Saga- "A prose narrative that resembles such an account. Your detailed story, Your heroic tale. The Story of your Epic adventure."

How Saga Outfitters came to be (as told by Lou)

We were driving from Winona, Minnesota to Nashville, Tennessee to go and pick up Tim’s new truck.  We had been previously talking for months about Tim possibly starting a fishing company dedicated to the minimalist pack canoe/ fishing enthusiast.  We had 28 hours of talking(me annoying the crap out of him) about what this company should be called.  We talked about our previous fishing adventures growing up to the present day, and each of us had some epic adventures!   We spoke about fishing and why it is so important to us.

For me, fishing has been the one true love of my life.  Fishing is not just the act of casting a lure and trying to catch a fish, but the entire experience.  Being out in nature. Fresh air.  Long paddles.  Smashing through acres of 7-foot tall itch weed to hit a spring for wild brook trout.  The smells, the sounds.  How it makes me feel; humbled, and grateful.  Disconnected, unplugged, and out in the wild.  I have fished since I was 5 years old, and have not stopped since.   I have fished in plenty of inter-cities as well as a 100 miles from any cell service.   From out in the ocean, to in the mountains fishing a little stream and everything in between.  I became a fanatic.  I have built many rods and tied more flies than want to admit.  I have owned a boat or two, way too many fishing rods, and enough gear throughout my life to start a bait and tackle shop.  It was all too much.  As I have grown older, I have realized I like to keep my life simple, relying on the things that I can depend on that keep me reasonably happy.  We build rods at Saga Outfitters that just do just that.  Durable, precise, minimalist, that not only looks bad-ass, but totally out performs anything i have used in my past.

I was a devoted customer of a specific rod company, which I loved and used everywhere the last 30 years, until now. 

Currently, I have some very nice name brand rods that I no longer use, Thanks Tim!  We have built a rod that performs better than any other spin rod that I have gotten my hands on.  Tim has built prototypes of what he has wanted but never quite got the results he wanted until now.  Together, we have butted heads, with trial and error, made leaps and bounds, tripped, stumbled, and finally celebrated!  Collaborating together, we have made a rod that is unmatched.  We are hoping that you, Our Customer, will feel the same way too.     

Lou Ferguson; Brand Manager, Rod Builder, Scoundrel

How Saga Outfitters came to be (as told by Tim)

Backcountry fishing has been central to who I am since childhood.  My father took me on countless camping/fishing trips into multiple canoe only wilderness areas from as early as I can recall.  My love for wild untamed places is only outmatched by the joy I find chasing the wild creatures hiding below the deep clear waters.  Smallmouth Bass have long been my fish of choice and countless hours of my life have been spent in their pursuit.  My love for the outdoors, wild unreachable places specifically, led to the creation of my first company, Enlightened Equipment.  I've been designing and building some of the world's best outdoor equipment under that name since 2009 and it has opened so many doors and I've met so many incredible people as a result.  In 2016 I designed a line of fishing rods and sold them through Enlightened.  These rods changed how I enjoyed the wilderness and brought even greater excitement with every catch.  However, Enlightened wasn't the right home for that side of me and it quickly became clear the rods weren't the right fit for Enlightened’s customer.  I set that dream aside for almost 10 years until meeting Lou.  We spent a lot of time fishing and dreaming together until it was obvious to both of us that it was time to reignite the rod project, with a few updates.  Saga Outfitters is our attempt to bring something great to the backcountry canoeing community, products chosen for their lightweight, simplicity and performance that enhance our backcountry travels and not hold them back.  Saga Outfitters will always be striving to build the best products for your wilderness travels while partnering with other incredible makers to bring what we think are the greatest products for our passion under one roof, in one place helping you find the best gear you can for your own adventurous tales.

Tim Marshall; Founder, Dreamer, Designer, Rapscallion