I'm not a salty water guy, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once.

The only part of this discussion I can comment on is the weight disparity. The Mini Mag doesn't feel as heavy as its listed weight to me. I think there are two factors at work here. Having the rod and reel balanced really helps, but more than that I think it's the rod's 8ft length. The shorter stick seems easier to move and also seems to cut down on fatigue. I also think the glass butt and its contribution to how the rod loads plays a part in the lack of fatigue when using it all day.

Wasn't the Mini Mag originally designed as a NaCl + H2O rod in the first place?

IIRC, the idea for the MiniMag originated by TFO noted fly fisherman fly tyer and author Dr. Nick Curcione, for fishing Florida mangroves and California kelp beds.
It is a scaled down TFO Bby Bluewater.

I have not fished the salt with my MiniMag 6/8, but some of the water around Fort Worth can sure feel like you at the coast when that west Texas wind blows in. I use a 290 grain Sage Bass line and it literally flies out to my target. It always thrills me to see the fly go so much further than what I feel it should go!

The least fatigue I ever felt from a saltwater rod was casting the Hardy Sintrix Pro Axis at Tailwaters. Talk about balanced, lightweight and effortless! And rest assured, it's made in Korea. Maybe a British company selling Yanks a Korean rod is Okay? Anybody else own/cast one of these? http://fly.hardyfishing.com/en-us/products/flyfishing-rods/sintrix-flyfishing-rods/proaxis/

I love my mini mag 8-10. I might be the only person to ever break one, but that's a title I am kind of proud to have. No, it's not the lightest rod, nor the easiest to cast all day. I think in the point of this thread it's like saying, "if you only get to have one club in your golf bag" or " one fly in your box", I would place the mini-mag in the same place as a 5 iron or a olive woolly bugger. It will get it done for you. Oh yeah, not interested on golf club opinions, you get the point.

Sad news...I was on the water less than 1 min before I snapped my minimag! It's a sad day. Like my favorite gerbil died. Luckily it's a Tfo!! Boo and yay!

You may join me in the brotherhood.

Wish I could say I busted it on a huge fish, but no...a dumb move on my part.