The Sage Circa...Like Casting Sex...

Lets get it out of the way first.  The Circa is like casting sex.....

I couldn't think of another way to describe how this stick throws line

Every rod I've ever owned has touted the fast...fast, faster, fastest nature of it's technology  and along comes the Circa and it throws all that fast stuff on its head and says

"SLOW THE HELL DOWN"

Sage gave the Millsfly crew the opportunity to test drive the 8'9 4wt edition.  Originally I threw some line at IFTD in Reno last summer and couldn't wait to put it to the test on something other than a pond in a convention center.

On a recent lake trip in North Central Washington where I carried multiple rods on my pontoon including the Circa as a dry fly rod, you could really see how dynamic and different the stick is.

Here's what stood out to me.

1.  Your other rods are going to feel like broom-handles if you go back and forth

2.  The high tech rod ninjas at Sage really throw you for a loop.  Feels like fiberglass, recovers like new fangled stuff like boron, fiberglass....so on and so forth

3.  The Circa forces you to slow down and enjoy casting instead of attacking each cast.  

4.  Long casts are still cool as Miles Davis.  I had rising trout what I considered a long distance from my pontoon, pulled out a pile of line and with a slow and deliberate cast, dropped the mayfly cripple exactly where I wanted to.  Unfortunately, the Circa cannot make a fish eat.  I am sure they're working on that.

5.  You feel everything.  Literally, the entire line and rod load progression back and through the forward stroke....and fighting fish on a Circa is a blast.  You wouldn't think it has a lot of backbone, but it does.  Enough to subdue a scrappy bunch of fish up to 20 inches in ample time for a quick release

Here are some things the Circa is NOT

1.  A do everything fly rod.

2.  Beefy enough to handle big bugs like streamers, heavy nymph rigs

3.  If you love fast fast fast fast and faster rods, it isnt for you.

Questions I am still working on answering

1.  What's it like to try and punch a cast through substantial wind?

2.  If you're throwing big bugs like stoneflies, how does it effect the rods performance?

All in all, the Circa is an awesome stick.  If you have a cutthroat river near you, or a place where dry flies occupy your time....give it a lawn test at your local fly shop (we prefer the Silver Bow in the Spokane Valley)

And yes, once you do, you'll understand the title of this post.  Oh yes you will.