Leland on the Sage Z-Axis 590-4
In crystal clear water you only get one opportunity to present your fly! The 590 Z-Axis fly rod by Sage is the rod you want. By generating l
ightning like line speeds this fast action fly rod instantaneously
increases your accuracy, gives you that
tippet protection tip of the XP, and because it is even lighter than the XP, does it all with greater ease.
Specifications:
- Line Size: 5
- Rod Length: 9'
- Sections: 4
- Weight: 3 1/8 oz.
- Handle: Cigar
- Reel Seat: Uplock Rosewood
- Action: Fast
Leland on Specifications
Through the
near magic of the G5 Technology, Sage continues its tradition of fast action fly rods that have
quick loading tips generating extreme line speeds. The 9', 5 weight Z-Axis two and four-piece fly rods come with up locking reel seats with
Rosewood inserts. By replacing the glass inner hoop fibers with graphite fibers, Sage has made a stronger yet thinner walled blank, meaning a
faster taper for a lighter rod. In fact the 590-4 weighs in at only 3 1/8 ounces. All this plus it comes in an aluminum tubes measuring of 30 inches long.
Here's what one of our customers had to say recently about his new Sage Z-Axis rod;
"I live in South Africa and have just read your opinion on the Sage Z-Axis. (Read the Z-Axis Review here) In
my mind you hit the nail 100% correct. I purchased the rod not knowing
what to expect seeing that every fly rod company proclaim their rods to
be the “best”? I took it out for a cast and was silenced… Then I took
it to the pond and was blown away with the forgiving nature of the rod
when a sudden breeze came up, I thought it was awesome and didn’t even
think of the fish I was actually targeting, until one took the fly and
I was still on ”hey this is an awesome rod..” when I suddenly had to
think “OK, now you have to perform on landing this fish with this pricy
rod?” We’ll it handled a 23 inch rainbow with an attitude of dominance.
I am currently looking at investing in a 7 weight outfit, seems I’ll
look no further than Sage and its good friend Abel."
Leland on the Sage Z-Axis Rod Series
The Z-AXIS Fly Rod! Mr. Wizard is back and talk
about pressure! You know the design team at Sage was sweating some
serious bullets when they looked to replace the XP. For more than six
years the XP Fly Rod Series was the industry standard by which fast
action fly rods were measured, and now, it's been replaced. Enter the
Z-Axis. We know you’re going to be completely awed by this Sage Fly Rod
Series! These rods are lighter, and although they generate the fastest
line speed of just about any rod, they're easier to cast (if that's
possible) than the XP models. The added advantage of the extreme line
speed is accuracy and control of your fly. And if you want to talk
trackability...
Even though we now expect lightness from
today’s fly rods, we never thought the Z-Axis' seemingly
near-weightlessness could be achieved without giving up strength. Oh,
how we were wrong! To bore you with a little technical talk, by
replacing the glass hoop fibers (the fiberglass scrim cloth) with
lighter, stronger graphite fibers, Sage found that during the
curing process, the graphite fiber fabrics bind together more
effectively. These now welded fibers give rise to a stronger fly rod
blank and the lighter graphite fibers up the performance! Sure, we're
simplifying the whole process, but we know when you first pick up one
of these rods you will have the same reaction; WOW! You're going hear
more clichés than you can shake a stick at (we couldn’t resist just
one) about this rod series but just remember; if you want the lightest,
most accurate fly rod on market, then reach for the Z-Axis. As Sage
says it in one word “Magic”… and we couldn’t agree more.
- Rod weights: 3 through 10
- Rod lengths: 7'6" to 10' for single hand rods and 11' to 16' for Spey rods
- Reel seats: Nickel/silver with Rosewood inserts or anodized aluminum
- Cork handles: Cigar grip, small cigar grip or full wells
- Aluminum tubes with cloth socks
Leland on Sage
We at Leland have been selling Sage Fly Rods since our shop first opened its
doors in 1985. Without a doubt, if you polled experienced fly anglers
across the country, and the world, and asked “Who is the premier fly
rod manufacture on the planet?” , the answer you would receive most
often would be “Sage”. The
popularity of Sage Fly Rods is no accident.
Fly anglers tend to be picky folks and they usually expect a lot from
their equipment. If they’re not satisfied, they have no problem
selecting a different piece of gear that will work better for them.
It’s not the glossy ads or the fancy names, people buy Sage Fly Rods
because they PERFORM. Innovation, quality, durability, and great
customer service go into every Sage Fly Rod and continue after you
purchase one. Regardless of your experience level, your casting style,
or your budget, Sage builds a rod that will be your trusted fishing
companion for years to come. Sage has ten separate fly rod series,
encompassing the spectrum of fishing applications, from small trout
streams to blue water big game.
Leland is proud to be the
largest volume Sage Fly Rod dealer in the world. And we’ve achieved
that status, like Sage, through hard work and exemplary customer
service. We stock and sell every single fly rod model that Sage
manufactures. Please call us if you need assistance in selecting the
right rod for you.
Sage was founded in 1979 by Don Green, an
experienced rod blank builder and one of the architects of the modern
fishing rod, as owner of the Grizzly Fiberglass Company, which later
partnered with Fenwick. It was originally called Winslow Manufacturing
(after the city of Winslow on Bainbridge Island, Washington) but within
a year had changed its name to Sage.
Emphasizing high quality fly rods
sold only through specialty stores, Sage rode the crest of the
fly-fishing boom in the post “A River Runs Through It” years. Today,
although there is no industry repository for exact numbers, Sage is
probably the world’s largest producer of premium fly rods and employs
over 130 workers in their manufacturing facility. The proximity of
Bainbridge to the Boeing Aircraft manufacturing plants near Seattle and
Toray Composites in Tacoma provides access for Sage to a wealth of
knowledge from the aerospace industry, the primary end users of
graphite fiber.
From the outset, the company's goal has been
to create rods that
generate high line speeds. As thousands of Sage
owners will attest, the design of their rods enables the fisherman to
have
extraordinary line control. Casting a Sage fly rod means placing
your fly where you want it, not where you hope it goes.
Sage
has been as committed to performance and innovation as any fly rod
manufacturer in the world. Their
dedication to research and development
has produced some of the finest fly fishing rods ever conceived. Models
like the XP and RPLX helped put Sage in a class reserved for only the
best manufacturers.
In 1994 Sage brought in Jerry Siem to take
over rod development and design. Siem, a Minnesota native, has been
responsible for the development of the SLT and Xi2 Sage rod series.
These fly rods quickly found themselves on rivers, streams, and flats
all over the world. They are characterized as exceptional casting rods
that allow both the novice and the expert to enjoy them tremendously.
With the advent of the TCR in 2003, then Xi2 in 2004 and now the Z-Axis
in 2007, perhaps the best fly rod series ever built, Jerry and
Sage
have raised the standard for fly rod performance. Sage on the Z-Axis Rod Series
"Magic! Replacing what is quite possibly the most popular fast
action fly rod in the world takes a lot of ... well, research and
development. It also takes something so good you can confidently move
forward without a backward glance. In short, it takes a fly rod with
nearly magical properties."
The incredible new Z-Axis Series FAST ACTION RODS
So, how did we do it? How did we create a rod that’s
significantly lighter, stronger and easier to cast for anglers of all
skill levels? The answer, much to the marketing guys’ dismay, isn’t a
simple buzzword or an easily described new material. In fact, the
latest version of our Generation 5 (G5) Technology is defined by
improvements across the entire rod-building process.
To start with, our exclusive analysis software helped us to
better evaluate the performance requirements of every inch of rod
blank, allowing us to eliminate all unnecessary material. At the same
time, we made significant advances in our Aligned Fiber Technology,
which, most significantly, replaces traditional glass hoop fibers with
lighter, more responsive graphite. This, of course, required us to
develop new construction techniques to align and compress these rods
for maximum strength.
To take advantage of these developments, Jerry Siem went back to the
drawing board (and out on the water) to create improved taper designs
for each Z-Axis rod. The G5 process gave him an opportunity to reach
previously unattainable levels of line feel, response and performance.
It also allowed him to design rods that better fit the modern casting
style, with the tip strength to bail you out on a missed stroke and the
power to more easily punch flies into the wind. The result? An entirely
new level of fishability.
But don’t just take our word for it. By all means, visit your
nearest fly shop and take the Z-Axis for a test spin. We think you’ll
find it’s the lightest, longest-casting, most accurate fast action fly
rod you’ve ever tried. It might not be magic, but it’s pretty darn
close."
Sage on Sage
At Sage, every piece of angling equipment we make is
designed
tested and hand built with one goal in mind: Maximum fishability. It's
a term we came up with a few years back to describe the kind of
performance that helps you cast better, fish more effectively and have
more fun. In short, every Sage rod, reel and line is specifically
designed to help you make the most of your precious time on the water.
The
people who make up
Team Sage are some of the finest anglers in the
world. Their expertise, wisdom and experience are an important part of
our design process, and their contributions to the fishability of our
products are immeasurable. But more than that, these are great people
to fish and work with, and we're proud to call each of them friends.
Some
say Sage rods are legendary for their magical properties, their
propensity for placing flies just above the ripple. We don't know about
magic, but we do know that every Sage rod is made by hand and we make
rods for anglers of every stripe.
When you purchase something
with the Sage name on it,
you get a lot more than just a great product.
You get access to the
finest customer service in the industry,
including our famously
fast turnaround on warranty repairs, real
person-to-person phone support on the Sage Techline and a
worldwide
network of the best dealers in the business. Whether you're just
getting started or you're a seasoned pro, we're here to help.
If
you're new to the sport of fly fishing, you've probably discovered
there's a lot to learn. From reading holding water and understanding
fish habitat, to learning your fly patterns and how to rig your
equipment - there are a million details to consider.
So if you get
frustrated, remember the infinite details that cause frustration to the
beginner are the same details that offer the veteran fly fisher
continual challenges and endless excitement. No matter how many years
you've been fly fishing, there is always more to learn. So start simply
and be patient, because there's a whole new underwater world that you
can have a good time getting to know and traveling to discover.
"Every
part of this earth is sacred. Every single pine needle, every shore,
every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, every humming insect is
holy in the memory and experience of our race. You are part of the
earth and the earth is part of you."- Chief Seattle
How we
relate to our environment has a direct effect on the state of the
planet. By getting out in the woods, wading a mountain stream and
admiring the vibrant colors of a rainbow trout as you carefully release
it, you become close to nature and develop a bond you strive to nurture
and protect.
Please help Sage in the effort to preserve and
enhance our natural resources by practicing catch-and-release fishing
and encouraging other anglers to do so. Your children and theirs will
thank you for it. Sage is a proud sponsor of The Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, the Haig-Brown Institute and California Trout.
Sage
continues to seek performance advantages through new materials and
designs, marketing its products through a network of specialty dealers.
Yet more than ever, Sage remains focused on one goal, which is best
summarized by its statement of purpose: We are passionate about our
business of creating fly fishing products that continually exceed the
fly angler's expectations. Wherever in the world your fly fishing takes
you, it is safe to say that Sage has the products to enhance your fly
fishing experience.
Sage on Choices
"In the old days, it was a pretty simple. In fact,
not too long ago, most fly anglers had a single, do-everything rod. It
was most likely fiberglass, say a seven-weight, around eight feet long
and weighed in at approximately 27 pounds. And that was it. Trout,
bass, steelhead, salmon, bonefish... you just had to make do with the
old workhorse. Fly fishing gained the reputation for being difficult
because in those days, well, it was.
Now, nothing could be more different. Along with constantly evolving
materials and construction techniques, the graphite age has brought us
a dizzying array of lighter, longer and easier-to-cast fly rods.
Suddenly, it seems as though there's a fly rod for every species, every
condition and every subtle difference in casting style and preference.
And believe it or not, this is good news for fly anglers. Why? Simply
put, technology and modern design have made fly fishing easier. Much
easier.
Of course, with so many choices, choosing the right fly rod has
never been more difficult. At Sage, we believe each angler has a
specific set of needs--from personal casting style and angling
techniques to fish size, fly size and, yes, even your bank account
size. The right rod for you is the one that allows you to cast better,
fish more effectively and enjoy yourself more. For example, if your
natural casting motion tends to be quick and precise, our faster action
rods like the TCR or the XP will fit you perfectly. If, on the other
hand, you prefer a more relaxed casting stroke, the SLT is the rod for
you. We've even created a new series of rods that are specifically
designed to make learning to cast easier for everyone.
We also offer rods for special applications to help you make the
most of your precious time on the water. Two-handed rods in fast and
medium-fast actions, ultra-light high-performance rods,
saltwater-specific rods--how do you know which one's right for you?
Visit our Web site for more information; then spend a few hours at the
fly shop, talk to your dealer and try the rods you're interested in.
Then make your decision based on one simple factor: Choose the rod that
makes your fishing the most fun.
HOW TO SELECT A ROD HOW TO SELECT A ROD
Step 1
To
select the ideal line weight, determine the species you will be
pursuing and the size and type of flies you will be using. Generally,
the lighter line weights are for smaller flies and fish; the heavier
line weights are for larger flies and fish.
Step 2
Determine
the type of rod action you prefer. Sage offers medium to ultra-fast
action rods to suit many different types of anglers.
Step 3
The
proper rod length is determined by the type and size of water you will
be fishing. Generally, shorter rods are used on smaller spring creeks
and streams. Longer rods are used on larger rivers, lakes and in
saltwater locations.
Sage on their Dream Team
"Meet Steve, Jerry, Don and Kerry. Among them,
you're looking at nearly 100 years of fly rod design experience, not to
mention more than their fair share of days on the water. As the Sage
Design Team, they're the guys who've dedicated three years of their
lives in developing our new Xi2 Series rods. And while they may speak
in terms usually reserved for aerospace engineers, it's easy to
understand how excited they are about the Xi2.
With 50 years as a fly rod design pioneer under his belt, Don set
the bar high: Build the finest saltwater fly rod in the world, period.
Of course, that's easier said than done. The team decided they had to
start from scratch, with the idea that every inch of a fly rod has
different performance needs because it must accomplish different tasks.
Since this kind of precise, inch-by-inch analysis had never been done
before, Steve and Kerry had to put their heads together and invent an
arsenal of new quantitative testing methods, machines and software.
Meanwhile, Jerry was hard at work defining the fishing and casting
characteristics the new rod needed to have. He imagined a rod that
could help anglers of all skill levels "put the fly closer to the fish"
in a wide variety of situations. A rod that would allow an angler to
concentrate on the fish instead of the cast. As he and Don began the
design process, they determined that the secret lay in the ability to
feel the line load, rather than the rod flex, throughout the casting
stroke.
The only way to realize a high level of "line feel" was to radically
reduce the swing weight of the rod itself. With this in mind, Steve,
the material science guru, started testing a wide range of exotic
materials, from quartz and titanium to the latest aerospace composites.
Unsatisfied with the performance of these materials, the team went back
into the lab and developed Generation 5 Technology, a completely new
way of constructing rod blanks. By precisely placing different modulus
strengths of graphite along the length of a given rod, the new Modulus
Positioning System (MPS) proved to be the solution everyone was looking
for.
With Generation 5 Technology in place , the team began to build and
test literally hundreds of prototypes, searching for the correct MPS
combinations that Jerry required. Of course, when fishability is how
you judge a rod's performance, you have to fish. Jerry and a host of
other anglers pushed these rods to their limits on the Outer Banks, the
Keys, San Francisco Bay, Costa Rica and Christmas Island. They cast
ridiculously big poppers into howling winds. Fought huge tarpon on
wispy bonefish rods. And, yes, broke dozens of prototypes doing things
that made guides cringe around the world. Along the way, improvements
were made, flaws corrected and the Xi2 began to take shape. The result
of this strenuous development process was, we admit, three years of
fun, great memories and what we now believe are the finest saltwater
fly rods in the world."
Sage on Fishing
I N T U I T I O N
"Sometimes you just know.
It might be on a warm summer evening, with icy spring water sliding
through sage-covered hills. Or in the brainmelting heat of a flats boat
staked somewhere near the Marquesas. Or in the driving rain, waist deep
in the cloudy, glacial water of a coastal rainforest river.
Suddenly, you just know it's going to happen. And then, remarkably,
magically, it unfolds. The huge, wary brown begins to rise. A pod of
100-plus-pound tarpon glides onto the flat. A steelhead rolls in the
tailout and moves silently into the seam. It's time to make the one
cast that counts.
Will you feel the rod load or the line extend? Will you notice the
graphite modulus or the taper design? Not on your life. If you're like
us, all you'll be aware of is your heart pounding and your hands
shaking. And the fish. Yes, the fish.
At Sage, when we talk about the thousands of hours we spend
perfecting our rod designs, or the latest, most advanced materials and
construction techniques we use, what we're really talking about is
moments like these. Moments when it all comes together and you need to
reach back and simply, intuitively, make the cast.
Will the fish take your fly? Maybe, maybe not. But it's these brief,
electric moments that stay with us and define our angling experience.
And the one cast you make is the one that keeps you coming back for
more. Make it count.
S A L V A T I O N
Fifty feet is a long way to crawl for an adult
human being. Just how far it really is doesn't occur to you until
you're down on all fours, a rough beast slouching streamward with a
fully loaded vest, chest waders and carrying a fly rod in one hand. Now
it seems like 50 miles. And yet you crawl, knees on fire, back aching,
pulse roaring in your ears. Imaginary rattlesnakes lurk behind every
rock, and yet you crawl. For what, a trout? Not just any trout, The
Trout. The one you've watched all season. The one that always stops
rising the moment you're in range. Twenty-five feet from the water, the
urge to stand up and peek is almost overwhelming. The urge to stand up
and walk like a person instead of some trout-crazed quadruped is even
stronger. Almost there. You strain your neck up and peer through the
grass. Nothing. Just a miniature regatta of tiny baetis floating down
the smooth, unbroken surface. Your heart sinks. And then, way back
under the willows, farther back than you imagined, you see it. A
dimple. A rise so delicate another angler might pass it off as a
fingerling. Suddenly, your back doesn't hurt, your knees stop
screaming, and you are sure. It's him.
P R E S S U R E
You are standing on your line. You can feel it
coiled between the last little piggies of your left foot and the
blistering hot surface of the casting deck. And now, after hours of
endless waiting, squinting into the glare and cooking your brain under
the broiling sun, a fish has materialized way out on the edge of your
vision. Is it a dream? A mirage shimmering in the humid air? The
torpedo shape, ghostly in its chrome translucence, gliding ever closer,
begins to take form. Somewhere in the hazy background you are vaguely
aware of your guide yelling something, but it's fuzzy and you can't
make out the words. You are afraid to take your eyes off the fish,
feeling that somehow if you blink, it might be gone when you open your
eyes. A drop of sweat runs down the inside of your arm. You may someday
see another fish this big, but you'll never get a second chance like
this one. There is no shade on a flats skiff, and no hiding from
failure. Do you dare look away from the fish of a lifetime to glance at
the line that is surely tangled beneath your foot? Do you dare not to?
I T 'S T I M E.
You really can't help it. There are times when you
simply have to drop everything and fish. Times when powers beyond your
control compel you to get on the water regardless of work deadlines,
family obligations or just about anything else.
You will beg, bargain, lie and plead to get free. You will make lame
excuses and strike ridiculous deals with people you love and care
about. It's okay, we understand all too well.
It might be dropping water after heavy spring rains on the Olympic
Peninsula. Or good light a couple days after the new moon down in the
Keys. Or the first big caddis hatch after a long winter of waiting.
When it's time, it's time.
That's partly why we've made a commitment to design and build our
rods here on Bainbridge Island, Washington. When the steelhead are in,
we can be on the river before, after or sometimes instead of work. Same
for sea-run cutthroats along the island's shore, salmon in the ocean
and sound, and trout in the nearby high desert. In other words, it's a
pretty convenient place to live and work?especially if you live and
work to fish.
The other reason, of course, is the craftsmanship and attention to
detail provided by the people who live here. Sure, it would be less
expensive to do business somewhere else, but when quality is the top
priority, well, there just isn't any place better than Bainbridge.
Here, we're surrounded by water and fish, not to mention people who
take great pride in handcrafting what we consider to be the finest fly
rods in the world. All of which make it easy to be able to fish when
conditions are perfect. Or for that matter, even when they aren't. See
you on the water.
I T 'S T I M E.
Trichoptera, tent wing, sedge, caddis?Somewhere
between the icy grip of winter and the raging chocolate flood of spring
snowmelt, a blizzard of bugs erupts from the river.
From the Arkansas to the Yakima, on the Madison, the Yellowstone, Henry's Fork and beyond?
In places like Canon City, Ennis and West Yellowstone, there's a buzz in the air as fish and fishers come to life in frenzied gluttony.
Too early is worthless. Too late is even worse, haunted as it is by "you shoulda been here last week" stories.
But hit it just right and it's heaven. If, that is,
you consider heaven a place where bugs crawl into your ears, up your
nose, and for every deep breath there's a mouthful of fuzzy wings and
crunchy legs.
The waiting is over. The hatch is on. It's on.
Time to drop a card in the mail for Mom, cancel appointments, pack up the car and hit the road.
I T 'S T I M E."