Originally Posted by
waynep
I don't think the new rod will kill Helios sales. It won't have an affect. People that are able to spend $700 on a rod will do so. They'll want the Recoil guides, and other bling that comes on the rods. The folks that the new rods will appeal to are ones like me that will never (utill I win the lottery) buy a $700 rod but might stretch the budget for a one time $500 rod, maybe to be my main trout rod. However, for $500, I can buy a Sage Z-Axis blank, recoil guides, a nice REC reel seat and roll my own. For non-rod builders, I think it will sell . . . and I think people will continue buying the $700 rods.
Look at all the people that drive Hummers in cities. They NEED a Hummer right? Yea . . . If the money is there, they'll spend it, need or not.
Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner! Bang on.
"They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore." - John Gierach