New Sage Accel rod
test
I received my new Sage Accel 376-4 rod on Friday, after
having a pretty crappy day at work this changed everything my became better. I
went and dug out some of my smaller reels, checked the lines that was on them
and found just the right on to put on it also found a empty short rod reel case
to put it in. the case has room for a pack of leaders, a couple of spools of
tippit and a small fly box.
I grabbed two of the other reels that I found and took off
for the water. The main thing I wanted out of this rod was to be able to let
the line float downstream maybe 20 to 30
feet and be able to pick the line up and do a roll cast cross water in the
wind. My Sage Flight 376-4 was just too soft to do this. I thought long and
hard and of what I wanted, I looked at the Sage Bolt is a utlra fast rod the
same as the Circa both have their place, but neither of them are as short as
the Accel.
The Accel is a medium fast action bends deeper in the blank,
recovers just a bet slower and still has the power to punch thru the wind. And
if I want to slow it down alittle more I
can always put a heaver line on it or a lighter line to speed it up my goal for
this rod is to punch thru the wind but still have that light delicate
presentation of dry flies at 30-40 feet.
I don’t plan on using this rod for bobber lobbing or hopper
dropper rigs just small dries.
So now off to the water the wind is up at the house blowin
in at 6+ MPH so up on Salmon Creek thru the valley maybe up to 9 or 10. I first string it up with some SA GXP 3weight
line put on a 7’6” leader 2ft of leader and a size 16 Adams and walk over to
water where I know its open and about 25 ft across strip out some line and
picked my target. And yes the wind is blowin, downstream steady and hard. The
rod did just what it was supposed to do just I was short line laid out fly
turned over everything was just rite. Now the roll cast test, almost perfect
I’ll need to practice that a little more. 15 minutes later down pat.
I did catch a fish or two while getting this down but both
were very small one 6 inch the other maybe 8. But the rod was doing what I
wanted.
I changed out the reel with some heavier line same leader
set-up and gave it a fling defiantly did slow it down but was able to punch thru
the wind a bit better.
Saturday morning 7:30
am Big Green Lk. 56 wind blowing at 8-10 MPH from
the south.
I started out with the 4 weight line on the Accel and
brought out the 3 weight line to change out to, still the same set up.
I worked my way across the lake to the far side and just let
the wind push me down working the edges with the dry some cast pushing the line
into the wind other with the wind. The 4 weight line was doing great keeping
the line and leader straight with little effort at 35 ft. When I reached the
top of the lake I changed out the reel with the 3 weight line and rowed back up
to where I started with the 4 weight line. Same test totally different results
much harder to keep the line tight and straight in the wind both facing and with,
and a lot more effort to do so.
I then put on a small red strike indicator just to see my
cast behind me better and to see how the line was turning over. The results my
back cast needed to be shorter and stiffer more crisp of a stop, but it
straighten out the cast and leader. After changing back to the 4 weight reel,
and doing the same I was able to lighten up and relax more. I also was able to
get a longer cast both casting into the wind, across wind and down wind. I
definitely slowed the rod down.
While doing all the cast with the indicator I had serval
fish come up and hit it. So I tyed on a sz. 16 red Humpy and gave it a fling
and this was the first real fish to play out on the rod a nice Bow of 14
inches. Awesome rod action good flex thru the entire rod. I then spent the next
2 hours ripping lips and having a blast. It was close to 11 am and I had
something to get done at home with regrets. Well there is no cell reception out
there so as sooon as I got closer to town my phone went off and a voice mail.
I was from my Buddy Shawn, he and Dan were in town and were
headed to fish Green. I pulled over and gave a call. They had come over to fish
Buffalo on the reservation and maybe be hit up Omak Lake. The wind was the
killer at both so they were headed to Green.
I said that was just there the wind wasn’t too bad blowing
but fish able. And that I needed to go home and get a different rod.
When I returned they were there and so was
another friend Brian and his son. Good times after a quick lunch, I was back in
the water. I tyed on one of my Punkinheads and was back to rippin lips. Soon I
had a crowd around me asking what the hell was I using.
“Just a bug that I tye.” What it look like? I pitched one
close to Brian and he took a look. Got any more Bro? I passed them all one
except to Dan no I’ll try something else. Soon we were all catchin, except Dan,
now he wanted one.
I left about 3 just couldn’t take the wind any more. They were
ready to pull out as well.
Sunday Gary was down to pick up his new Spey rod and head
over to the river to play with it. Man it’s sweet Redington’s Chromer 7136-4. I
set it up with a Redington Behemoth 7/8 put on 150yds of backing and slick
shooter and started out with 500 grain shooting head. There is lots to change
his old style of casting. And we changed shooting heads many times. We settled
on 535 gr. O did I say? This rod is sweet. With the Scandi line 425gr the rod
shoots line like a dream. EZ 90plus feet true and straight, good bend thru out
the whole rod smooth. I'll be telling you more about this rod in the future.
