Sage Salt Review...

Fish that live in tropical salt water seem like they're dipped in rocket fuel and given a case of redbull before they eat.

Needless to say,  the gear you need to fish for them are a slight step up from your every day 5wt.

Before my recent trip to the East Coast of Mexico, I was given the opportunity to test drive this set up

Rod--Sage Salt 10 wt.

Reel-- Sage 6000 Series 10 wt.

Line--RIO Outbound Tropical Short 9 wt. 


My other salt experiences centered mostly around bonefish and tarpon, so this deal of standing on a beach getting pounded by the waves with a what other fishermen considered a "silly little stick" felt a bit daunting

The third morning I was absolutely trucked by this Jack in the picture above.  It proved to be my only fish from the beach on this family vacation but it gave me a solid feel of this rod reel and line combo

Spoiler alert-- Holy Shit.

Here are my top observations 

1.  The ocean is daunting, so you end up blind casting a ton when you dont have birds or surface activity. The 10 wt Salt felt like a 7 in hand, but has a ton of backbone.  Casting fatigue was limited which helps a ton

2.  The line combo was perfect.  One of my Jedi salt fly fishing buddies recommended to size down on the RIO Outbound as the 10 wt line was too much for the 10wt rod.  Very true.  I could see how the additional 50 grains from the 9 to the 10 could throw this set up off.

3.  Without a good reel, you're not going to stop these fish.  Seriously.  The 6000 series was set to the nuts when the Jack took it's runs and it still did everything it wanted to and then some.  That's no detraction from the reel as I don't think there's a reel out there that can do much better.  The test is that after the big time runs, is the reel functional and in once piece.  Don't bring a plastic reel to Mexico, just don't.  Bring the big guns as you're going after fish that potentially are in that "lifetime" category

4. Solid side note.  If you're going to Pacific side of Mexico, consider bringing a stripping basket.
The only consistent issues I had was in battling the surf, the line would wrap around my legs and detract big time from casting distance.   A couple of times I had moving bait balls rolling by me and I'd get one good cast into the school only to be followed by the line into my toes and my ankles.  In an instance, the bait fish and the subsequent ocean thugs that follow them were gone.

5.  Solid Side Note 2, practice before you go.  If you're normally a trout guy and a 8 weight is big, a 10 wt does take a big of getting used to.  Additionally, if you've never fished with shooting heads and you plan on using a line like this....make sure you know when you practice as to where the line loads the rod.  Being quick with the line and your casts often means everything when the fish are flying by you.  Double hauls are a must and the ability to go from nothing to a 60-80 foot cast is HUGE. Repeat, HUGE.


I felt a solid gear lovers twinge when I had to send these items back.  Fishing with this set up for 10 days made me realize even more than I already knew that solid fly rods, reels and appropriate lines mean the world when your standing in front of a large ocean and waving a silly little stick

Dropping Hammers with the Method...

Time for another test drive, and this time the Sage Method 12'6 8wt

Before we dive into anything,

The elephant in the room....

A year after the "One", what's Sage doing releasing another $1,000 rod?

It's my belief you cant stay stale in anything.  Sit on the same lineup forever and you're going to get passed and surpassed.   In any business you can go from industry leader to also ran in a second.    Our little fly fishing community tends to get stuck in a baseball like position where we have a terrible time letting go of established dogma and accepting new items.  I myself love vintage reels, but on the same hand wouldnt know what to do if I had to nail knot everything.

For that, I have no problem with Sage pushing for a little bit more, another edge, another innovation.

For that, the Sage Method is the shit.

My test drive for the Method was primarily in the part of my steelhead season that focuses on Clearwater River in Idaho.   The set up was made complete with the new Evoke series reel and the Rio Short Head Spey

The Clearwater is big, in both runs and the size of the steelhead that return.  It's one of those rivers that begs for the long dryline and that's why this set up excited as we focused on the Clearwater August through the beginning of October

Here are my top 5 reasons why I dug this set up.

1.  Extra Crispy--The Method is all types of fast action.  If you like a progressive flex, this isnt your stick.  I tend to cast better with a faster action spey rod

2.  It's Purdy-- Finally a fly rod that's not muted grey/black/blue/green.  The wife has shoes, I have fly rods.

3.  Beautiful Cork--I used it for a solid 7 days on the river and it continued to feel like I just unpacked it for the first time

4.  The Line Combo-- Having only cast shorter Scandi and Skagit style heads, the transition to the 10ft longer Short Head Spey by Rio was made a lot easier by this rod.  It was forgiving and powerful enough to get it going.  Once I got the anchor placement down, it all came together nicely

5.  Lightness--ALthough it's really powerful....after a day of spey casting you'll love the lightness of the stick

Yes, it's a lot of money.  If it's part of your budget, have at it with out any reservations because if you like spey rods for the same reasons I like them, you're going to love the Sage Method Series

Fly fishing will always hold onto traditions and traditional gear.  Every now and then, it's ok to check out what's on the forefront of development of our sport

Sage Quest Soft Shell Hoody Review...

Im going to get this out of the way quickly in this review.

This jacket gets a grade A stamp of approval from this humble blogger.

Want a few reasons to like it, how about 9 of them.  9 out of the probably 50 reasons why.

1.  Keeps your core warm--The insulation around the body fits you like a vest and keeps you rolling through the cold day.  At the same time it doesn't bulk up around the arms and keeps good freedom of movement.

2.  Outside of the River Approval--Even wore this piece to the office, and got compliments on it.  Duel threat baby!

3.  Pockets upon Pockets--6 with lots of room, including a pocket on your left bicep that I am not quite sure what it's for, but it's there.

4.  Wind Cutter--There's nothing worse than a top layer that doesnt stop the wind.  No worries here

5.  Rain blocker--We spent a day on the river this February that started with a light drizzle.  By the end of the day, it was a constant driving rain.  While not my normal rain jacket, this jacket kept me almost 100% dry (almost) but the amount of water it took and the amount that got through kept the day very comfortable

6.  Solid Hood--Syncs up well with the dome and the brim on the hat helps to push the rain away.

7.  Quick Drying--I fall in a lot.  A lot.  My arm usually gets drenched.  Give the sleeves a bit and they dry out quickly.  That's big in my clumsy book

8.  The Double Bubba Fits--For you Double Bubba's out there, you know...XXL, dont worry, lots of arm length and torso length to fit you as it did for me

9.  It's Fishy--Sage embeds fish karma in all it's garments.  You already knew that, didnt you?

Truthfully, this piece is my go to jacket from the river to town.  In the market for a jacket?  Check this one out.

Get more info about the Sage Quest Soft Shell Hoody by clicking HERE