The Sage Story
It all began over 20 years ago on a little island nestled in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains...
Founded in 1980 by legendary rod designer Don Green, Sage was created with one idea in mind - to build the world's finest performance fly rods. Using world-class materials and years of experience gained while working with Fenwick and Grizzly rod companies, Don revolutionized the fly fishing world.
When Sage started business on Bainbridge Island it was first known as Winslow Rod Company, and although the name quickly changed to Sage, the location on Bainbridge Island is still the same even today. Originally it had six employees and about 1,500 square feet of manufacturing space. Today it has grown to 130 employees working in a 30,000 square foot space. The following story sheds light on Sage throughout the past 21 years:
Two important threads run through the Sage story. The first is the importance of fly rod design, the second is the importance of controlled distribution.
As for fly rod design, years of fly fishing experience had taught Don that fly rods should never run out of "power." While there might be fishing scenarios where the full power and flex of a fly rod were not utilized by the angler, the best designs were those that always held power in reserve. Hence the name Reserve Power was given to the new style of fly rod Don developed for extra long casts or for windy conditions. The name was abbreviated to the RP. This was the first major series of fly rods that Sage released in 1982 and they quickly became the most talked about fly rods in the world.
The design of Sage was set. Next came the distribution. When Sage began, Bruce Kirschner (formerly of K2 Skis) joined Don as a partner in the company, bringing with him years of specialty retailing experience. Together they set out to create a dealer network of specialty stores where anglers could always receive solid, professional help, advice and assistance. The philosophy was simple: specialty products for specialty retailers.
From the early 80s on, Sage began its two-pronged development of its core fly rod business. From the initial success of the RP and the Graphite II generation, Don quickly moved to the next generation with Graphite III RPL fly rods. By 1985 the RPLs were the high performance standard of fly anglers everywhere. Recognizing that some anglers preferred the more moderate action of traditional fly rods, Don designed the LL Series of fly rods in 2-5-weight rods for the lightline angler.
In 1986 Sage brought to the marketplace the first series of fly rods built specifically for the special challenges of the saltwater angler-the legendary RPLX fly rods. Built for line weights 8-12, these rods almost instantly became the standard of modern saltwater angling experience. Finally, working with some of the finest two-handed fly casters in the world, Sage introduced a complete line of spey and European-style double handed rods, a series that rounded out Sage's family of fly rods. Now, anglers around the world could find a performance fly rod for whatever their needs might be.
Throughout the 80s, Sage's business grew steadily as specialty dealers everywhere started paying heed to these performance enhancements. The brand was continually sold throughout the world with distribution in Japan, Canada, France, England, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia. Everywhere the pattern was duplicated-specialty products for specialty dealers, and by the end of the decade, Sage had secured its position as the number one fly rod company in the world.
During the early 90s, Sage continued its steady growth with the RPL, RPLX, LL, TH and DS Series. The US dealer network had grown to about 450 dealers and Sage was also being sold in about 30 export countries.
Then a River Ran Through It!
In 1994, the movie happened to coincide with Sage's first new fly rod to be introduced in nearly a decade. It was called the SP. At the confluence of these two events was the largest growth spurt ever witnessed by the fly fishing industry. Sales and all categories jumped as thousands of people flocked to the sport. While Sage's designs and rod families surged on ahead, none did so more dramatically than the new SP. Built from Graphite IV and using a new scrim material called Durascrim, the SPs broke all records for the new product introduction.
By 1994, Don and Bruce had been building the company for the better part of 15 years. Don, at age 60 and four decades into the rod manufacturing business, decided it was time to take more of a backseat with the company. Accordingly, Sage was sold to the Joshua Green Corporation of Seattle. Bruce Kirschner agreed to stay on as President and Don became Vice President of research and development. Jerry Siem was then brought on board as the new resident rod designer.
Today Sage continues to seek performance advantages through new materials and designs, marketing its products through a network of specialty dealers.
In 1997, the new SPL Series was brought to market and won the coveted "Best of Show award" at the industry trade show in Denver. In the same Year, Sage's RPLX rods were redesigned as the RPLXi. Then in 1999, Sage introduced the lighter weight and narrower tapered fast action XP - again to worldwide acclaim. In 2000 Sage's 3000 Series Drag Reels, proprietary Performance Taper Fly Line and RPLXi 5-piece travel rods all made their way to market. In 2003, Sage proudly introduced the entirely new medium-fast action SLT series of rods. That same year, we also introduced the ultra high-performance TCR Series rods, featuring an ultra-fast action for skilled casters.
In 2004, Sage again revolutionized the industry with the introduction of the Xi2 Series saltwater rods. Created by the "Sage Dream Team" members Steve Greist, Jerry Siem, Don Green and Kerry Winkler, the Xi2 was the first rod built featuring our new Generation 5 (G5) Technology. This technology was developed by the team over a three-year period to create a completely new type of rod from scratch, with the idea that every inch of a fly rod has different performance needs because it must accomplish different tasks. A brand-new way of constructing rod blanks, G5 Technology is designed to increase the amount of "line feel" by reducing the swing weight of the rod.
For 2005, we're pleased to introduce three new rods built using the exciting G5 Technology. The near-weightless TXL Series rods enable you to enjoy light-line fishing at its best, always knowing the rod has the backbone to punch through a headwind when needed or to do battle with an unexpected monster on the line. Our new Launch Series rods offer a smooth, progressive power curve and extremely high strength-to-weight ratio, all while offering incredible sensitivity so you can feel the line load for improved casting. Our new FLi Series rods feature a fast-action taper with maximum power transfer and efficiency-resulting in more intuitive casts when it counts.
Also for 2005, our new 3600D Drag System reel features the same buttery-smooth performance you've come to expect from our 3000D Series reels, with plenty of stopping power to land big game fish and the capacity for your favorite Spey line. And the new 2500 Series large-arbor reels offer a lighter-weight reel for a smooth, reliable drag for maintenance-free operation in all conditions.
Created for our just-introduced TXL Series rods, we're pleased to introduce our new Quiet Double Taper™ line, which will maximize the action of any light-line, high-performance fly rod.
Sage continues to seek performance advantages through new materials and designs, marketing its products through a network of specialty dealers. Yet more than ever, Sage remains focused on one goal, which is best summarized by its statement of purpose: We are passionate about our business of creating fly fishing products that continually exceed the fly angler's expectations. Wherever in the world your fly fishing takes you, it is safe to say that Sage has the products to enhance your fly fishing experience.
Founded in 1980 by legendary rod designer Don Green, Sage was created with one idea in mind - to build the world's finest performance fly rods. Using world-class materials and years of experience gained while working with Fenwick and Grizzly rod companies, Don revolutionized the fly fishing world.
When Sage started business on Bainbridge Island it was first known as Winslow Rod Company, and although the name quickly changed to Sage, the location on Bainbridge Island is still the same even today. Originally it had six employees and about 1,500 square feet of manufacturing space. Today it has grown to 130 employees working in a 30,000 square foot space. The following story sheds light on Sage throughout the past 21 years:
Two important threads run through the Sage story. The first is the importance of fly rod design, the second is the importance of controlled distribution.
As for fly rod design, years of fly fishing experience had taught Don that fly rods should never run out of "power." While there might be fishing scenarios where the full power and flex of a fly rod were not utilized by the angler, the best designs were those that always held power in reserve. Hence the name Reserve Power was given to the new style of fly rod Don developed for extra long casts or for windy conditions. The name was abbreviated to the RP. This was the first major series of fly rods that Sage released in 1982 and they quickly became the most talked about fly rods in the world.
The design of Sage was set. Next came the distribution. When Sage began, Bruce Kirschner (formerly of K2 Skis) joined Don as a partner in the company, bringing with him years of specialty retailing experience. Together they set out to create a dealer network of specialty stores where anglers could always receive solid, professional help, advice and assistance. The philosophy was simple: specialty products for specialty retailers.
From the early 80s on, Sage began its two-pronged development of its core fly rod business. From the initial success of the RP and the Graphite II generation, Don quickly moved to the next generation with Graphite III RPL fly rods. By 1985 the RPLs were the high performance standard of fly anglers everywhere. Recognizing that some anglers preferred the more moderate action of traditional fly rods, Don designed the LL Series of fly rods in 2-5-weight rods for the lightline angler.
In 1986 Sage brought to the marketplace the first series of fly rods built specifically for the special challenges of the saltwater angler-the legendary RPLX fly rods. Built for line weights 8-12, these rods almost instantly became the standard of modern saltwater angling experience. Finally, working with some of the finest two-handed fly casters in the world, Sage introduced a complete line of spey and European-style double handed rods, a series that rounded out Sage's family of fly rods. Now, anglers around the world could find a performance fly rod for whatever their needs might be.
Throughout the 80s, Sage's business grew steadily as specialty dealers everywhere started paying heed to these performance enhancements. The brand was continually sold throughout the world with distribution in Japan, Canada, France, England, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia. Everywhere the pattern was duplicated-specialty products for specialty dealers, and by the end of the decade, Sage had secured its position as the number one fly rod company in the world.
During the early 90s, Sage continued its steady growth with the RPL, RPLX, LL, TH and DS Series. The US dealer network had grown to about 450 dealers and Sage was also being sold in about 30 export countries.
Then a River Ran Through It!
In 1994, the movie happened to coincide with Sage's first new fly rod to be introduced in nearly a decade. It was called the SP. At the confluence of these two events was the largest growth spurt ever witnessed by the fly fishing industry. Sales and all categories jumped as thousands of people flocked to the sport. While Sage's designs and rod families surged on ahead, none did so more dramatically than the new SP. Built from Graphite IV and using a new scrim material called Durascrim, the SPs broke all records for the new product introduction.
By 1994, Don and Bruce had been building the company for the better part of 15 years. Don, at age 60 and four decades into the rod manufacturing business, decided it was time to take more of a backseat with the company. Accordingly, Sage was sold to the Joshua Green Corporation of Seattle. Bruce Kirschner agreed to stay on as President and Don became Vice President of research and development. Jerry Siem was then brought on board as the new resident rod designer.
Today Sage continues to seek performance advantages through new materials and designs, marketing its products through a network of specialty dealers.
In 1997, the new SPL Series was brought to market and won the coveted "Best of Show award" at the industry trade show in Denver. In the same Year, Sage's RPLX rods were redesigned as the RPLXi. Then in 1999, Sage introduced the lighter weight and narrower tapered fast action XP - again to worldwide acclaim. In 2000 Sage's 3000 Series Drag Reels, proprietary Performance Taper Fly Line and RPLXi 5-piece travel rods all made their way to market. In 2003, Sage proudly introduced the entirely new medium-fast action SLT series of rods. That same year, we also introduced the ultra high-performance TCR Series rods, featuring an ultra-fast action for skilled casters.
In 2004, Sage again revolutionized the industry with the introduction of the Xi2 Series saltwater rods. Created by the "Sage Dream Team" members Steve Greist, Jerry Siem, Don Green and Kerry Winkler, the Xi2 was the first rod built featuring our new Generation 5 (G5) Technology. This technology was developed by the team over a three-year period to create a completely new type of rod from scratch, with the idea that every inch of a fly rod has different performance needs because it must accomplish different tasks. A brand-new way of constructing rod blanks, G5 Technology is designed to increase the amount of "line feel" by reducing the swing weight of the rod.
For 2005, we're pleased to introduce three new rods built using the exciting G5 Technology. The near-weightless TXL Series rods enable you to enjoy light-line fishing at its best, always knowing the rod has the backbone to punch through a headwind when needed or to do battle with an unexpected monster on the line. Our new Launch Series rods offer a smooth, progressive power curve and extremely high strength-to-weight ratio, all while offering incredible sensitivity so you can feel the line load for improved casting. Our new FLi Series rods feature a fast-action taper with maximum power transfer and efficiency-resulting in more intuitive casts when it counts.
Also for 2005, our new 3600D Drag System reel features the same buttery-smooth performance you've come to expect from our 3000D Series reels, with plenty of stopping power to land big game fish and the capacity for your favorite Spey line. And the new 2500 Series large-arbor reels offer a lighter-weight reel for a smooth, reliable drag for maintenance-free operation in all conditions.
Created for our just-introduced TXL Series rods, we're pleased to introduce our new Quiet Double Taper™ line, which will maximize the action of any light-line, high-performance fly rod.
Sage continues to seek performance advantages through new materials and designs, marketing its products through a network of specialty dealers. Yet more than ever, Sage remains focused on one goal, which is best summarized by its statement of purpose: We are passionate about our business of creating fly fishing products that continually exceed the fly angler's expectations. Wherever in the world your fly fishing takes you, it is safe to say that Sage has the products to enhance your fly fishing experience.
