Sage Summer 2018 Sale

For summer 2018 Sage has announced the discontinuation of the Sage Method single hand, switch and spey rods - Sage Little One Fly Rods and Sage 2200 Series Fly Reels. 

See our In-Stock Inventory right here...

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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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"

Sage SALT - An Interview with George Cook

Gorge Fly Shop Owner Travis Duddles getting the insight from Sage's Chief rod designer Jerry Siem

I must admit while holding the new Sage SALT at the 2014 IFTD show I couldn't help feeling a little remorse for the inevitable end days of the exceptional Xi3. I became quite the fan over its course of reign. But from my first encounter with the arrow shooting ability of Konnectic Technology in the Sage ONE I knew the days were numbered for the vulnerable Xi3. This Konnectic technology would go hand in hand in salt angling were accuracy is more often than not the deciding factor in a days success.

We answer a lot of questions about saltwater rods and listen to many different opinions about what a saltwater rod should be. The action of a saltwater rod is hard to nail down to the perfect equation because what your rod needs to be is what fits at that moment in time when your target has been acquired.

While I have my opinions of what a saltwater rod should be and I'm also more than impressed with the new Sage SALT I want to turn the attention of this subject to a much more credible source than myself. George Cook (Northwest Sage Representative and Fly Fishing Expert) helps us answer some very important questions about saltwater rods and the new Sage SALT.

George what makes a saltwater fly rod a saltwater ready fly rod?

Action: To be sure, the action truly matters folks. In this to become the needed, trusted tool the rod action has to be such that it will perform at all ranges and do so with both touch, line speed and authority. It is not an easy task to pull all 3 of these aspects together but Rod Design Guru Jerry Siem has indeed done so with the New SAGE SALT Series.

Components: Salt Specific, be it guides, reel seats . Jerry (Siem) was ultra crafty on this series in that he placed the specific Rod Weight Number (Example: 890-4 would show the number 8) on the TOP of The REEL SEAT for quick, easy Rod I.D. no more looking upside down to spot your stick, now just shout out….. Hand me the 8 weight Captain!

Strength: This is where the Jerry Siem magic really shows. The delicate balance of providing the needed-requisite factors of Blank Strength/Fighting Power/Cast-A-Bility, miss just one here and we have problems that we get you somewhere along in the brine. Sage has a long history (1989 On ward) of unique, laser focused Saltwater Specific Rods dating back to the original RPL-X which brought a true saltwater rod to the market and boy was it a welcome hit as I worked in house back then and recall the dealer reaction that fall at the Fly Tackle Dealer Show, amazing times that have lead to this wonderful rod today, the New SAGE SALT.

George do salt rods make good freshwater rods…if so what techniques?

Streamer: No doubt there is crossover here. My first run at it with the New SALT was back to back 4 day excursions to the Bahamas for Bonefish immediately followed by a jaunt into the low country of South Carolina for Largemouth Bass. I had a 790-4 SALT and it was fantastic in both endeavors. Both fisheries required touch, accuracy and at times line speed with an array of fly types and sizes. Sitting here on November 6th I could easily see that same 790-4 at work on the Yellowstone as a Fall “Brown Town” streamer stick. I think by this time next year we will have witnessed the SALT conquer many a fishery be it Big Trout, Alaska Salmon, Argentine Freshwater Dorado and many others .

George is the Sage SALT just a Sage Method dressed differently? 

Now Greg, it’s election time here in November and the nation like these rods has both Blue and Red districts and just like these two rod series they are indeed VERY DIFFERENT.

George many fisherman think that the SALT will just be a Method in disguise…what makes the Salt different? 

Naw buddy, different animals! While both series feature SAGE’s exclusive and wicked Konnetic Technologies The METHOD Series are the supped up, king pin tools of the all out line speed enthusiast. I always tell people that the METHOD is not for everybody but all angler’s at some point, somewhere will wish for one as it will be a difference maker in challenging conditions be it fresh or salt. The SALT is way different in that it is a tool that covers a mammoth gamut of potential scenario’s. A great example is that of Bonefishing where in the course of a single days fishing can face the angler with many different casting challenges. For instance, first thing in the AM you may have a longer (60’+) cast in calm like conditions put you to task. 3 Hours later, brisk wind and a fish sighted close say sub 45’ that suddenly is a mere 25’ away and in your lap. In order to own the day in these situations you will need all of the following performance attributes….Touch and accuracy, both near and far, line speed to cut that pesky wind, true feel for the right number of false cast needed and the moment of truth in that “Presentation” lay down, get it done cast. Furthermore you may well need the ability to pick up and take that second shot at that fish that as luck often has it did something other than ideal . The other aspect that I’d throw out there is this Greg….when you get a given match up of rod and line there is a casting-fishing sense that the Magic Rod Fiery has sprinkled the oh so lovely perfect star dust upon you and when this feeling is upon an angler no matter the situation, the location, the weather that Angler is blessed with a sense of confidence that will have his or her head in the game at the highest level.

George what lines do the SALT rods favor? 

Line weight marked on reel seat

In the Bonefish Theater (7 thru 9 Weight equation) I love RIO’s General Purpose Tropical Salt Water Line. The RIO Bonefish Quickshooter is a straight up get it done performer for many an angler who steps to the plate wading or from a boat. The RIO Redfish line is a great call for that increasingly popular pursuit. The New Award Winning RIO Permit Line will be an important cog in that pursuit and is dead on in that all important 9-10 weight rod range. Tarpon chasers will love the RIO Tarpon Quickshooter as it simply delivers when your guide says CAST. Streamer slingers will enjoy the Outbound Short series for banging the banks and the Puget Sound and Alaskan beach crowds will throw Mega far with RIO’s Outbound Coldwater Floater or Intermediate lines (Outbound Coldwater being the original 37’.5 Outbound line that is an amazing distance tool).

George how will Konnectic technology help our saltwater fishing?

Accuracy: Yes Accuracy, nothing cast straighter than rods engineered with the Konnetic technology format (ONE/METHOD and SALT) . Point and shoot, done deal, get ready for fish porn photo’s.

George - Novice, Intermediate or Pro – where does the Sage SALT fit in? 

Glad you asked…..this might be the most beautiful aspect of all Greg in that the Sage SALT series with it unique Moderated action is simply good to go with all levels of casters. In fact during my fall run of introductions I saw in many instances folks who straight up cast the SALT better than anything else that was placed in their casting paws some of these casters needed help and this action brought it their way in spades. No body really gets enough water time and even less pure practice casting time. I saw novice casters who would go from “Hope” which isn't a strategy by the way to “In The Game” with the 790-4 and 890-4 SALT, combined with RIO’s Bonefish Quickshooter and everyone is a plane ticket away form a holiday to remember!

Thank you George...I agree with you that this rod is very different than any other saltwater rod I've had experience with. It's truly impressive how the Konnectic technology can instantly improve your cast and was also surprised at how well this new rod cast short (something that I have struggled with in the past).

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Sage SALT - 2014 IFTD Show (Casting Pond)

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Sage Method Vs. anything you got!

Now Hiring

Someone asked recently what fly rods do I like? I paused for a moment in thought and truthfully replied with "I like all fly rods." Being with a group of fly fishers a low grumble came out and one angler said of course you would say that being in a retail business and all.

Sometimes I'm just plain too honest! Had the question been what rods do you like to fish with the answer would be wildly different. I do like all fly rods but I chose rods that fit my style of fishing and my casting personality. While there is a time and place for slow to moderate action rods I find most of my fishing has me reaching for a magnum stick and I find great pleasure tuning my stroke into a perfect cast of power and speed.

The Sage Method has my respect, for good reasons!

Why you ask?!

Many reasons come to mind but I feel the most profound reason of all is the lightning fast speed coupled with the most intuitive feeling rod I have ever put in my hand.

Power is useless unless one can harness it. Finding the right combination of speed and control equals the eternal quest for the perfect rod. In short if you can harness it you can cast it.

I don't know technically what makes this rod so different. My impression from the first cast was this is not as fast as I expected. But I was fooled by the feel. As I have spent much more time becoming intimate with my beautiful red mistress I have come to realize it's much faster than previously determined. Carefully watching the tip and the speed of the line during the cast has revealed a true magnum.

Red is the appropriate color to dress her in and if the look doesn't raise a brow than you should check your pulse. Trust me when I say give it a swing and fear not intimidation for this lady possesses grace. I'm laughing as I write this realizing I have never applied a gender to any of my fly rods yet I find myself wanting to describe the Method as a gorgeous woman in a beautiful red dress leaving you mesmerized and unable to look away.

Feed her the right line

No need to over-line the method but don't expect a good response from a trout line either.
Rio Grand will take care of the lighter rods. Streamers will fly on the 6 and 7 weights with a Rio Streamer Tip. Rio Bonefish Quickshooter loads the 7 and 8 weights perfectly. Rio Power Fly will please the big rod freshwater angler and the Rio Tarpon line will take on the silver salt species. Rio Outbound Lines are also a great choice with many possible sizes and densities to match any fly anglers needs.

Speed, power and grace combined with beautifully pleasing aesthetics all come together to create one extraordinarily series of fly rods.

Give her your hand and take her for a swing. She will not disappoint!

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

A Look Back... Year End Review

The future starts today, not tomorrow. - John P.

As the year comes to a close, 2013 marks another year for the books. Many things to take note of and to look back on and think about for the coming year. We saw many new and exciting products announced and introduced to our site: Sage Method, Outcast Stealth Pro, Kast Steelhead Gloves and Gear, Flyvine products, ConnectCore technology and much more. As we look towards 2014 and plan our bucket list for the year we look forward to bringing you the latest and greatest gear, travel destinations and the latest fly fishing technology known to man. 

Below are a few of our favorite posts in the last year or so, we hope you check them out if you haven't already done so. Some of them have been updated, for example our Sink Tips and Pontoon Guide posts.

Sink Tips, Polyleaders, Versileaders - A Buyer's Guide

Polyleaders and Versileaders are both words coined by their respective manufacturers. Polyleader – Airflo. Versileader – Rio. Ok, think of these as taking the place of a conventional, mono leader however unlike conventional leaders there is actually a polymer coating that surrounds the inner, mono core. These leaders come in various densities, lengths, strengths and sink rates. Just like your mono leaders, they loop onto the end of your fly line and they are tapered so as to eliminate “hinging” and encourage smooth turnover. They have more overall mass – starting thick at the loop and tapering down to just the mono core at the fly end. So think of these as a leader - A leader that attaches to your fly line the same way a conventional leader would.

Fly Fishing Pontoon Boats - A Buyer's Guide

Floating atop the surface of a lake or a river is a beautiful thing. Not only is it an enjoyable way to travel, but you may also experience places that would otherwise be impossible to reach. For anglers around the globe, the benefits of pontoon boats have become quite clear. They help to bring you where the fish are -or through those special landscapes that your own two feet, cannot.

NRX vs ONE...Who rules the flats!

2013’s Mexico trip came to an end on May 3rd. The gang packed it up and headed out of the little town of Punta Allen on our way to catch a flight in Cancun. The long bumpy gravel road from the lodge to Tulum seems twice as long on the way out. We had a great time at the Palometa Club. Good food, good drink and lots of good company swapping stories back and forth. The Permit were elusive to us this week but we had some good times with the Bonefish, watched Tarpon tail dance while spitting flies and the occasional Barracuda rip towards our fly at lightning speeds. A warm thank you goes out to Dick and Kaye, Host of the Palometa Club, for providing plenty of entertainment and Margaritas. Watch out for the third Margarita!

Lines for Switch Rods - A Buyer's Guide

Finding the right line for switch rods (rods between the lengths of 10.5 – 11.5 feet) can be confusing. Let us try to clear a few things up by talking about the different types of applications that switch rods are used for.

Spey Fishing. These short rods provide a light, agile alternative when fishing small to medium sized rivers. Finally, lines now exist to give anglers a sound spey experience with rods of this size.

One Guide Tip to Reign Them All

OriginallOriginally this article was going to list my top 5 guide tips. The plan was for a distillation of wisdom that I have received from fly fishing guides the world over. After all, this is the time of year that our existence seems to be whittled down to a parade of top ten lists so we can reflect on the year gone by.y this article was going to list my top 5 guide tips. The plan was for a distillation of wisdom that I have received from fly fishing guides the world over. After all, this is the time of year that our existence seems to be whittled down to a parade of top ten lists so we can reflect on the year gone by...

G. Loomis Factory Tour

Today’s fly rods are nothing short of amazing! The master rod builders have perfected so many actions and tapers that enable us to expand our reaches of angling with a fly. The loading of a fly rod is also something one needs to witness...Hard to see with the naked eye but a video camera can catch it…

Sage Method Rod Series (NEW 2013)

Sage Method: Earlier this year you heard me talk about the Sage One in my article NRX vs. One. The ONE is an awesome casting rod with a very intuitive feel of stability with Sage’s Proprietary Konnetic Technology. But I said it in the article that The One is not a fast rod and I suspect we’ll see Konnetic Technology in the future refinements of faster action rod categories such as the TCX.

Welcome in the NEW Sage Method.

The Story behind an Angel (Steelhead Angel Fly)

My wife, Angelique Garrett and her Mama, Rosalie Stavaas were featured in a cancer survivor add for Celio Treatment center, my wife was gearing up to join me in my guide service business before cancer struck. We had bought a second drift boat and she was excited about joining me.

Casting for Recovery: Photo Contest

Casting for Recovery Photo Contest. In support of CFR the GFS team has created a very first for GFS and have commissioned the help from some of our friends, G. Loomis, Nautilus Reels, Hatch Outdoors as well as fellow fly fisherman and fly tyer, John Garrett (GFS Employee). We have some pretty cool prizes to give away to four lucky winners.

Getting Started

Mention Fly Fishing in a room full of people and inevitably someone will respond with "I always wanted to do that but don’t know how to get started”. If I had a Dime for every time I heard this, well, I would have a pocket full of dimes. But the question remains how to get started? It seems almost an enigma to the beginner. Sort of like a secret society and unless you have friends that fish or grew up fishing with family, well it can be a bewildering undertaking.

Mike Prine - Webmaster
Gorge Fly Shop Team

Newly Added Products

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Sage Method Rod Series (NEW 2013)

Sage Method - New content - 12/26/2013

As promised I vowed to work with the Sage Method in order to get a true feel of this red, high caliber stick beyond what I can get from the casting pond at a show. Believe it or not color has some deciding factor with fly rods today. Many would just be fine if all fly rods are green and that’s the way it should be...Huh?

I've never been one to follow tradition and speaking for myself if I am not exploring or discovering something new then I would have hung the sport up a long time ago. Nothing wrong with traditions and I respect most all fly fishing traditions but keep in mind all traditions started out as one man's daring ability to look outside the norm and make his own discovery, was willing to share it and over course of time became tradition.

Red is the color of the Sage Method and I like it! Sage calls is Magma Red but I think of it as Magnum Red as in High Caliber. If Method was a concert you bet it would be a rock concert and just like a fine Italian Sport car the color has to be RED! If it fits wear it!

The red color sets off the Method as bold and powerful and creates a statement for which this rod needs to live up to. My simple answer is yes! The Method lives up to its look. But we know it’s not that simple. What makes a great rod today is a question that undoubtedly can be debated for years with no clear answer ever awarded. Sounds like a congressional debate is in place. Well step aside Green rod congress as I deliver your veto! This is my article and these are my opinions and I get to choose whether the Method is worthy to be adorned in Magnum Caliber, Italian Sport Car,or Rock and Roll Red.

A great fly rod is a simple desire but a complicated quest. Give me more power, more accuracy, more distance, more feel and make it more comfortable for me to cast. Each and every new fly rod that comes along we look for more of all of this. It’s a careful balance of precision and compromise. In the past more power came with the sacrifice of less feel. Rods got so stiff that the rated line size had trouble loading the rod. So we up line sizes in order to get the rods to load which in turn slowed down the rod. Sure these extra fast rods were very capable of great line speeds but the average caster really struggled to time the load mostly due to lack of feel. In the recent years I believe great strides have been made to create really fast fly rods that load with the appropriate line size and provide much greater feel than their predecessors.

If you like fast action rods than you will love a Sage Method but hold on a minute...Lets say you don’t like fast action rods….I want you fellow fly fishers to go down to your local fly shop and cast a Method. I know on my first cast I was truly surprised how well the rod loaded and how little effort it took to send my line shooting on the forward cast.

I expected POWER but had no idea how GRACEFUL it could be!

All aforementioned attributes of the Method truly puts this rod into High Caliber class but there is one more characteristic I need to bring forth. The Sage Method, (I also have recognized this in the Sage One) possess a very comfortable swing rate. I not going to even pretend I understand how this works instead I purely go by the feel of the cast. What I noticed with these new Sage fly rods is they feel very comfortable in hand and while in a casting stroke.

The best way I can define the new Sage is Power with Grace!

7/24/2013
Sage Method

Earlier this year you heard me talk about the Sage One in my article NRX vs. One. The ONE is an awesome casting rod with a very intuitive feel of stability with Sage’s Proprietary Konnetic Technology. But I said it in the article that The One is not a fast rod and I suspect we’ll see Konnetic Technology in the future refinements of faster action rod categories such as the TCX.

Welcome in the NEW Sage Method.

Sage Method - Magma Red

The Sage Method reaches deep into the fast action rod category and delivers high line speed and tight loops coupled with the greater feel and accuracy found with the Konnetic Technology; A truly welcome edition for experienced casters and demanding salt anglers.

I got my hands on the New Method at this year’s I-Cast/IFTD Show. I like the Magma Red color of this rod and the reel seat expresses quality and strength. It’s light in hand and like The One you won’t believe how thin the shafts are on these rods.

What I couldn’t wait to find out is would this fast action Method live up to the Konnetic technology accuracy that the Sage One excels in! For me the highlight of the Sage One has always been in its ability to track straight thus improving my level of accuracy. The question I have is can this faster version still retain this impressive ability to stabilize your fly line for easier casting and greater distance accuracy?

Greg Darling | Gorge Fly Shop - IFTD Casting Pond

After some time on the pond I am happy to report that Konnetic technology is alive in the Method. The Method feels considerably faster than The One but yet has a much improved feel over the predecessor TCX. It is fast and not for everyone but for those who wish their One to have more, then here is your answer. I look forward to spending more time with these rods and really tune into the feel and timing to see what it is capable of achieving. I was casting the Rio Grand Fly line and you would want this line or the salt equivalent like a Rio Bonefish Quickshooter. The Method should also be happy with a Rio Outbound Fly Line.

Impressions

I like this rod for many reasons. The bold red color, great fit and finish, Konnetic Technology and its fast action but what’s with the name “Method”?! Does it come with an instruction manual? We understood the meaning of Sage One and Circa is a good fit for the traditional feeling rod it belongs to but what is the meaning behind “Method”? Kind of feels like I have to learn something to cast this rod. It’s not for the novice but with that said I did not find it difficult to cast!

The Method is due to arrive around the first of August 2013 and they are available on our website for a pre-order purchase for those who can’t wait…be the first to get one! If you’re in the area stop by and give one a test spin.

Sage Method: Starting at $800.00

Greg Darling

Product Specialist

Gorge Fly Shop

Order yours today!
"Fly Fish the World with Us"