The Power R8 is the newest branch of Sage's R8 family — the Revolution 8 blank tuned ultrafast. Where the R8 Core balances speed with feel, the Power R8 is unapologetically about line speed: wind, distance, heavy rigs, and big water. Handcrafted on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in a Hot Rod Red blank you will not mistake for anything else on the rack.
We stock the complete Power R8 lineup, all eight models.
Full lineup
| Model | Line | Length | Pieces | Handle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 590-4 | 5 wt | 9' 0" | 4 | Snub-nose half-wells |
| 690-4 | 6 wt | 9' 0" | 4 | Snub-nose half-wells |
| 690-4FB | 6 wt | 9' 0" | 4 | Slim full-wells, fighting butt |
| 696-4FB | 6 wt | 9' 6" | 4 | Slim full-wells, fighting butt |
| 790-4 | 7 wt | 9' 0" | 4 | Full-wells, fighting butt |
| 7100-4 | 7 wt | 10' 0" | 4 | Full-wells, fighting butt |
| 890-4 | 8 wt | 9' 0" | 4 | Full-wells, fighting butt |
| 990-4 | 9 wt | 9' 0" | 4 | Full-wells, fighting butt |
All four-piece. Sage has not published rod weights in ounces for this series yet — call and we will put one on the shop scale. Current pricing is on the selector above.
Power R8 or R8 Core?
Same blank technology, different jobs. The Core is the versatile one — it does dries, nymphs and streamers with real feel up close. The Power gives up some of that close-range touch for outright line speed and authority in wind. If your fishing is float trips with streamers, windy tailwaters, stillwater bombs, or you simply cast hard and like a rod that keeps up, the Power is built for you. If you are not sure, you probably want the Core — and casting them side by side here settles it in five minutes.
Picking one
- Streamer float rig? The 690-4FB or 790-4.
- Wind-plagued 5 weight water? The 590-4 punches through what softer 5s cannot.
- Stillwater and steelhead? The 10-foot 7 weight.
- Light salt double duty? The 890-4 or 990-4.
Components
- Blank: Revolution 8, ultrafast taper, Hot Rod Red with burgundy wraps and grey and black trim
- Guides: Fuji K-Series tangle-free strippers with SiC rings, hard-chrome snakes and tip-top
- Reel seat: extra-figured walnut insert with anodized uplocking seat on the standard-handle models; anodized aluminum with hidden hook keeper on the fighting butt builds
- Grip: Flor grade cork; new cork/EVA fighting butt on FB models
- Included: aluminum tube with Sage medallion, black bag with quick-tie cord lock
Warranty: Sage original-owner warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
