Sage 696-4 FB Power R8

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   This rod might cast farther than any other trout rod on the planet. Line mending and roll casting are a chore, however, so the angler should choose this rod for situations that call for massive overhead casts but don’t require touchy line control techniques. I first cast this rod with a Rio Elite Gold XP line. For straight up bombing, it’s a hard combination to beat. The Power R8 696-4 is a terrific rod for casting sink tips with streamers or wet flies and this will be a popular model for single handed steelhead anglers who fish floating lines on big water, as long their rivers allow plenty of room for a backcast. The rod simply isn’t designed for roll casting, but it will hold your backcast high above the willows and has no limit in distance.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The Sage Power R8 696-4 FB is the rod in the Power R8 lineup that makes it clear the designers at Sage are truly paying attention. They aren’t building rods in a race to be the fastest or cast the furthest; they’re using ultra-fast taper concepts to create real fishing tools that perform with purpose and intent.

   The 696 exemplifies the remarkable bend profile and recovery speed of R8 material. The sensation isn’t so much the blank bending closer to the cork, but rather energy entering the lower portion of the rod, as if the power is emanating down from the tip. The control this affords the caster is intoxicating, enabling long casts with nuance and feel at the end of the line. It carries line aloft with an ease that mocks gravity.

   Remarkably stable and intuitive across all casting techniques, a 9’6” 6-weight must roll cast long and strong, deliver overhead to the backing knot, and single spey to the far bank. The Power R8 696-4 FB does all of this expertly, leaving you without want for the far shore. Big indicator rigs for trout and summer runs, blind casting for sea trout, single-hand swinging for grilse, and virtually every stillwater application imaginable are arenas where this magnificent rod truly shines.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)