Expensive Rods...

[ozark trout fisher]

I firmly believe that a high quality fly rod is a luxury, not at all a necessity. I do have a St. Croix now that happens to be of pretty good quality, which was given to me as a gift by an older relative, the man who first taught me to fly fish. I use that most of the time now and it is a wonderful rod, but I don't think that I would actually catch any more fish with it than I would with something much less expensive. When I fly fish with my father, he still uses an old $55 Scientific Angler rod and reel that he bought at Walmart, and more often than not out fishes me with the thing. My split cane rod, which I don't use that often but performs quite well when I do, is an old Montague I bought on ebay for $75. I don't try to be cheap (well actually I do, but only by necessity), I've just never seen that "high quality" equipment actually helps me catch more fish. The one thing that is worth spending some money on though is fly line, because that really does affect the casting and mending so much. Whether you have a good or bad fly line in my opinion matters probably more than what rod you're using.

[hoglaw]

The cost of high end rods is what drove me to learn to wrap them myself. I am in love with MHX blanks. I have two rods built on them, one is a spinning rod that I use for shakey head, whacky rig, and carp jig fishing. It is unparalleled. You can't buy a rod like it anywhere and the blank probably set me back $60. The other is a crankbait rod that is ideal for throwing smaller cranks, like warts and other square-bills. I screwed that one up a little because it was the first split grip I attempted, and I spaced the split too far apart which cuts into the casting distance and comfort a little. Lesson learned, but once again it was on a $50 blank. I'd put that crankbait rod up against anything. With the spiral wrapped micro guides, it is as light as a feather and extremely sensitive with a near parabolic action that is ideal for crankbait fishing. It's so crankbait specific that it's pretty much useless for any other application, but for around $100 in components, I have a one of a kind rod that you can't buy off the shelf.

I have a sage SP 5wt that was a very generous gift from my father years ago. It's a very nice fly rod, but I have an Orvis Rocky Mountain 7wt that I much prefer. That rod cost substantially less. I don't know that the law of diminishing returns is more prevalent anywhere than it is in fishing rods. If you're into custom rods, you learn this very quickly because all the other variables are removed form the equation. You can hold a $50 blank and a $200 blank in each hand. If you don't know which is which, it's tough to rationalize paying the extra $150.

[mic]

To end these musings, I will admit to one consideration. In the course of my career, I have sometimes fished with "rich" clients and other "movers and shakers". I suppose that in those cases, I have an image to project, and part of the image is to use fairly high end gear. Maybe. I don't know how many of those people actually look at my rods to see what brand I'm using. Maybe I'll end up getting that Sage just to fish with the rich and famous...nah, my Simms waders oughta be enough, especially since they say "Simms" on them in big letters.

Al, I can't speak to your client list, but I would assume some of them got that way because they are good with money. The fact that you use and endorse a less expensive brand rod shouldn't be a problem. Besides I would question how many of these clients have those rods because the salesman saw them coming.

[crawfly]

This discussion puts me in mind of an incident that occurred at the international show in Denver in 2010. An individual a good number of the posters here know stepped up to the casting pond and issued a challenge. "If you have a better casting rod bring it up here!" (as he proceeded to cast the full fly line) The rod he was casting was a $100.00 kit rod from China.

It's all relative. Get the rod that works best for both you AND your budget. I never was much concerned with being a stream side fashion plate. Case in point;

My link

Are you going to see a lot of them on the water? No, but I could care less. It's a canon and I will be fishing it. In this day and time you can spend more money on a fly line than the rod you're throwing it with and in some cases, is just as, if not more than, important than the rod! Most important of all is your offering in the strike zone. How you got it there becomes a moot point in the hero shot!

[stlfisher]

I think the $200-$300 rod's are the sweet spot for fly fishing, but really it just comes down to what you can afford and how comfortable you are in spending it. I am not comfortable casting a $700 rod because it is too much for me to spend and I am worried about breaking it...not really fun to fish that way. I like having 3-4 different setups of moderate value. I wouldn't begrudge anyone who can afford those rod's though. Fly fishing really it is a sport you can enjoy and spend as much or a as little as you want.

[ness]

When I'm on the water, the foremost thing on my mind is not 'How do I look, and will others be impressed with me?' Father taught me to scorn the bourgeois. That said, when you can afford the finest, why settle for less?

For example -- Why struggle with ill-fitting waders when a call to Perk will put a custom-fitted pair (with the family crest!) on my secretary's assistant's desk the next day? Why nickle silver, when sterling is sooo much nicer? Sure, it requires more polishing, but I have people for that.

And these newfangled graphite rods? Why, I wouldn't sully my vintage Gillum, Dickerson or Garrison rods by having one in the same Range Rover. It's unthinkable!

Oh the stares I get from the hoi polloi! It's one of the reasons I so rarely fish the Ozarks; that and the absence of landing strips and suitable accommodations.

But I certainly understand if your position has limited your resources such that you must purchase sub-par tackle.

[ozark trout fisher]

When I'm on the water, the foremost thing on my mind is not 'How do I look, and will others be impressed with me?' Father taught me to scorn the bourgeois. That said, when you can afford the finest, why settle for less?

For example -- Why struggle with ill-fitting waders when a call to Perk will put a custom-fitted pair (with the family crest!) on my secretary's assistant's desk the next day? Why nickle silver, when sterling is sooo much nicer? Sure, it requires more polishing, but I have people for that.

And these newfangled graphite rods? Why, I wouldn't sully my vintage Gillum, Dickerson or Garrison rods by having one in the same Range Rover. It's unthinkable!

Oh the stares I get from the hoi polloi! It's one of the reasons I so rarely fish the Ozarks; that and the absence of landing strips and suitable accommodations.

But I certainly understand if your position has limited your resources such that you must purchase sub-par tackle.

Ah, I see. I don't know why you're fishing in America at all. I think you would be much more at home on the chalk streams of Britain.

[gotmuddy]

I didn't know Denali's were made here in the Ozarks. I'll have to check them out next time I'm in the market. There are several good rod builders in the area and I would rather use one of them than a made in China brand. When it comes to G.Loomis, I wonder how much of the cost is in the lifetime, no questions asked warranty?

I'm not sure the rods are made in mountain home, but the blanks are made in the US. Scott is a very nice guy to deal with. I highly recommend him

[Jason R.]

I agree with HogLaw, once you start building rods, its hard to buy a factory Sage or Loomis for 600$. It is all marketing- some people LOVE that their rod cost as much as some people's car- but most of those people aren't real anglers- just occasional "hey look at me" fair weather fisherpeople. I wrapped up my first fly rod about a year ago- cost me 70$, I used the absolute cheapest components available and a Batson blank I found on closeout. The thing is sweet- great hopper rod, actually I landed the biggest brown Ive ever caught on that rod. I think everyone should try wrapping a rod- its no harder than tying a fly (its easy) and you enjoy the rod infinitely more. Course, that rod looks like crap compared to my Sages... but 70$ vs. 500$ or whatever is hard to argue.

[Guest]

 

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