Has anybody built on the Sage The One blank and how did you like it?

Mike

Built one, a 5wt. It is EXTREMELY fast, not for everyone. In my estimation one needs to be a very accomplished caster. It also is hard on light tippet fish sets.

I have not built on them, but I have fished both the 4 and 5wt factory rods. I'll second Phil's take on them. Not a very versatile rod in my opinion.

Couldn't a fellow just test cast a factory rod for himself to see how you like the rod in the weight you want? Sage dealers let customers test cast rods.

I've cast the factory 9' 5wt and the 9'6" 7 wt. The seven was good--but my testing environment was in a float tube in a lake and I usually fish lighter rods than 7 wt in my tube. My experience with the 5 wt differed from the guys above. I thought it was fantastic--perhaps the smoothest casting fly blank I've ever touched. I build most of my own fly rods, and I buy blanks from one of the most popular producers of blanks on this forum. The 5 wt cast so smoothly, and the line tracked so straight, I thought I just made a lucky cast. I did it again. And again. Then I picked up my own 5 wt and cast it, thinking my casting might just be spot on that day. That was not the case; for me, the Sage cast significantly easier and better than my own rods. The dampening at the end of the stop is incredibile--very little oscillation (not sure if that's the right term) and straight line casts that I can rarely reproduce on my rods. I like slower rods than many of my freinds. I did not find the Sage 5 wt to be unforgivingly fast at all. On the contrary, I found it to be forgiving, very light, and really easy to cast from a tube. It was not like some of the fast and extra fast rods I've tried in the past. Phil alluded to fast rods leading to broken tippets. I am always concerned about this--that's why I like more moderate actioned rods. I do not at all feel like the Sage One 9' 5 wt is in the category that results in easily broken tippets. I fished 3x and 4x and landed several fish to 21 or 22 inches. No broken tippets. And no concern about it with that rod.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2012 02:27AM by George Krumm.

George, I don't think 3x and 4x is very "light" tippet on a 5wt. Try that rod with 6x and 7x, that's light tippet on a 5wt. Not always necessary to go that light on a 5wt, but it is good to know that it can be done.

Test casting a rod at a dealer does not tell you much about how it fishes.

Without a dealer close its hard to test cast.

Mike

Guys, it looks like I need to clarify a little about my experience with the rod. Bill mentioned 3x and 4x aren't the light. I agree. But that was the appropriate size tippet for the flies I was fishing and the fish in that lake which can get into the high 20s (inches). Mike didn't specify using the rod for 6x or 7x; if he had, I couldn't have commented as I have no experience using the rod for that. Bill, I agree--If I was planning on using 6x or less, I wouldn't shop for a 5 wt to fish. Phil, I cast the rods in real world fishing I do in lakes up in Alaska; there was wind, and of course I was in a tube, not at a dealer or on the grass in my front yard. While I'm at it, I want to make it clear that I'm not a dealer, I have no affiliation with Sage, and frankly I don't have the dough to shell out for rod blanks like those. I was offered the chance to test the rods and give an my opinion. I'm not the kind to give enthusiastic praise; people tell me all the time I'm blunt and I understate things I like. I am suspicious of hype. I now feel the hype generated for that rod is warranted. I was very impressed by that rod. A disclaimer is in order: I fished this rod for two days, several hours each time, in a float tube. I just wanted you all to be aware of the scope of my experience. Maybe somebody has used it more and can weigh in with their experience?

George, I don't think anyone was questioning you experience or credentials! The point about tippet sizes, has to do with the rigidity of the Sage One. Fishing with 5, 6 and 7X is quite common with a 5wt rod, especially in streams and rivers where the fish are spooky.

I am in complete agreement that the Sage One is the most accurate rod I have cast, but my whole point is that there is more to selecting a fly rod than just it's casting ability.

If I was entering a casting accuracy contest, the Sage One would be my choice, however for fishing, it would not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2012 04:48PM by Phil Erickson.