I agree that Sage makes Awesome rods... In my opinion probably some of the best rods. I think they have done a wonderful job with the RS3 once they took over Redington. The rod is beautiful and very responsive. I have cast many Sage rods including the VPS, VPS light, Launch, FLI and then the more expensive rods of the Sage line and the Redington RS3 is Awesome. Only complaint is that the Cork is not of the highest qality but hey, find me a sub $200 rod that doesn't have filler in the cork! I've owned many sub $200 rods and this one is by far the best I've had. I highly recommend it for anybody looking for beauty, response, feel, and a good fair price.