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Last week, I got the chance to try out Sage’s new MOD Fly Rod, and I immediately felt this was an all-purpose fly rod ideal for fly fishing for trout. The MOD is built specifically for trout fishermen. These fisherman spend most of their time fishing in small to medium sized stream. However, the rod has the power to perform on large rivers. Additionally, the Mod can handle higher line speeds and longer casts.. It features a moderate flex profile which falls somewhere between Sage’s powerful ONE and the delicate CIRCA rods. This gives trout anglers an in-between option. Effectively enabling them to make quick, accurate casts at short-to-medium distances without having to overline the rod. Smooth casts, delicate presentations, and deadly accuracy are what the new Sage MOD is all about. This is something that every trout fisherman can appreciate.
Konnetic Technology
The MOD joins the ONE, METHOD, CIRCA, and SALT as the newest member of the Konnetic Technology family of fly rods from Sage. This offers trout fishermen all of the same casting and fishing benefits that we have come to love. Konnetic Technology is a proprietary process that Sage uses when constructing the blank. The process aligns the individual carbon fibers along their zero degree axis. This gives the rod a denser, thinner wall. The process makes the rod noticeably lighter in your hand and reduces micro vibrations throughout the casting stroke. Inevitably this greatly improves casting accuracy.
The Short Game
While fishing from the drift boat or raft on large rivers, where longer casts are the norm, I usually prefer throwing dry flies and streamers with a stiff, tip-flexing fly rod like the METHOD or ONE, but when I am wade fishing small rivers or streams, I often find myself making short casts with limited room for a backcast. It is in these situations where the MOD really excels. Because of its moderate action and deeper flex point, I can load the rod properly with very little fly line. This enables me to load the rod and make that 20 or 30 foot cast delicately and accurately without a ton of false casting or double hauling to generate the line speed.
Mending
One of the other things I noticed while fishing the MOD is that its softer tip also helped me to make precise mends with small dry flies without dragging them across the water or beneath the surface. This is something that will be very helpful during the prolific mayfly hatches we enjoy throughout Colorado’s summer fishing season.
Overall, the Sage MOD is a smooth casting, moderate action dry fly rod that will help anglers of all abilities to make accurate casts and precise presentations at the short and medium distances most commonly required for freshwater trout fishing. It is a true jack-of-all-trades, and will get the job done with streamers, dry flies, and nymph rigs alike, but really excels at presenting small dry flies to wary, surface feeding trout. The 490-4 MOD has made its way into my quiver as my go-to dry fly wade fishing stick.
For more information about the Sage MOD, or to try one out yourself, call or swing by Vail Valley Anglers in Edwards, Colorado and talk with one of our expert shop staff members. They are extremely knowledgeable and always ready to help you find the perfect rod for all of your fishing adventures.
