Fun Factor, "Fishability", and Other Highly Technical Terms
This fly fishing business can get awfully serious. Especially where equipment is concerned. At Sage, we'll admit, we're often guilty of losing sleep over things like modulus ratings, compound taper formulas and the drag coefficient of various space-age materials. And yet, for us, all this science and technology is only a means to an end. Our true obsession lies with what we call "fishability," which, loosely defined, is how our rods, reels and lines perform in actual fishing situations.
For example, everyone in the industry is working to create fly rods that cast farther and more efficiently. Which is great. It's one of our goals, too. But what is often lost in all the technology hype is how well a given rod fishes. At some point, you have to ask, what good is a rod that can cast a mile but feels like a telephone pole? We haven't found many anglers who enjoy holding a telephone pole all day, let alone casting or mending with one. We believe a truly great rod has to go beyond mere efficiency, and possess what the great writer and fly fisherman Thomas McGuane refers to as "soul." When you get right down to it, fly fishing isn't really about efficiency, anyway. There are certainly faster and easier ways to lever maximum poundage onto the dinner table. Nets, for instance. If you're like us, you fish with a fly rod because, simply put, it makes you happy.
Which brings us back to the idea of fishability. Since it's a made-up word, we figured we might as well make up the definition as well: Long casts. Short casts. Precision mends. Lifting power. Tippet protection. Sensitivity. Casting style. These are the real reasons behind our manic pursuit of technology. Maximum fishability means maximum enjoyment and satisfaction from your time on the water. In the pages that follow, you'll see how we've engineered this concept into everything we make. You'll also meet some of our favorite fishing partners-true characters that always make us smile. After all, this fly fishing business is supposed to be fun, right?
For example, everyone in the industry is working to create fly rods that cast farther and more efficiently. Which is great. It's one of our goals, too. But what is often lost in all the technology hype is how well a given rod fishes. At some point, you have to ask, what good is a rod that can cast a mile but feels like a telephone pole? We haven't found many anglers who enjoy holding a telephone pole all day, let alone casting or mending with one. We believe a truly great rod has to go beyond mere efficiency, and possess what the great writer and fly fisherman Thomas McGuane refers to as "soul." When you get right down to it, fly fishing isn't really about efficiency, anyway. There are certainly faster and easier ways to lever maximum poundage onto the dinner table. Nets, for instance. If you're like us, you fish with a fly rod because, simply put, it makes you happy.
Which brings us back to the idea of fishability. Since it's a made-up word, we figured we might as well make up the definition as well: Long casts. Short casts. Precision mends. Lifting power. Tippet protection. Sensitivity. Casting style. These are the real reasons behind our manic pursuit of technology. Maximum fishability means maximum enjoyment and satisfaction from your time on the water. In the pages that follow, you'll see how we've engineered this concept into everything we make. You'll also meet some of our favorite fishing partners-true characters that always make us smile. After all, this fly fishing business is supposed to be fun, right?
