Sage MOD Fly Rod Review

Next up in our 2016 Sage Fly Rod review series is perhaps the rod that’s gotten the most attention: The Sage MOD. The MOD is billed as fly fishing’s version of a 7-Iron – a rod that works great for short-to-middle distances. For critics of the ONE, this might be the rod they have been waiting for – a Sage trout rod that works well in close. Read on to find out if this is the rod for you. If this review helped you decide on your next fly rod, help us by buying it here.

Outfit

• Sage MOD 9' 5-weight
• Sage Domain 5
• Rio Gold WF5F

Fit and Finish

Sage, Sage, Sage. Nothing new to report here. The fit and finish of the MOD are just like any other Sage rod. It's great, but don't expect any ultra-high-end components or alignment dots. One thing that I do like is the standardization of the grip. Every new Sage rod comes with their snub-nosed half-wells cork handle, which is one of the best and most comfortable you'll see anywhere. The Mod also comes with an anodized aluminum reel seat, zebra wood insert, titanium stripping guides, hard chromed snake guides, a jade logo blank color fast action blank, green thread wraps, and black trim wraps.

Weight

The Sage MOD fly rod weighs in at a super light 2.6 oz. which is in line with what we’ve come to expect from Sage’s lighter line rods. It’s a little lighter than the ONE. Oddly, the Domain (a relatively heavy reel) balanced it quite well. It’s possible that there’s more mass in the tip of this rod to help it flex on those shorter shots

Distance

Looking for a rod that will cover some ground? Look elsewhere.

Accuracy

The best part about this rod is its accuracy in close and its ability to perform in the short game. This rod excels in scenarios that call for delicate presentations on small rivers and spring creeks. It's probably as good as Sage gets at 25' and still pretty solid at 40'. At 60'+ the rod really changed its character and I had to slow down my casting stroke considerably. Granted, a lot of anglers (and certainly the target for this rod) aren't going to be making that long shot that often.

Flex & Feel

The new Sage MOD is definitely a medium action rod with medium recovery speed. It’s got a nice soft tip which is what helps this rod load in close. Overall, the Mod offers the angler a lot of feel on the short-to-medium cast, but I really missed the faster recovery that I’ve come to expect from Sage. The mid- and butt-sections are just a little too soft for my liking, when I double hauled the rod, it quickly overloaded and I had to adjust my timing.

Nymphing

Can you cast a bobber with this rod? Yup… but it wouldn’t be my first choice. The good news is that you can definitely open up your loop, but the Mod is definitely more of a dry-fly rod. That lack of power I talked about earlier is going to make it tough to get any real weight out there.

Warranty

Lifetime. Price: $850

Conclusion

In short, the Sage MOD is a pretty specialized rod. I really wish I would have had a Circa to test alongside it, since it seems like there’s probably quite a bit of overlap between the two rods. I’m also looking forward to testing other sizes, since I don’t think the 590 MOD is going to be the best rod in the series (the 3- and 4-wts should be really great!). You should definitely check out the new MOD if:

• You’re a beginner-intermediate angler
• You fish small to medium-sized streams (think East coast and spring creeks)
• You’ve got a slower casting stroke

I’m certain that reviews will come out have come out claiming that this is Sage’s best all-around 5wt. I can tell you that it’s not that. The problem with the 7-iron is that you still need to have a full bag of clubs for the rest of your shots. You definitely don’t want to overload this rod. Rio Gold is as heavy a line as I’d ever put on it, and you could probably go lighter (maybe a Grand 4wt?)

Pros

• Covers a wide range of trout fishing applications
• Great new grip
• Made in the USA

Cons

• I was left wanting a rod that was a little more powerful and had more all-around performance
• Tip Heavy?