I fished a friends Radian on the Madison the other day. It looks nice and casts nice, but no more so than my $200-300 rods. He also owns an Echo Carbon XL which, IMO, casts as well, maybe a little better, than his new Radian. I've long held the opinion that marketing guys are the best fisherman among us and I certainly get that some truly feel more money = better performance, I'm just not one of them. What are your experiences with this?
$1000 Rods Worth It?
- Thread starter fishgolf
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jayr
Well-known member
This topic gets beaten to death every time it appears.
bigjim5589
Well-known member
IMO, buy what you like & can afford. It only matters that the rod casts well for the person using it & not all rods cast the same for different peoples casting style. I have rods that range in price from $20 to $400, and they all do what I want or need them to do. If you're satisfied with what you pay for a rod, that's all that matters as far as worth it or not.
karstopo
Well-known member
It’s worth it if you think it’s worth it. I cast an Asquith once at a trade show. It wasn’t worth it to me. I don’t make especially long casts when I fish and nothing about how I fish demands a $1,000 rod.
What do you want the expensive rod to do that your current rod can’t do or can’t do as well? If you are curious about how much better the expensive rod will be as compared to a less expensive rod then get the expensive rod. If it doesn’t perform up to your standards, then sell it.
Fly fishing is so huge and diverse and variable. I guess it’s possible that a $1,000 rod could perform at a level that makes fishing so much more enjoyable or productive or even make the difference between catching fish and not catching fish. Then there’s the whole crowd that enjoys having the best of the best and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s your money to enjoy as you see fit.
What do you want the expensive rod to do that your current rod can’t do or can’t do as well? If you are curious about how much better the expensive rod will be as compared to a less expensive rod then get the expensive rod. If it doesn’t perform up to your standards, then sell it.
Fly fishing is so huge and diverse and variable. I guess it’s possible that a $1,000 rod could perform at a level that makes fishing so much more enjoyable or productive or even make the difference between catching fish and not catching fish. Then there’s the whole crowd that enjoys having the best of the best and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s your money to enjoy as you see fit.
kentuckysteve
Well-known member
I think you answered your own question.Some guys cast that same rod and say it cast's 100% better than their $200-300 rods so they buy it.Some just like the best gear because they can afford it and thats fine.I am the same with camera gear and guitars.For myself i just enjoy fishing and the little old cheap rod does the trick for me.If you cast it,you like it and can afford it then buy it.
A little more expensive hardware and some additional wraps allows the company to sell rods for a much higher price.
How about an experiment:
Get a cheap blank from somewhere. Get a 6 weight blank and finish it nice. But say it’s a 5 weight. I bet everyone will love the fast rod
How about an experiment:
Get a cheap blank from somewhere. Get a 6 weight blank and finish it nice. But say it’s a 5 weight. I bet everyone will love the fast rod
deceiverbob
Well-known member
Fish the rods you like and can afford. I own mid range and high end rods (many of those bought on close out).
My quiver is full but if I cast an Asquith and I really liked I would get one and not feel guilty nor feel a need to
explain myself to an internet forum.
My quiver is full but if I cast an Asquith and I really liked I would get one and not feel guilty nor feel a need to
explain myself to an internet forum.
fredaevans
Well-known member
Begin Rant:
Well 'yes and no.' Materials evolve over time (fiber glass to Boron to what's next?) Just my .02 cents but most of the 'improvements' are just (as noted above) marketing hype. Most are 'blind purchases' as you'll never get to try the rod before you pull out your credit card.
That said, this is where these kinds of forums are invaluable. Rare to find a rod/reel that someone(s) doesn't have so the recommendations are 'real world.' Depending upon the material (and rod type) easy to spend $200.00 to $2,000 for a full on kit. What I find ridiculous is the cost of reels ,,, basic design hasn't changed in 100 years but the price point sure has!:boxing:
Save for 'big game' fishing most reels are a place to store your line/leader. Period, end of sentence. Drag systems that "Will stop a truck!" When was the last time you hooked a truck? I do have several custom made rods and reels (R B Meiser/SGS's speys and SpeyCo reels) and love them ... they are true fishing tools. Are they better than something off the shelf? Probably not but each is a 'bespoke' item and that really adds to the 'emotional value.'
End of Rant, I feel better now ... wink-wink.
fae
sweetandsalt
Well-known member
Yes, we've paved this ground with posts for ever. Like others, I have inexpensive rods I feel are terrific and high tech expensive rods that may be better yet. A lot depends on your casting development and its relative importance to you enjoyment of fishing. Therefore the only point I'll reiterate is that rods like Radian, X or Asquith and more are the work of creative designers in concert with no compromise rod fabrication shops. They are costly to develop and manufacture and they don't sell that many of them. They are not marketing ploys. If yo appreciate their casting and angling characteristics and benefit form those advantages, then they are worth every penny. Will Asquith at $1,000 catch you more fish than ECHO3 at a third that price? Maybe not. I have 3 ECHO3's and am planning on fishing the 3S#9 next week. I have 0 Asquiths but I have test cast a few and fished a friends 5-weight. Is it worth 3X as much? My opinion is, Yes.
bumble54
Well-known member
Cost of rod against income ?, by that measure some of my rods in the past cost far more than $1000 (today's equivalent), most of my rods today cost a tenth of that (by the same measure) and are ten times better, as good a reason to update as many excuses I've heard. If you like it and can afford it, it's worth it.
ia_trouter
Senior Member
By now I should have the sense to not even participate lol. After five years of these threads my opinion has evolved.
To the high end rod guy... this is a hobby, a current passion, or maybe even your life's mission. I recommend you enjoy it to the fullest within your means. I say go for it if you are responsible enough to support your family adequately long term. If you are, then apologize to nobody and enjoy.
To the low end rod guy... this is a hobby. Enjoy it to the fullest and stop worrying about what somebody else is doing with THEIR money. It's really shallow to do anything else. It smells real bad of jealously.
I fish with a few guys who use FAR more expensive equipment than I choose too. At the end of the day we always analyze whether the expensive gear caught more fish than the lower end stuff. No, we don't actually, because that would be really senseless and shallow. Instead we laugh about these NAFFF gear threads over a beer or seven. They may be Simms and Sage douchebags but I love them just the same. I am confident they would't care even a little is I chose to only use Cabela's gear.
If I got any of this wrong somebody please enlighten me now. I'll continue to enjoy this sport with my midrange St Croix, Beulah and RDP rods I built with my own hands.
To the high end rod guy... this is a hobby, a current passion, or maybe even your life's mission. I recommend you enjoy it to the fullest within your means. I say go for it if you are responsible enough to support your family adequately long term. If you are, then apologize to nobody and enjoy.
To the low end rod guy... this is a hobby. Enjoy it to the fullest and stop worrying about what somebody else is doing with THEIR money. It's really shallow to do anything else. It smells real bad of jealously.
I fish with a few guys who use FAR more expensive equipment than I choose too. At the end of the day we always analyze whether the expensive gear caught more fish than the lower end stuff. No, we don't actually, because that would be really senseless and shallow. Instead we laugh about these NAFFF gear threads over a beer or seven. They may be Simms and Sage douchebags but I love them just the same.
I am confident they would't care even a little is I chose to only use Cabela's gear.If I got any of this wrong somebody please enlighten me now. I'll continue to enjoy this sport with my midrange St Croix, Beulah and RDP rods I built with my own hands.
dillon
Well-known member
It's nice to have first world choices...
The high-end rods also built using new material technologies and fabrication techniques that add significant cost. Whether they are worth it is an individual consideration. But their benefits, to those that need them, are self-evident. To cite only one example, a local angler caught an approximately 12-15 pound King salmon on a 5-weight Asquith. I'm not sure how many other 5-weights could do that.
clouserguyky
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There are fewer things in fly fishing that are more subjective than this topic. It all boils down to personal preference. I fish several Sage rods, but have NEVER paid full price for them. I have owned 5 and still have 4, including a ONE and a X. Since I didn't pay full retail on any of them, my opinion here is probably moot. I do know they perform with a level of excellence I have only found in other premium rod brands, and they really do help me enjoy a day on the water more. I love the way they fish and I look forward to owning and fishing them for many years to come.
I also fish a couple TFO's and a Redington. I still love to fish with those rods. They do NOT perform like my Sages do, but they are excellent quality and certainly are a better value. I happily paid full price for them. We are blessed to live in a time where you have so many good options to choose from at all price levels. All of my recent low end rods outperform my old RPL, the rod that put Sage on the map.
I also have friends who fish lower end gear who without question are much better anglers than me. I also have friends who only fish premium rods at premium prices who we all know are getting outfished by both me and my friends with their lower end gear. And we are all okay with that. We're all happy with the rods we have chosen, and none of us are trying to talk the others into thinking about gear differently.
I also fish a couple TFO's and a Redington. I still love to fish with those rods. They do NOT perform like my Sages do, but they are excellent quality and certainly are a better value. I happily paid full price for them. We are blessed to live in a time where you have so many good options to choose from at all price levels. All of my recent low end rods outperform my old RPL, the rod that put Sage on the map.
I also have friends who fish lower end gear who without question are much better anglers than me. I also have friends who only fish premium rods at premium prices who we all know are getting outfished by both me and my friends with their lower end gear. And we are all okay with that. We're all happy with the rods we have chosen, and none of us are trying to talk the others into thinking about gear differently.
Good point. I haven't really given inflation a thought on this. But even factoring that in, it just seems an excessive amount to pay for trout rod. Saltwater, spey perhaps, but no so much for trout. As is quite clear by the responses, YMMV. For me, the side by side comparison between the Radian and the Echo just really drove this home for me - so I was curious what others thought. No intent to bash anyone's decisions on what rod at any price.
mka
Well-known member
My view on this topic has evolved and I now believe if you like your rod, then no matter what you paid for it...it's worth it. My least expensive rod was purchased new for $70 and the most expensive rod was $900 new...they are on the absolute opposite ends of the technology continuum (bamboo vs. Konnetic HD) and I love fishing them both. Wouldn't sell either one for anything. I will pass that $1000 mark one day...it will most certainly be made of bamboo and the maker's name will match the sticker on the back of my truck
I ask myself the same questions when I'm about to buy something - a rod, a tool, a camera, a TV, something else.
"Is there something I can do better if I buy this?"
"Does buying this allow me to do something I can't do without it?"
"Is there something I can do better if I buy this?"
"Does buying this allow me to do something I can't do without it?"
seattlesetters
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I find no interest whatsoever in mass-produced, machine-made Rods built section-by-section overseas. None at all.
I like mine to be built by hand in the USA. I also understand that this means that the rods I prefer will cost a lot of money, because building them in this manner is quite expensive.
Because of this, I try to buy as many as possible while they are current, rather than waiting for close out pricing. I believe this attitude supports manufacturers who are committed to producing such rods, as I realize they cannot continue unless people buy the rods at full price.
I like mine to be built by hand in the USA. I also understand that this means that the rods I prefer will cost a lot of money, because building them in this manner is quite expensive.
Because of this, I try to buy as many as possible while they are current, rather than waiting for close out pricing. I believe this attitude supports manufacturers who are committed to producing such rods, as I realize they cannot continue unless people buy the rods at full price.
ryc72
Well-known member
I’m not sure how many folks that ff also golf. I’m guessing that there is a decent amount of crossover but that’s just my speculation. What I find interesting is how the cost of fly gear seems to push so many people’s buttons. I can’t recall the last time anyone cared how much my golf clubs cost. Or asking if big brand name clubs were worth 5x the cost of generic golf clubs. Why are so many folks so concerned about how much fly rods cost and what brands the rods are? I have yet to have anyone come up to me and ask me what rod I’m fishing or come up to me and grab my rod to look at the label/model. Seems peculiar that this is such a common theme.
I agree. So many expensive hobbies out there. I wouldn't say I golf, but I hit the driving range once or twice a quarter, no stranger to Top Golf at happy hour, and own some clubs. Nobody asks me about my Ping clubs inside a Callaway bag with a Taylor Made towel hanging off. Now drivers, that's a conversation starter I've seen end in some heated debates after a few beers.
Shooting is my more expensive hobby by far. I get asked more or less about platform differences than brand or model. The neighboring stalls can tell the difference between me shooting 9mm or 45, but they won't know if I'm shooting the Dan Wesson, Springfield, or Wilson Combat.
My FF gear tends to be on the nicer side of things, but that is from my experience with low and mid priced gear in other sports/hobbies. "Almost as good" is still not as good, but for some its good enough.