This really touched a nerve with me. Last fall my son and I were preparing to go with a group up to Lake Erie tributaries to fish for steelhead. We were given all sorts of advice on equipment, rods, reels... basically the whole works. Having grown, he needed new waders and boots, and I knew we needed heavier rods than the 5 wts we had always used. I began to look everywhere, and finally ordered two rods from L.L. Bean- the entire set-up, ready to fish, was under $100 each. There had been al kinds of discussion about the drag on the reel being able to handle a large fish, the feel and action of the rod, and so on. What I found was that the most important factor was being with people who knew where to find fish, what flies to use, and how to present them. When it was alll done, a 13 year old had sucessfully hooked and landed 3 fish over the weekend, all at least 5 pounds. There were people with us who had spent twice the amount we did just on a reel, but nobody had a better time. Our equipment did just what it needed to do, the results were super, and I had no complaint with what we fished with. I don't know if we would have appreciated any difference using "superior" equipment, and having gone back and done it again, I doubt that we'll ever see the need to upgrade what we have.

Thanks for your thoughts. This applies to all sorts of activities, especially to us who have kids. Do you need a $2000 guitar to start? Or a $700 bow to try your hand at archery? See how you like it, try it out, and then by all means upgrade if you want to or need to!