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.
Sage on Choices
"In the old days, it was a pretty simple. In fact,
not too long ago, most fly anglers had a single, do-everything rod. It
was most likely fiberglass, say a seven-weight, around eight feet long
and weighed in at approximately 27 pounds. And that was it. Trout,
bass, steelhead, salmon, bonefish... you just had to make do with the
old workhorse. Fly fishing gained the reputation for being difficult
because in those days, well, it was.
Now, nothing could be more different. Along with constantly evolving
materials and construction techniques, the graphite age has brought us
a dizzying array of lighter, longer and easier-to-cast fly rods.
Suddenly, it seems as though there's a fly rod for every species, every
condition and every subtle difference in casting style and preference.
And believe it or not, this is good news for fly anglers. Why? Simply
put, technology and modern design have made fly fishing easier. Much
easier.
Of course, with so many choices, choosing the right fly rod has
never been more difficult. At Sage, we believe each angler has a
specific set of needs--from personal casting style and angling
techniques to fish size, fly size and, yes, even your bank account
size. The right rod for you is the one that allows you to cast better,
fish more effectively and enjoy yourself more. For example, if your
natural casting motion tends to be quick and precise, our faster action
rods like the TCR or the XP will fit you perfectly. If, on the other
hand, you prefer a more relaxed casting stroke, the SLT is the rod for
you. We've even created a new series of rods that are specifically
designed to make learning to cast easier for everyone.
We also offer rods for special applications to help you make the
most of your precious time on the water. Two-handed rods in fast and
medium-fast actions, ultra-light high-performance rods,
saltwater-specific rods--how do you know which one's right for you?
Visit our Web site for more information; then spend a few hours at the
fly shop, talk to your dealer and try the rods you're interested in.
Then make your decision based on one simple factor: Choose the rod that
makes your fishing the most fun.
HOW TO SELECT A ROD HOW TO SELECT A ROD
Step 1
To
select the ideal line weight, determine the species you will be
pursuing and the size and type of flies you will be using. Generally,
the lighter line weights are for smaller flies and fish; the heavier
line weights are for larger flies and fish.
Step 2
Determine
the type of rod action you prefer. Sage offers medium to ultra-fast
action rods to suit many different types of anglers.
Step 3
The
proper rod length is determined by the type and size of water you will
be fishing. Generally, shorter rods are used on smaller spring creeks
and streams. Longer rods are used on larger rivers, lakes and in
saltwater locations.
Sage on their Dream Team
"Meet Steve, Jerry, Don and Kerry. Among them,
you're looking at nearly 100 years of fly rod design experience, not to
mention more than their fair share of days on the water. As the Sage
Design Team, they're the guys who've dedicated three years of their
lives in developing our new Xi2 Series rods. And while they may speak
in terms usually reserved for aerospace engineers, it's easy to
understand how excited they are about the Xi2.
With 50 years as a fly rod design pioneer under his belt, Don set
the bar high: Build the finest saltwater fly rod in the world, period.
Of course, that's easier said than done. The team decided they had to
start from scratch, with the idea that every inch of a fly rod has
different performance needs because it must accomplish different tasks.
Since this kind of precise, inch-by-inch analysis had never been done
before, Steve and Kerry had to put their heads together and invent an
arsenal of new quantitative testing methods, machines and software.
Meanwhile, Jerry was hard at work defining the fishing and casting
characteristics the new rod needed to have. He imagined a rod that
could help anglers of all skill levels "put the fly closer to the fish"
in a wide variety of situations. A rod that would allow an angler to
concentrate on the fish instead of the cast. As he and Don began the
design process, they determined that the secret lay in the ability to
feel the line load, rather than the rod flex, throughout the casting
stroke.
The only way to realize a high level of "line feel" was to radically
reduce the swing weight of the rod itself. With this in mind, Steve,
the material science guru, started testing a wide range of exotic
materials, from quartz and titanium to the latest aerospace composites.
Unsatisfied with the performance of these materials, the team went back
into the lab and developed Generation 5 Technology, a completely new
way of constructing rod blanks. By precisely placing different modulus
strengths of graphite along the length of a given rod, the new Modulus
Positioning System (MPS) proved to be the solution everyone was looking
for.
With Generation 5 Technology in place , the team began to build and
test literally hundreds of prototypes, searching for the correct MPS
combinations that Jerry required. Of course, when fishability is how
you judge a rod's performance, you have to fish. Jerry and a host of
other anglers pushed these rods to their limits on the Outer Banks, the
Keys, San Francisco Bay, Costa Rica and Christmas Island. They cast
ridiculously big poppers into howling winds. Fought huge tarpon on
wispy bonefish rods. And, yes, broke dozens of prototypes doing things
that made guides cringe around the world. Along the way, improvements
were made, flaws corrected and the Xi2 began to take shape. The result
of this strenuous development process was, we admit, three years of
fun, great memories and what we now believe are the finest saltwater
fly rods in the world."
Sage on Fishing
I N T U I T I O N
"Sometimes you just know.
It might be on a warm summer evening, with icy spring water sliding
through sage-covered hills. Or in the brainmelting heat of a flats boat
staked somewhere near the Marquesas. Or in the driving rain, waist deep
in the cloudy, glacial water of a coastal rainforest river.
Suddenly, you just know it's going to happen. And then, remarkably,
magically, it unfolds. The huge, wary brown begins to rise. A pod of
100-plus-pound tarpon glides onto the flat. A steelhead rolls in the
tailout and moves silently into the seam. It's time to make the one
cast that counts.
Will you feel the rod load or the line extend? Will you notice the
graphite modulus or the taper design? Not on your life. If you're like
us, all you'll be aware of is your heart pounding and your hands
shaking. And the fish. Yes, the fish.
At Sage, when we talk about the thousands of hours we spend
perfecting our rod designs, or the latest, most advanced materials and
construction techniques we use, what we're really talking about is
moments like these. Moments when it all comes together and you need to
reach back and simply, intuitively, make the cast.
Will the fish take your fly? Maybe, maybe not. But it's these brief,
electric moments that stay with us and define our angling experience.
And the one cast you make is the one that keeps you coming back for
more. Make it count.
S A L V A T I O N
Fifty feet is a long way to crawl for an adult
human being. Just how far it really is doesn't occur to you until
you're down on all fours, a rough beast slouching streamward with a
fully loaded vest, chest waders and carrying a fly rod in one hand. Now
it seems like 50 miles. And yet you crawl, knees on fire, back aching,
pulse roaring in your ears. Imaginary rattlesnakes lurk behind every
rock, and yet you crawl. For what, a trout? Not just any trout, The
Trout. The one you've watched all season. The one that always stops
rising the moment you're in range. Twenty-five feet from the water, the
urge to stand up and peek is almost overwhelming. The urge to stand up
and walk like a person instead of some trout-crazed quadruped is even
stronger. Almost there. You strain your neck up and peer through the
grass. Nothing. Just a miniature regatta of tiny baetis floating down
the smooth, unbroken surface. Your heart sinks. And then, way back
under the willows, farther back than you imagined, you see it. A
dimple. A rise so delicate another angler might pass it off as a
fingerling. Suddenly, your back doesn't hurt, your knees stop
screaming, and you are sure. It's him.
P R E S S U R E
You are standing on your line. You can feel it
coiled between the last little piggies of your left foot and the
blistering hot surface of the casting deck. And now, after hours of
endless waiting, squinting into the glare and cooking your brain under
the broiling sun, a fish has materialized way out on the edge of your
vision. Is it a dream? A mirage shimmering in the humid air? The
torpedo shape, ghostly in its chrome translucence, gliding ever closer,
begins to take form. Somewhere in the hazy background you are vaguely
aware of your guide yelling something, but it's fuzzy and you can't
make out the words. You are afraid to take your eyes off the fish,
feeling that somehow if you blink, it might be gone when you open your
eyes. A drop of sweat runs down the inside of your arm. You may someday
see another fish this big, but you'll never get a second chance like
this one. There is no shade on a flats skiff, and no hiding from
failure. Do you dare look away from the fish of a lifetime to glance at
the line that is surely tangled beneath your foot? Do you dare not to?
I T 'S T I M E.
You really can't help it. There are times when you
simply have to drop everything and fish. Times when powers beyond your
control compel you to get on the water regardless of work deadlines,
family obligations or just about anything else.
You will beg, bargain, lie and plead to get free. You will make lame
excuses and strike ridiculous deals with people you love and care
about. It's okay, we understand all too well.
It might be dropping water after heavy spring rains on the Olympic
Peninsula. Or good light a couple days after the new moon down in the
Keys. Or the first big caddis hatch after a long winter of waiting.
When it's time, it's time.
That's partly why we've made a commitment to design and build our
rods here on Bainbridge Island, Washington. When the steelhead are in,
we can be on the river before, after or sometimes instead of work. Same
for sea-run cutthroats along the island's shore, salmon in the ocean
and sound, and trout in the nearby high desert. In other words, it's a
pretty convenient place to live and work?especially if you live and
work to fish.
The other reason, of course, is the craftsmanship and attention to
detail provided by the people who live here. Sure, it would be less
expensive to do business somewhere else, but when quality is the top
priority, well, there just isn't any place better than Bainbridge.
Here, we're surrounded by water and fish, not to mention people who
take great pride in handcrafting what we consider to be the finest fly
rods in the world. All of which make it easy to be able to fish when
conditions are perfect. Or for that matter, even when they aren't. See
you on the water.
I T 'S T I M E.
Trichoptera, tent wing, sedge, caddis?Somewhere
between the icy grip of winter and the raging chocolate flood of spring
snowmelt, a blizzard of bugs erupts from the river.
From the Arkansas to the Yakima, on the Madison, the Yellowstone, Henry's Fork and beyond?
In places like Canon City, Ennis and West Yellowstone, there's a buzz in the air as fish and fishers come to life in frenzied gluttony.
Too early is worthless. Too late is even worse, haunted as it is by "you shoulda been here last week" stories.
But hit it just right and it's heaven. If, that is,
you consider heaven a place where bugs crawl into your ears, up your
nose, and for every deep breath there's a mouthful of fuzzy wings and
crunchy legs.
The waiting is over. The hatch is on. It's on.
Time to drop a card in the mail for Mom, cancel appointments, pack up the car and hit the road.
I T 'S T I M E."
