Sage Signal 990-4

Reviews

1. Rated 4 out of 5

   The taper and casting action of this fly rod are well tuned to a Rio Bonefish WF9, but the Signal 990-4 lacks the sweetness and high-end refinement of the 7, 8 and 10-weights. It lacks the feel and feedback, but still delivers a terrific cast up to about 60 feet, beyond which it seems to lose line speed. The rod looks and feels durable, reliable and stable. You can really lean on it up to a certain distance and I feel like it would handle saltwater sinking lines and extra-heavy line heads better than the 7 or 8-weight. The 990-4 would be a better choice with a Rio Outbound Short, for example, or an overweighted freshwater streamer line for musky or pike such as the SA Titan Taper. It would also make an excellent jungle rod where aggressive line heads are used to cast larger flies for golden dorado and other species. These flies tend to be much larger than typical 9-weight saltwater flies, and the sturdy design of this fly rod would be well suited for the task.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)