Sage "Bluegill" rod

Has anybody tried the new Sage Bluegill rod? If so, how does it feel? Could it double as a small stream Smallmouth rod? What reel would you recommend for the 230 grain line?

from the web

"The newest and lightest member of the SAGE Bass series, the Bluegill, is designed to push poppers and wind-resistant flies into tight quarters for smaller bass and panfish. The special action and shorter length also makes it the perfect big trout “bugger chukker” for pounding the banks from a driftboat. Like it’s bigger brothers, the Bluegill comes with it’s own custom taper fly line and a cool rod/reel combo case.

The 203 grain Bluegill rod from SAGE is 7’11", 4pc and is rated for the specially designed 230 grain floating fly line. It is roughly equivalent to a 6-7wt and we have also been throwing a 6wt sink tip on it with no problems."

Bluegill Rod Video: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/sage-blue-gill-rod-jerry-siem-leland-gear-guide-watch-in-high-quality-for-clear-picture/2305843009389377752/?icid=VIDURVSPR01

Doug

the video is really lacking specific information on what reel should be used on the rod but it looks like the “1600” series from sage

http://www.sageflyfish.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=144881

let’s see, where have I seen a rod like that before…oh yeah, some of the glass Wonderods built in the 50s and 60s…including my Wonderod which happens to be 7’9" and will throw anything from a 4 wt. to a 7 or 8 wt. with ease…perfect for throwing poppers and larger trout streamers.

My fly fishing club raffled one of these off at our annual Christmas party and fund raiser. The rod is more than heavy enough for smallmouth and largemouth. It is very good at tossing heavy hair bugs, poppers, zonkers, and large woolly buggers.

I have no idea why they call it a bluegill rod. It is a 6-7wt rod, and seems too heavy for bluegill. One of the jokes around the club is that we want to find the bluegills that are supposed to match up with this rod. They would have to average about 2 pounds!!

Smallies -

Forgot to mention that we paired this rod with a Sage 2050 for the raffle. Any good 5-6 wt reel will balance well with it.

I would look hard at the discontinued Ross Rhythm’s that you can find on eBay and other places. They are a better reel than the 2050, and you can get some great deals because Ross has discontinued the line. Good Luck!!

I believe that would be Mikey’s Saltwater Bluegills.:stuck_out_tongue: (Beat you to it, Paul!)

I bet that rod would throw one of these…

Designed just for the Saltwater Bluegills

Brad

Or one of these ??

Yep, I bought this for my local smallmouth stream (1-3lb) and thought it would be perfect for this application. I will be tossing decent sized poppers, clousers, etc. I have an old Sage 379-3 LL for my bluegill rod.

The Bluegill rod a a nice rod for all sorts of purposes. It great for some of the 1 to 2lb bluegill we have around here, as well as bass, trout, light saltwater where you might want to quickly pick up and recast a popper or streamer. Works well with 6 and 7 wt lines in addition the the heavily front weighted special line that it comes with. Any reel suited for 5 wt and heavier lines is fine with the included line - you are not going to need 100 yards of backing for panfish or bass fishing.

Exactly what i thought when using one for bass on our pond. If you have to buy one then by all means do so, there are othere rods out ther that are more appropriate for the bluegill specie

Well, I am hoping to get a reel that will cover two rods. I have a Sage 691-4 TCR that needs a reel for light bonefish also. Now, I realize that I will never see the backing on the Bluegill rod but will on the light Bonefish rod. So, I would like to get a reel that holds 175yds (micro backing) and still be able to hold the 230 grain line. Then when I need it for the Bonefish rod, I just change out the lines. However, I don’t want a reel that will be too heavy for the Bluegill rod. Any suggestions?

Tibor Light Backcountry Wide, TFO Large Arbor 340, Ross CLA #3, Lamson Guru #3, Redington Rise 7/8, Galvan Torque T-6, Galvan Spoke #6, Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor IV, just to name a few. I use a Redington CD 7/8, which is equivalent to the Battenkill Mid Arbor.

The ‘drag’ will not matter for the bluegills, but, it sure will with a bonefish. You might make DRAG the number one item, them work back from there. What is a Sage 691-4 TCR?

691-4 TCR is the 6wt TCR with saltwater hardware (aluminum reel seat and fighting but). Very nice. Same with TCX, Z-Axis, and VT2 and FLi.

Thanks for all the information. I am leaning towards the Bauer Rogue #3 because it will be a perfect match to my 691-4 TCR and light Bones. Obviously, it will be overkill for the Sage Bluegill rod but why buy two average reels when I can have one excellent reel and just switch out lines when needed. I will not be using both rods at the same time so there is no chance of needing reels on both rods at the same time. My only concern is the weight of the Rogue #3 on the Bluegill rod (5oz).

I have one of the original Sage bluegill rods from the 70’s. It’s called a Fenwick FF756.

sorry about the 691 question, of course it is. duh! :frowning: