Sage One 6126-4 Spey Rod Review



Sage One 6126-4



My recent weeks have been filled by unfurling loops of spey line. I was supposed to try out a number of rods while out on Idaho’s Clearwater River, but I got rather caught up with one in particular. Actually, it was the first one I reached for on day one, and it became the bench mark to which I compared the few rods following.

The Sage One 6126-4 Spey is just one size in Sage’s newest spey line. Earlier this year, I spent some time with the 7136-4 One Spey and found the rod to be the ideal, all around spey rod for most steelheading situations. However, being a huge proponent light action spey rods, I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on the 6126-4 which I really prefer for dry line fishing or light tip work on small to medium sized rivers.

Let’s just say that I wasn’t disappointed in the performance. In fact, I can say that in all honesty, the 6126-4 Sage One is the finest spey rod that I have ever fished with in my entire life! But just to be clear, my time on the water consisted of purely dry line fishing. I would not recommend this rod to people needing a heavy duty winter rod or for fishing lead-eyed flies tethered to heavy sink tips. This just isn’t where 6 weights tend to excel, generally speaking. Light tip work up to manageable lengths of t-11 will fish pretty well on this rod, but anymore tends to sacrifice performance.

So what struck me about this rod? Four things: It is light as a feather. It is easy to cast. It is ultra responsive. It generates serious power.

I would characterize the rod as having a medium-fast action with a progressive taper. Unlike the TCX series, which undoubtedly casts laser beams from a stiffer, tip-flex taper, this rod flexes deeper under a lighter load making it a much friendlier rod to cast. However, this is where the conversation get’s interesting because although it is easy to cast, in the right hands, this rod generates a tremendous amount of power and line speed which is rarely seen in a rod with this much feel. Responsive responsive responsive. It is quick to react and redirect power while lending a remarkable crispness to the cast.

The ideal line matches for me out there were two lines: The Rio Steelhead Scandi 385 grain and the Airflo Rage 390 grain. Every rod has a range of line weights that really depends on your own particular preferences. I like to stay towards the lighter end of the range and load the rod with more stroke speed as opposed to line weight. That said, if you prefer a slower stroke, then bumping up to the Steelhead Scandi 410 or even the Steelhead Scandi 435 (heavy heavy end) would be a better bet. As far as the Airflo Rage goes, bumping up to the 420 grain mark is good going for a nice, relaxed stroke.

It’s a good looking rod. The rod blank is colored what they call, “Ice Black” which is a nice reprieve from the standard ole green color. A bonze colored, anodized reel seat lends a nice hue between slim cork that is smooth and comfortable in hand. The blank profile is amazingly slender and the overall rod weight is 6 ¼ ounces.

One Spey 6126-4

I can barely explain what a joy it was to cast this rod for days on end. On a river renowned for its big water and big fish, I was flirting with the chance to hook and play a 20 plus pounder, but sadly, that never happened. Certainly this would be quite a battle on a 6 weight, but I never felt out of the game when it came to casting adequate amounts of line and presenting the fly appropriately. And the way it felt in hand… the light swing weight and the super sharp loops out over the river, made it the only rod that I was really dying to cast. I should mention though, that I did beach a 12 pound, battleship- grey Chinook without too much trouble.