Leland on Sage Largemouth Bass Rods
Tired of losing the big ones once they reach shelter? The Sage Largemouth Fly Fishing Rod and Fly Line are a unique combination matched to give you
unparalleled control casting big flies and fighting big fish in and around heavy cover and out of float tubes, boats, canoes and kayaks. This mighty mite will handle Largemouth and Peacock Bass and will excel around the Mangroves for Snook, Redfish, and smaller Tarpon. If you pursue these species, you’ll find your old fly rods obsolete, once you’ve fished with the new,
lightweight Sage Largemouth in close quarters!
Read the Complete review on the Sage Bass Rods!
Leland on Specifications
The Sage Largemouth is the more powerful model of the two new 7’ 11” Sage Bass Fly Fishing Rods and is designed to cast short belly, weight forward lines that weigh 330 grains for the front 30’ of the line; basically an equivalent of an 11 weight fly line. The very fast and stiff Largemouth rod
weighs only 3 5/8 ounces and comes with a custom Rio floating line that will turn over huge, wind resistant flies and hefty leaders with ease. The short length of the rod, coupled with its stiffness, allows
greater leverage for hooking and turning fish when it counts and, literally, pulling them out of the slop. Now, fear no fish that lives in a hole! Go in and get ‘em!
Specifications:
- Line Weight rating: 330 grains (Largemouth floating line included)
- Rod Length: 7’11”
- Sections: 4 pieces
- Rod Weight: 3 5/8 ounces
- Handle: Portuguese cork - full wells shaped grip
- Reel Seat: Matte black aluminum big game with double locking retainer
- Action: Very fast and very stiff
Leland on Sage Bass Fly Fishing Rods
Wow! The two new Sage Bass Fly Fishing Rods provide a unique solution to two specific problems that have plagued fly anglers for years; a) turning over and accurately casting bulky, wind resistant flies without getting tired and frustrated and b) fighting fish quickly with power and authority.
You’d need to use an 11 line saltwater big game rod that weighs 2 ounces more to approximate the power generated by these little, 7’11” dynamos and it still wouldn’t turn over flies or fight fish as well!
The Smallmouth and Largemouth Fly Rods are extremely fast and stiff, and with their short length, are powerful levers for hooking and turning fish quickly, when you need to. For example, if you’ve had some experience fishing frog patterns for largemouth in weed cover, you know it’s difficult getting the hook set, let alone pulling a big girl out once she’s in there. As Tony Soprano would say, “fugedaboudit!” You’re nine foot, eight weight rod has maybe one chance in ten. The Sage Bass Fly Rods should up those odds considerably.
The small, yet powerful stature of these two rods enables them to cast massive, short belly lines with a single backcast and turn over big flies very accurately at short to medium distances. Their true advantage comes into play when we seek big predators that like to hang out around structure, whether in fresh or saltwater.
The Smallmouth and Largemouth rods, with their short length, lightness, and slender, comfortable grips are a joy to cast and put the fun back into fly fishing. A new, yet indispensible tool for any serious bass, mangrove, float tube, canoe or kayak fly angler.
Leland on Sage
We at Leland have been selling Sage Fly Rods since our shop first opened its doors in 1985. Without a doubt, if you polled experienced fly anglers across the country, and the world, and asked “Who is the premier fly rod manufacture on the planet?” , the answer you would receive most often would be “Sage”. The popularity of Sage Fly Rods is no accident. Fly anglers tend to be picky folks and they usually expect a lot from their equipment. If they’re not satisfied, they have no problem selecting a different piece of gear that will work better for them. It’s not the glossy ads or the fancy names, people buy Sage Fly Rods because they PERFORM. Innovation, quality, durability, and great customer service go into every Sage Fly Rod and continue after you purchase one. Regardless of your experience level, your casting style, or your budget, Sage builds a rod that will be your trusted fishing companion for years to come. Sage has ten separate fly rod series, encompassing the spectrum of fishing applications, from small trout streams to blue water big game.
Leland is proud to be the largest volume Sage Fly Rod dealer in the world. And we’ve achieved that status, like Sage, through hard work and exemplary customer service. We stock and sell every single fly rod model that Sage manufactures. Please call us if you need assistance in selecting the right rod for you.
Sage was founded in 1979 by Don Green, an experienced rod blank builder and one of the architects of the modern fishing rod, as owner of the Grizzly Fiberglass Company, which later partnered with Fenwick. It was originally called Winslow Manufacturing (after the city of Winslow on Bainbridge Island, Washington) but within a year had changed its name to Sage. Emphasizing high quality fly rods sold only through specialty stores, Sage rode the crest of the fly-fishing boom in the post “A River Runs Through It” years. Today, although there is no industry repository for exact numbers, Sage is probably the world’s largest producer of premium fly rods and employs over 130 workers in their manufacturing facility. The proximity of Bainbridge to the Boeing Aircraft manufacturing plants near Seattle and Toray Composites in Tacoma provides access for Sage to a wealth of knowledge from the aerospace industry, the primary end users of graphite fiber.
From the outset, the company's goal has been to create rods that generate high line speeds. As thousands of Sage owners will attest, the design of their rods enables the fisherman to have extraordinary line control. Casting a Sage fly rod means placing your fly where you want it, not where you hope it goes.
Sage has been as committed to performance and innovation as any fly rod manufacturer in the world. Their dedication to research and development has produced some of the finest fly fishing rods ever conceived. Models like the XP and RPLX helped put Sage in a class reserved for only the best manufacturers.
In 1994 Sage brought in Jerry Siem to take over rod development and design. Siem, a Minnesota native, has been responsible for the development of the SLT and Xi2 Sage rod series. These fly rods quickly found themselves on rivers, streams, and flats all over the world. They are characterized as exceptional casting rods that allow both the novice and the expert to enjoy them tremendously. With the advent of the TCR in 2003, then Xi2 in 2004 and now the Z-Axis in 2007, perhaps the best fly rod series ever built, Jerry and Sage have raised the standard for fly rod performance.
Sage on Sage Bass Fly Fishing Rods
Unique to the world of Sage fly rods are two new rods and matching fly lines designed with multiple use applications. The first priority of these specialized rods and lines are meeting the requirement of BASS tournament length restrictions that all rods measure no longer than 8’ whether they are casting, spinning, or fly rods. Sage BASS rods are 7’ 11” and will qualify in all BASS tournaments.
MODELS
Sage Smallmouth BASS 7’11” 290 grains
Sage Largemouth BASS 7’11” 330 grains
The use of the names Largemouth and Smallmouth, while species specific in the literal sense, should be purveyed as Heavy Duty and Light Duty in the uses and purpose of each rod model. As such, the Largemouth version has been put to use in backcountry mangroves for snook, redfish and small Tarpon, and in freshwater for Bass, Pike and Muskies. The Smallmouth BASS Rod is perfect for Smallies, White Bass, as well as Largemouth Bass where moderate size bass bugs are put to use. Kayak anglers will find either 4 piece rod easy to stow aboard their craft and the shorter angling lever will make landing fish alongside the craft an easier task than with longer rods.
Each rod and line has been designed for easy casting and fishing pleasure for all fly anglers or anyone who has ever wanted to catch a bass on a fly rod. The specialized WF lines are identified using the grain weight of the first 30’ of line. These bulky lines are designed for aggressively turning over stocky leaders and the most wind resistant flies and bugs. Running line is oversized for the easy handling in all weather conditions. Experienced anglers will find these rods adaptable to all casting styles. Sinking line used with these rods should approximate the grain weight silkscreened on each rod.
“For years I have watched fly anglers struggle trying to throw air resistant bugs. I honestly felt as exhausted as the casters themselves, and I WAS ONLY WATCHING! I couldn’t stand this anymore…I had to create a better way, and now the work is done. Today is yesterday’s tomorrow. The future is here. Go now and fish with ease, and let me rest my weary eyeballs.” -Jerry Siem 8-28-07
Sage on Sage
At Sage, every piece of angling equipment we make is
designed tested and hand built with one goal in mind: Maximum fishability. It's a term we came up with a few years back to describe the kind of performance that helps you cast better, fish more effectively and have more fun. In short, every Sage rod, reel and line is specifically designed to help you make the most of your precious time on the water.
The people who make up
Team Sage are some of the finest anglers in the world. Their expertise, wisdom and experience are an important part of our design process, and their contributions to the fishability of our products are immeasurable. But more than that, these are great people to fish and work with, and we're proud to call each of them friends.
Some say Sage rods are legendary for their magical properties, their propensity for placing flies just above the ripple. We don't know about magic, but we do know that every Sage rod is made by hand and we make rods for anglers of every stripe.
When you purchase something with the Sage name on it,
you get a lot more than just a great product. You get access to the
finest customer service in the industry, including our famously
fast turnaround on warranty repairs, real person-to-person phone support on the Sage Techline and a
worldwide network of the best dealers in the business. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, we're here to help.
If you're new to the sport of fly fishing, you've probably discovered there's a lot to learn. From reading holding water and understanding fish habitat, to learning your fly patterns and how to rig your equipment - there are a million details to consider.
So if you get frustrated, remember the infinite details that cause frustration to the beginner are the same details that offer the veteran fly fisher continual challenges and endless excitement. No matter how many years you've been fly fishing, there is always more to learn. So start simply and be patient, because there's a whole new underwater world that you can have a good time getting to know and traveling to discover.
"Every part of this earth is sacred. Every single pine needle, every shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of our race. You are part of the earth and the earth is part of you."- Chief Seattle
How we relate to our environment has a direct effect on the state of the planet. By getting out in the woods, wading a mountain stream and admiring the vibrant colors of a rainbow trout as you carefully release it, you become close to nature and develop a bond you strive to nurture and protect.
Please help Sage in the effort to preserve and enhance our natural resources by practicing catch-and-release fishing and encouraging other anglers to do so. Your children and theirs will thank you for it.
Sage is a proud sponsor of The Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, the Haig-Brown Institute and California Trout.
Sage continues to seek performance advantages through new materials and designs, marketing its products through a network of specialty dealers. Yet more than ever, Sage remains focused on one goal, which is best summarized by its statement of purpose: We are passionate about our business of creating fly fishing products that continually exceed the fly angler's expectations. Wherever in the world your fly fishing takes you, it is safe to say that Sage has the products to enhance your fly fishing experience.
