08.17.2010 – (Bainbridge Island, WA) – Sage Manufacturing announces an exciting new brand identity to kick off the 2011 season. Without changing the essence of the brand that anglers around the world know well, Sage has updated its logo to show a refined view of its position in the fly fishing world.

The new graphic icon or bug is reminiscent of a fly that anglers use regularly. It gives Sage a fresh identity without changing who Sage is or what Sage does best; which is build incredible fly rods and reels. Through an intensive process to determine and develop new objectives and ideals for Sage, this new logo was created with an innovative look which is reflected in Sage’s up to date product offerings.

08.17.2010 – (Bainbridge Island, WA) – Sage Manufacturing, fly fishing industry leader, announces the launch of a completely new family of fly rods with the VXP series. Combining versatility and power with the smoothness that Sage customers have come to expect.

The VXP is the most powerful fast action rod Sage offers at a mid-price point with plenty of high-end features. With ultra high line speed and a slender shaft design that reduces overall weight, each rod in this series is exceptionally smooth and responsive. A beautiful Shadetree Green shaft is appointed with Dark green, Silver and Black trim wraps and hard-chromed snake guides. The freshwater models feature an anodized aluminium reel seat with a walnut diamond-wood insert and the saltwater and spey models have a full anodized aluminium reel seat. All VXP rods are 4-piece configurations.

08.17.2010 – (Bainbridge Island, WA) – Sage Manufacturing, fly fishing industry leader, creates the lightest and most responsive fly rod series to date with the TXL-F family of rods. Successfully surpassing the performance of the TXL series, the TXL-F series of rods are beautifully crafted and are the ideal performance rod for fishing tiny flies with ultra light tippets.

With ultimate sensitivity in mind, the TXL-F family is reduced in weight from the TXL series by 33 percent by the development and use of Micro Ferrule Technology and an exclusive ultra-light guide package. The ergonomic, snub nose, halfwells grip handle offers increased feel and superior control. A sophisticated Bronze anodized reel seat, with a natural walnut insert, gorgeously set this rod apart. The 4-piece configuration is ideal for travel as is the custom 1 5/8” Antique Bronze powder-coated aluminium tube.

We will keep you up to date as soon as we know and see the new products….Headhunters Staff

Dry fly is Bamboo time

Good wade fishing plus good hatches equals a good time for your bamboo pole.

Ben Hardy had some bamboo fellers last week. They traveled around the fishing world hooking various species on grass rods.

There are a lot of ways to skin a cat…and sometimes it includes your grand-daddy’s pole.

Fly thoughts...

He’ll eat this fly. The last one did. And the one before…

Maybe I should put on a comparadun? Haven’t caught a fish on one of those this spring? I’ve always liked that fly…introduced to me by my father. My fishing mentor. Or at least the first.

Headhunting...it's a passion shared by many

Sometimes hunting heads is a solitary pursuit. Other times it is better spent with friends. The discussion of approach. The decision of who will throw at the target. The not so gentle ribbing when your buddy misses the take…

Every day is different. Every fish has a personality…the rise form, the lie, the rhythm, the take…all individual.

Dry fly weapon...Loomis GLX Max

What is your dry fly weapon of choice? Has it changed over the years? Or, like many of us, we have several candidates resting in the back of the pick-up.

Some prefer a soggy old graphite noodle, some a bamboo with sentimental sap attached, and still others like a snappy and light modern dry fly gun. A completely subjective decision for the headhunters of this world.

A final relase...

The end of the journey? No. The beginning? For some.

The life of a headhunter is only interrupted by reality. Don’t let it happen to you.

A day spent headhunting is truly a day well spent…

The Bold & Beautiful Sage TCX...a Big Boys Stick

Sage has redesigned the un-castable and too stiff TCR into the very nice casting TCX…and anglers around the trout fishing world thank them. A rod that we all can cast and is built with the angler in mind.  Not just 1/2 of 1% that qualify for competition casting.

The Headhunters Staff has cast the TCX in both 5 and 6 weights and the consensus is positive. “Light in the hand” says Hugh Smith, 1st year Headhunter. “Really like it for the wind we have here on the Missouri. Will cast a fly, if you want, to the other bank!

“Not a rod for the first timer, or the guy who has just started fly casting…built for the guy who loves an ultra-fast stick.” said Andrew. “Will throw a hopper quite well, or chuck a streamer with ease…that’s what I like!” Andrew compared it to the G. Loomis Max GLX. Both great fast action rods, but the new Sage brings a certain amount of excitement with it!

The folks at Sage say it this way…“Rocket launcher. Wind cheater. Day maker. Whatever you call the TCX, it keeps you in the game when the only choice is to go long or go home. Better yet, the TCX rods provide powerful, ultra-fast, long distance performance without sacrificing fishability.”

Hugh putting the TCX through the parking lot test.

First class guide, Ben Hardy, for Headhunters Fly Shop says “A no excuses hopper rod. I could see where these would do well as boat rods for guests. Also pretty good for casting long distances at sipping trout. Great sit down and get a hold of one rod with balls.”

The first batch of TCX’s that arrived in the store left just as quickly. I guess there must be some sort of excitement around this rod. Who knew? We re-ordered immediately.

More from Sage…enhanced level of “line feel”,  which allow anglers to intuitively know how much power to apply and when. A max distance rod that’s easier to cast and more fun to fish. Who knows? You might just find yourself calling it magic!

That above is industry speak. It might be true…I sure like it. And I will say out loud even that I am not always a fast action rod fan. I generally prefer slower, softer actions. But this guy. I may need one. Scumliner has a 5 wt. for his boat and clients and is a believer. He leans toward the quick, stiff, fast side of rods…and therefore is a immediate fan. Capt. Carp has 2 of them for his boat, both 6 wts. He has complimented them with twin  5 wt Z-Axis’. His clients will be very happy. Rods for all occasions.

Carp says “I’m real excited about the Sage TCX. It will benefit my clients and improve their casting skills. I can work with this rod!”

It should be mentioned that this rod is not for everybody, but almost every body. A good rod for even intermediate casters who desire a rod that they can learn and grow with. Yes, but certainly built for the advanced and expert angler in mind. It sure is fun.

Choose your weapon...so many choices?

The 9′ 5 wt weighs a scant 3 5/16 oz.; that is really light and feels so in the hand. It does not flex near your hand, the butt section is static. You can see Hugh in the pic above with the rod flexed…but not near the reel. It casts well at many distances, not just the long cast. It loads well at short and medium distances too. This is accomplished with normal line weights.

We have strung the TCX up with several fly lines…all of them cast well.  The HH staff liked the Rio Gold. Pretty nice. Casts well short, medium, and as long as you want. That is the favorite amongst most we have spoken with. The Rio Grand, good too. As you know, the Grand is a line weight and a half. So a 5 is truly a 5 1/2. The TCX handles it well. It certainly does not need the extra weight though. The predecessor TCR needed at least a line weight plus, and many thought it was un-castable.

As for Airflo lines, many work well with the TCX. “The Airflo Rangefinder Distance is absolutely killer,” says Squeeky Oar Lock. He likes rods softened up a bit, and therefore is fond of the extra half line weight. SOL claims he can feel a little more with the heavier line. The rest of the staff does not agree with SOL and recommends lining the TCX up with recommended line weights.

I guess the bottom line is this…the Sage TCX is not only a great casting rod, but will become a great fishing rod. If you liked the XP, the RPL…you will get behind the TCX.

Yeti in Orange...comes in many colors and sizes.

YETI’s are leaving the store at an amazing rate. We thought last year was the year of the cooler…maybe it is the decade of YETI?

YETI Coolers continue to be a hot item. If you feel that you have too many inferior ice boxes in your garage, think about the YETI way. Pricey yes, last cooler you will buy, yes. YETI has come out with new flavors too. How about the Orange. I like Orange, and splash it on a cooler that will keep the lunch case of beer super chilly all day long, night time too…it’s a no-brainer.

A couple comments from the inbox this morning at Headhunters.  We appreciate the feed back, good or bad.

Dear Headhunters, I wanted to thank you for all of your help last week. We are the guy and girl that stayed down at the campsite with the pretty boat on an ugly trailer. You guys went way out of your way to get us gas from Wolf creek, and some of your guys helped us with some firewood. Not to mention, the standard fly-shop service and advise which led me to one of the most productive fishing trips ever! We’ll be back in a couple weeks for my birthday. Thank you again! Mark, Claire, and Wiz

We love to help folks on the river, in our community, shoot…the fishing community at large. We are all part of it, so, perpetuate it man.

I stopped by for a shuttle on Friday. Mark, thanks for all your help and advise. The fishing from the dam to Wolf Creek was good. I caught several around car body island. Unfortunately the fish were spawning so I left. I did catch some below the wolf creek. The wind blew hard so it was hard to fish. The pink lighting bug and red zebra was the fly of choice. I hooked a nice fish at California island on a Streamer but didn\’t land it. Thankks for your friendly advice. I will stop in again. Dewey Sutphin, Great Falls

Hunter Parks with yet another junior Brown Trout

Hunter is a fella who  came out to the infamous Missouri, spent a little time fishing with his family, and bought a place on the river. Smart Hunter. Good and Smart.

Hunter has taken a couple guide trips and has chosen the fast track method of learning. Each guided trip will save you 100 days of pain. Do yourself a favor and learn with the pros at Headhunters. And if you do not need or want a guide, that’s cool too. We will chat with you here at the store, on the phone, or via email. We love to talk fly fishing.

Check out the hot deals in our store…the sale rack is getting smaller every day. The Simms bottle cap t-shirts are disappearing via the Online Store daily.

All kinds of new gear at Headhunters for the 2010 season. Will be posting a couple product blogs this week. We are so excited about the new Sage line in our store. The quick and light TCX has impressed us with it’s wide range of uses. Of course the ever popular Z-Axis is terrific. The softer side of rods and the ZXL for those with slower casting strokes. The Vantage, at around $250, will fill the need for your first Sage, or as a back-up. The reel selection is just as cool. We are carrying the 3800 series, the 4500 series, and can special order anything.

Flies coming out our ears. A funny feeling really. Stop by for a tour of the new stuff. The coffee is on, as we speak.

Caught digitally by Mark on Wednesday.

Lots happening at Headhunters. New products arriving daily.

Sage rods and reels came yesterday. Good stuff.

Rio Lines, a bundle for your 2010 re-lining projects.

10’s of 1000’s of cool shit hot Missouri River patterns. Cool, new, effective…certainly flashy. Bling Flies.

Who knows what may arrive today? Stop by and chat us up, or grab the hottest coffee in town, gratis of course.

Nice this weekend. HH open 8-at least 6 daily.