First Casts: Getting to know the Sage 590-4 R8 Classic

 

 

New for 2025, the R8 Classic replaces the Trout LL as Sage’s moderate/medium-fast rod offering. Designed for anglers who like a rod with more touch and feel, who prefer to fish at a more deliberate pace, and like to fish dry flies, soft hackles, and/or lightweight streamers. This rod has 7 models, ranging from an 8’ 3 wt. to a 9’ 6 wt. I have only been able to cast and fish the 9’ 5 wt. thus far, but will post again after I’ve had a chance to put the other rods through their paces.

For more specific rod info, check out the Sage R8 Classic HERE

The rod blank is a “classic” Sage brown and finished with beige and chestnut thread wraps. For those who appreciate a fly rod with subtle yet handsome cosmetics, the R8 Classic delivers, and like any high-end rod company should do, Sage made sure to add a premium quality snub-wells cork handle and premium guides. In short, the rod’s cosmetics and component choices will not negatively impact your fishing abilities, and are more than adequate for the task this rod series was made to do. 

 I’ve cast AND fished the 590-4 R8 Classic, and I’ve been very impressed with what I have felt and seen thus far. True to its design, this rod has great feel and touch at 25’-60’, which is universally accepted as the average casting distances for most trout fishing. Those who are good casters can easily reach 70+ feet, but then again, there is really no reason to cast that far when trout fishing-especially on moving water where drag free drift is essential to success. While trying to find what fly lines make the R8 Classic tick, I cast eight different floating fly lines from both RIO and Scientific Anglers, in double taper and weight forward models, and the R8 Classic cast everything surprisingly well. To keep things simple, I’ve narrowed down three lines from both RIO and Scientific Anglers that I feel will allow anglers to get the most out of the 590 R8 Classic, and I’ve divided them into three categories based on fishing application: Big Flies and Wind, All-Around, and Delicate Presentation.  

 

  

 

Big Flies and Wind: For casting and/or fishing large(ish) flies, dry-dropper rigs, and doing so in windy conditions, the RIO Gold XP and Scientific Anglers Infinity Smooth are both excellent options. At distances of 25’-45’ feet, both fly lines loaded the rod up easily, and did not make the rod tip bounce uncontrollably. At distances of 50’-65’ plus feet, with both lines, the 590 R8 Classic began to feel clunky, and was not near as enjoyable as it was when casting at shorter lengths. So, for other than loading up and chucking a streamer, I would not use these lines at these distances for delicate, controlled presentations. Could you? Yes, absolutely. Would I? No.

All-Around Fishing Applications: For anglers looking to pair the R8 Classic with a line that can cast and fish dry-droppers, light-medium weight nymph rigs, and/or lightweight streamers when called upon, but focus on making delicate dry fly presentations, I’d recommend the RIO Weight Forward Technical Trout, or the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Trout Standard. Both lines loaded the R8 Classic well from 25’-50’ and didn’t feel clunky or bounce the tip of the rod around uncontrollably when casting 60’ or more.

Delicate Presentations: If you love to hunt rising fish, fish a single dry fly, and the only wet fly fishing you do is a light dry-dropper or swinging a soft hackle, I’d recommend the RIO Double Taper Technical Trout, the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Double Taper, or the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Trout  fly lines. All three of these fly lines are a joy to cast on the 590 R8 Classic, and compliment the rods moderate flex profile.

Fishing Notes: I took the 590 R8 Classic out on the water last week and fished it with a Scientific Anglers Amplitude Standard Trout, and paired it with a 9’ 5X leader and 6X tippet. It was a blustery day, but the R8 Classic had little to no problem turning over the longer, light leader and tippet I was using despite the conditions. Due to the inconsistent and windy weather conditions, the midge hatch was very spotty, but prospecting with a couple of soft hackles on a slow, controlled swing produced more than enough trout to make my day enjoyable. The R8 Classic handled the surprisingly aggressive grabs on 6X exceptionally well, and I did not worry about breaking fish off at any point while bringing them to the net. Aerial mending and on the water mending was effortless, as the "softer" tip section of the R8 Classic is designed to maximize fishability, instead of just chucking a bunch of line. In short, the rod fills the gaps left by the 590 R8 Core, in that the R8 Classic has significantly more touch and feel at the closer fishing distances of 25’-40’, and unlike the 590 R8 Core, I never worried about breaking fish off while playing them on delicate tippet due to the stiffer tip section.

Conclusion: Since their inception, Sage has made it a point to make rods that fulfill specific jobs, and the 590 R8 Classic has proven to be a very good rod when delicate presentations and leader/tippet protection are important. It can be called upon, with the proper fly line pairing and fly-casting skill, to fish a variety of techniques and sizes of flies. However, it really shines when using true to line weight fly lines (according to the AFFTA fly line scale) and making delicate presentations to picky fish. Due to the more moderate action, and noticeably more flex in the tip section, this rod series should compliment our smaller creeks, streams, and lakes well. 

The best way to get to know a fly rod is cast it, and if you have any interest in this new offering from Sage, we do have a shop 590 R8 Classic you can come by and cast until we receive our Spring shipment of these new sticks. It’s been a moment since Sage has made a moderate action fly rod that made me excited to get out and fish, and while I haven’t been able to try any other models yet, the 590 R8 Classic has me excited to see what is to come.