Thomas & Thomas Sextant 8WT 9'
In Stock • Bozeman, MT
- Extra dense, premium Flor-grade cork grips, with 1.25” composite reinforcement at the top end on 9-12wt models
- Matte Titanium finish uplocking anodized reel seat with T&T’s trademark roll-stamped logo and Delrin washers between the locking nuts
- Natural finish nickel-titanium RECoil snake guides
- Super light titanium frame stripping guides fitted with premium Silicon Nitride inserts. Rods 6-10wt feature two stripping guides. Rods 11-12wt feature three stripping guides
Description
Thomas & Thomas 908 Sextant
As technology and performance continue to push the limit of possibilities, the end goal for a fly rod remains the same. We seek to cast a fly line with ease and accuracy – to deliver our best artificial imitation at the right time and in the right place to convince the fish to eat. In saltwater fly fishing, fly presentation and placement are often as critical as when casting tiny imitations to fussy selective trout. But there is also a need for power; both to face into the wind so commonly encountered and to turn the heads of the largest fish.
These combined challenges of accuracy, delicacy and power are met with the new Sextant saltwater series from T&T. The Sextant rod family was born from extensive R&D, representing an evolution in composition and construction from any fly rod previously available.
Sextant rods are constructed with a unique reinforcement strategy that enhances strength and recovery properties of high-performance unidirectional fibers. This improves the coefficient of energy of the completed rod sections, resulting in rods that load quickly and generate wind-cutting line speed and casting distance with less effort.
The entire Sextant rod family shares a smooth loading, quick recovery action that allows for precise accuracy at short distances without sacrificing the power and backbone necessary for punching flies at longer distances through the wind.
Warranty
Thomas & Thomas Sextant
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Q: What specific fishing scenarios did you design this rod for, and where do you feel it truly excels in performance? A: These are our flagship fast action flats rod. The Sextant excels in a flats fishing scenario, where accuracy and presentation are paramount. The fast action of the Sextant has great power for throwing flies into headwinds, but still retains delicacy for presentations to wary fish. The Sextant is easy to load, and works great with floating, clear tip, or intermediate lines typically used when sight casting or delivering flies at long distance with maximum control. These rods can also handle sinking lines well.
Q: What fly line would you recommend pairing with this rod? A: SA Amplitude Grand Slam or RIO Elite Bonefish
| empty | Short | Medium | Long | FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caster 1 | 7.1 | 7 | 7.9 | 21.8 |
| Caster 2 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 23 |
| Caster 3 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 23 |
| Combined | 22 | 23 | 22.8 | 67.8 |
- I really like the hardware: cork and butt of the rod. I don’t feel the ‘dead spot’ as much in the 8-weight. Feels flimsy in the bottom section. The rod makes targets feel further away.
- Very good all-around – casts well at all distances.
- Good load to it. . . not too tippy/happy medium. This is my favorite rod of the T&T’s thus far at the 30’ (short) target. Easy to pick up line and make correction to cast at 40’ (medium). The rod has a unique feel to it – I need more time with it.
The Thomas & Thomas Sextant (8wt) offered a solid all-around showing with a few nuanced impressions. Fit and finish stood out immediately — the cork, fighting butt, and hardware were all well received. Compared to other T&T models in the lineup, the 8-weight showed less of the “dead spot” some casters have noted in the past.
In close, this was one caster’s favorite T&T at the 30-foot target. The rod loads well without feeling overly tippy and makes short shots easy and controlled. It also transitions smoothly into the 40-foot range, where line pickup and mid-cast corrections felt intuitive and clean. Overall, it casts well across practical fishing distances.
That said, there were a few mixed impressions. While performance was consistently good, one caster noted the lower section can feel slightly flimsy, and at times the rod made targets feel farther away than they were — suggesting it doesn’t always generate effortless distance.
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