Sage 490-4 R8 Core

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   After my initial casting session with this series, this was my “project model.” I first cast the R8 490-4 with a Rio Gold and knew that I had to keep searching. With a Gold, it felt bouncy, the tip pulling from side to side with each stroke. A Rio Technical Trout didn’t engage the rod much, and I began to lose hope. Then, I found the line: the SA Trout Taper. There is simply something about the tapers of this rod and line that work well together. The Airflo Universal casts well throughout the rod’s range and I suspect that the Rio Perception is also a good match for this model.

   This fly rod offers wonderful feedback to the caster. It has a fluid casting arc with sensational feel at all distances. Casting the SA Trout Taper, the loop seems to tighten and accelerate just before turning over no matter the casting distance. It excels in all the subtle techniques including roll casting, line mending, informal Spey casts and tippet protection. It seems sensitive to its line pairing, but I would unconditionally recommend the R8 490-4 with an SA Trout Taper.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   There is a lot of excellent competition in the 9’ 4wt world. It can be difficult to choose with so many great options out there. The 490/4 R8 Core is a rod that doesn’t necessarily stand out amongst the competition, but is a very purpose driven fly rod. It is very well rounded and is a great tool for the angler that likes to fish different styles. It will throw a single dry equally as well as a double nymph rig. It is a little picky when it comes to fly lines, but in general it can handle more than one. My two favorites are the Rio Elite Perception and the SA Amplitude Smooth Trout. Both lines cast well on the rod and would be great for fishing. If you tend to prefer throwing dry flies I would recommend the Trout Taper, if you do more nymphing the Perception will be a better choice.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is my favorite fast action class 490 that I have cast from Sage. I have always felt that fast action 9-foot 4-weights from Sage were a little to stiff and heavy casting going all the way back to the Z-Axis. I don’t want to feel like my 4-weight can throw a 5-weight line, for instance. The R8 Core 490 is a new direction from Sage in the 9-foot 4-weight.

   I cast this rod with five different floating lines. It likes a few and does not play that well with others. I preferred longer technical dry fly style tapers on this rod. The Rio Technical Trout, SA Amplitude Smooth Trout and the Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Tactical tapers in WF4F were my favorite lines. I did not care for the Rio Gold and the Perception was marginally better. The Rio Technical Trout keeps the blank a touch tighter and throws razor sharp V loops at all distances. This line provides for a strong delivery and matter-of-fact precision. The SA Amplitude Smooth Trout livens up the blank of the rod and makes the R8 490 feel a touch more playful. You lose a little bit of line speed with the SA Trout, but the increase in liveliness makes this line an excellent choice. The Airflo Ridge 2.0 Tactical was a surprisingly good line and it might have been my favorite one to cast on this rod. This line generates the most line speed and loops were borderline too tight. The rod felt empowering and exact. This line helps to display the reserve power and full range of this excellent 4-weight. The Airflo line also loads the rod just a hair more than the Rio or the SA. I would fish any of the above lines on here without a second thought.

   This is a 490 you can feel confident about in all but the windiest dry fly weather and you can slow down and fish the spring creek without feeling like you have too much stick. The R8 Core has a faster and firmer feel than the Trout LL 490. It is lighter in the hand and more stable as well. The R8 Core 490 is the rod for the angler that wants a rod a shade faster than the 490 but without the stiffness of the Igniter. I think this will be a 490 that is talked about for years to come and I look forward to picking out risers with this rod in the future.

    

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)