Sage trumpeted a lot about the “Konnetic Technology” that’s gone into the new One Series, and Peter finds out what all the fuss is about. The Sage ONE series replaced the ZAxis series in 2012, and the ZAxis in turn had replaced the XPs. This gives some indication that this line up of rods is the Sage flagship. Sage trumpeted a lot about the “Konnetic Technology” that’s gone into these rods: it means that there’s less resin between the carbon fibres, and this makes for a significantly lighter rod with no loss in strength. The new series won the top awards at the prestigious European Tackle show and the US Fly Tackle Dealers show, so they had a lot of pre-release hype to live up to. How do they fish and how does the big end of the series fit into the demands of tropical fly fishers, especially the saltwater fishers? I’m spoilt for choice in the rods I can use. I have favourites going back a number of years that have cork handles, which have become almost moulded to my hands. I’ve caught a lot of good fish on these rods; there are some powerful memories attached, and they are all exceptional tools. However, since the ONEs arrived they’ve been gathering dust, or have been relegated to backup rods. I’ve fished the #9, #10, and #11 ONEs almost exclusively over the past year, and am amazed at the casting and fish fighting capabilities of these rods. I wouldn’t call the ONEs fast tapered as they bend fairly consistently through their length, but they are stiff and light. Many times I’ve put the 10 weight into someone’s hand and asked: “What weight rod is that”? Usually I’m told: “Its an eight”. There’s no disadvantage in lighter rods, unless of course strength has been compromised. Lighter rods mean we can cast for longer, and our technique won’t suffer. Lighter rods mean we can feel what is going on with the line better because we feel more of the line than we do the rod; the rod becomes secondary. Although at the bottom end of the rod where the grunt comes from, the Xi3 rods have more pulling power, and I would be more likely to use these when fishing deep. But the ONEs are great on the flats, and in situations where lots of casting is involved. Every rod series seems to have a star, and in my opinion the #10 is the pick of this range. It’s good to be able to fish with a rod that’s light enough to be used day after day, but that when called upon, shines in terms of delivery power with large and heavy flies, and pulling power on the sort of the fish those large and heavy flies are aimed at. It’s a beauty, but it’s difficult to separate it from the others. Even if you don’t intend ever buying one, if you get the opportunity to try one, don’t pass it up, they really have some magic to them. For more information talk to a Sage dealer or go to their web site www.sageflyfish.co.