any rod brands that would stand up to being slammed in a car door for example.

I threaded it, pulled out about 5-6 feet, and then held the end of the line to pull out more by pulling the rod away from the line with my right hand. I've done exactly the same thing hundreds or thousands of times, never had a rod snap like that (I've never broken any other rod, my wife broke her rod back in 1996 or so, that's it in ~35 years of fly fishing). I did NOT jerk the line back towards the reel, I'm well aware that you can't do that, I always spread my arms apart and the rod flexes just like it would if you had a fish running.

Those Z-axis rods are pretty darn skinny, I suspect this one was just weak.

[jimmy1]

The only complaint I have about the Zenith is the cork. Mine has turned a black/gray color and looks like it is 10 years old.

[jbird]

(I've never broken any other rod, my wife broke her rod back in 1996 or so, that's it in ~35 years of fly fishing). .

Thats pretty impressive. Ive broken most of my rods at least once.

Not sure why you didnt contact Bill about your phantom breakage?

[luckydude]

Thats pretty impressive. Ive broken most of my rods at least once.

Not sure why you didnt contact Bill about your phantom breakage?

Good question, I'll go do that and see what happens. I thought I had it sold but it fell through.

[jaybo41]

Bummer about your Z, it should be repaired under warranty? If not resolved though the shop, have you tried contacting Sage? Sounds to me that there could have been a nick somewhere in the blank? I've only ever broken one rod in 12+ years of fly fishing and it was a St. Croix

I am a fan of Sage rods, and took a gamble with a 904 Zenith. My experiences with it are this. It's a rod that fishes very well and does what everyone says it does. The cork on mine is no better or no worse than some of the Sage rods I've got. The Winston's that I own still have the best cork and hardware. The Zenith's hardware is so so-the single foot guides are nice, but from the bottom of cork down through the cap I thought was sub par with what I'd expect of a rod purported to be of this caliber. It was likely to keep the weight down but if I'm paying for a premium rod I can do without plastic. Just my opinion. Not a huge fan of the reel seat either, but a Hard Alox Lamson pairs nicely with it and makes high sticking all day long a real pleasure. With that said, I'm not enamored with it. I just felt as though it lacked the soul like some of my other rods. Perhaps I haven't put enough time in with it? Aesthetically, the rod blank is pretty sweet though.

With all of the rods in my quiver for trout, I still find myself reaching for my BIIX 8'6 for spring creeks/drys or one of my Z's when I want to nymph or throw streamers.

I used Rio Gold WF4 on the Zenith and thought it paired up nicely.

[pvsprme]

I'd bet the Z's wall had been nicked at some point previously and broke when you stressed it. That's how most rods are broken if it's not an outright slamming in a door or other such action. I'm looking to get either a 5/6 wt. switch or 10' single hand in 7 or 8 weight. The Hardy appeals for 2 reasons; Blew away the competition in the YA 8 weight Shootout, and the 10' in 7 and 8 weigh 3.5 oz. That's substantially less than any switch and SH for that matter.

[jaybo41]

The Shootouts sure are an entertaining and informative read. What I've taken away from them is that they are very informative, but isn't a be-all-end all solution in my decision making process. The old advice of going to a fly shop and testing them out still reigns as the best way to select a new rod. Unless of course you know somebody that has the same rod you're looking at.

The shootout's "Ultimate" rod is a Proaxis 1 piece 8'10 8wt. If you're looking for a single hander from Hardy using Sintrix, you'd need to opt for the Zenith in a 10ft 8. That's not to say the Zenith 10ft 8 isn't a good choice for single hand duty, but that's not the rod in the 8wt shootout. There seem to be a lot more choices in 10'0 7wts than there are 10'0 8's, but if lightweight is your top requirement the hardy will fit your bill.

My own personal experience, right or wrong is this. I have a 10'0 7wt single hand for Great Lakes trib fishing that fits the bill for single hand high sticking. Soft tip and very light setup. Just excellent for full days of high sticking. The appeal of a switch for me is to be able to high stick with it or swing more effectively with one rig and hit water that I'd really have to get into the single hander to in order to cover. The cost however is weight. Some guys like casting 2 handed, others do not. If you haven't tried one out, I'd suggest doing so before you jump into that game. It's quite the investment!