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3. Sage rods...old and new, Page 2

Nice Brook Eric!

This post has taken a fantastic turn to the good! All these great trout photos, spring right around the corner...just great!

So here is another question...2pc or 4? How do you guys feel about castability being inhibited by ferrules, or is that something you don't feel much of on graphite? On cane rods, the less the better, nothing like not having a heavy metal thing halfway up the rod or worse yet, at every 3rd. I made a 2pc spliced joint cane rod a few years ago, and its just night and day compared to ferruled ones.

I have been scouring the internet for a classic style Sage, and I appreciate all the help you guys are throwing in here. CJ

Thanks Spence. That photo is a scan of a slide, so that tells you how long ago that was...



That place is the exception. It's really not like any other stream I've ever fished. It gets heavy pressure and honestly I'm kind of tired of fishing it. But it's something visual to do in the winter as it is 100% sight fishing.

Thanks for the reply. I'm kind of glad to hear that is the exception. It would really make me reconsider my current location if that were standard :).

Great photos and fish, Eric.

I didn't think much of the first Sages. They really showed their Fenwick roots. Frankly, they were a bit clubby. I fished mostly Harry Wilson's Power-ply's in those years - if I wasn't fishing bamboo. Later, beginning in the early 90's I was fortunate through some shop connections to own and/or fish with virtually every model of Sage rod (including those misbegotten rods designed for B.A.S.S. tourneys ;)). For awhile there I was trading them in for every new series as they came out. They were vast improvements over the earlier models and as with any new tech, they seemed to improve by leaps and bounds with every new series. Lately it seems the "leaps and bounds" have slowed. A lot of hoopla for pretty small performance gains IMO. The Z-Axis and One models are certainly nice rods, but the SLT and XP models are still my favorites. Never liked the LL's, but that could be my western perspective.

I'm not gonna be buried with them. With the exception of the original (and groundbreaking) Scott 9-4, all my graphites are just tools. I am sentimental about a few cane rods, though.

I have a Sage GFL 590-4 RP graphite II that I have bought new years and years ago. Mine has been sitting in my closet for years. Is that what you guys are all talking about?

I love the brookie photo!!

Did anyone say that Spence doesn't tend to exagerate? My taking my LL Sage to the grave with me may have been a tad over the top. :)




Hmmm...Well then John, what ya fishing with? You have a favorite?

Back to the Brook Trout, that hijacked the thread, for a moment. It would be sweet if our streams here had more large Brooks. This is an interesting question...Why don't they get bigger? Brooks of the size of Erics there are few and far between here...We tend to think a foot long is large. This goes for our two sections on the Au Sable where there has been no-kill regs for 25+ years?!

Mr Neal...You have any thoughts here?

Spence

John...I have been back a few times myself to look at the Brookie.

Spence, bamboo.

the stream where those fish came from was regulated, what they called trophy trout. The regs stated that one could kill one (or maybe two I can't remember for sure) anyway, I vividly remember guys carrying out brook trout over 20" with eggs spewing out of them, and thinking then that those brook trout were doomed.

I know Spence, I was just commenting in the same hyperbolic manner so we'd both be in the same context. ;)

I'm a fan of the older SAGE rods. Got a 2 piece 9 foot 4 wt the other week and cast it side by side with my SLT and I couldn't believe how smooth and effortless the RPL shot line. I'm sold!

After searching far and wide, I found one I fell in love with. Minty new, the owner states it has never even been cast. I just picked it up today and its snowing here so I didn't take it out yet... I may call in sick tomorrow! A 586 LL, 2pc and clean-clean-clean!

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Thanks for all the great contributions to this thread,,,you guys helped me decide and I couldn't be more pleased! CJ

Man! What a find...How did you pull that off?

You know its not a good idea to post you are skipping out of work on a public blog. :)

Nice job!

Spence

Wow, what an amazing find!

Spence, sometimes the stars align and you just step in it big!

I had this out tonight to cast it and when I came back in my wife asked me how I like it. I told her I would break all my other rods over my knee and burn them before I got rid of this one.

I may make it a life-long goal to collect every one in this LL series! CJ

Tonight I got a reply to an e-mail I sent to Sage asking them for some data on the LL rod series. He sent me a PDF from their 1987 catalog that advertised the "new" Light Line series. These appear to be the graphite II versions. He mentioned that the new Circa is much the same as the old LL's were, and it got me to thinking that this may be a series that is worth investigating. Of course, you could probably buy 2 old LL's for the cost of 1 new Circa, but I wont mention that to him! CJ

Now, now, John...Don't you go breaking any rods! :)

I think that everyone has a "style" that they develop over the years of casting. It may be called their signature, if you will...We are always getting a bit better also as the years pass, and every so often, I have dug out an old rod I haven't cast in a long while, and re-discover it.

I can remember a 3wt that I bought from a guy who was ill and selling his gear. It was an LL Bean and I think that Loomis was providing them blanks at the time. I liked the rod when I fished it, but I loved it when I pulled it out again after some time and it seemed to cast so well.

The rod itself hadn't changed a bit...My casting had improved and I had learned how to put that rod to work.

Spence

OK, I got an update on the LL rod and my new infatuation with them. In my search for a period correct reel for this stick, the Sage guy sent me the literature on the rods in a PDF, and both rods pictured had reels on them. Apparently, Sage commissioned Hardy to make reels for their rods, and they made a "L" series to go with their "LL" rods.

This is so exciting I can hardly type it!

Yesterday I found a Sage 505L reel, made by Hardy that was manufactured at around the same time as the rod was. Period correct...it doesn't get any more correct than this!
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What do you think? Perfect right? Come on Hendricksons! CJ

Yep, you really did your homework finding that reel. I was unaware that Sage partnered with Hardy to make a specific reel to match the rods. I'm jealous now and guess I'll just have to use my crummy, generic, nickel silver lineguard LRH when I line up one of my LL's. BTW the rod is an Orvis Midge 7' 6" #5 line.

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I didn't know that either. That's wonderful.