Review: Sage Freshwater MOD 5 WT
This fall, I took the entire Gearographer crew to Jackson Hole for a conference for outdoor bloggers. I brought this rod along and fished it for a couple hours on the Gros Ventre River as well as Flat Creek for about an hour.
Unfortunately, I was asked to speak on a panel the same day I went fishing and ended up having to rush back to Jackson with my waders still on. Yes, I spoke on a panel with my waders on and it was super embarrassing. But whatever. Regular clothes are for losers.
Here were my thoughts fishing this rod in the Jackson’s windy weather.
Functionality
I first fished this rod while on Flat Creek in Jackson while the winds were 15 MPH+. The trip was almost not worthwhile because of how windy the day turned out to be, but I did end up pleasantly surprised at how tight my loops were despite the insanely annoying constant wind in my face.
Sage has integrated the Mod with their proprietary Konnetic Technology, meaning the rod doesn’t sway side to side while casting, leading to more accurate casts. I appreciated this while fishing the windy Not-So-Flat Creek.
Action and Design
The following weekend, I fished on the White River in Arkansas. The water was getting colder so fish were starting to hunker down. During that time of year, our best bet is to nymph or throw streamers. While this rod is definitely capable of shooting line, it’s a moderate action and makes better for soft presentations of dries. On top of that, our tailwaters are relatively slow so there’s not a pressing need for constant mending, which is what a moderate action 5 WT is usually for.
The blanks are lime green, a personal favorite of mine when it comes to colors and style.
Durability
The blanks are made of Sage’s proprietary Graphite IIIe, a glass fortified variant of graphite making it lightweight and strong. While it’s hard to actually tell the durability of a rod, it does flex quite a bit and comes with Sage’s lifetime original owner warranty.
Value
The Mod is perfect for trout anglers looking to upgrade their existing 5 WT or invest in a solid all around rod. For tailwaters like we have out in the Ozarks, a moderate action rod is nice during dry fly season and convenient because it’s able to mend with little effort. It also won the Best Freshwater Rod at IFTD so it’s definitely well regarded as a top of the line piece.
But at $850, I still think it’s a bit hefty of a price tag for a moderate action rod.
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