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."
