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Truly
the One? The Sage ONE 590-4 Fly Rod
(continued)
  Real World Test:
I
was lucky enough to be able to test the ONE in very different environments. It
accompanied me here locally on several beach Snook fishing jaunts, as well as a
3 day stint on Pyramid Lake in Nevada. It was fished solely with an Abel Super
4N reel, and WF5F fly line from Rio.
A beautiful Cutthroat was easily subdued by the ONE 5 weight.
Casting:
This rod is a flat out casting machine. Wait, let me back up just a tad. Fly
casting strokes vary wildly amongst anglers, so opinions do vary, but for me
the 590-4 is a sweetheart. The slim blank, thin ferrules, and dainty rod weight
all combine to make for a very pleasurable casting experience with a weight
forward floater. Since the action is fast but not overly fast, an ultra quick
and super precise stroke is not mandatory. The feel is really good up close but
improves with more line in the air. This is a crisp blank that dampens quickly
and is very user friendly. Though sink tip or full sinking lines were not
applicable or even available during testing, I can say without a doubt this
stick will be equally as capable with them.
Hard chrome snake guides and tip top aid in fluid casting.
Despite the fast action, it still has enough tip softness to place a fly
accurately 25 feet out. Some fast rods feel lifeless this close in, but the ONE
590-4 does not. Mid range casting of 30-50 feet or so is a lot of fun and where
I enjoyed fishing the rod the most, but plenty of power is definitely available
to rifle out the long bombs. It was not too difficult to cast the entire fly
line and hear that lovely tink...tink...tink sound of the backing knot
clearing the guides....even easier with a tail wind! If you are looking for a
truly versatile fast action in your next 5 weight, this undoubtedly hits the
mark.
Fighting a Pyramid Lake Cutthroat in 30+ knot winds.
Photo credit: David McKenzie
Power:
The 590-4 ONE not only casts well, but also fights fish without breaking a
sweat. Unfortunately no state or world records were caught during testing, but
several nice stillwater Trout were subdued easily using 6 and 8lb tippet. What
about the Snook fishing you ask? This rod proved to have bad Snook juju, with
nothing over about 16” coming to hand on my beach trips with it. I'm too
embarrassed to post those pictures! At any rate, even though I didn't land any
giants the rod has appropriate 5 weight backbone and provides all the power
you're going to need for it's intended targets
In hand the grip fits your hand very comfortably.
Price, warranty, applications:
Ouch! No, I didn't drop something on my foot, that's what I said when I first
saw the price. At $775, this is quite an expensive rod, but is still right in
the ballpark of premium offerings from other brands. Fly rod prices creep
higher each year, and I have to wonder just how expensive they will cost in the
future. Well, if you have ultra expensive tastes Sage now offers a ONE Elite
590-4 rod which has some different features, including an extra tip section, for
a price of $1,295.
A rod sock is included along with the tube.
It's widely recognized that the most versatile fly rod sizes are 5 and 8
weights. This particular rod will cover the vast majority of Trout fishing
applications you'll encounter in the lower 48, and is a fine choice for a few
other species as well. Lighter duty fishing for Carp, Bass, and all Panfishing
will be other popular uses for the 590-4, but don't overlook light saltwater
too. This rod carries a lifetime, original owner warranty.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
|
Sage
ONE
590-4
Fly
Rod
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
Carefully
constructed
with
high
quality
materials. |
9 |
|
Performance |
An
awesome
performer
that
casts
great,
especially
at
modest
ranges.
A real
pleasure
to fish. |
9 |
|
Price |
There's
no
denying
that
this is
an
expensive
rod
that's
outside
of many
peoples'
budgets. |
5 |
|
Features |
Slimmer
blank,
new
style
grip,
Konnetic
technology,
and
quality,
attractive
components. |
8 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The grip
is quite
nice,
and the
rod is
one of
the
lightest
on the
market.
It feels
more
like a 4
weight
in hand
rather
than a
5. |
9 |
|
Application |
Not
super
versatile
as far
as
species
go, but
covers
most
Trout
fishing
and
lighter
freshwater
and
saltwater
applications. |
7.5 |
|
Total
Score
|
7.91 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus
|
|
+
Build
quality
is
excellent |
-
Expensive |
|
+
A top
notch
performance
rod |
-
Rod tube
needs to
be a
wider
diameter |
|
+
Very
lightweight |
|
|
+
Simple
but
attractive
design |
|
Conclusion:
With high end
features and
boasting wonderful
performance, the
Sage 590-4 ONE rod
is absolutely one of
the premier 5
weights available
today. Rare in my
reviews, I really
can't conjure up a
substantial
complaint about the
rod itself. Ladies
and gentlemen, it
really is that
good! It's a blast
to fish, looks
handsome, and does
everything you want
it to.
Unfortunately, the
price will
undoubtedly keep it
out of reach for
many people, but
thankfully there are
some really nice
cheaper options out
there that will
still put a smile on
your face.
One of about a dozen Cutthroats that came to hand on day 2.
Photo credit: David McKenzie
If you are able to justify the cost, you'll have a tough time finding a 5 weight
that performs better. When you get to this level of performance, the difference
between premium offerings can be very minimal. It then becomes a choice based
on aesthetics, warranty, and the like. The 590-4 doesn't blow away comparable
rods I've handled, but it's certainly neck and neck with the best in the world
and is the finest 5 weight I've fished yet!
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