End of the season

[raven4ns]

Well I had quite an end to my fishing season. My Sage rod broke about 3" above where they join, this is the second Sage rod to break on me. The first one broke about 8" from the tip and they discounted the price on the one I have now. I wonder what they will do this time.
I had to use my back up rod for most of the day, it's an inexpensive Browning rod. At about 5:45pm I hooked a salmon with it and landed it. While the salmon wouldn't make any record books it made my record book as the biggest fish to date. I'm not sure about weights but it was about 26"-28" approx, that was between the eyes of course...lol. What a time I had and what a display this fish put on. I wished someone had been there to enjoy it besides me. A hell of a way to end the season for a trout fisherman like me...lol.
The rod was a 9' 5wt and I caught the salmon on a #12 Wooly Worm...lol. I realize this isn't a soft hackle fly but I wanted to share this story with you. This is the first time I had bought a salmon license in about 20 years and it was because our trout season was so dismal due to low water. On the last hour of the last day I landed a salmon....lol...I still chuckle about it(and me a trout fisherman).


Tim

[tie2fish]

Congratulations, Tim. In what part of the country did this take place?

[zen leecher]

Sage has an excellent warranty. I broke a top section during the Yellowstone trip this year (truck tonneau cover) and Sage replaced it for me.

Send it back to them. I've had three repaired under warranty. One wasn't made any longer so they replaced the whole rod.

[letumgo]

Tim - I read your post with great interest (sorry to hear about the rod, of course). What a memorable way to end the season (good and bad). Congratulations on catching the salmon. Did you catch that fish in Nova Scotia, or elsewhere?

Your mention of the wooly worm reminds me of a book I have titled "Tying Stillwater Patterns For Trophy Trout", by Denny Rickards (famous stillwater fisherman). In his book, he shows many HUGE trout, which he caught on woolly worms. As you point out, they are a very effective fly pattern.

[Mataura mayfly]

This is how the fishing God's and tackle sales people have the end of season covered- they make sure the last day involves tackle failures and spectacular fish- this keeps us spending money and coming back next season.
Bad luck on the Sage, but as Zen says- some models have lifetime replacement for the original owner..... if you can find the warranty card.... I think like most warranty returns you might end up wearing the shipping, but they are pretty good at swapping out broken sections for new ones or replacing entire rods if need be.
Bet you were glad to have packed the Browning and did not have to close out the season with tales of lost fish and busted rods, also goes to show we do not always need the "best off the shelf" to catch some pretty respectable fishes (26-28" between the eyes is pretty respectable..... for a 9' #5 weight. )..... but Sage do make some nice rods.

[raven4ns]

Thanks, guys, I was hoping you might enjoy my story. I caught it on the Wallace River in Nova Scotia and was pleased to have enjoyed the fun. Once I got him to shore I laid my rod down and broke off my leader so I didn't have to touch him and he was off like a bullet.
Even though I normally only fish trout with my 3wt &4wt gear, I might have a go at salmon again next year. It gives me an extra month of fishing that I wouldn't ordinarily have. When I am on a stream fly fishing I am truly at peace, so if we have low water again next year I will try my new rod out and use the Sage as a backup. Thanks again.

[Smuggler]

Sorry about the rod breakage! That stinks, they should take care of you though if you explain to them the situation.
Sounds like you had quite a nice end to the season though! In a nice setting too, I bet Nova Scotia is beautiful.

[raven4ns]

Yes, smuggler, it was nice. I had a wonderful piece of river to fish all by myself, the icing on the cake was hooking the salmon. If it had been a big brown I would have been just as pleased but it wouldn't have given me the aerobatics the salmon gave me. All in all I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the season.

Tim