Scientific Anglers Amplitude Textured Tropical / Jungle Fly Line

Sometimes you need more punch, and that’s exactly what the Tropical/Jungle Titan brings to the table.  This line is a saltwater or jungle version of the popular Titan Long.  The stiff core and coating will not wilt in the heat. Think tarpon and snook in the mangroves, warm water species in South America and even smallmouth on a hot day. Plenty of power to deliver big streamers and surface flies under any condition.

Shop SA Jungle line here:

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The Dirt on Fly Lines Series - Part 1 - Tapers

A brief history

Long ago, a fly line was just a level line originally made from braided horse hair. At some point silk entered the picture. The weight in the line itself was only increased by the diameter of the line. These lines were just level in construction.

Line tapers were being experimented with but it wasn't until the advent of nylon and pvc that line tapers really became popular. By tapering off the ends of the fly line, a better, softer presentation was found.

It should be noted that in 1961 system for measure using grain weight was founded by AFTMA (American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association). Before this fly lines were measured by diameter.

As fly rods moved into more powerful graphite forms weight forward lines became the norm. By moving the mass to the forward part of the line and tapering it off at the front and rear ends, creating a head in the line. Weight forward lines gave us the advantage of better rod loading, improve presentation and increase line shooting ability. Most lines we fish with today are of weight forward design.

While the weight forward fly line is a modern marvel, it does however create much confusion and complication. Choosing a taper that works for your situation can be a difficult decision unless one understands how these tapers work for us.

This my attempt to break down some basic tapers and how they affect our casting and fishing. I'll reference Scientific Anglers line taper photos as examples.

Level Lines

Modern level lines can be found today in the form of euro nymph lines and shooting/running lines such as used in switch/spey/two hand fishing systems. Outside of these uses there really is no reason to seek out a level line.

Double Taper

Mastery Double Taper

Double tapers can be found in trout line sizes from Scientific Anglers, RIO and Airflo. While not completely versatile, they do perform certain task quite effectively. Most notably is they roll cast extremely well. This is accomplished by the thick body which in turns carries itself well through the roll. In addition they present dry flies very well in short to medium distances again due to the stability of the thick body. They also have an added advantage of a double life. When one end wears out the line can be reversed and the angler benefits from a fresh start.

Trout Taper

Amplitude Smooth Trout Taper

Enter the weight forward class of line tapers. Trout tapers, such as this S/A Amplitude Smooth are generally long headed and gradual in tapering especially the rear taper. They are constructed this way to provide great presentations and stable flights. Light, long heads give us great ability to aerialize line which enables accuracy. Do to the long head they roll cast well. If there is a downside to trout tapers it is that they don't carry bigger flies very well and they don't always load modern fast action rods very well in short cast situations. Trout taper lines are at their best with modern trout action rods and in general tend to favor dry fly fishing.

Nymph Tapers

Amplitude Smooth Anadro

Nymph tapers have several different names across the industry such as S/A's Anadro, RIO's InTouch Salmo/Steelhead or just plain nymph/indicator. Nymph tapers are designed to carry a trunk load of stuff. Think weighted flies, multi-fly rigs, split shot and/or indicators. In order to accomplish this nymph tapers are generally over weighted by one or two line sizes. Notice the quick front tapering and straight into the mass of the fly line. This mass is what carries the payload. Also in addition to carrying mass, nymph tapers are often tasked to efficiently mend line on the water. These needs require that nymph tapers have long rear tapering in order to supply enough body to move when a mend is requested by the angler. They are extremely versatile for drift boat style fishing.

An overlooked great use of this style of line is for the wade angler who is fishing heavy, fast sinking flies such as targeting big brown trout. The massive taper can load fast action rods short while the long rear taper gives good casting stability for distance with an added benefit of powerful roll casting and mending
This taper can be versatile and effective in a wide range of demands. It was my personal choice of line for migratory brown trout fishing in Chile. Oh, and I never even considered using indicators or split shot. Unfortunately, I feel like I have to add that statement because often times this taper gets pigeon holed as a dirty nymphers line.

General Presentation Tapers

Amplitude MPX Taper

This taper, while general in idea, it would seem that every manufacturer has their own idea of what is the best approach for a general presentation line. The general ideal of this style of line is to have presentation qualities of a trout line while providing load, power and shoot-ability for modern fast action rods creating an all around line for majority of fishing situations.
I apologize now if I miss-categorize any of these as being a part of this group. Lines of this taper are commonly known as S/A MPX, RIO Grand and maybe even the RIO Gold, and Airflo's Super-Dri Xceed. Their are probably many more lines that could loosely fit this category.

These tapers are generally front weighted to load easy and shoot well while rear taper is somewhat gradual for flight stability and gentle presentation. They tend to "do all well" but nothing extraordinary. One most recent newcomer to this crowd is S/A Amplitude Smooth Infinity taper. It is quickly proving itself for being an incredibly, enjoyable casting line with all the qualities needed to be a great all around fishing line.

For average angling, especially trout angling, general presentation lines are all one usually needs. They can handle dry flies and small streamers. They can perform basic trout nymphing with a good ability for mending. General presentation tapers can fit the needs of most anglers, most of the time provided our demands, such as fly size stay within reason.

Shooting Head Tapers

Mastery Titan Taper

These Tapers can be your best or worst friend depending on how you intend to use them. The design is intended to shoot line and fly to your target while loading fast action rods deeply. Although there are plenty of variations, in general the heads of shooting taper lines are usually 30 foot with some leaning toward 40 foot. Most error on the side of 30 foot.
As you can see from the diagram the head is massively weighted but virtually little to no tapers on front or rear. These shooting head tapers are generally over-weighted pretty large with 2 line sizes and in many cases 3 line sizes heavier over AFFTA line standards. The running line part beyond the head is usually quite thin in diameter allowing less friction for distance shooting.
What this taper does extremely well is load fast action rods very quickly and can propel large flies effectively. Anglers that are proficient with them can usually load a rod in one or two false cast and send the payload on it's way.
These tapers are very effective while fishing streamers from boats, long distance shoreline casting and flats fishing where one shot cast are often times required. Actually if I understand correctly RIO Outbound was born on the premise of shooting head shoreline casting.
What these tapers fail at is fish-ability. As long as the angler only requires to cast and strip flies straight back to them then all is fine, but request a mend or roll cast with the thin shooting line outside of rod guides and forget it. The thin shooting line part does not have enough body to be able to move the massive head. The angler will need to strip back to the point that the back side of the head is at or inside the rod guides in order to pickup line, roll line or make a mend. That's going to be about 30 feet depending on length of head. These tapers have their place in fly fishing, just not every place!

Examples of shooting head lines are RIO Outbound Series, S/A Titan Series, Airflo Forty Plus Series and keep in mind too many to list tapers with names such as streamer, tarpon, bonefish, striper

Modified Shooting Taper

Amplitude Smooth Titan Long

I added this category with purpose. Just as I mention that shooting head lines have a bit of trouble in the fish-ability department, there is in fact a trend to help with this issue. In the taper above, Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Titan Long is an added benefit of extending the rear taper several more feet.
We benefit from this in a couple ways including that we don't have to strip as far in to re-cast and we get a little extra length to pick up or mend with. Another benefit the "long" feature helps with is they tend to be a bit less clunky to cast. I've personally been testing these lines in warm water boat fishing situations with large streamers and they have proven to be quite beneficial over traditional shooting head tapers.
This design can be found the S/A Amplitude Tropical Titan, Amplitude Smooth Titan Long, Sonar Titan Sink Tip, Mastery Titan Long and Mastery Bass Bug.

How to recognize tapers

Over time I have developed my own quick evaluation of fly lines. It goes something like this.

1. How long is the head? Start at front of line and run it through your fingers as you stretch out an arms length of line. Continue doing this while feeling the diameter change as you go. Count how many arm lengths it takes to reach the back side of the head. Most lines today will change color at this transition. Not only will you determine the head length but also feel how the line tapers. A little practice and you will be able to recognize how tapers differ. 
2. Is it over weighted? Most line descriptions will tell you if a line is over-weighted. Fact is most modern lines are over-weighted to some extent. Whether that is good or bad has become a touchy subject that I'll take on is another article.
3. Long front taper? Long front tapers are for presentation such as dry flies.
4. Long rear taper? Long rear tapers provide flight stability, roll and mending.
5. Mass toward the front? Carries payload.

I could continue on with more taper diagrams and but I don't feel that is really necessary. In general these tapers described here are found in most fly lines within some form or variation. The important thing to note from this is to hopefully gain the ability to recognize different tapers and how to apply them to your specific fishing regime.

While it is true, some rods respond better or worst to specific tapers and it helps the angler to match lines to rods provided the matching line can still perform the necessary functions that will be required for the destination intended. From personal experience I can tell you on many occasions I showed up to fish with a line that didn't fit the needs and that can create a frustrating day on the water.

I think we often look for lines and line tapers that we can cast well but I often see anglers choosing lines for casting instead of fishing. The line taper itself could play a bigger part in actual fishing and your outcome. In other words the line that makes you a parking lot champion may not be the line that leads to a memorable fishing experience.

In the next article we'll cover matching lines to rods and how that can make or break your experience.

Greg Darling 

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

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

The Dirt on Fly Lines - Introduction

True, always clean your fly line but that's not what this article series is really about.

The intention of this series is designed to help you choose fly lines that will improve your fly fishing experience.

The better we understand fly lines the better anglers we can be on the water. Can you think of a time that your line just didn't work for you or maybe a time when you were struggling only later to find out that you just wasn't equipped with the right fly line?

Feel free to leave questions/comments and I'll do my best to answer them. Meanwhile follow my series as I present some facts and some personal opinions from years of testing and fishing fly lines

Key points that I intend to write about will each be a separate short article of which all will be combined in one central location. By breaking this down in specific topics hopefully you will be able to go straight to the key point to find the answers you'll looking for. Another words save you the trouble of reading a book.

Fact is today,  a book could be written just about fly lines. They have become a blessing and a curse. I will say this, if you are just one of those who believes a fly line is a fly line, you might want to rethink that! I hope you find this helpful in understanding that we can really benefit from knowing the finer details of fly fishing lines.

Key Points

These are just posible ideas, I'm open to suggestions. This introduction is just a start to a series of articles that have not yet been determined. I'm just taking them as they come and I'll wrap it up when we run out of fly line topics

• Tapers - What are they and how to choose?
• Saltwater vs Freshwater - Whats the real difference?
• Head Weights - 
• Matching Fly Lines - Why does my $1K fly rod feel like crap why my buddy's $100 fly rod feels great?
• Finishes and Coating - Why would I care?
• Color Importance - Or not?
• Specialty Lines - Nymph, Double Tapers, Shooting Lines, etc
• Spey - Skagit, Scandi, mid, long, tips

If you can think of more topics please drop me a note. I'll be glad to address the key point and maybe even make it it's own article. 

Start reading the series with:
The Dirt on Fly Lines Series - Part 1 - Tapers

Greg Darling 

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

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

Scientific Anglers Mastery Bass Bug - New for 2019

Specific in nature, the Scientific Anglers Mastery Bass Bug is designed to throw big bugs while maintaining stability of warm water and warm air temps. It's taper is pretty aggressive. It's also weighted to match well to modern fast action rods like the G. Loomis IMX PRO 1 Streamer stick.

I got an opportunity to fish this line on a small bass stream that "may be" located in Michigan during the dwag days of August. Water is clear and fish are skittish. Success come from moderately long cast placed well ahead of the drift boat.

Starting out short, Bass Bug loads fast rods quickly letting you quickly build distance. One or two backcast was all that is needed to set your bug's course to the next target. The color of the line is visual without being excessively bold.

The Braided Multi-filament Core maintained great contact with the fly and never showed any signs of springy coil memory often associated with lines made for hot climates. The coating maintained it's slickness even in the heat of the day and stayed fluid into the dark while blind casting into the "silver" water.

While the head of this line is set at 43' the the bulk of the weight is set forward allowing for the line to load your rod at much shorter distance. The rear part of the head allows for flexible handling. The angler need not concern himself whether he has 20' of line out or over 40' of line out, the line will pick up and cast with total angler control

Bass Bug was clearly developed by anglers who embrace the warm water, thrive in the humid clime and stay up late for the hexagenia.

Specs -

Line Size	Color	30' Head Weight	Total Head Weight	Head Length	Sink Rate	Total Length
WF6F	Frog Green/Shad Blue	210*	280	43 ft	Float	90ft
WF7F	Frog Green/Shad Blue	240*	320	43 ft	Float	90ft
WF8F	Frog Green/Shad Blue	280*	380	43 ft	Float	90ft
WF9F	Frog Green/Shad Blue	330*	435	43 ft	Float	90ft
WF10F	Frog Green/Shad Blue	380*	505	43 ft	Float	90ft

*Grain weight for the first 30'

Find Scientific Anglers Mastery Bass Bug Fly Lines at "The Gorge"

Greg Darling 

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

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

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Anadro - New for 2019

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth fly lines use AST Plus Technology to create the slickest casting, longest lasting fly lines, and highest performing fly lines in the world.

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Anadro is a long head and gradual rear taper fly line. Experienced casters excel at distance and line handling with this taper. It can roll cast exceptionally, well and has the taper to long mend. Think of this line as a all around steelhead / salmon taper and also performs as a nymph / indicator taper. With line weights down to WF4 also consider this to be an excellent trout taper line.

I (Greg), personally took this taper to Chile (Chile Video), for migratory brown trout fishing. For a week I did nothing but cast extreme heavy bunny leech patterns which included every situation imaginable from short, direct flip cast behind boulder pockets to long cross stream and currents to work opposite banks that could only be effectively worked with large mends. I point this out to be sure anglers understand that this is not just a bobber line. It is an effective short and long range casting line with a built in ability for fly control.

Features - 

• Revolutionary AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting ability and increased durability
• Long rear taper for extended line control and longdistance casting; the best nymphing taper we offer
• An unbelievable indicator line for nymphing up trout and bass or swinging flies for steelhead and salmon; excellent for double-nymph rigs or hopper-droppers
• Overweighted by 1.5 sizes to assist in turning over heavy rigs; use designated line weight for your rod
• Use one size heavy for switch rods
• For use in moderate and cold climates
• Braided multifilament core
• SA AMP SMTH ANADRO WF X F (X = line weight)

Specs -

Line Weight	Head Weight***	Head Length	Total Head Weight	Total Length
WF4F	150 gr	60.0'	280 gr	90'
WF5F	175 gr	60.0'	325 gr	90'
WF6F	200 gr	60.0'	355 gr	90'
WF7F	225 gr	61.0'	405 gr	90'
WF8F	260 gr	62.0'	455 gr	90'
WF9F	305 gr	63.0'	560 gr	90'

***Grain weight for the first 30'

Find Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Fly Lines at "The Gorge"

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us" 

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Bonefish Fly Line - New for 2018

The Scientific Anglers New Amplitude Series of lines featuring AST Plus Slickness Additive are revolutionizing the industry with Superior Shooting ability and Increased Durability. New for 2018 are four new tapers; Trout, Anadro, Tarpon and Bonefish.

Slickness Down to a Science

Scientific Anglers Amplitude Bonefish Description

A day of bonefishing will either be the most fun you've had with a fly rod or the most frustrating day of your life. Take some of the chance out of the equation with the Amplitude Bonefish. Built on a stiff core for tropical conditions, and featuring our AST Plus slickness additive, the Bonefish taper is designed with a long, compound head for casting accuracy and delicate deliveries to fish that you'll swear have a sixth sense.

Features - 

• Revolutionary AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting ability and increased durability
• High-contrast sighter to identify the back of the line when fighting fish on long runs
• Floating Texture on the tip section for the ultimate in flotation
• Shooting Texture running line delivers longer casts
• Revised taper for delicate deliveries to skittish fish
• Stiff coating and core for enhanced shooting
• Looped on both ends for quick rigging
• Medium-length head for fly control and casting accuracy
• Tropi-Core technology for tropical climates
• SA AMPLITUDE BONEFISH WF X F (X = line weight)"

Specs -

Order #	Line Size	Head Weight	Head Length	Sink Rate	Total Length
129046	WF5F	140	33.7ft	Float	100ft
129053	WF6F	160	35.5ft	Float	100ft
129060	WF7F	185	37.5ft	Float	100ft
129077	WF8F	210	39.7ft	Float	100ft
129084	WF9F	240	41.8ft	Float	100ft

*Grain weight for the first 30'

"The Gorge"

The Gorge Fly Shop Team

541.386.6977

info@gorgeflyshop.com

www.gorgeflyshop.com

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

RIO Winter Redfish Fly Line - New for 2017

Loads easy at short range

Travis and Lyndsey were a little early this year for the Big Winter Bull Reds but that doesn't mean there is no action!

Travis loaded the New RIO Winter Redfish Line on his reel to get a feel for it. A little concerned with early fall mild temps but no handling issues were noted.

Big Louisiana Bulls are targeted through the fall months right into winter. Cast are generally pretty short and your line needs to load a rod quickly.

The New RIO Winter Redfish line was built for this fishery. Quick loading and easy shooting are the main attributes for this new line. Although not intended for a distance casting line the slick shooting XS Extreme Slickness coating really lets this line fly.

Specs -

SKU	Line Size	Color	Head Length	Sink Rate	Total Length
6-21016	WF8F	Grey/Orange	35ft / 10.4m	Float	100ft / 30.5m
6-21017	WF9F	Grey/Orange	35ft / 10.4m	Float	100ft / 30.5m
6-21018	WF10F	Grey Orange	35ft / 10.4m	Float	100ft / 30.5m

The short powerful heads turns over large flies with ease and loads rods quickly. Supple Core handles well in cooler conditions. Front and rear welded loops for quick line or leader changes. Dual tone coloring for quick head recognition letting you find the max loading point quickly.

Winter Redfish should be on everyone's bucket list. Be sure to equip yourself for the challenge with the New RIO Winter Redfish Line.

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Read more of Greg's Post

Scientific Anglers Frequency - Whats your Frequency

Scientific Anglers decided it was time to clean up all the confusion in the mid-price line market. After examining what was available it was determined that the choices were too confusing. There must be a simpler way! Frequency Fly Lines solves this problem

Great lines at a good price...$49.95. This series has 6 tapers (3 floating and 3 sinking) all with AST coating and welded front loops. There are only 4 sizes for each taper (5-8 or 3-6..depending on the taper)

Frequency - Trout (3-6wt) 

Trout

General Purpose Trout Line

Exactly what you should expect in a trout line. It features a mid length head for ease of casting and enough rear taper to make mends at moderate distances. It features a braided multifilament core, formulated with AST for slickness and Line ID marking system for easy identification. Looped on the front end for easy leader attachment.

Boost

Frequency - Boost (3-6wt)

Half of a line size heavier than the Trout taper Boost gives you that extra edge needed for modern fast action trout rods. Boost will carry larger heavier flies more easily than the Trout line and all the same great features.

Magnum

Frequency - Magnum 

(5-8wt)

Big flies, indicators, large dries will all turn over with ease with this 1/2 line size jump Magnum Taper fly line. Looking for a streamer line this is it. 

Frequency - Sink Tip (5-8wt)

10' Sink Tip

!0 foot of type 3 sink tip material makes this the line of choice for streamers and wet flies to get them down. Mid-Length head for easy control and a sink rate of 2.5 - 4.0 ips. 

Full Sinking

Frequency - Full Sink and Intermediate Sink (5-8wt)

Ideal Still water angling fly line. Choose between the intermediate with a 1.25 ips sink rate of the full sink with its 3-5 ips. 

Lot's of good choices in this new series from S/A and especially for $49.95...By eliminating features such as rear loops, multi colors and more sizes than one could ever need S/A was able to bring the price down to a mid-level creating a good line for the price. 

So what's your Frequency!

Sage Bass II Series Rods - Not just for Bass

Sage Bass II Series

If there was ever a fly rod that I felt was under-rated that award would have to go to the Sage Bass II Series of fly rods. Maybe it's the name "Bass" that has labeled it a single species rod. I have fished this series of rods for years now and have pursued multi-species with them. Let me emphasize; this is much more than a bass rod. Maybe it should have been called Streamer Weapon or Streamer Stick...or Predator like its import cousin from Redington.

Fly Vault

History

So why does a prestigious fly rod company build a rod for Bass fly fishing. Doesn't any old 5 weight rod work for this purpose? Well maybe if your idea of pursuing this predator species involves small poppers or buggers to pond or creek bass with the hopes of landing something equivalent to what many call a "quality" size trout. Dedicated bass anglers have a very different perspective. Bigger flies and bigger buggers catch bigger fish and bigger fish are found in bigger water. So the common denominator of this equation really is "bigger is better". So while a trout stick will be just fine for your once a year trip to grandma's pond it's not attracting a crowd of hard core bass fanatics.

Travis and Austin...Now that's a lifetime memory!

7'11" length. Why?

Competition bass angling takes place all across America and B.A.S.S (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) has a set rule that no rod used in competition can be over eight foot in length. A rule that was basically put into place to stop competitors from doing what was called dabbling with extreme long rods, basically forcing competitors to have to actually cast to their targets. Many years ago when the rule was put into place I don't think anyone would have ever thought that it would be limiting to any one's equipment. Most bass angler rods at that time were 4 - 5 foot and a long rod was 6 foot. Look at today's bass anglers and many have gear rods that max at 7'11". The other positive note about the 7'11" length is the bass boat. Today's bass fishing boats have storage built for this length of rod.

Attacked a Clouser Minnow Pattern

Serious bass anglers are predator anglers!

Bass anglers don't fish with bait and they don't settle for fishing morsel size flies for mediocre fish. I know!...I have been a big bass angler for most of my fishing life and today I am still as proficient at flipping a jig under a dock as I am casting a fly rod to an undercut. It's in my blood! I'm sure many of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Today I spend much of my time doing the same for Trout...Streamers that is. This is predator fishing! It's the drive to present a meal with an aggressive retrieve in order to provoke an aggressive reaction. Doesn't matter what species we are in the hunt for...the same result is what we're trying to accomplish. It's the grab, the strike, the tug, the hit that makes your heart race!..........................I know I could nymph fish and probably catch more fish but numbers are not what I'm after. I need that tug on a tight line...that's my drug! It is the drive to fish as aggressively as possible for the most aggressive fish.

So what does a Sage Bass II rod have to do with streamer fishing?

Gabe caught this with a hand tied monster fly

Look at trout streamers and we can find imitations for minnows, crayfish and sculpins. Bass eat all the same foods. It's unbelievable how much similarity exist between these fisheries. I didn't grow up in trout country. I never even caught a trout until I was well in middle age years. Basically I was led to believe that these are insect sipping fish and a box of trout flies painted that impression well. Ironically my first of many trout all came on woolly buggers. I guess my streamer pursuit was destiny. But back to the "bigger is better" equation; bigger flies put more demands on fly rods, lines and one's patience. You've heard the expression chuck and duck well make a poor cast with a soft trout rod, sinking tip fly line and a big streamer aboard and you might want to duck! Quickly! Unless you're into body piercing.

My favorite single hand streamer rod

Bass, Trout, Bluegill, Pike and all other predators that we want to throw a streamer to can all be targeted with one of the 6 sizes of Sage's Bass II series rods. Most of these species can be pursued with just one or maybe two sizes of these rods. The rod taper itself is pretty fast but with somewhat of a forgiving nature.

The mojo comes from the length and type of line but before we get into the nuts and bolts first my disclaimer; these are my opinions and surely many will disagree. I have fished these rods since they were introduced so I really don't know anything nor do I claim to know anything and I'm quite certain you know more than I do. Now that we got that out of the way!........I should probably remove this statement...

Photo Credit - Dan Pierce

The shorter length of this rod actually helps you keep better control of it therefore keeping your line in better control. While technically a 9 foot rod is capable of a longer cast it also requires more precision to obtain a longer cast. Get a little loose on your stroke and that possible distance cannot be achieved and this happens quite easily with short headed fast loading lines. I believe the shorter length of these bass rods helps with rod control and is better suited for the shooting lines that are they are made to cast. I also feel that the shorter length makes them more accurate to cast. This length is also really nice in a boat for casting as well as storing.

John Garrett....Booyah!

Casting Technique

These rods and their lines are made for quick shooting cast. You just line it up and shoot it to your target. They are not made to carry line in the air and make repeated false cast. Just lengthen the cast out to around the head length and shoot the cast therefore eliminating a bunch of time and effort false casting equating to more time with your fly in the water fishing and less time wearing out your arm. I rarely backcast these rods more than once and if I do its just to line up with my target.

Let's talk lines

First up the Sage Bass II series rods come with a Sage Floating Fly line to match the rod. Now before we go any further I need to explain the weight system of these rods. They are lined by grain weight instead of line size. Kind of different for a single hand rod but hold onto that thought of confusion...it's really quite simple! I'm going to reference the Smallmouth size for this example which by the way I believe could be the most versatile size for many inland cold and warm water species. The Smallmouth size is rated at 290gr. This grain weight refers to the first 30' of the fly line. The floating line that comes with this rod is this grain weight. Here's the great news!, Rio offers many different Outbound Fly Lines with similar grain weight and they come in all types of densities for any fishing situation...

San Juan Bobo couldn't resist a streamer connected to a Sage Bass II Bluegill Rod

Outbound Fly Lines

Rio Outbound line examples

Look at the Rio Outbound Short Freshwater line. You will see the chart with all the grain weights listed. None match exactly but get it in the ballpark and your cast will fly. For the Smallmouth rod rated at 290 grain I usually go for the WF7 that weighs in at 265 grain. It loads the rod great. Now look at the densities available; floating, hover, intermediate tip, full intermediate, type 3 sink tip and type 6 sink tip. That should have you covered no matter what you plan to do. I really like to fish the intermediate tip and will go to the type 6 sink tip if conditions call for it. If your travels take you tropical then choose the Rio Tropical Outbound Short fly line. I have use this in the floating and intermediate version for mangrove tarpon on the Sage Bass II Largemouth rod where accuracy is far more important than distance. Other line tapers that work well with the rods are the Rio Pike/Musky, Rio Streamer tip, and Scientific Anglers Textured Titan.

This Predator fell victim to a Thin Mint Fly

The Sage Bass II Series

I mentioned the Largemouth and the Smallmouth, also in this series is a Bluegill and Peacock Rods. The bluegill could be the most fun of all and plenty powerful enough to handle any panfish species including crappie and small bass. I could see a lot of use with the Peacock for striper and pike as well. New for 2013 is a Pike and a Musky model in sizes 10 and 11 weight respectively. Based on the same fast action of the Bass II series these big predator rods come in the longer 9 foot length and have a larger fighting butt handle for figure eights. They include the Rio Pike/Musky fly line with the intermediate tip. These are your serious big predator rods. All of these rods have saltwater safe reel seats and components. They all also come with a ballistic rod/reel case.

Float and Fly caught Columbia River Smallmouth

My List of species subdued on a Sage Bass rod to date are largemouth, smallmouth, carp, rainbow Trout, brown trout and of course bluegill. Future targets include tiger muskie and pike.  Currently my arsenal includes the Bluegill, Smallmouth and Largemouth rods. When I'm gearing for predator streamer fishing these are the tools I always reach for! One Day I will own the complete series of the Sage Bass II Fly Rods!

Read "Spring Bassin" for a few Columbia River techniques

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"