In need of enlightenment

[redietz]

Does a $100 bamboo rod cast and last as well as a multi-thousand dollar bamboo fly rod?

Well, sometimes. My SB 290, for which I paid $100 last spring has already lasted 60+ years, and casts as well as rods costing 10 or 20 times as much. Don't get me wrong, it's not much to look at, and has clearly cheap hardware, but it's hard to beat as a practical fishing tool. (Not that don't also own and fish far more expensive cane as well.)

If you're paying $1000 for graphite rod vs. $300, you're mostly paying for cosmetics, name brand recognition, a warranty and possibly a "made-in-America" label. Yeah, all these things (except maybe name-brand recognition) are "better" in some sense, but they won't catch you more fish.

[NJTroutbum]

Answer has not changed since the last time this was asked. Yes, there is a difference...and a bit of marketing as well. If you cannot tell the difference, then there really is no need to worry about the higher end rods. All decent casters I know can tell the difference between the lower and higher end rods. You are not really saying you cannot tell the difference between a Cabela's Three Forks and a Orvis Helios, are you?

Regardless, fortunately one does not have to spend nearly as much on a rod as one used to, in order to get reasonable performance for a reasonable price.

No, not exactly. But when you get into the $250-300 range of many rods, the differences begins to fade very rapidly. There is about $500 in there that is warranty, name & marketing.

[randyflycaster]

I bought a Redington CT fly rod for about a hundred bucks. To me, it casts just as well as my slow-action rod that I bought years ago for a lot more money. I own a lot of premium fly rods. I will never buy another one again. IMHO, fly rod technology has improved so much that mid-priced rods cast just as well. The best thing about premium rods, again IMHO, is the way they look.

Randy

[zaxaca]

I think some people have a natural ability to discern differences in quality better than others. Whether it's a gift of greater senses or an inherent or learned aptitude, I don't know. But, I have no doubt they have the ability to distinguish small variances in quality. I try to seek out their opinions when shopping. For my part, I can usually learn to appreciate the differences between a "C" level product and an "A" level, but it ends there. I simply cannot distinguish an "A-" from an "A+" in most things, be it wine, audio equipment or fly rods. Because of that limitation, I tend to shop for value which is cost divided by the quality rating I assign. I find I'm generally satisfied with the solid "B's" out there.

BTW, I totally agree with NJTroutbum on his evaluation of Orvis' 5 wt. Far-n-Fine!

[NJTroutbum]

I think some people have a natural ability to discern differences in quality better than others. Whether it's a gift of greater senses or an inherent or learned aptitude, I don't know. But, I have no doubt they have the ability to distinguish small variances in quality. I try to seek out their opinions when shopping. For my part, I can usually learn to appreciate the differences between a "C" level product and an "A" level, but it ends there. I simply cannot distinguish an "A-" from an "A+" in most things, be it wine, audio equipment or fly rods. Because of that limitation, I tend to shop for value which is cost divided by the quality rating I assign. I find I'm generally satisfied with the solid "B's" out there.


BTW, I totally agree with NJTroutbum on his evaluation of Orvis' 5 wt. Far-n-Fine!

Orvis could have stopped right there.

[Chuck441]

A factor here could also involve the type(s) of fishing one does. The Far and Fine, for example, was/is a wonderful rod for close to moderate distance trout fishing. Sorry Orvis decided to drop it. But some trout fishing requires throwing larger flies farther than, say, most eastern fishing. The F&F isn't the best for that. I have a Cabela's 7 1/2 foot 3 weight 3 Forks rod that's the best creek rod I've used. But it's too soft for some other fishing I do. I do agree, though, that once you get to the $200+ range you can find a lot of darn good fly rods. Just don't get me started on $150-400 reels for most fresh water fishing!

Chuck

[Trigg]

I've got rods at both the higher and more moderate price points, and I've cast a lot more. My observation is that the top-of-the-line rods are better. To me they feel lighter, crisper, and have a lighter swing weight. They're just a little more pleasurable to cast. But they're not twice as good. If the best fly rod in the world cost $800 and is a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, then most $500 rods are a 9, and $250 rods are about a 7-8. The point is, you start to pay a lot for a very minor improvement.

It's all part of the tackle manufacturers' strategy not to leave any money on the table. There are those among us for whom money is no object, and they want to spend it on their passion. So the manufacturers have to offer them the opportunity to do that. The good news is that today's mid-price rods are so great.

[Micropteris]

Rods are more of a user preference thing than is this one better than that one. Lite, crisp, fast action rods don't do any thing for me no matter the cost. Whether it is 100 bucks or a thousand bucks if it doesn't feel right then it isn't worth the money no matter the cost. Soft graphite and fiber glass are what I prefer and they tend to be much cheaper does that make them any better?? Well for me it does. I also fish them harder and more often because if I do break them they are cheaper to replace. Soft slow rods are just fine to make tight loops and open loops in the windy surf for me.

[seafoam]

That 1-10 scale on $800-$250 pretty well nailed it.
Peter

[billhouk]

I would have been on the hype and marketing side of this discussion until I started assembling my own rods. The higher end rods (should) use better components. Assembled properly they should function better as well. That's the reason a custom rod can out perform much more expensive production rods. Keeping in mind, all rods are assembled by hand. The production rods compromise when selecting the components; blank, handle, reel seat, guides and finish. There are a lot of variables.