Sage 696-4 FB R8 Core

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Consider this a “big game” trout rod. I rarely fish 6-weights over 9’ because they are too much for me to cast all day, but the benefits of extra length are undeniable on big water. This is a finely tuned fly rod. It needs the head length and weight of an SA Infinity Taper, Titan Long, Rio Grand or comparable fly line, but those are the lines we might expect to fish on rivers like the Gunnison and Deschutes where the 9 ½’ 6-weight earns its place in the fly fishing world. It casts progressively with a natural casting stroke and offers plenty of command to handle streamer tapers and sink tips in addition to floating lines. This stick has the authority to lift long lines and deep nymph rigs from distant drifts, prowling a broad river like an angler with long arms.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is potentially my favorite rod in the whole R8 Core line-up. Anyone who has fished Sage rods will recognize this as a classic feeling Sage rod right away. It is light in hand and is a very powerful tool. It is seemingly stiffer than most of the rods in the lineup and will handle the wind like a champ. Unlike other rods in the R8 family, the 696/4 can handle a wider range of casting strokes as well as several fly lines. From a casting standpoint the Rio Elite Gold WF6F is magical. It throws the tightest loops and quickens the rod up in comparison with other lines. The SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity WF6F slows the rod down just a tad and is a very smooth casting line. All in all this is a phenomenal fishing tool that is light in hand and will be deadly on the water.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   The 6-weights are all so good in the R8 Core lineup, but the R8 696-4 is my favorite. In particular, the R8 696-4 has a little bit of something that the other R8 models don’t. It is hard to put your finger on it, but side-by-side-by-side with the other R8 6-weights and the rest of the R8 lineup, this rod stood out to me. I thought the 696 was a shade lighter in the hand before you put the reel on compared to the other R8 rods, and the action had a springier progressively fast feel. The rod generates a tremendous amount of line speed and doesn’t load as noticeably through the middle of the rod. The taper feels a little steeper to me and the tip a little softer than similar R8 models. What this boils down to is the best example of a 9-foot 6-inch rod I have ever cast. The R8 696 in my hand is the lightest nine and half foot 6-weight out there. The rod feels truly perfect for its line weight and length. The line speed generated with the feeling of lightness and ease is remarkable. All that line speed and power comes out of the tip like bottled lightning wrapped in velvet. Out of the whole lineup, this is the rod that I would add to my personal quiver today.

   I cast a Rio Elite Gold and the SA Amplitude Smooth WF6F. Both lines cast remarkably well on the rod and lent a slightly different character to the 696. The Elite Gold provided truly top end line speed and a tremendous sensation of lightness as line left the tip. The Gold and similar tapers will make this rod perform at its best with medium to smaller flies. The Infinity taper loads the rod a little more than the Gold and is the better line for large nymph rigs and medium sized streamers. The Infinity gives the caster a little more of the patient confidence in the back cast the R8 rods will come to be known for. You simply never feel urgent when casting these rods. They hold line up so confidently in the air that they encourage and improve a caster’s stop. Loops tighten, your timing improves, and you watch line run away from the rod tip like a real life motion picture. Shorter headed and sink tip lines like the Rio Elite Predator cast easily and simply sail through the air. An excellent choice for a streamer and heavy nymphing rod, the R8 696 is a first-rate stillwater rod from the shore, belly boat or pontoon as well.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is an amazing rod. I use it for heavy nymph rigs, and it performs with amazing ease. The rod is powerful but smooth. The 9.5 foot R8 6wt rod cast great overhead and roll cast a mile. I have fished this rod on rivers for over 40 days. My normal setup is a 9 foot leader to swivel then 4.5 feet of tippet with three flies size 12 to size six rigged on the tippet with plenty of lead to go with it. I have not fished streamers with it, but I am sure it would do great. This is an enjoyable rod to fish. I bought R8 after talking with TA and I am really glad I did. This rod still makes 16 inch fish fun and I have landed serval fish in the 24 to 30 inch range with this rod. It flexes so nicely and fights fish with plenty of back bone but with a nice tip that is just right not too soft but not stiff. I had a Sage X 691 and a Sage X 10-foot six weight and did not like either of them as they were both were way too stiff. The 691x is a great streamer rod but not very good for anything else and the 10 foot X 6wt was not good for much of anything. I also have a Sage X 596 and 896 that are great rods. The R8 696 is a high performance rod that is a joy to fish with all day.

   Jack Parker