When I first cast the Sage One One 590 on a trip in Colorado in 2011, I was pretty sure I'd find a way to see one make it into my quiver. Flash forward a few months (with the sale of a mountain bike to help) and I went with the 3wt version paired to the Sage 4230 reel.
Sage ruffled a few feathers when they coined the rod "The One." I mean, how much attitude is that? More than one guide I spoke with told me that they automatically hated the line up before they ever got stream time with it because of the name. Then, they would pause and talk about the rod after they tried it..... Universal love.
So, onto the review....
After several months in a variety of conditions, the "One" comes close to fulfilling that name. At the 3wt level, it wont be pulling on huge stripers or steelies, but that's not what I do. I was hoping for a general purpose Sierra's rod, and for that, it fits the bill.
First impressions- it's light! Coming in at a svelte 2 3/8 ounces, it feels like a whisper in the hand. Paired with the 4230 reel, at a 3 3/4 ounces, and it balances evenly. The swing weight is more than I'm used to as a result of it being a 9' rod, but it's still a not an issue after hours of casting.
Visually, it's a subdued black fast action blank with Fuji ceramic stripping and chrome snake guides. The ferrules are low profile to the point of where you almost have to be looking for them to find them. The cork is a custom Sage design with walnut insert and bronze anodized aluminum seat.
Performance- Using Sage's "Konnetic" technology, they have managed to squeeze out any excess resin and align the carbon fibers in sequence, blah blah, blah..... In layman's terms, there is pretty much no torsional flex to be found. If you try intentionally try to flog your cast, the fly is still going to go where you pointed it. And, it doesn't feel like a telephone pole to accomplish it. It's still very sensitive- enough to feel a local trout take a fly.
In posted 4 & 5 wt shoot outs, the knock on the rod was it's ability to load at close distance. The 3 wt does not have that issue that I've seen. It will load with as little as 15-20 ft.
As a Sierra's rod, it does real nice. Wind is not as much an issue with a slimmer profile, to a point. But, when the big gusts kick up, it does what any 3 wt will do--- whine.
It will toss a fly beyond what my abilities are. However, in that 30-60' range, it noticeably improved my accuracy. I've hit spots I could not have done previously and that has resulted in some nice fish this season.
The rod handles small dries, big streamers, double or triple nymph rigs, and does it well. Mending is easy with the 9' length. Sensitivity is sweet enough to feel takes and hook sets are consistent. I've enjoyed fish from 6" local bows to some nice 23" Kamloops bow's on the rod. It handles it all.
The Reel- I would have stuck with a nice Lamson for this stick, but when I bought it, there was a deal as a combo (free Rio Gold & free shipping). I really like my Sage Click reel, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm pleased I did. Light, durable, and machined to high standards. It uses a carbon drag system that goes from freespool to lockdown in half a rotation on the drag knob. The knob has a clicker in it, so you also get the tactile sense of what you are doing. Overall, with the bronze finish, it's a perfect compliment to the stick and pushes the concept of a "unified" fishing system to new levels. To wrap it up-
The Good- High Quality stick to handle many needs. Very well designed and executed. You will notice the difference.
The Bad- I don't care for the grip. I like reversed half wells. Strictly personal preference. Also, why not add alignment dots along the ferrules....
The Ugly- The MSRP of $720 is a downer. Fortunately, gently used sticks are starting to come onto the market. But, I figured I'll get a lot of use from the rod and when you prorate that out, it becomes a good deal. The One/4230 combo with Rio Gold, no tax, and free shipping, came to a whopping $1007.00. But, as I said, it was an even swap on the sale of a mountain bike, so I have no regrets. I'll leave you with a few pics of the fish the rod has seen this summer.
