Sage Bass II Fly Lines

You probably know that Sage builds a line of bass rods called Sage Bass II. This second generation of technique specific warmwater rods consist of Bluegill, Smallmouth, Largemouth and Peacock. Extending this series is also two Pike/Musky rods.

The Sage Bass II Fly lines are the exact lines that come with the four models of Bass rods. They have short powerful heads to move large flies effectively. These lines are available to purchase separately from the rods as either replacement lines or as in many cases for anglers to enjoy their benefits on their rod of choice.

Bass II Fly lines are sold by grain weight and come in 230gr, 290gr, 330gr, and 390gr. Generally the grains match up to rods weights in the following matter.

• 230gr - 6/7 weights
• 290gr - 7/8 weights
• 330gr - 8/9 weights
• 390gr - 9/10 weights

These lines are heavy for these weights on purpose. They need to be in order to carry a large payload. Their purpose is for powerful short casting and therefore their length is limited to 80 feet. 

Features -

• 80' 
• Balanced performance 
• Built for oversize, wind-resistant flies 
• Substantially forward weighted 
• Abrupt front taper 
• Larger diameter running line for fish fighting comfort

Sage Bass II Fly Lines are made by RIO Fly Lines. RIO also makes a great Smallmouth Bass Fly Lines as well as Bass Leaders and Bass Tippet. We have it all at "The Gorge"

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On The Hunt - Zero Bass Thirty - Froggin`

Operation Froggin`

If I have learned only one thing over decades of bass angling is that the only assumption one should make is to never assume! In order to avoid the aforementioned condition, I've come up with some guidelines for froggin` on a summer day @ zero bass thirty.

When is Zero Bass Thirty

Summer Bassin` is for morning people. Just arrive at any boat ramp before dawn and you'll witness a real bass angler. He is likely launching his boat before daylight. His rods are rigged and ready. He's already had his coffee and he has a plan. His day of fishing is done before most ever arrive at the water.

So what is his plan

In Summer conditions I generally kick off a day with topwater. Anytime before sun is on the water is a good time to call up bass to the surface. Bass really don't like sun all that much and will avoid it during mid summer days. On cloudy overcast days the topwater action may continue through noon and maybe even the entire day. Never assume that topwater is only effective in mornings and evenings.

Gear

My gear for topwater is simple. Eight weight frog rod. A large deer hair frog can catch fish coast to coast but it's not a lot of fun to cast. My froggin` brothers agree, if you want to fish the frog effectively, bring out the eight weights.

Reasons for an eight weight

1. The deer hair frog has a lot of wind resistance to overcome. Don't wear yourself out with a six weight. 
2. Throw caution to the wind and throw deep into heavy shoreline cover. Popular saying is "if your not getting snagged then you are not getting close enough". 
3. Once hooked up you will need power to pull a bucketmouth from heavy cover. This is no time to be thinking about line on reel or trout sets. You've got to strip set bury the hook and immediately get pressure on that fish before he takes you to the rock garden or bush pile you just coaxed him from.

My Rod Choice

I have two sticks I use for varying situations. If casting short distances, like river drift boat floats I reach for my Sage Bass II Largemouth Rod. The 7'11" stick provides a lot of control and this fly rod has the backbone to pull fish from heavy cover. When longer cast are key and fishing bigger lake type water I reach for my Sage Method 890-4. It casts shooting head lines and big frogs with authority and provides ample power for lifting and pulling fly for one shot backcast and re-cast. The ability to place your frog back on location in a one shot cast is very important for getting a second or third opportunity of a jacked up bass.

Topwater presentation is most fickle

What does that mean you ask? My point is not all bass respond to one presentation...some like fast...some like gentle radiating rings of water movement while others need to hear the kaplump noise made by a short hard strip and yet other fish won't strike it until it has sat motionless for a minute. Refer back to first paragraph regarding assumptions.

Until the fish tell me different, my approach loosely involves this pattern. Once landed allow the water rings to fully dissipate before moving your fly. Once dissipated follow up with a single small twitch and wait as long as you can stand before making another move. If no reaction has taken place at this point you can now experiment any way you like. Try a hard diving strip. Try a hard short kaplump strip. try several small twitchy strips. Make a cast to a new location and repeat.

While we anticipate an extreme surface ruckus on the strike don't assume that will always be the case. I've seen big bass slurp bugs under like a trout sipping a caddis. Always remain vigilant for any and all signs. Watch for a swirl or push of water. These are signs that a bass has come to investigate. Be very aware if a shadow appears under your fly.

Fly rod Froggin` is some of the best warm water action one can experience with a fly!

This is part of the hunt! Don't miss it! Be the Frog!

More "On The Hunt" Series Articles
> Never Sit Down
> Stand Ready
> Strip Like You Mean It!

Watch for my next article "Detect The Strike"

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop
Read more Greg's Post...

"My Passion For Fishing Is A Lifelong Pursuit Of Discovery"

Spring Bassin'

April 12  - Low and Clear

Are you waiting for summer to get here? Me too! But I’m not waiting till summer to go Bass fishing...Best time for spring Bassin’ is coming along right quick. So let’s get ready to go kick some Bass!

Spring Bassin’ for fisherman can vary greatly across the nation due to the wide range of waters where they live, and the fact that they can be found in all the continental states.  However, for the purpose of this article, I will be referencing the NW waters of the Columbia River where Micropterusdolomieu (The Wiley Smallmouth) has found a home.

The Big Question

When do I start fishing for Bass? Is May too early? How about June? Not too many years ago my answer would have been when the water temps reach 50 – 55, and oh how I got funny looks from unbelieving fisherman. What if I told you that you can be catching Bass right now! No Kidding, I have caught many fish right down to the 40 degree water temp mark. Do you believe me? I understand if you don't, because not too many years ago, I wouldn’t have believed me either.
Fact is fish need to eat and they will. The trick is to be there when they show up for dinner.
So forget about water temp and focus on conditions that will determine how we fish for Bass.

First up is water clarity; low and clear or high and stained. Chances are, early in the season, you will find low and clear and as spring progresses, the high and stained will become the norm for some time while snow melts and spring rains cascade from mountain rivers.

I like to get started fishing while the water is low and clear. It’s amazing what new structures you’ll spot in these conditions, so take note of every rock, log, drop off and any little subtle difference in the underwater landscape. This will be useful knowledge when the high and stained conditions arrive. Bass are structure oriented fish. They like to be near something and be able to retreat to deeper water if needed. In low clear water stealth must be your game. Smallmouth Bass are alert creatures so shadows and noises can turn them off or drive them away easily. Clear water calls for long casts and quiet approaches. Patience is required for this early spring fishing.

Strip, Strip, Pause!

Normally I would tell you to fish with some pretty heavy flies on bottom for these big river Smallies, but not for low and clear conditions. I look to the suspending or slow sinking bait fish patterns. Flies like Zonkers, Sea Habits, light Clousers and a couple of no name patterns I like to tie. Bass can see quite well in clear water and you need to give them some time to come look at what you're offering. If the bass come looking for dinner in clear shallow water then they will most likely be feeding up....it’s really easy to fish underneath them in the early spring. Cast long and allow your fly to simmer in its landing location. Keep your line tight without moving your fly and be very observant to any motion in your line. Proceed with a strip, strip and pause retrieve.....Strip...Strip....Paaaaaause....Vary your pauses and watch your line for any movement. Now listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you: If you witness any twitch...even the slightest twitch, do not hesitate...set the hook and set it hard. Big Bass don’t nibble and they also don’t peck at food. A twitch in your line means he just inhaled the fly and the next twitch you see will be him spitting it out. I have witnessed angler after angler make this fatal mistake and they all say these words, “I was waiting for him to really hit it”. Sure there are days they’ll yank the rod out of your hands but more often than not the strike is very subtle especially in the early season. This might be my favorite technique but it demands calm clear water and bit of afternoon sun can go a long ways.

A few flies I like for these conditions: Sea Habit, Zonker and Lite Clousers

Let the wind blow! 

And it will and we will curse it over and over again, but I have learned to embrace the wind to some extent and realize that, while it has its challenges, it also has some benefits. If it has been windy for some time this will stir the water and start to add color, and with spring winds, usually comes the rain. Combine wind and spring runoff and now you have high and stained or even muddy water at times. I know many anglers that will refuse to fish muddy water. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, high and muddy water makes bass location predictable. So, awhile back I said to pay attention to every rock, log, drop off and any little difference in the landscape when the water is low and clear. Hopefully you remembered some of those locations. High muddy water will move bass in shallow and put them right on those structures and with some wind chop and stained or muddy water, we can move in close to these locations without fear of spooking fish away.

Now you want to fish a fly with some weight to it. Exposed lead eyes or bead head flies work great here. Cast your fly right into those structure locations and make contact with something solid...a stump, log or even just a rocky bottom. Bass are classified as site feeders but their other senses are not to be underestimated. I am quite certain that bass will move in on sounds that may resemble a crayfish working in the rocky bottom or an injured baitfish. Sounds of a fly banging against rocks can draw fish to your fly, and when he gets close enough, his vision will spot the meal. Warning...If you want to catch fish you're going to have to cast flies into places where they may not return from. Don’t spend an hour tying the best-ever bass fly because you're going to get pretty frustrated after losing a couple. In muddy/stained water a bead head black wooly bugger can be quite effective and a little chartreuse in the mix can go a long way to getting that strike. So plan on losing some flies but in time you’ll learn to dance them over the laydowns and bounce them though the rocks.

A few of my favorites for bottom-contact fishing:  Creek Crawler, Clouser, Action Crab, and an articulated steelhead pattern that we'll just call "The Calvin" named after its tyer

I have had many great days Bassin’ in early spring, some of my best days actually. The best advice I can give is to not pay attention to water temperature but instead fish the conditions that exist at the time you can get on the water. If I could pick my most favorite early season conditions it would be low and clear with light wind and sunny skies. Those days are few and far between so just go fish when you can, determine the conditions, fish accordingly and rarely will you be disappointed...

~Rambling Thoughts of the Tormented Angler

March 27th... 1 out of about 10 caught that day... Low and Clear

May 17th... 1 out of about 15 this day.  My client cancelled his trip with me on this day because he said the water was too high and muddy to catch fish... He missed out!

Gear Selection:
Sage Bass Series Smallmouth Bass Rod – This is my “go to” gun for those heavy bottom flies…It has power to spare plus the backbone needed to pull though the nastiest of snags.

Rio Outbound Short - Full Intermediate – Shoots great…I use an Airflo sinking polyleader to reach the final depth I wish to achieve.

Nautilus FWX 7/8 Fly Reel - Handles both the line and fish.

G.Loomis NRX 9’ 7wt Rod – Distance with ease for the large, light-suspending flies.

S/A Textured Titan Taper Fly Line – Carries these large flies and the high flotation of the line makes for easy pickup. The orange color also makes it easy to see.

Lamson Speedster Fly Reels - Balances this rod so perfectly that I can cast all day with total comfort.

Flies – Use your imagination when it comes to flies. You can see I use an assortment of Bass, Saltwater and Steelhead flies.

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"