I am not a great fly caster and have fished with the bottom end of the rack for most of my life. A couple of years ago when I lost the two rods I used the most, one was a TFO 3 wt., the other a BPS Dogwood Canyon rod, Kevin Proctor gave me a rod he had and customized it for me. It is one of my most treasured possessions first because of Kevin's generosity and second because it is the best casting rod I have ever held. I can cast further, easier than any rod I had ever picked previous to it. As for drag on reels, I have caught some 5.5 - 8 lb. LMB, grass carps & catfish on fly rods, a decent drag has made the difference in landing or breaking off fish that size frequently. The reels doesn't have to cost a fortune to have a decent drag for most of us.