Sage 796-4 R8 Core

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   The R8 Core 796-4 is a strong rod, ideally suited to Alaska trout fishing. The extra length allows the taper to relax just a little more than the 790 and makes it more adept at fishing indicators and swinging flies. I thought the Rio Elite Gold WF7F was just a shade too light and didn’t match the rod as well as I like. The SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity WF7F was better and loaded the rod just a bit more. I felt like the rod could handle a heavier and longer headed nymph specialty style line well. The R8 796 cast the Rio Predator line well. The rod loaded instantly and responded perfectly to a short stroke and sharp haul shooting head style cast. There was no kick at the delivery and the rod absorbed those inherent aberrations that ripple through the line when casting short heavy heads. The R8 Core 796 is an ideal light surf rod for blind casting with shooting head style lines. This rod is a little easier to cast than the 896 and I like it a little more than the 790 in general. Places and fish for this rod: Alaska Trout, California Surf, Northeast Surf for schoolies, Anadromous Indicator fishing, Jurassic and Pyramid Lake style trout fisheries. This is my favorite 7 weight in the R8 Core lineup. The R8 Core 796 is the perfect combination of power, confidence and ease of casting in a rod that can cover a wide variety of fishing styles. Versatility and top end performance across a wide range of fishing environments are key attributes of this model.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The 796/4 R8 Core is a very good longer 7wt rod. It is nice and light in hand, but even when you first pick it up you can tell what it is capable of. It is a powerful rod yet still has great feel. It throws a wide range of fly lines well and is a really nice casting rod. My favorite floating line on it is the SA Amplitude Smooth Infinity WF7F. If you intend on using this rod for mousing I would go with the SA Amplitude Smooth Titan Long WF7F. For streamer specific lines the Rio Elite Predator lines and SA Sonar Titan lines are a great match for the 796/4. This will be a great for the AK junkies as well as the dedicated stillwater fisherman.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is a wonderful, progressive action rod that engages a long-bellied fly line from tip to butt, loading naturally and generating terrific line speed at all casting distances. Graphite mass is distributed perfectly throughout the rod blank so it casts naturally regardless of how much line you have in the air. This makes the rod super useful for every fishing application in its class, whether covering broad steelhead drifts, nymphing deep for large trout or fishing stillwaters with a range of sinking lines. It flexes more evenly than the 896-4 and will be preferred by anglers fishing dry lines and who aerialize some line while false casting rather than just loading and shooting heavy-headed lines. It’s great with an Infinity Taper and should fish equally well with an SA Anadro, Airflo Universal Taper, Rio Steelhead/Salmon and the whole lexicon of sink tips and sinking lines with common head tapers, such as the SA Sonar Sink Tip and Rio Predator. It also casts a Rio Gold beautifully.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)