I wonder about the cost/benefit analysis for that decision, especially given the demand on the secondary market. At least so far, Winston seems to view this type of rod, the WT-series (formerly IM6) and the customers that prefer them as an essential part of their product portfolio. I also wonder how long that will last...one of the very best rods sage ever discontinued. marketting somehow got in the way of continuing to produce a superior product. they fish wonderfully, have a 3 and a 5wt. these are small water rods casting the smallest of the small flies to those trout which have seen everything you or i have ever tied.
The reasoning behind my inquiry is this, I had the opportunity to purchase a Sage LL 389-4 which I believe is one of the rods that Sage reissued in a very limited supply (500). After hearing opinions exactly like what Kerry stated and everyone else who chimed in, I could not let this deal slip away. I will match it with a Selective Trout II line and this should be perfect for dry fly fishing on some of the smaller bodies of water here in MT.I got a 3 weight LL. I bought it new when Sage discontinued the line at a discount. I love it and don't think I would part with it for anything. And Kent I am also a fan of fast and faster rods. Still the little 389 LL is one of my favorites. It is as smooth casting a rod as any I own.
The reissue 389-4LL is a fine rod (I owned #051), but IMHO not in the same league as the 389-5SP or the original shorter LLs such as the 711s like the 3wt I mentioned earlier. I sold my 389-4LL to finance a 489-5SP and loved it so much I bought the same rod in 3 and 5wts. For me, the bottom line ws that their slower, deliberate actions were a much better fit with my own crappy casting stroke. BTW, I'd heard later that Sage never did make a 389-4LL in their original LL production run and that the reissue was a sort of cobbled-up LL taper rejiggered into the now-popular 4-piece configuration. Not sure if that's true or not, but by far most of the original edition LLs in 3 and 4wt I've run across are in shorter lengths and in 2- or 3-piece configurations.. . . I had the opportunity to purchase a Sage LL 389-4 which I believe is one of the rods that Sage reissued in a very limited supply (500). . .
I saw that rod too and my first reaction was the price seems pretty high, which may be why it's still for sale. As a comparison, my friend paid $165 last summer for his 379LL. He got it along with a Sage click reel with an extra spool for just over $300. Admittedly, he got a deal. But I think a reasonable price for a good condition original LL would be in the $300-$350 range these days, plus or minus a bit.I'm not affiliated with this seller, but just to give an example of price range of these rods on the market today.
