Old Beauty

[Bob Rankin]

I picked up an old Sage Brownie 9140-4 about a week ago. It came up for sale and I just couldn’t resist owning one of these PNW legends. I’ve always kind of wanted one, I did have the greenie in the same configuration that I fished with a wind cutter in the 90’s. That thing was a tank of a rod.

Anyway…. I’ll admit the Brownie has a weirdly short for grip, uplocking reel seat and pretty tip heavy. But… I’m kind of in love with it it feels like a 7wt to me.

I went up to the river today to run through some heads and lines.

First line was a Godshall Scandi 39’ 486grn. It was underwhelming.

Second line was a Rio AFS 40’ 520grn. This line with Airflo ridge running line was real nice.

Third line was a Godshall 53’ 532 grn. This full integrated line was ok, didn’t shoot great.

line number four was a Gaelforce 63’ 662gr full integrated line. All I can say is that I’ve never cast A line this far! Good God this is a match made in heaven!

All in all had an awesome afternoon just casting this old Beauty. It’s real noodley and feels like a heavy 7wt. I guess new isn’t always better

 

[Pink Nighty]

I picked up an old Sage Brownie 9140-4 about a week ago. It came up for sale and I just couldn’t resist owning one of these PNW legends. I’ve always kind of wanted one, I did have the greenie in the same configuration that I fished with a wind cutter in the 90’s. That thing was a tank of a rod.

Anyway…. I’ll admit the Brownie has a weirdly short for grip, uplocking reel seat and pretty tip heavy. But… I’m kind of in love with it it feels like a 7wt to me.

I went up to the river today to run through some heads and lines.

First line was a Godshall Scandi 39’ 486grn. It was underwhelming.

Second line was a Rio AFS 40’ 520grn. This line with Airflo ridge running line was real nice.

Third line was a Godshall 53’ 532 grn. This full integrated line was ok, didn’t shoot great.

line number four was a Gaelforce 63’ 662gr full integrated line. All I can say is that I’ve never cast A line this far! Good God this is a match made in heaven!

All in all had an awesome afternoon just casting this old Beauty. It’s real noodley and feels like a heavy 7wt. I guess new isn’t always better

Love my brownie! Mine came with a 650g integrated head, a bit too heavy for my liking but the 550-600 window on that rod is what I think about when I go to my happy place.

 

[Bob Rankin]

Love my brownie! Mine came with a 650g integrated head, a bit too heavy for my liking but the 550-600 window on that rod is what I think about when I go to my happy place.

I’m really wanting to try a Gaelforce 54’ 585grn. I think that would be real nice as well.

 

[O' Clarkii Stomias]

The OG for the 9140-4 in my circle back in the day was the 9/10/11 Windcutter at 650 grains. We tried the 8/9/10, and found it a bit light at 585 grains, especially for turning over 18 feet of #9 hi speed/ hi D shooting head. We found cutting all but the last 2- feet of taper and installing a loop to loop junction worked best for casting tips.

 

[Merle]

I still have my 9140-4 and yeah tried the 9/10/11 WC, SA XLT 7/8 , and Skagit heads too. I learned how to Spey cast on that rod but never mastered it. I soon moved on to more modern sticks and got a lot better.

I’ve tried to sell the old brownie because I know I’ll never use it again but can’t bring myself to part with it. That rod and the 8150 just epitomize the great NW Spey renaissance of the late 80’s / early 90’s.

 

[Bob Rankin]

I still have my 9140-4 and yeah tried the 9/10/11 WC, SA XLT 7/8 , and Skagit heads too. I learned how to Spey cast on that rod but never mastered it. I soon moved on to more modern sticks and got a lot better.

I’ve tried to sell the old brownie because I know I’ll never use it again but can’t bring myself to part with it. That rod and the 8150 just epitomize the great NW Spey renaissance of the late 80’s / early 90’s.

Time to dust that baby off and try a new mid or long belly on it. There is just something cool about them!!

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Closest I ever came to a brownie was the 8136 traditional. Still regret selling it.

 

[O' Clarkii Stomias]

I still have my 9140-4 and yeah tried the 9/10/11 WC, SA XLT 7/8 , and Skagit heads too. I learned how to Spey cast on that rod but never mastered it. I soon moved on to more modern sticks and got a lot better.

I’ve tried to sell the old brownie because I know I’ll never use it again but can’t bring myself to part with it. That rod and the 8150 just epitomize the great NW Spey renaissance of the late 80’s / early 90’s.

The 8150 was a great rod, even by today's standards. I would venture to say I landed more steelhead on mine than any other. The 8/9 Accelerator, 700 grain, with the stupid hinge cut and spliced out of it, combined with the 8150, was a decent outfit.

 

[RCF]

Many younger people do not understand older rods were built for fishing and protecting tippets. New rods not so much...

They may not cast 100+ feet nor feel like a broomstick. But I will fish a rod with sensitivity, and protect the tippet at a shorter distance any day.

 

[Bob Rankin]

Many younger people do not understand older rods were built for fishing and protecting tippets. New rods not so much...

They may not cast 100+ feet nor feel like a broomstick. But I will fish a rod with sensitivity, and protect the tippet at a shorter distance any day.

I agree. There is just something cool about a slow action full flexing rod. It really makes you just kind of slow down and enjoy the show. I have zero plans to keep this old girl in the closet, I’m going to fish it with mid and long belly lines and a mono leader this summer (I hope)we will see about the winter….

 

[Buzzy]

I almost attached a picgture of me holding my "vintage" Sage 9140 (brownie) in one hand and a hatchery steelhead in the other (complete with neoprene waders). That was a pretty nice rod - I got conned into trading it in on a "greenie" 9140 that was a damn telephone pole. ;-) (Or maybe a broom stick.)

 

[Bob Rankin]

I almost attached a picgture of me holding my "vintage" Sage 9140 (brownie) in one hand and a hatchery steelhead in the other (complete with neoprene waders). That was a pretty nice rod - I got conned into trading it in on a "greenie" 9140 that was a damn telephone pole. ;-) (Or maybe a broom stick.)

Please do attach a picture. Ya I hear you on the Greenie , i bought one new at the old Avid Angler a long time ago. I wish I would have purchased the Brownie instead that Greenie was a freakin broom stick!!!

 

[Jmcj1984]

I to have a 9140 first Spey rod for me learned a lot with it, thought about selling it many time but could not do it,flexy soft limber and very fun I would say its very comparable to modern Spey bamboo either way I won’t ever sell it now

 

[Hatty]

Y'all have reminded me of my 9140-3 brownie. I never use it but would like to someday. Anyone else have one of these 3-piecers?

 

[Flyrig]

I have that one and a 6126-3 that I wouldn’t part with either one of them.

 

[Scottcat]

Y'all have reminded me of my 9140-3 brownie. I never use it but would like to someday. Anyone else have one of these 3-piecers?

Yup I use it and nope, not for sale!! Sat unused in someone elses garage for years.

 

[flybill]

I picked up an old Sage Brownie 9140-4 about a week ago. It came up for sale and I just couldn’t resist owning one of these PNW legends. I’ve always kind of wanted one, I did have the greenie in the same configuration that I fished with a wind cutter in the 90’s. That thing was a tank of a rod.

Anyway…. I’ll admit the Brownie has a weirdly short for grip, uplocking reel seat and pretty tip heavy. But… I’m kind of in love with it it feels like a 7wt to me.

I went up to the river today to run through some heads and lines.

First line was a Godshall Scandi 39’ 486grn. It was underwhelming.

Second line was a Rio AFS 40’ 520grn. This line with Airflo ridge running line was real nice.

Third line was a Godshall 53’ 532 grn. This full integrated line was ok, didn’t shoot great.

line number four was a Gaelforce 63’ 662gr full integrated line. All I can say is that I’ve never cast A line this far! Good God this is a match made in heaven!

All in all had an awesome afternoon just casting this old Beauty. It’s real noodley and feels like a heavy 7wt. I guess new isn’t always better

I have one as well! Fantastic rod! Can't recall what lines I have for it but will check! Enjoy!!

 

[_WW_]

Here's my grossly unbalanced bugger. My first spey rod around 1992. It's the one I learned with. There wasn't much for lines back then. We built our own Skagit heads with 17' of DT12 belly and 15' of 10wt sinking line. For dryline we used a DT9 which worked about as well as you'd think. However, this rod brought me a lot of Skagit and Thompson fish. You just couldn't get it to balance with any kind of reel on the market. We even tried a saltwater mooching reel. Then came the 7136-4 and the 8124-3 without the goofy handles. I still fish the 8124 to this day with the shortest 550 grain head I can find.

 

[Salmo_g]

That's the way Harry Lemire built it up from a prototype blank from Jimmy Green. For whatever reason, Sage then offered them to the market built that way for a while. Didn't last long, which isn't surprising. I bought a 9140-4 blank as well and built it up Lemire style. It was so uncomfortable to hold during the swing after casting because the balance point was far forward of the fore grip cork, I stopped using it for a while. Then I came to my senses and cut off the fore grip, the reel seat, and most of the rear grip. Then added a new reel seat and fore grip, making it a real nice rod at last.