When the Sage FLi was released a few years ago, it thought of it as a nice rod, but I wanted more. Well, my wish has just been granted. Sage has released its midprice Flight model.
What's going to be noticable is the look. It has a glossy finish that is the same quality of Sage's premium rods. The blank is much narrower in diameter compared to the FLi. The reel seat, especially on the 7 weights and up, looks like a high end Streubel (or at least a high quality knock off).
The biggest improvement is the casting. It feels like a premium rod. The action is fast. It is more refined than the FLi, but not quite Z-Axis. Sage took some attributes from its G5 technology. The 5 weight has followed suit with as the Z-Axis. The tip feels softer, so protecting tips is not a problem. The 8 weight can generate line speeds to throw 350 grain heads with authority.
I feel that the Flight Series can make a great rod for those who want performance, but for those who don't want to pay premium prices.