The evolution of a fly fisher:

Beginner:believes he/she will be a better caster if he/she can get rid of his/her $100 fly rod and buy a $700 fly rod.

Intermediate: buys and fishes $700 fly rod

Advanced: goes back to fishing $100 fly rod

(that being said, i own a helios. but it was given to me by outside magazine for calling them out when they had used a pic of a guy throwing a horrendous back cast in one of their articles. It's a great rod, and when i moved from missoula to saudi arabia orvis swapped the 5 wt for a 9 wt at no charge)