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Fly goes hi-tech with new S.A. Sharkskin
lines and Sage Targets Bassers
(continued)
  Sage:
We were surprised to see Tier 1 fly rod and reel manufacturer Sage launching new
bass series setups at the show. Sage believes that there are plenty of bass
anglers out there that would be interested in fishing for both smallmouth and
largemouth bass recreationally and in tournament situations with fly gear. They
helped form a "Bass-N-Fly" promotions team which includes Ken Hanley, Kevin
Doran, John Sherman, Keith Kaneko, and Jerry Siem. Many of these experts are
residents of the bay area and call the Delta home water.
John Sherman a member of the
Bass-N-Fly promotions team explains the benefits of fishing for bass with a fly
rod
After working with this small tight-lipped group
of serious bass anglers, Sage developed two new rods that can drop a hair frog
or an air-light diver with pinpoint accuracy and hardly a ripple on the water.
From a fly fishing perspective they are talking about effortlessly pushing big,
wind-resistant bugs into tight quarters. Available in two models, Smallmouth and
Largemouth, both rods measure 7'11", which slides them just under the strict
bass tournament rules for rod length. Additionally, both rods are sold with
custom bass taper fly lines and a travel case for protection.
The fly rods will come with
perfectly matched line for either smallmouth or largemouth fishing
When used outside the bass fishing world, Sage
recommends them for probing the mangroves or throwing huge flies for pike and
muskies. The rods will come with 290 grain line for smallmouth, and 330 grain
line for targeting largemouth.
A look at the 4 piece bass fly
rods
These rods will retail for 350 dollars each, and
are available now from any Sage dealer. We will check back with the company
later in the year to see how the adoption of these new solutions have been, but
from what we have seen we love the idea of dedicated fly rod offerings
specifically for bass fishing.
An example of a wind resistant fly
the rods are designed to toss
The Bass-N-Fly team will be getting the message
out at a number of expos where they talk about premier bass fisheries, teach
casting techniques for warm water species, and demo the new Sage Bass fly rod
series.
John shows us the two new Sage fly
rods specifically designed for bass anglers
In addition to the new bass fly rods we had a
chance to look at the casting and spinning lineup. These rods are designed to be
premium ocean and river rods for steelhead and all species of salmon. They
feature a unique look and feel and make use of high-grade Portuguese cork, top
quality guides and components, and a rod bag and tube are standard on all "Sage
Gear" rods.
Few know that Sage also designs
and manufacturers conventional casting and spinning rods
The design of these rods is meticulous. All
handles are topped off with an attractive and durable neoprene impregnated burl
cork ring. The guide spacings have all been strategically developed to obtain
optimum performance while at the same time allow for simple convenience, such as
being able to carry the two separated section together evenly when your rod is
rigged but transportation is necessary.
These handsome rods feature olive
blanks
The casting models were our personal favorites in
the lineup. Dubbed the CT series these rods feature olive green blanks and
utilize Fuji graphite trigger reel seats and anodized aluminum butt caps. The
shorter fast action rods are good for drift fishing, casting lures or pulling
plugs. These rods felt solid and are designed for longer casts and the ability
to control more line, making these an ideal choice for serious salmon and
steelhead anglers in the Pacific Northwest.
The anodized aluminum butt caps
look clean
The Sage SP spinning series are designed with a
balance of lightness and sensitivity, yet are powerful enough to battle large
salmon and steelhead. They feature a ergonomically designed "comfort" reel seat.
Solid titanium framed guides with super strong "NanoLite" ceramic rings.
The SP spinning rods feature an
ergonomically designed "comfort" seat
These are premium rods in every sense and retail
from $475 for the SP spinning series to $500 for some of the rods in the CT
lineup. All rods are inspected at various stages during the manufacturing
process and each and every rod feature factory registered serial numbers for
positive identification.
A final look at the Sage "comfort"
seat
All Sage gear rods are manufactured here in the
United States at Sage's own plant on Bainbridge Island, WA and are backed by the
company's original owner lifetime guarantee. At the show Sage surprised us with
their offerings outside of what they are primarily known for... premium fly rods
designed for traditional fly fishing.
Stay tuned for more coverage
as our ISE Show coverage continues
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