Trying to buy a fly rod today can be an exercise in patience. With a multitude of options, the process can be overwhelming at times. Yet in the end what it really comes down to is whether you like a rod or not.
On a recent trip to the Missouri River in Montana I was able to fish a wide selection of rods under different conditions and I found a rod I really liked. It wasn’t the most expensive rod or the most glamorous but it definitely fished the best. That rod was the new Sage 590-4 Pulse.
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| Ira wading the Mo' on a low water spring day |
Utilizing Graphite 3e technology, this fast action rod reminded me of the widely popular Sage XP series. Fast, but not overly stiff, I was able to fish everything from a size #18 BWO on 5x to a #2 Deathstar streamer with little effort as well as a double fly rig under an indicator. In addition, the Pulse had enough backbone to easily deal with the large rainbows and browns that were foolish enough to eat my offerings. Lastly, the notorious Missouri winds were no match for this versatile stick.
Cosmetically,
this rod is simple and clean as we have to come to expect from Sage and is
priced moderately. I was so impressed
with this rod that we now have several demos in the shop. Stop on by and give the Pulse a shot. I’d be surprised if you’re weren’t impressed.
-The Water Ouzel
-The Water Ouzel
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| Big brown in the net! |
Features
- Handcrafted on Bainbridge Island, USA
- Graphite IIIe Technology
- Fast action
- Lichen blank color
- Olive thread wraps with Black trim wraps
- Fuji ceramic stripper guides
- Hard chromed snake guides and tip-top
- Freshwater 3-6 weights:
- Rosewood insert with Gloss Black anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat.
- Snub-nose, half-wells cork handle
- Saltwater 6-8 weights:
- Gloss Black anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat
- Full-wells cork handle with fighting butt
- Black nylon rod tube with divided liner
- $450 USD
