I am a huge fan of Sage - both in performance and customer service which I have always found to be second to none. I am lucky enough to own 7 high end Sage rods and love each one of them like offspring.

Unfortunalty however the Sage reels are actually made in Korea not the US like a majority of their rods. They are good reels and are comparable to others in that price range. That said, IMHO a reel made in Korea should not go for the same as a reel made in the USA.

If you really want one, call the LL Bean outlet in Concord NH. They have a brand new 3400D for about 60% of the list price.

I might consider a Ross Evolution, a Lampson Litespeed (which I have on my 9 wt Xi2) or a Tibor Back Country. All in about the same price range and all made in the USA.