circa fly rod,    fly fishing industry,    sage circa,    sage fly rods

Sage Announces Circa Fly Rods With Warm, Fuzzy Video (or, Life Without Hype)

By Tom Chandler 7/20/2012

Sure, I spanked Sage for the unspeakably hyped copy announcing the release of their ONE fly rod, so it's only fair they get a pat on the back for announcing their new Circa slow-action fly rod in... human terms:



Sage CIRCA - Fly Fishing with Advanced, Slow-Action Performance. from Sol Duc Buck on Vimeo

Sadly, they passed on a sure thing when they ignored the genius displayed in this Emmy Award Winning* video script, but I admit to really liking the Hal Riney, "Morning In America" feel of Sage's ad.

And they only threatened to go off the rails once when Siem says "The CIRCA is definitely going to bring new life into the sport of trout fishing."

Well, those who have been fishing (or producing) really nice slow-action rods for a couple decades might disagree, but otherwise, kudos to the skinny pole builders from the Northwest.

See you at our power lunch, Tom Chandler.
 
 
(*Not an Emmy Award Winning script)

AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

26 comments
I like my sage rods, and I a few good ones, including a Sage Circa 489 that I like. I was very surprised and disappointed to see that a leading fly rod manufacturer instead of providing a more informative video, had this gentleman (whoever he maybe) standing on a stream with fly rod in his hand, reminiscing about his childhood, his mom, and that the first word that he uttered was FISH! Enough said!
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Not in the slightest, this past weekend as the first Kansas High School event or for information on how to use the hook proficiencies with it, as the fish will readily include it. And there aare one or two minutes because the back-eddy catches them and moves them upstream. My only other hope for rest is on tthe bottom.
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The first thing I thought when I saw this video not keeping a pulse on the industry as a whole by any means is....the Superfine Touch must have done something for them to come out with such a rod. I've yet to cast bamboo, and have cast a few fiberglass rods in my day. In the end.....what ever brings that sh!t eating grin to your face when you know the line that is about to unfurl in front of you is ... more going precisely where you meant it to and the feel along the way was fun, then I don't think all the hype back and forth regarding fast action vs. slow action really matters a hoot. A stick cut from a plant, fiberglass, aerospace graphite.....let's just go fish and take the complicated nature of all this marketing out of the equation.
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Oh Hell, here we go again. There were already 64 million comments about the SFT 4 weight! I almost bought one so that my Buds and I could have a shoot out this fall during the Iso hatch in the Adirondacks. At least, Orvis would give 20% off if you trade in a non-junk rod and anti up the $395! And now this! It's the next thing that we "have to have" when "want" because we've been sold is more like ... more it. You can still only fish one rod at a time. Me, I think that I'll stick to homemade bamboo and fiberglass. See y'all at the wrapping stand, or at the beach, John
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"Then again, faster rods probably are better for the kind of heavy indicator nymphing that’s become the norm for new fly fishermen." Faster rods and heavy indicator nymphing is nothing but bobber and bait fishing. Why don't these new "fly fishermen" save hundreds of $ and just use a bamboo pole and black line?
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...I'm loving my Hardy Stream (7ft 3 wt). 1/2 the price of the Circa, and it has a glass-like action because... it's glass! If Sage had guts, they'd switch materials rather than try to emulate glass with carbon...
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Tom Chandler: I’ll bet the Circas aren’t the short-range monsters the Superfines are, but it would still be interesting to compare the two (especially with $300 distance between them). Glad to hear you like/got the 8? 4wt SFT. Impressively fun… It was your review that helped tip the scales toward this rod. Wicked fun to cast with sharp pointy loops made easy. This past weekend at the local casting ... more ponds I experimented with putting my 10.5' furled spectra tenkara line as the leader ... it cast so beautifully I couldn't wipe that silly grin off my face. I'm very curious too on what the Circas will offer for $300 more. Personally I doubt it's much anything other than "because we're Sage and because we can". Let's see if I'm proved wrong.
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Albert Yi: Puh-leez. Got myself the 8? 4-wt SFT this spring and never looked back. I'll bet the Circas aren't the short-range monsters the Superfines are, but it would still be interesting to compare the two (especially with $300 distance between them). Glad to hear you like/got the 8' 4wt SFT. Impressively fun...
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Ralph C: Despite the heroic nature of this rod, I can’t wait to try one. It would be interesting to try one, but at that price -- and with a couple college funds to feed -- it's hard to imagine I'd pull the trigger.
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“The CIRCA is definitely going to bring new life into the sport of trout fishing.” ... cuz, y'know, Orvis' Superfine Touch just sucked the wind out of trout fishing last year... Puh-leez. Got myself the 8' 4-wt SFT this spring and never looked back.
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Yep, "breathe new life into the sport". The ghost of Harry Wilson is ROTFLHAO about now. Despite the heroic nature of this rod, I can't wait to try one.
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DarrellKuni: T, lemme repeat that to myself, make sure I didn’t fall face first into my toilet this morning and am still alive. We'll send the Wonderdog down to lick your face and see (the risk is just too great for the rest of us).
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Did you guys hear "breathe" in the video? I wasn't sure, and the press release said "bring." Either way, it's probably the big overshoot of the announcement.
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Gasp, I can't breathe. Whew, that was close, thank you Sage! The CIRCA sounds like a step in the right direction. I have a 3 wt. SLT somewhere in my closet. For a graphite stick it's a fairly nice casting/fishing rod if I remember correctly.
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A "slow" action graphite eh? Seems like a natural to go hand in hand with casting soft hackles to the foam lines in a hot tub. 'Scuse me while I just nip over to the closet and make sure the Orvis's, Grangers and Winstons haven't spontaneusly combusted in their rod tubes...Nope, still there and feeling mighty smug too I can tell you.
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I like the part where Jerry turns over a rock to find a caddis larva and mayfly nymph, becomes one with the river, then matches the hatch with a Stimulator. I guess that doesn't really matter when wielding a rod that can do CPR.
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...slow action rods return to breathe in life, eh? T, lemme repeat that to myself, make sure I didn't fall face first into my toilet this morning and am still alive.
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There was a time when you could buy 2-3 Phillipsons for the price of one of these, but sadly, those days seem past us.
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Mark: We’ve all been indoctrinated for the last couple of decades that “fast action is advanced action” and slow is for beginners. Think Sage is going to be able to break through that common wisdom and sell rods to “advanced” fishermen? Interesting perception, though I'd suggest at least a few of us (you included) never bought into the "faster is better" school of rod design. Then again, faster rods ... more probably are better for the kind of heavy indicator nymphing that's become the norm for new fly fishermen. And I heard some of the same "slow taper, high-tech materials" pitched our way for the SP series. I briefly owned a 9' 5wt SP and it just felt stiff to me. Hope they've done a bit better with this. In any case, I'm not so much commenting on the market interest in a slow-action rod as their return to more (ahem) reality-based marketing -- at least as close to reality as most fly fishing marketing gets...
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KKF: do you suppose that Scott will resurect the G series for a second thirty year production run ? I've heard all sorts of explanations about what the G2 rods actually are, though a credible source suggests they're the same G series tapers built with newer, lighter, higher-modulus materials. I cast a 6wt G2 and didn't love it, but Ian still swears by the 8' 4wt.
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+1 for Mark's comment...For the money,I'd as soon get some old Phillipsons or Scotts....Heck,for Slow Action Performance the 6 wt Lami I've got is the way to go.......Hmmmm, A.S.A.P. rods....Comment on the consumers or another late night ad for male enhancement........
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*sigh* Really? "Advanced, Slow Action Performance"? We've all been indoctrinated for the last couple of decades that "fast action is advanced action" and slow is for beginners. Think Sage is going to be able to break through that common wisdom and sell rods to "advanced" fishermen? I guess if it costs $800 it must be advanced, right? [disclaimer -- I own and fish Sage rods among others, but I'm getting ... more cynical in my old age]
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Seeing that this philosophy of rod designing is guaranteed to ; " bring new life into the sport of trout fishing " - do you suppose that Scott will resurect the G series for a second thirty year production run ? A portion of the marketing has already been paid for .. by a competitor.
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Beautiful video, all the better for the lack of fish porn.
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I am in love with my Sage rod. This video is phenomenal. I am trying to me a minimalist, but find myself wanting more Sage. Double kudos.
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Really? It's the same video as the ONE with different audio. Just not very stoked on Sage these days- The ONE, going direct and most of all not acknowledging haw brittle G5 graphite really is.....
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