Sage 379-4 Trout LL

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   The Trout LL 379-4 feels great in hand, but has notably different action from all others in the series. It’s much quicker. I liked it with the Rio Technical Trout, but only at distances over 30 feet at which point the overall weight of the line head flexes the rod deeply enough to throw nice, tight loops. Although pleasant to cast at 30-40 feet, a rod under 8 feet in length is surely a creek fishing stick. So, I tried it with the Rio Creek WF3F. This loads the rod easily and allows one to cast just by rocking the rod back and forth. The Creek Line doesn’t throw tight loops, however. So, we have a rod that wants to cast tight loops paired with a line that loads it well but doesn’t produce the desired casting loop. I settled on the Rio Gold.  On the first cast, I knew this was the answer.  This rod is more sensitive to line pairing than any other in the series.  With a Rio Gold, not only does it feel more like the longer rods but it becomes something truly special.  It casts with tight loops from 15 feet to at least 60 and maintains a supreme feel of connectedness throughout the range.  Almost everyone will cast this rod beautifully on the first try.  Just stick a Gold on it.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The Sage Trout LL 379-4 is a clear case of why I like to try out a variety of tapers on each rod to find out what works and what does not. I began with the Rio Technical Trout and found the rod to be accurate and extremely light in the hand while feeling pretty darn good. I felt like this wasn’t the right line for the rod, but it wasn’t the wrong line either. The Rio Creek line is the wrong line on this rod. I gave it a run and then ran to another fly line. Keep the Creek line on the DART series or comparable true fast action light line rods. The third line we cast was the Rio Gold and the rod and line made beautiful music. The Rio Gold just balanced the action of the Trout LL 379 and it made for a spot-on line pairing. With the Gold, the 379 came to life and possessed similar qualities and characteristics to the rest of the Trout LL lineup. This rod can reach out past 50 feet, but it prefers to work in the 10 to 40 foot zone, with a special focus on the 15 to 30 foot range we so often encounter on the trout stream. The 379 straddles the line between dedicated creek stick and a small freestone focused fly rod. If you’re looking for a smaller trout rod to compliment an all around 5-weight, the Trout LL 379-4 is a strong consideration.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   I have never really been the type of angler to fish shorter graphite rods, however, after casting the new 379-4, I am starting to think I might be missing out on something. I was very apprehensive when I first picked up the rod, after making my first cast, I was filled with pure joy. This is an amazing little 3wt. It is very accurate at all distances and forms tight little loops almost instantly. The overall weight of this rod is perfect and will balance with a handful of different reels. I found this rod to be extremely responsive and sporty. I cast it with the Rio Technical Trout, Rio Gold, and Rio Creek. The Rio Creek is much too heavy for this rod, but I was very pleased with both the Gold and Technical Trout. Go with the Gold if you prefer a slightly slower action. This would be a great choice for someone looking for a smaller rod for tighter water.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

4. Rated 4 out of 5

   This shorter rod of the series certainly has the fastest action of the bunch. Accordingly, I thought the Rio Creek line would load it nicely, but it tended to overload and made casting feel clunky. On the flip side, the Rio Technical Trout seemed too light and shorter casts lost accuracy. I’d have to concur with my cohorts that the Rio Gold was the best line for the 379, but the SA Trout also performed well. Once you figured out the line pairing, this rod was really quite fun to cast. Overall this is a nice little creeking rod, however, I don’t think it’d be my first choice in this weight class.

   Jason Moshonas (Telluride Angler)