Sage 486-4 R8 Core

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   One of the sweethearts in the series, the R8 486-4 casts every suitable fly line with natural grace, line speed and precision throughout its substantial range. This is exactly what I was hoping for from this model, among the most important for fishing in SW Colorado. Overall, I would describe this rod as slightly less stiff than its predecessor, the X 486-4. That, too, was a lovely rod, but the R8 Core has a super broad sweet spot and ultra-springy mid-section that brings the rod to life on casts both short and long. Different fly lines summon unique casting qualities, but the rod handles them all. My favorites are the Rio Gold and Rio Technical Trout, but the rod also handles the long-headed SA Infinity Taper, the SA Trout Taper and the Airflo Superflo Universal. Choose the line that best suits your fishing techniques. Enjoy the rod!

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The 8’ 6” rods in the R8 Core family both share a feather-light feeling in hand. The 486/4 is a great all around trout rod. It is very accurate at all distances and is a nice smooth caster. In general the R8 rods tend to prefer a slightly slower casting stroke, but with the right line pairing you can work the 486/4 a little more than most of the others in the rod line-up. This rod will handle a wider range of casting strokes than others. I’ve played around with a handful of different 4wt lines on this rod and found the SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity to be the most well rounded pairing. With the Infinity the rod throws laser loops at all distances while remaining stable.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   The R8 Core 486 is a perfectly thoughtful replacement to the X 486. The best aspects of the X remain while being lighter, more playful and possessing an ability to tune its delivery with line choice. The R8 486 feels like a 4-weight in the hand and while you throw a long line, the rod seems to be tuned to perform optimally at more 4-weight appropriate distances. One of my favorite lines on this rod is the Rio Elite Technical Trout WF4F. This line cast longer and provided for a more playful cadence to the cast. Loops were level and tight and left me with a feeling of placing line at my pleasing. This is my top pick on this rod for single dries and dry dropper fishing with medium to small flies. The SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity WF4F really polishes the casting stroke and gives the R8 Core 486 a superb feeling of all around confidence. This is the line for the myriad of techniques and flies on this rod. You get a bit more connected load and more confident delivery. I like the added bit of control with line in the air from the Infinity’s longer head. A Rio Elite Perception provided similar performance and an extremely even and automatic delivery. Fish a Rio Technical Trout for an exacting light touch dry fly rod or put on a Perception or Infinity taper for more turnover with medium to larger flies. This is a very versatile 4 weight with the perfect amount of fast-feel and touch.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)