Sage TCR 15ft #10

[betanut]

Looking for some suggestions here guys.
A work colleague recently had a Sage TCR as a replacement for an older Sage under an insurance claim Nice.
Anyway, he's having trouble getting it to 'work' - he is a highly competent caster - currently he has Ian Gordon lines but I wonder if the Carron or a longer belly type spey line might be the answer as right now he says it's more like hard work than fun
Anyone else used the TCR and found that they needed a line with more 'oooomph' ?
I've used the trout weight TCRs and they're impressive casting tools if nothing else, very stiff.
Pointers appreciated

[speycaster]

its a very very powerfull rod i think its built like a broom handle , great if you want to power it out with a big tube but no good for feeling the rod load , another fault is different batches feel different not one of their better rods although collapses nicely when a fish is hooked has a very fast tip ,what rod did you Friend have before ,he needs to try and match it if he can, if hes had a slower more traditional rod then the t.c.r. is completely the opposite

[betanut]

graham said:

Sell it and buy a decent double hander. ;D

I did think of suggesting that, but thought better of it

[betanut]

speycaster said:

what rod did you Friend have before

An older model Sage, not sure which one, the TCR was a replacement under an insurance claim.

speycaster said:

he needs to try and match it if he can, if hes had a slower more traditional rod then the t.c.r. is completely the opposite

My thoughts pretty much, but if he's determined to try and make it work for him then finding a line that will work the TCR is the 1st step.
Hmmmm - line pool time

[elwyman]

graham said:

Sell it and buy a decent double hander. ;D

;D ;D ;D

I can vouch for the fact that Graham's advice on rods is usually spot on!

[silversalar]

I used to own the 15" TCR kept it about 10 months I hardly used it after the first couple of outings as I could not make anything of it . I just gave up on it a sold it to a very good caster who is able to use it no problem

[beanieboy]

Yes - casters tend to like it, anglers don't.

silversalar said:

I used to own the 15" TCR kept it about 10 months I hardly used it after the first couple of outings as I could not make anything of it . I just gave up on it a sold it to a very good caster who is able to use it no problem

[castlikeaghille]

The TCR's divide the spey casting world straight down the middle as can be seen above. I used to fish with Sage European's until I swapped to the TCR's last year (I have 2 x 15' and the 12'9" - a little demon of a rod). People love them or hate them. However, some of the comments above sound more like prejudice than real experience.

The reality is the TCR is a phenominal casting and fishing rod........if you are good enough to use it. No other rod in the world is so unforgiving and ruthless at exposing people who substitute brute force for timing and technique in their speycasting. The reason for that is there is no way you can recover if you have de-loaded the rod, which is so easy to do because it is so fast actioned. Rods like the European and Captain Slow style spey rods give you the option to adjust for a mistake or simply a hoof it override.

With a TCR you will either cast 40 yards effortlessly or not at all. You also need to remember it is designed for scaggit type lines and shooting heads. If you have a Mid-Spey tips, replace the compensator with the 5' skaggit section and you have created an awesome combination. If you fish with 80' heads you will struggle. If you want one line that absolutely flies of it, Jock Menteith's new line is just made for it, but my beloved Carron Jet is too long at 75' . If you want advice on what works with a TCR happy to help.

Yours aye

CLaG

As a final thought, I love the TCR but I would always recommend you give them a good trial before committing to them, and I usually suggest people look at regular Sages, Guideline or Loop anyway - horses for courses.

[betanut]

Thanks CLaG I'm going to get a chance to give the TCR a 'burl' tomorrow, I suspect that my chum might p/x it against something a wee bit more conventional like a Z Axis - maybe, I dunno
I've given him an #11wt Michael Evans line to see how it goes with that. Roll on tomorrow

[castlikeaghille]

Way to go TCR trialist dude. Have never tried a Michael Evans. The following lines all work a treat on it:

Hardy Mach II Float 10/11
Menteith Tips 10/11
Snowbee 2D 10/11 Floater
Snowbee 2D 10/11 Sink tIp (but # 9/10 is much better)
Teeny 400/500
Rio Mid Spey (as adapted) 10/11 or basic # 9/10
Lee Wulf Int 10/11 70' head
Shaky Worcs #12 specialist shooting heads (Float, Int, Depth Charge)

In the words of Swiss Toni, using a 15' TCR is just like making love to a beautiful woman....

Good luck fella

GLaG

[betanut]

OK - so we played a bit ;D On my pals TCR a #11 suited him but a #10 suited me. But it's an interesting rod and one I'd quite happily spend a few hours with - mind you, although it's a beautifully assembled piece I'm not quite sure it's worth £730
But who knows.... ceratinly my pal is happier with it now than he was, which must be a good thing

[speycaster]

thats all that matters mate i used a t.c.r. for two months it was OK not worth £750 but what rod is i have got my sage xp back now and boy am i glad there is no predigest in it i like the t.c.r. but not as much as the xp simple as that [ glad hes getting use to it tight lines billy p

[castlikeaghille]

The first time I used the TCR was three years ago when Nick Arm and a Leg lent me his demo. I used it for two days on the Dee. I matched it with a mid-spey tips. I thought the rod was crap; little did I realise it was actually my spey casting that was crap honed by years of "Casting Like...." ;-) I gave the rod back to Arm and a Leg.

Two years later, and after much experimentation with shooting heads for Dug work on the Dee, Arm and a Leg persuaded me to have another go. I took it one sunny summer's afternoon to Newtyle. Jock and I tried it with 8 different lines. It was a revelation except for one line which was a disaster (gues which). The momment I sent the entire Mentieth Speycater with a type 6 tip right across the tail of the Cottar I was hooked. As for what real caster like Jock could do with it.....

As Arm and a Leg wryly noted when I took it back "I use it becasue it forced me to improve me (he's from Grim up [North] Yorkshire) technique", and that's why I now use them to.

As for people who label the TCR a rod for casters...well, as 90%+ of a day's salmon fishing is spent dooing, er....casting, might as well enjoy that part as much as everything else..:-)

To chase to the cut, the TCR is like scotch; an acquired tatse for many...but if you take the time to acquire the taste you'll understand what all the fuss is about...although some people will never acquire it, however much they try.

Later fuishies

CLaG

[castlikeaghille]

One of the guys who sometimes does the salmon rod reviews in T&S comes fishing with us...we all have a good laugh about it. Trying to think of a worse waste of trees than T&S rod reviews....nope I'm stuck

However, the rods you mention are superb. There is one acid test for that. The salmon fishing genius/machine (best salmon fisherman in Britain - probably), Dr Philgood uses them. All the endorsement you will ever need. But I'll stick with the TCR because I am a contrarian and it gives Dr PG something to shake his head at

Later fuishies

CLaG

[elwyman]

springer said:

Three respected T&S testers rated the TCR behind the LPXe in first place. At £750 it is grossly overpriced in my opinion.

I have spent time with the TCR and accept that what you say about it is correct but both the LPXe and 14'8" Le Cie Fast are more than its equal and save you between £250 - £350.

I can't fault Sage build quality and overall appearance but its not worth that much extra, if any.

The £250 - £350 is presumably for the lifetime Sage guarantee.

[zephead]

Have to say as a "B&W 'til I die" man I did like ClaG's TCR when I had a zing with it on Saturday last-even more impressed at the fact it could get a fly that far and fishing that deep after a couple of throws without feeling it was overloaded and may break the rod given my concern that they aren't much cop unless they are for top of the water stuff.

Certainly wouldn't like to be hauling a 3 in tube and a Hi-D head at the back end with one in a Tweed boat but they do have some serious quality/broader range of use than I had safely given them credit for.

A very different sensation from what I'm used,but everyone should try to have a virginal experience once a week,but a serious tool all the same and the only thing I have used that comes close to a spin on a Carron last year.

As for value for money-yep I'd put it in the Carron and B&W Double Speycaster bracket which are the only two rods I can see justify the step into the rareified atmosphere of £750-£1,000 unless your extravagant gardening tastes permits growing beans up a Hardy angel!

Think its Arm and Legs Birthday-that's the best present he'll ever get-me praising a Sage rod in public-he'll probably frame this!

DTYS!

ZH