Are rod prices topping out?
I have to believe with this economy and the improvement of "lower end" rods the prices of S and W will have to drift down. Add to that the inventory of very fine rods these company's have discontinued the past decade. Sure, there will always be some people who need the newest but fewer can afford it than in the past.
Don't bet on it!
Back 15 years ago there was a "ceiling" price of $500 that no company dared to cross and rod prices were stable for a long time
.... then came "the movie" and all all that came with it.
All bets were off
The simpler the outfit, the more skill it takes to manage it, and the more pleasure one gets in his achievements.
--- Horace Kephart
Well... hasn't S lately offered more moderately priced rods and didn't W just announce their new, Twin Bridges built GVX at about $500.00?
It seems to me the major builders 'get it'. I know for sure my funds for buying high-end anything dried up with all of the jobs that got off-shored in search of short term profits.
My buying behavior changed when rod prices crossed that $500 threshold. At that point I moved to buying the heavily discounted discontinued items.Originally Posted by dudley
I look forward to owning a Winston B3X and a Loomis NRX . . . . . . . sometimes around 2018 when they're on sale for 40% off.
In some respects it seems to be a chicken vs egg. You often times see comments from individuals on fly fishing forums - "I won't buy a rod that doesn't have an unconditional, lifetime, no questions ask replacement guarantee for breakage."
You can argue that attitude makes sense since they just dropped a bundle on a rod. Of course, part of the reason why the rod costs a bundle is to allow the manufacturer to offer such a generous policy.
"People tend to get the politicians and the fishing tackle they deserve" -
John Gierach, Fishing Bamboo
http://www.tenkaraflyfish.blogspot.com/
I would. The G loomis NRX is about $800 for a single hander and $1100 for a double hander. I don't see prices going higher, in fact I see people rebelling against this.
Hi Deepcreek,
I have to be a bit of a killjoy on your question. I bought mid-price outfits like the Orvis Clearwater Outfits and Cabela's Clear Creek outfits. I like what I got and don't anticipate any further rod purchases barring theft or breakage. Now if Sage and Loomis slip into the $20 price range that might be another story. 8T
I wouldn't bet on it...
Hardy & Greys has a new major technical innovation in fly rods that is suppose to be as drastic and carbon fiber rods was when it came out against fiberglass...still in prototype production and testing but coming soon.
SINTRIX “silica nano matrix.” A full 60% lighter and 60% stronger than the current carbon fiber rods on the market today.
I don't imagine they will be to affordable by the masses for a long while yet and those who really like staying on top of the heap won't flinch at snapping them up.
ON THE OTHER HAND...
as the middle class keeps loosing ground...the fly fishing retailers and manufacturers will have to keep pace by offering more mid range and entry level priced product or loose the upcoming generation to the sport. We'll all loose if we can't keep the interest growing. Doing battle with computers and computer games and the new generation of potatoes isn't helping one bit either. Time to start encouraging more outdoor education opportunities into the regular school curriculum??
...and I keep my limit to under $300 for a rod...the closer to $200 the better. You can do wonders building your own or buying used.
Last edited by Mato Kuwapi; 09-13-2010 at 01:19 AM.
"There's more B.S. in fly fishing than there is in a Kansas feedlot." Lefty Kreh
"Catch and Release,...like Corrections Canada" ~ Rick Mercer
We're two years into "the worse economy in decades" or should I quote, "the worst economy since the Great Depression" and I haven't seen anything go down at the top end. Heck some folks are taking 40 of their closest friends to Spain for vacations while the rest of us are staying at Motel 6 so the economy isn't hitting everyone the same way.
In any case the manufacturers will keep pushing the envelope at the top end and at the same time, "keep the light on" for the masses with new middle and low priced outfits.
I fully expect to see $900-$1000 graphite become commonplace in the next 5 years considering I've seen the top end go from $500 to $800 since 2004. Whether or not YOU can afford it or will choose to buy it may drive down the number of top end rods sold but the price for supposed top of the line products will continue to climb because there is an assumption by many that price equals quality. You may not agree with that assumption and many times it is far from the truth but if somebody wants to feel they have the best...
...they will gladly overpay for it.
Last edited by Bamboozle; 09-13-2010 at 11:16 AM.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
