I like your thread. Some time ago I asked the board how much money I would have to spend before I wouldn’t know the deference in a rod. Never got a strait answerer. No matter. But what I did find out, and I would suggest, cast as many rods as you can.
What I found out, the more you spend without a doubt the better they are.
Bamboo is the best.
Sage one day I will own.
Fenwick is what I have and really like.
Around the $250.00 mark is what you would have to spend and have a hard time knowing the difference, unless it’s a bamboo.
As I read most of these posts everyone seems to think a more expensive is a better casting rod. In most cases that will be true. But there is a lot more to an expensive rod then how it casts or how if fishes. QUALITY, a more expensive rod will be better built with better components. From the blank to the guides and the reel seat. Cheap rods have cheap components, in many cases even plastic. How a rod casts is only 1 part of the deal. Look at Orvis rods, you can pick how you want the rod to cast, or where you want the rod to flex. Same rod, same price, but cast very differently. Another factor to consider is weight, in most cases a more expensive rod will be lighter, sometimes much lighter. This makes a huge difference after a couple hours of high sticking or chucking & ducking. All in all you get what you pay for. A Porsche costs more then a Ford. But both will get the job done of taking you to work & back. But there is a huge difference…Quality & performance.
Perhaps there was a time with flyrods that you generally got what paid for and I guess if you want the “name” that is still true today. However there are some really good quality rods out there for under $300 that compare very favourably with the $600 plus stuff. There simply is not a lot of investment in material in any given “plastic” fly rod. The largest costs of any flyrod are product research, market development, distribution, retail and “after” service. The better quality hardware on the more expensive rods is generally true, but not always. Just take a look at the new TFO Axiom if you want proof.
I believe that once you reach the 300-400 mark (mid-priced range rods), the higher end sticks offer little advantage over the mid-range counterparts. I believe alot of companies in the fly fishing industry have found that if they dab a high $ price tag on something, some fly fishermen will automatically jump to buy believing the higher price tag means better quality, which isnt always so.
I have rods across the whole range. What I’ve found is that I can generally tell the difference between low, mid, and high end rods. BUT, while this is pretty easily noticed on the lawn while practicing and focused soley on the rod and the cast, I tend not to notice it at all when I’m fishing, where I’m concentrating on fishing instead of mechanics and how the rod feels. About the only times while fishing that I notice much of a difference is in big wind or when I’m in a tight area (short casts) with too stiff of a rod.
I have a z - axis. Can cast it 90 feet. Also have a tfo axiom rod, and guess what, even tho the z axis is $400 more it doesnt cast better (to me) than the axiom.
So buy a tfo axiom, get 10 lessons from a FFF certified instructor, and you still will not wish you had a z axis. Unless you really care about things like pretty colors.
I listened to Gary Borger speak yesterday at a fly fishing show. He puts his name on a rods that he has built to his specs. Targus rods by the way is the name of his company. He has written many books on fly fishing and has been speaking and fishing professionally for a long time.
He said that rods today, even inexpensive rods are so much better made than years ago that they are all good rods because of the components used. The big trick is to find one that matches your casting style. Some people just don’t get the timing down on fast action rods and slower rods can be easier for some to cast. Some just prefer a slower or faster action. Like others have said, find something that you cast well, because that is the purpose of the rod, to deliver the line effectively. If you can’t deliver the line well with a $800 rod, that rod isn’t for you, but you might be able to cast well with a $50 rod. Much of rod pricing is about status in my opinion and some of it is about cost of materials. I like the St. Croix rods but have seen some nice rods in Gander Mt for $50 that will do everything that you need a rod to do.
Good luck with your search for the perfect rod for you.
Honestly dunno. I have not fished Orvis rods in years and dont plan to. I’m not an Orvis fan. I have casted many a hi-end Winston, St Croix, Sage, etc and for ~my abilities~ and use, the mid-range rods are just as good of a stick as the higher end.
Part of what I think is so interesting about this is that many people have the notion stuck in their head that they’ll cast better and fish better with a high-end Sage than say an Echo or TFO. They think that if they get themselves a Sage, that’ll make them fish better or it’s some sort of status symbol. I also think you need to differentiate between “cheap” and “cheaply built”…there are a good number of inexpensive rods or reels that are some of the best fishing tools. Plus, much of what you’re paying for with today’s plastic rods, is the warranty, marketing, all these other costs that have to be built in but have absolutely nothing to do with how the rod will actually perform.
personally, I’ve always gone with what feels the best for me with little regard to “name-brand” What does that mean for me? Well, for starters, I still haven’t found a plastic rod that I really like…consequentially (sp?), the two rods I use most are a bamboo and a glass rod. My bamboo is far from high-end. I fact, it cost less than most high-end plastic rods and it has no warranty. But as far as it’s use as a fishing tool? couldn’t be better!!! My favorite glass rod is similar in not only the way it casts, but the way it fishes (it’s also a hand built rod). It won’t win any beauty contests but I’m pretty hard-pressed to find a better fishing tool. Also, one of my favorite smaller rods is an old Hardy glass rod that I paid something like $100 for…“inexpensive”? yeah. “cheap”? nope. fun to fish? yeah.
anyway, sorry for rambling…(probably the pain meds—just had surgery on my ankle)…but, that’s my 2 cents,
save up and get yourself a bamboo…you’ll never look back. One thing though, there are a ton of really good builders out there so you don’t necessarily have to spend thousands of dollars.
With my bamboo, the blank was actually built by a pretty well-known builder here in Oregon but the rod was then put together by another person who is well known for that kind of thing. The result? I ended up with a very nice bamboo rod for less than half the price of what it would’ve cost new. Even if you do end up spending a bit more, look at it as a lifetime investment.
since I’ve purchased this rod, I’ve become convinced that I have found my ultimate trout rod.
Made by Old Yankee Rod Smiths Andrew Manchester. This is not a banty made from old rod pieces. The blank was made from “new” bamboo culms cut specifically for this rod. the rod is a 5’ 2&1/2", 5wt, 2pc 2/1, named the “Forget Me Not”. Hand carved seat, hard chrome guides, n/s ferrules and a hook keeper.
If I recall Andy only wanted somewhere around $200-$225 originally for this rod. He basically just gets back the cost of building them. I got the rod off of EBay for $97.00 and that included shipping.
The season openers are approaching so keep checking EBay for Old Yankee Rod Shops as Andy only sells rods around the holidays and season openers.
Oh, two more things. I am not affiliated with Andy or Old Yankee Rod Shops and this thing casts like a dream!
Darrin, due to the fact that there isn’t a MID-PRICED Winston, how about…Sage Launch and Z-Axis…still can’t feel a difference?
clarkman23 Part of what I think is so interesting about this is that many people have the notion stuck in their head that they’ll cast better and fish better with a high-end Sage than say an Echo or TFO. They think that if they get themselves a Sage, that’ll make them fish better or it’s some sort of status symbol. I also think you need to differentiate between “cheap” and “cheaply built”…there are a good number of inexpensive rods or reels that are some of the best fishing tools. Plus, much of what you’re paying for with today’s plastic rods, is the warranty, marketing, all these other costs that have to be built in but have absolutely nothing to do with how the rod will actually perform.
I don’t understand, read or hear anyone saying a high end rod making them a better caster…key word “EASIER TO CAST” they do the rest themself.
The biggest difference in the less expensive rods is “They are made overseas” by an assembly line of people that might not even know what it is for.
The upper end rods are made here in the US of A and are assembled by craftsmen, along with better material, and a more attention to detail thing. The blanks are rolled with a definite taper, not pulled out of a stack and with a shake labeled.
IMO the “best” rod is the one you enjoy fishing with the most. Nothing else matters. I went from fiberglass to cheap graphite to a couple of high end graphite rods, and am now back to buying slower, less expensive rods. In my OPINION, they fish just as well as the $600 rods gathering dust in my closet. If you feel better about yourself and your odds of catching a fish with a $600 rod, or a $100 rod, more power to you.
No two people will ever agree on what makes the “best” rod.
Very well said DG. I agree. I feel very good about catching on a $70.00 rod that I built.
I have a great adversion to posts about “What Rod to Buy”, How does rod X compare to rod Y", etc. The final judgment is in the hands of the caster, no one else!
It must be fished “On the Water” before any judgement can be made.
Yeah, I can feel the difference…dont know if it’s a “good” difference though! I like a fast rod for some of my fishing applications like my smallmouth rigs, but not a broomstick!
A fast (not super-duper fast) rod fits my casting style pretty good. A slim baseball bat doesnt. LOL. Some of the newer ultra-fast rods would make a nice curtain rod though…LOL…
Kinda like back when I was into bowhunting and archery. I shot a round on a 3-D course with a guy who had the latest 320fps machined, $800 compound bow, me with a takedown recurve. At the very first target he made his shot and his buddy said “wow, man, that thing is FAST!” I said “sure is! Did you see that arrow miss that target at 320 fps! That is awesome!” (with my cedar arrow squarely in the 10 ring, at 190 fps!)…
I’ve got an Orvis Streamline rod($29.00 on closeout) that I have beaten to death. It works like a charm. It casts fantastic, has phenominal sensitivity and has pretty strong backbone to land fish. I really don’t think you can do better.
Keep in mind I use high-end racing slalom skis(Dynastar Omeglass 63s) because there is a difference. I buy better shoes because there is a difference. I buy better cars because there is a difference. I drink only good single-malt scotch(good stuff, not the expensive crap).
I dare anyone to show me that spending $500.00 on a rod is worth anything.
But man or woman, doesn’t live by ONE rod, LOL