Sage ONE Trout Spey 2109-4 Review

Winter Bow

The highly anticipated player in my multi year trout spey obsession is now in hand! The acclaimed Sage ONE Trout Spey 2109-4. I've been dreaming of the tug on a tight line swing with this pint size trout spey for longer than this rod has even existed. The anticipation is maddening!

Sage One 2109-4

Light, balanced, smooth, without hesitation the power exhibited from the 2109 would go unnoticed if it weren't for your fly landing on the other side of the river. Effortless is an understatement!

It's closing in on 4 years since I've landed my first two hand trout. In that time I have fished some amazing water with some great rods. Those rods have helped me learn and refine my casts and tactics in the pursuit of trout on the swing, especially winter trout.

I've always felt a yearning to downsize my gear. The fives, fours and three weights in progression have always led me to seeking smaller, lighter sticks. I have even spent a considerable amount of time throwing one hand spey on single hand rods and that experience has further increased my desire for less.

A peek at my one hand spey game

I've noticed in many two hand trout conversations that it's generally assumed the smaller trout speys cannot do as much as their big brethren. Proceed with caution in these conversations. Many factors play a part in this discussion including fly size, river size, line weights and wind. In thinking about a trout spey rod consider them to be just longer than average fly rods but with a ton of serious power hiding down deep in the butt section. To be a spey rod and trouty at the same time the rod must have reasonably limber deep loading tip sections for light tippet fish-ability but still harness power to move skagit, sink tip and fly. Trout spey rods, just like fly rods, as conditions increase in difficulty be it such as wind or fly size so does the nature of casting difficulty increase.

My point to all this chatter is to express the idea not to assume the little 2109 is incapable of skagit head, sink tip and weighted flies. This stick possesses a serious amount of trout soul while still having a strong backbone. While not the rod I reach for in the most demanding conditions it has become the rod I grab in all but the toughest conditions.

My experience with trout spey is we are just now realizing the full potential of abilities with the smaller rod offerings. New lines today from RIO, OPST and Airflo have been key in helping us to extract the deeper potential in these small rods. I have witnessed a combined effort of trout speys and short skagits that has taken us to where we have arrived today. Without these ultra short skagits I believe we'd still be unclear in the validity of such small spey rod offerings.

2109 - Not a wimpy noodle!

I gave 2109 a RIO Skagit Trout Max in 225gr and looped on 10' of T-8 and one of my cone head tube flies and went to work! Snap T, swing into the D-loop and gave a pull on the lower hand and away it went as if it was in autopilot. It felt right from the first cast!

Shown with the New RIO Powerflex Max .024"
What's that hiding in the background!

For this rig I chose a Sage 4650 fly reel. I loaded it with 100yds of gel spun backing, spooled on a RIO Gripshooter line in 25# and looped that to the Skagit Max Trout 225gr head. The 4650 five weight reel had plenty of room for the trout size spey lines and with it's lightweight feel, precision sealed disc drag and a audible clicker is a great compliment to the overall trout spey outfit.

RIO Skagit Max Trout Head measuring at eleven foot is the shortest of any skagits I know. When I first tested these heads I had some trouble holding anchor points. I found them more useful on single hand rods for one handed spey cast. Figuring the short length of 2109 I felt that I should give the little skagit a try. I am a bit surprised at how well a 225gr matched up. I really like the shortness of these heads because they allow you to strip in closer. Yes, I swing flies but I also do a lot of swing/strip and many days that's the method the fish want.

Line It Up

I tested OPST Commando Heads in 225gr and the new Airflo Skagit Scout in 210gr. Both heads performed very well. I feel the 2109 just has a great progressive load that allows it to work well over a wide range of skagits. I see on the internet some guys really like this rod all the way down to OPST Commando 175gr. I haven't tried that yet but no reason why I won't in the future. Point is this rod is not picky so choose your preference but a great starting point would be the OPST 225gr.

Soon I will be testing some scandi's on 2109 as well as 3110. As of writing this I am in winter mode and that means staying active, swinging streamers and hunting for aggressive trout. The anticipation is what keeps me warm on cold winter days.

Some will question my sanity claiming I have found the ultimate Trout Spey and it happens to be this little guy 2109. Truth is the entire Sage ONE Trout Series is incredible and if your water calls for bigger, more powerful and longer sticks then by all means step up. The 3110 sibling is super sweet a very capable player of all things trout. The 4116 feels a tad faster and while it handles a skagit with authority it is also "and" still my personal favorite scandi stick for bug sipping season.

If trout are in your perimeter reach and you haven't pick up a two hand trout spey yet then all I got to ask is "Why Not?" The gear is so good, we have all the lines we need, and the TUG CAN"T BE BEAT!

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Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"