Sage intros new THERMO fly reel

We've said it before, and we're happy to say it again: Sage makes some of the best reels in the business, even if it's a company that's unquestionably more well-known for its fly rods than any other product it churns out. Given such, it's always exciting when the Bainbridge Island rod and reel maker outs a new reel. This time around Sage is introducing its new THERMO reel, a blue water- and big game-focused fly reel.

The new Sage THERMO is designed from the ground up specifically to handle the challenges presented by fighting big game saltwater species — think tunas, tarpon, roosterfish, giant trevally, marlin and so on — on a fly reel. With a triple-sealed SCS carbon disc drag designed with large rotors to help dissipate heat, a frame designed to resist twisting and bending, and a whopping 500 yards of backing capacity, the THERMO is designed to stand up to the stress of prolonged battles with powerful fish.

Sage proudly calls its new THERMO "the new leader in big game reel performance and reliability," adding "that lifetime tarpon, monster trevally, or massive shark could come into sight at any second, and for the angler hunting these big game fish, knowing your tackle can handle the fight is paramount. In steps the THERMO - heavy-duty in every sense. Designed to handle any tippet-busting, finger-cutting, hard-charging fish one may encounter. With the stopping power to keep a Giant Trevally out of the reef and the smoothness and endurance to outlast a blue marlin, the THERMO’s robust heat dissipating SCS drag, rigid frame, and burly feature set will have you covered like never before."

The THERMO comes in only two sizes —10-12 and 12-16 — both solely the domain of big game species, and two colors "Stealth" (a matte black) and "Champagne" (a light-hued gold). Both are machined from aerospace grade T-6106 bar stock aluminum and offer an identical feature set including the aforementioned 500 yards of backing capacity, a sealed SCS drag offering up to 20 pounds of resistance, and Sage's signature one revolution drag knob. MSRP is $700, making the THERMO Sage's most expensive reel.