Warning: this isn’t a rod for the novice Spey angler. Trout Spey downsizes traditional Spey gear for smaller fish and smaller rivers. Find your ideal number on the drag knob and stick to it. What more is there to say? For the Design, Fit and Finish category we considered everything from guides, cork quality, reel seat design, and rod blank technology. Your review is spot on. (Note how serious some steelheaders are about their prized waters.) If you're looking for an affordable option that carries a recognizable brand name and features solid, versatile performance, this rod is a great option. The 2210 I had spooled up and paired with a 9 weight battled several permit through long, feverish backing runs. 2020 marks the return of Greys to the United States. I use an OPST Pure Skagit 7wt with a 325gr Commando Head and it simply blows the Sage away. It just does everything really well, particularly if you're a Skagit caster. You choose a fly rod with your purpose in mind, we'll build it the same way. Spey casting allows the angler to utilize two hands to cast a fly line without an overhead backcast. If you're wondering why our line recommendations look different than the manufacturer line recommendations, read our article on Skagit vs Scandi Grain Weight here. After the boring part was done, we took these rods out to the river and cast a variety of lines on every rod in not one but TWO all-day Trout Spey casting sessions. If you want to chuck bigger streamers, you'll probably want the 4wt with more grains. Not sure what fishing you're doing but my trout spey normally makes an appearance in the spring and summer where I'm fishing scandi if I can get away with it. Sage’s new Trout Spey HD truly represents the benefits and advancements found within Sage’s Konnetic HD technology. Namely, they are MUCH shorter. Because it's a longer rod, we found it was a better Scandi rod than Skagit rod. Oh, right, t… The softer action of the Hydrogen was much different than rods like the Trout Spey HD and caters to anglers with slower casting strokes. The NEW Sage Spey Reel was in August 2018. The SPEY introduces a reel designed for the angler looking for a reel that addresses the nuances of Spey fishing. That would be crazy stupid heavy and 50 grains past the window printed on the rod blank. The ONE is the ultimate in versatility, castability, and performance. Note: the T&T DNA Trout Spey and Clearwater Trout Spey were not available when we did the deflection board which is why they're not included in the results. The Clearwater Trout Spey Rod follows this pattern in many ways. The Hydrogen is listed for a Scandi grain window of 200-225 but you suggest a 300 SA Scandi Lite. Regards. Bottom Line:  If you’re fishing large rivers, but still want the feel of a 3wt, this is going to be the rod for you. If you’re looking to outfit your small stream or large stream trout rod with a reel, the Sage Trout is a stellar option for the beginner and experienced angler … That being said, the rod is well-balanced and really caster-friendly. I now use the Hardy Fortuna which is an unbelievable tool. To read more, click here. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!! I've got most of a Fall season chasing chrome on my Abel Spey reel, so I thought a review was warranted. And when that time finally comes, it’s on! It is the eve of my last steelhead trip of 2016, in a few hours we will be headed to Idaho to fish the Salmon River which I suppose would be considered my home water for steelhead fishing.