This spring, Sage was kind enough to briefly loan me a Pulse 590-4 fly rod to feature here on Demystifly. Introduced at IFTD 2015, these moderately-priced rods are what Sage calls their "workhorse rods." Featuring eye-catching blanks and a solid list of components, I was interested to see how my 5-weight would perform. Although I was able to put this stick to work in two different states thanks to a trip I had planned, the fishing was an utter disaster. Angling success aside, let's see what the Pulse 5-weight has to offer!

Right off the bat the lichen-colored blank will draw you in for a closer look. I personally love the color, but some folks may prefer a more classic, subdued tone. The blank itself utilizes Sage's Graphite IIIe Technology and sports a solid fast action for all-around versatility. In addition to our model, all Pulse rods come equipped with Fuji ceramic stripping guides and chrome snakes/tip tops all secured with olive wraps with some black accents. Oh, there's a small wire hook keeper as well.

If you saw my write-up on my beloved Sage ONE 590-4, you'll know how much I like the snub-nosed half-wells grips Sage uses on their lighter rods. They not only look cool, but these grips are quite comfortable and just feel more natural to me while casting and stripping. Along with this great grip comes a black anodized aluminum reel seat with a rosewood insert for a touch of class. All in all, the rod was put together well with no issues.

The 5-weight Pulse was a satisfying performer despite it not seeing much action fish-wise. I used it along with a WF5F InTouch RIO Gold fly line which it handled well at all ranges. It has a nice feel in-hand, and never felt dead or imprecise. Nothing was really shocking in its performance, but the Pulse came off as a good, solid rod that got the job done and showcased a very nice level of refinement. In my opinion Sage nailed this series perfectly with the "workhorse rod" theme.

Pulse rods are 4-pieces with 3–8 weight sizes available and lengths ranging from 7'6" up to 10'0". All models run $450 and include a black nylon tube with divided inner liner.

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