I've owned more than one rod that a "1/2 line heavy" line like the GPX or Grand really made a difference in how they casted at close to moderate distances. I currently own a Sage that felt like a dead limb with a true-to-line weight line but when I loaded a Rio Grand on it, it really came alive and doesn't even feel like the same rod. Of course this is casting to targets at moderate fishing distances in medium-sized rivers.