Leland Review

1
Sage ZXL 590-4 Fly Rod Review
2
Company Profile

• Sage was founded in 1979 by Don Green, an
  experienced rod blank builder and one of the
  architects of the modern fishing rod, as owner of
  the Grizzly Fiberglass Company, which later
  partnered with Fenwick. It was originally called
  Winslow Manufacturing (after the city of Winslow
  on Bainbridge Island, Washington) but within a
  year had changed its name to Sage. Emphasizing
  high quality fly rods sold only through specialty
  stores, Sage rode the crest of the fly-fishing
  boom in the post A River Runs Through It years.
  
• Today, although there is no industry repository
  for exact numbers, Sage is probably the worlds
  largest producer of premium fly rods and employs
  over 100 workers in their manufacturing facility.

3
Whats the Word?

• Sage. Here from Merriam-Websters online
  dictionary Sage adjective. Middle English, from
  Anglo-French proceeding from or characterized by
  wisdom, prudence, and good judgment synonyms see
  wise

4
Specifications

• Line Weight 5 Length 9 Ft. Sections 4 pieces
  Weight 3 5/16 oz. Grip Western-Portuguese
  cork Reel Seat Up-locking nickel silver w/
  rosewood insert Action Medium w/ high line
  speed Construction G5 (generation 5) graphite
  technology Blank Color Pomegranate Tube Size
  30 in. aluminum of matching color Retail Price
  675.00

5
Features

• The 9 foot fly rod for a 5 weight line is
  generally considered to be the best all around
  fly rod for trout fishing, especially out here in
  the west with our wide variety of waters, and the
  ZXL 590 is no exception, especially with the
  unique blend of power and finesse afforded to it
  by Sages state of the art G5 technology which is
  matched to a more progressively graded taper that
  runs a strong powerful butt section rather
  quickly into a surprisingly sensitive tip, which
  makes for quite a whippy little rod with
  excellent responsiveness.

6
Materials/Construction

• The Boron II-MX is the third fly rod series to
  use the Boron II and in my opinion it is the
  best, but then again I love saltwater fly
  fishing. I decided Id give the 10weight 9-footer
  a go while tarpon in the Keys, one word,
  IMPRESSIVE

7
Fit and Finish

• The Sage ZXL 590 bears components and a finish to
  match its sophisticated and refined character.
  Not too much bling bling, no overabundance of
  gold jewelry components here, like you may see on
  the gaudy Cadillac super rods of other current
  manufacturers.
• The appearance of the ZXL is subtly understated
  but distinguished and aesthetically pleasing,
  with a blank of a deep Pomegranate color finished
  with four pairs of fine gold wraps in the Butt
  section.

8
Action

• I found the ZXL to be nothing short of amazing at
  medium distances, which coincidentally, are where
  most of my trout seem to be caught anyways. It
  throws an extremely tight loop at an impressive
  line speed almost effortlessly between 15 and 40
  feet, with a buttery smooth transfer of power and
  excellent tracking.

9
Reliability/Durability

• Sage has built a reputation of quality and I see
  no reason why it shouldnt extend to the new ZXL
  and Z-Axis, series, even if they are lighter.
  Lighter does NOT mean weaker in this case. If
  anything, these rods are stronger.
• The Epoxy resin saturates and fuses the graphite
  to graphite better than it did with the
  traditional graphite to fiberglass scrim process.

10
CONTACT US

• Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters is a full-service
  fly shop that has provided anglers in the Bay
  Area and Sonoma Valley with top quality education
  and gear since 1985.
• BY PHONE
• [phone] (Toll-free M-F 9am-5pm
  PST)International callers, use 415 number
  below(415) 781-3474  (Fly Shop, Sonoma,
  CA)[phone] (Fly Fishing Ranch, Sonoma,
  CA)BY EMAIL
• service_at_FlyFishingOutfitters.com707-939-6910
• 24120 Arnold Drive/Highway 121Sonoma, CA 
  95476Phone [phone]