Colorado Fly Fishing by The Flyfisher Group

What is with the new Sage One?

Today I went to the fly shop in order to cast the brand new Sage One fly rod and to say the least I was less than impressed.  The Sage One is the new replacement of the great selling rod series known as the Z-Axis.  The Z-Axis was fast and fluid, with a progressive taper allowing a skilled fly caster to transfer energy efficiently at both short and long distances. 

The Sage One that I tried was a 9’ 5 weight and is a extremely lightweight fly rod, weighing in at just over 2 ounces, but its thin and light blank and fast taper makes for a rod that is unresponsive at short distances and does not posses the energy to shoot fly line at long distances.  Not much has changed in fly rod design and technology in the past five to six years, but one major change is the ability of modern fly rods to carry shorter amounts of line in order to shoot greater distances.  Not long ago, a caster would need to carry 50 to 60 feet of fly line with their Sage XP or Winston IMX in order to shoot an entire 90 to 110 feet of line.  Nowadays, the same task can be accomplished by only carrying 35-50 feet of fly line, using rods with Progressive High Modulus tapors like the G-Loomis NRX, Winston BIIIX or MX, or Hardy Angel. 

And it is within this modern casting test that rods like the Sage One seem to fall short, not on par with other high-end fly rods currently on the market.  So my advice to rod shoppers looking to acquire a new Sage is the following:  Buy a Z-Axis at 25% off from your local fly shop, you will be investing in a much better and finely tuned instrument!  As for the Sage One, I think I will pass.  As far as current high-end fly rods go, the Sage One is just not on the same level of technology and design as the rods currently offered by G-Loomis, Winston, and other makers of fine fly rods.  Granted this is just one fly caster's opinion and I am eager to hear more feedback and reviews! 

 

For more information on the Sage One and Z-Axis check out:  www.sageflyfish.com

 

Tight lines,

 

Tyler Bowman

The Fly Fisher Group

Tyler@theflyfisher.com

 

Lincoln Hills Camp Out 2011!

    Lincoln Hills truly is a special and unique place, a true Rocky Mountain Oasis filled with history, culture, and opportunity, a place where families and friends can share and pass on their passion of fly-fishing and the outdoors.  On a day-to-day basis members and privileged guests enjoy world-class fly-fishing, shooting, scenery, and accommodations.  We are now proud to announce summer kids camps as apart of our summer program!

    Members you might have recently noticed the large wall tents and roundtable campfire, mountain bikes zipping down the club paths, and archery targets spread throughout the woods, just a small sampling of camp escapades and activities. For the past three weeks we have been camped out at Lincoln Hills, spending each night at the campfire, listening to professional storytellers, singing songs, and roasting marsh mellows.  At night the Lincoln Hills staff kept our fires warm and each morning we awoke to hot chocolate and a delicious country style breakfast.  During camp we enjoyed taking the kids shooting at our BB gun and archery range, horseback riding along Caribou Flats and club property, whitewater rafting on Golden’s Clear Creek, and Rock Climbing in Boulder Canyon.

    Family and Fly Fishing really tied camp together.  We had many different people visit camp this year but Robert Smith and his three wonderful children Zoe, Ellie, and Max were with us the whole time.  Late every afternoon the kids would start chanting “Evening Hatch!  Evening Hatch!”  So we would rig the rods, grab the waders, and head to the river to find fish eating big flies on the surface!  The fishing during camp was nothing short of spectacular, most of the fish were eating dry flies, and by the end of camp all of the kids had landed a trout in the five to seven pound range.

    More important than fish numbers and size was watching how fishing really brought the family together, watching Robert net fish for his children and seeing Zoe, Ellie, and Max enjoy fishing together really showed what fly fishing is about, establishing and strengthening relationships through solitude and serenity on the water.  Perhaps the most special evening was when Fly Fisher Pro Guide, Spencer Williams and I took Robert and the kids to the lake for an action packed evening of night fishing, catching fish on mouse patterns under a brilliant full moon!

     Our camp is designed to be fun and educational.  Our staff ensures that the kids learn about the history and cultural importance of Lincoln Hills, wilderness camping and survival skills, shooting safety, horsemanship, and of course our professional guides are on site to teach the kids more about fly fishing, casting, and entomology.  So be sure and join us next summer, our staff would love to spend camp with you and your family!  Summer 2012 dates are still TBD, however feel free to contact us for additional information or questions.  In the mean time we are experiencing a record water year.  The river is flowing at an amazing capacity for late August and we anticipate an exciting fall, the browns will be spawning soon and the Blue Winged Olives should provide for some outstanding dry fly fishing!

 

Tight Lines,

 

Tyler Bowman

The Fly Fisher Group

Tyler@theflyfisher.com