Sage 490-4 Trout LL

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   A magnificent caster with the balance of a superbly tuned fly rod, I would choose this rod over the 486-4 for long leaders and fishing in the 30-60′ range. A better tailwater dry fly rod would be hard to find. The feel when aerializing 30-40′ equals that of any 9′ 4-weight on the market, possessing a “springy” action uncommon in Sage rods. I didn’t want to put it down. The loop shape is consistent throughout its casting range with a wonderful combination of line speed, accuracy and control. The rod has plenty of guts for dry dropper fishing but still floats a dry fly with ideal presentation traits. With regard to fly lines, it casts both a Rio Gold and SA Trout Taper magnificently, but the very best match is the Rio InTouch Technical Trout line. The Gold naturally loads the rod a little deeper and is a better choice for dedicated dry-dropper fishing.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   This rod was truly a pleasure to cast and one to seriously consider in your 4 wt. arsenal. It has a great feel all around. Light in hand with super smooth transitioning. I’d say the action is medium to medium-fast, giving the caster the ability to really feel the rod load. It was precise in close and also has the power to lay out quite a bit of line. Personally, I really like the grip on these rods as well. The snub nosed half wells grip feels sweet in hand and I think even aids the casting stroke. I cast this rod with a Rio Gold line and liked the performance, though I wouldn’t be shy about an SA Trout Taper as well. Cast this rod. You won’t be disappointed.

   Jason Moshonas (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   From the moment I picked up this rod I knew I was holding something special. After I laid out the first cast I was convinced. I could almost hear Obi-Wan over my shoulder whispering in my ear, “This is the four weight you’ve been looking for.” Light in the hand, light through the casting stroke, rock steady stability and an improvement in every way over the MOD 490. The flex is more progressive while the action is still moderate with a perfect harmony between the tip, middle and butt section of the rod. Everything feels very smooth and finely tuned. At 15 feet the rod could be loaded lower down the blank with an easy confidence. Short casts found their mark repeatedly and with intuitive accuracy. At 30 feet this rod is a true dream and the sensation of a lovely cast unrolling runs from the tip of the rod to the heel of the caster’s hand. Loop shape was highly controllable, and the casts found their mark with a clear and crisp confidence. At 30 feet this rod is the personification of control with a 4-weight line. When you need to reach out a little further, rest assured that the Trout LL 490 can handle that long distance shot to a picky riser. Performance at 60 feet was superb and the rod seemed to close the distance, making 60 feet seem a lot shorter. I preferred the SA trout taper for longer range shots. The Gold was great at this distance, but the caster must feather the cast and apply power correctly to mitigate the extra weight in the front taper of that line. Go with the Gold for larger dries and dry dropper rigs. Stay with the Trout taper for technical dry fly work and longer leaders with small flies. The Trout LL 490 is a rod that strikes the perfect balance between a fast action 9 foot 4-weight that you would typically overline by a half line weight or more and a slow supple dry fly 4 weight that gets folded in the wind. The Trout LL 490 is exactly what I’m looking for in a 9 foot 4-weight.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   The first thought that went through my head when I initially cast this rod was how incredibly light and responsive it was. It threw wonderfully tight loops for a slightly slower rod. I, like many others, was a big fan of the 490 MOD, I thought it was an excellently smooth casting dry fly rod with surprising backbone. Sage has found a way to improve on an already stellar rod and make it truly spectacular. I cast this rod with both the Rio Gold and the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Trout. Though I enjoyed both lines on this rod, I would highly recommend considering the SA Trout taper as the go to line for this stick. This is a real contender for anyone that is looking for a modern action rod with a very traditional feel.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

5. Rated 5 out of 5

   I purchased this rod earlier in the year and it was everything I expected, just amazing. But the service provided was some of the best I’ve ever received. I was having trouble getting this fly rod in my local shops here in Canada. I put an order in with telluride angler and they got me the rod I was looking for pretty quickly. They kept me updated as my order progressed and also put in the effort to write a personalized note instead of something generic that was sent with the order. It’s those little things you just don’t see anymore and I thought it was great some companies still have pride in their work

   Steve

6. Rated 5 out of 5

   Last week I had a wedding to attend in Whitefish Montana. Three of my college roommates live up there and one of their son’s was getting married and any excuse to leave Colorado for Montana is a good one. I debated on what rods to bring and was told we would be fishing large dries size 12 and 14 but mostly 12’s. I brought my Sage 590 and 490 LL and my Scott G Series 843. I had yet to use the Sage LL 490. The first day we headed up to the upper Middle Fork of the Flathead River which has a good population of small native Cutthroat and small whitefish. We stopped by the Guru of the Valley Bob Arend’s fly shop to pick up some of his hand tied flies and Bob hooked us up with the dry flies we needed. I asked about nymphs and Bob just laughed at me and said if I wanted to catch whitefish all day have at it. I rigged up the LL 490 with a size 12 Bob special and started fishing with one of my buddies. We had some luck but not much I switched to a size 14 two nymph setup and proceeded to catch 4 small cutties and 6 small whitefish. I was fishing a 9-foot leader to a swivel and then 20 inches of tippet with two nymphs with 3 BB or B sized split shots (not sure) and an Airlock strike indicator in a decent current the rod loaded and roll cast like a dream. I did not nymph any slow holes but the rod seemed to do well with the setup and it was fun to catch the smaller fish on the 4wt. The next day further down stream we floated the Middle Fork of the Flathead once again I used the LL 490 at first, I had a size 10 or 12 chubby Chernobyl with a size 14 dropper the rod did great I had a few strikes on the chubby and none on the dropper my buddy at the front of the boat was having some luck with a single size 12 stimulator. So, I got rid of the dropper and added a size 12 Stimulator and fished two dries the rod did great and the small cutties we were catching were a blast. With two bigger flies on I did have to concentrate and not be lazy with my casting but the rod did great the 90% of the time I stayed focused. I later moved to one dry so I could enjoy my beer and not have to think and my buddy was having as much luck with one fly as I was with two. So, I think the Sage LL 490 is a great all-around rod that excels at dry fly fishing I used to own an Asquith 4wt and I like the LL much better than the Asquith. The Asquith is a casting machine and light but the LL is much more fun to fish, nothing cast like the Asquith 4wt. I think the Sage LL 490 will be my new Arkansas and Eagle River go to rod from now on in Colorado. I had SA Trout on the rod and it was a good fit but would not shy away from the Rio Tech Trout either.

   Jack Parker