I thought it interesting, in light of the Orvis Helix debate raging below, that this morning I read a fascinating piece from the 1890s on one of my favorite sites showing just how little had changed in the past century.

http://fishinghistory.blogspot.com/

As "Sport" declared in the Helix post, "The only reason to buy the latest, most expensive rod out there is because you can." The more things change the more they stay the same.

Or maybe more appropriate is what Joe Valencic wrote, you need a rod for "Lightwieght panfish situations...Small streams...etc." Even back then we didn't need much of an excuse to add a rod or two (or twelve) to our arsenal. Today things are the same--and we keep buying these rods, whether they are a serviceable Cabelas rod or a top shelf Winston or Orvis model.

Although I don't think I'd enjoy casting a 17 foot 32 ounce rod!

Tight Lines,

Deke