Tested & Reviewed by Jeff Wagner
A good rod doesn’t need to be expensive or flaunt unnecessary technology no one can identify. It does, however, need to be the rod that you reach for and don’t think twice about when fishing. The Sage Sense is that sensible nymphing rod. This was the primary rod I reached into my quiver for this season. Most days, I deliberate on which rod will fit the particular style of fishing we are embarking on. Not so with the Sage Sense. Not once did I question its ability or utility, instead I focused on the river and what flies might bring up a fish. My home waters are the medium to small streams of Central Colorado. The Sense fished them all well. As a nymphing rod, the Sense has relatively slow action and a soft tip, features designed to protect the light tippets nymphing anglers tend to favour. Sage’s well-established grip—snub-nosed, half-wells cork—feels comfortable and well-balanced in hand. The rod is subdued in appearance but strong in performance—all the better to high stick spooky fish in a run or a riffle. The Sense’s Generation 5 blank eliminates the tip bounce that many 10-foot rods can’t shake and most impressively it casts everything from thinner Euro-nymphing lines to traditional, heavier trout lines. I successfully fished everything from small multi-nymph rigs to larger dry-dropper rigs and small streamers. When you stack it against other mid-range rods, the Sense stands tall.
Visit Sage online for more info.
