SAGE ONE: Looking for thoughts...

shotgunfly

shotgunfly

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I just paid for my trout unlimited lifetime membership and for doing so get a new Sage One rod and 2050 reel. I've only fished Helios rods and figured a 9'5 'fast action' wouldn't be redundant.

I have no experience with them and am looking for any input from current SAGE owners. I haven't been able to find any forum threads discussing the ONE. If anyone knows where one is please pass it on.

Will I ever go back to Orvis rods?

Thanks in advance.
 
petee

petee

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According to my buddy.... no you will never go back to the Orvis. He said his Sage "One" is the truest tracking, line blasting rod he has ever fished. He hooked up a 30 lb. King on his 8 wt. a couple of week ago and said " I turned the rod into a Hula Hoop". He landed the King with no problems.

I usually believe that all the hype is just marketing, but in this case it may be justified. Hope so as I am starting a new build on a Sage "One" Switch 7116-4 next week.

Pete
 
mcnerney

mcnerney

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I have a Sage One 10 ft 5 wt that I bought primarily as a nymphing rod. As Pete says it is is "the truest tracking, line blasting rod he has ever fished", but that being said, I don't think it is any better or worse than the Helios, maybe in the hands of a true master caster you could see the difference, but for me they are both excellent casting rods. I really like the way the One can bomb casts out and the accuracy it has, but it is a stiff rod that takes some real care when setting the hook. It is real easy to get over excited and set the hook a little too aggresively and bang you just broke the fish off. I lost count of the number of fish I broke off when I first got it, but I was determined to get used to how it handled. I fished with it all last year and have gotten used to that idiosyncrasy. Maybe the One would be a better rod in the heavier sizes like an 8 wt.
 
Pocono

Pocono

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I cast a 9'0" 5 wt. One when they first came out in the Summer of 2010. I cast it side-by-side with my Sage Z-Axis and, in the end, I kept the Z-Axis and let the One go. I think I posted a short review on the One back at that time.

Last Winter for a project, I built a Sage One 6 wt.; for heavier streamer fishing and when the wind picks up. It's a very nice blank.

I, too, just joined Trout Unlimited as a Life Member and I'm waiting for the delivery of the 9'0" 4 piece 5 wt. One and the Sage reel that they're putting together with it (they say it takes about 4-6 weeks to get the gear). Frankly, as you know, the retail value of the gear is almost the cost of the Lifetime membership.

As Larry has said, the Helios is also a very good rod and I don't think that there will be anything about the Sage One that will make you want to retire you Helios. And, of course, you still need a back-up rod; for whichever one becomes your favorite........................;)

Pocono
 
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stl_geoff

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I think you'll be happy with the rod. I have cast them before and its a very nice rod. I join the TU lifemember program a couple years ago and got the TCX and honestly I'd rather have the ONE over the TCX.
 
A

aggieoutlaw

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If you join TU as a lifetime member right now, they'll give you a 5wt Sage One and a Sage reel (2050 I think).

It's a fantastic deal. The value of that gear is almost the price of the membership...very tempting. I wish it was a 7wt.

It's probably too fast for me anyway, I like my medium action rods.
 
stuie675

stuie675

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WOW! I may sign up for that, going to a good cause and you get a kickass rod.

OK not to steal again from Shotgun, but I just signed up also haha thanks for the link and Shotgun for making this thread.
 
sweetandsalt

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It is not an issue of the ONE being better than Helios or whichever your favorite #5 is...ONE is different from other rods. The majority of 5-weights are easy casting all-round trout rods; not to heavy not too light, just right. That is why more 9'/#5 rods are sold than any other size fly rod. Nothing mysterious about Helios (or H2), it is light and smooth and easy to cast. ONE is different; you may need to learn to cast ONE. It is not so much that it is "stiff" it is really less stiff than ultra fast recovering; there is so little mass in the rod that its responses are unlike other rods. To use an automotive analogy, a fine street car like a Benz or Cadillac soaks up the bumps and road irregularities smoothly and compliantly whereas a sports car has a suspension and steering that makes you feel every expansion joint and not only permits but encourages the driver to carve every apex. You have to concentrate more but the driving experience is mush more rewarding and you are engaged. So to with ONE; it demands you focus on your timing, it will be unforgiving of anomalies in your stroke, your casting must elevate to ITS standards. It is not that it is hard to cast, it isn't...it is hard to cast it well and when you do you begin to extract the performance out of it that may not exist in your Helios. ONE is the penultimate technical rod and the only reservation I have with it is that the snake guides are slightly too small for the ultimate in articulate slack line downstream feed. However, the tip's reflexes over come that as such adroit mends are encouraged by its unparalleled precision. My 5-weight is a very early example and I was happily fishing Z-Axis before that. I took a while to transition from the more compliant tip and more progressive taper of Z- to the ONE's sharper reflexes but it was very rewarding once I did. I do not fish ONE exclusively though. I also have Hardy's Zenith #5 which is largely as capable as ONE but much more relaxed and intuitive to cast well. As I often say, I like rods with varied personalities and I fish Zenith very happily much of the time but when the ultimate in precision is called for on demanding technical water with bank sippers focused on one phase of the mayfly emergence...out comes ONE!
 
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klunker

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petee said:
According to my buddy.... no you will never go back to the Orvis. He said his Sage "One" is the truest tracking, line blasting rod he has ever fished. He hooked up a 30 lb. King on his 8 wt. a couple of week ago and said " I turned the rod into a Hula Hoop". He landed the King with no problems.

I usually believe that all the hype is just marketing, but in this case it may be justified. Hope so as I am starting a new build on a Sage "One" Switch 7116-4 next week.

Pete
Click to expand...
I just bought a Sage ONE Switch 7116-4. As this is my first switch/spey rod I'm sure I won't be a good judge of how good the rod is. I haven't even cast it yet, I'm waiting for open water. Looking forward to it tho.

I checked out the TU membership deal. Too bad its a 5 wt. I already have one and its lucky if I use it more than 4-5 times a year. Now if it was a 8wt then I'd be more inclined. Even tho I already have 3 8wts I'd be interested in another. I use my 8wts probably close to 100 days a year.
 
stuie675

stuie675

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It is the Lifetime membership deal, you get a SAGE ONE and Sage 2050 reel. I just joined and paid, cant wait to get my stuff.

Looks like you also get a lifetime of the magazine.
 
plecain

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jaybo41 said:
With the current offering yes. They have had other rod/reel combos with their lifetime membership offering in the past. I'm sure at some point they will change the offering again.
Click to expand...
The offering just before the latest Sage ONE was a Winston BIIIx(?).
The offering seems to change about every 3-6 months.
 
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