Sage Fishing Angles for a Legacy of American Craftsmanship

From Workshop to Worldwide Waters: American-Made Fly Rod Innovation

Before a Sage fishing rod ever gets into the hands of an angler, it passes through dozens of other hands on the production floor.

Time. Skill. Immense pride in crafting and perfecting what will eventually roll out the door and across the globe, from Alaska to South Africa, Montana to Mongolia.

“Every team member plays a vital role in bringing a Sage rod to life and central to each worker’s process is not only a dedication to craft, but a keen understanding and appreciation of teamwork,” said operations director Eric Ludwig.

It’s a heritage four decades in the making. Made proudly in the USA, right on Bainbridge Island. Craftsmanship that has led to 110 products and 3,500 reviews, many that read like love letters from amateurs, pro’s, and enthusiasts.

“It takes a lot of skill to make a premium hand-built product and the team takes immense pride in building some of the finest high performance fly rods in the world,” said Ludwig.

The Best Fly Fishing Equipment the World Has Ever Seen

It was 1980. Renowned rod designer Don Green and Bruce Kirschner, whose father had launched K2 Skis, started talking.

Their idea seemed kinda simple: why not build the best fly fishing equipment the world had ever seen?

With six employees and a 1,500 square ft. workshop on Bainbridge Island, they went to work. Innovating with things like graphite to boost the capability of a normal fly rod, a lighter, stronger version of the traditional fiberglass or bamboo rod.

They sold a few. Then a lot. Anglers were launching fly lines with speed and power that could slice through a blustering wind. It was an innovation that was hard to resist. More and more didn’t.

Before long, Sage’s Reserve Power rods, nicknamed the RP, became the most talked about in the world.

A Mission to Lead Innovation, Not Follow It

In the years that followed, the innovation continued. So did the commitment to being American Made.

“Our commitment to US craftsmanship stretches back nearly a half century and has been woven into the DNA of this company and its people since the very beginning. Don Green founded Sage in 1980 with the goal of building the finest performance fishing equipment and offering an alternative to mass-produced poorly engineered products. The only way to accomplish that was to take ownership of the entire manufacturing process from start to finish and to do it on US soil with US workers. Outsourcing overseas was not only undesirable, it was impossible. Sage’s mission was to lead innovation, not follow it,” said Ludwig.

Forty-five years later, what was once a small workshop on Bainbridge Island has grown to 10,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space that hums with over 100 skilled workers designing, creating, producing.

“We are still focused on American innovation in our quest for Perfecting Performance. What was a necessity when we first started, US craftsmanship, has proven to be our greatest asset and core to our success,” said Ludwig.

Every Team Member Plays a Vital Role

The Sage family is made up of local folks from all around Kitsap County. Mechanical engineers. Chemists. Designers. Product Researchers. Some of whom have 20 or 30 years with the company under their belt. Decades of bringing sketches and ideas and “what if’s” to life.

“That process requires a highly professional, team-centric mindset that Sage workers take very seriously. Our people are proud to work at Sage because of the level of craftsmanship that goes into the fly rods we make and the industry standard we have set for others to follow. It takes a lot of skill to make a premium hand-built product and the team takes immense pride in building some of the finest high performance fly rods in the world,” said Ludwig.

That pride is also why Sage stands behind all of its products.

“Should that favorite rod ever suffer damage, our customers know that we will put the same effort and dedication into getting them back on the water. Any damaged rod that comes back through our doors is objectively analyzed by trained repair technicians. Should there be any reason to believe that a rod failed due to defects in materials or workmanship, the repair will be covered under warranty at no cost, otherwise a small repair fee is requested. Fly fishing is an active sport that takes people out into the wilderness where a lot can happen. Our customers know that should they take a fall and snap a rod or inadvertently break a tip bushwacking through the woods, we’ll be able to get them back on the water,” said Ludwig.