There are so many things that need done around the house and to my vehicle that $600 would fulfill.
How do i justify buying a premium rod for that amount? Does anyone else have the same problem as me?
Ideas and suggestions please
Do half of the projects and buy a $300.00 rod!!!
Norm
There a many good, fishable rods out there in the $300 range…buy two of those. You could also cover a wide range of fishing situations if you bought 6 $100 rods.
I don’t know why folks are so hung up on top of the line fly rods, it makes more sence to me to cover a variety of situations with more rods.
Oh…sell your house and your car.
Consider buying a used/discontinued rod or perhaps build your own rod. Either one of these options should save you at least $300 off of your $600 price tag.
Jim Smith
Have you checked the used market? I have high end taste on a low end budget. Most of my high end rods were bought second hand. Amazing how many folks can afford to buy high end rods…and then never use them. Their loss is my gain!
Workmanship and attention to details is the main reason i buy highend rods.Lately T&T is
my brand.You can find like new rods or new
never fished rods out there that were bought
on a whim and never fished at deep discounts!
Life is short…Indulge yourself!
Scr*w justification.
How about “I want it!!”
SAVE … SAVE … SAVE.Or get lucky win a rod like some of us .Or the lottery .I am building a 1 wt on a Sage TXL blank this winter … will cost $300.00 instead of the $595.00 SRP on a factory built rod .I keep a jar on the dresser and i put my money in it instead of the morning latte or pack of smokes …Easey thing to do when ya take a thermouse from home and give up the ciggs.Kicked the habit in 96 myself.Eat out a few lesss times a month and watch the jar fill.I however dont condone saving money by skimping on toilet paper and trashbags.Buying cheap is a finger away from diassaster.Ya dont save money when ya have to double up the trash bag.
The more time I spend around people the more I like my dog.
Mike
What makes you think you need a $600 rod? One of the sponsors of this site, Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO), produce some of the nicest rods on the market today for $90 to $225. The only difference between a TFO rod and a (insert brand name here) $600 rod is that you can’t brag about owning a $600 rod to your buddies.
As a part time guide I see a lot of different people with those high priced rods who think I should be impressed because they own a (insert brand name here), and that automatically makes them a better fly fishermen. The truth is they couldn’t tell the difference if you put a blindfold on them and asked them to identify their rod from any other rod, and until they’re willing to spend some time and money developing their casting skills they will never be able to justify a $600 rod.
That $600 rod won’t:
- Automatically make you a better caster.
- Catch more fish.
- Make you look like Brad Pitt
Buy a TFO, spend $100 and get some professional casting instruction, and use the other $300 to pay for a fishing trip.
Dan S
The poster formerly known as Outrider
If your home really NEEDS the money put into it then maybe you can’t afford the rod. Just examine your conscience to find that answer.
That said… try selling off something on ebay or in the classifieds or on Craigs List and use the money to buy the rod. It’s coming onto winter in much of the USA… how about finding a way to put aside a hundred a month (maybe by selling stuff or doing without something else) and getting the new rod in time for spring melt.
Or just shut down that little voice in your head, buy it, and don’t look back.
There’s three roads to choose from. Enjoy!
I buy new rods because I have seen how some people treat flyrods and with no warranty card it makes me even more nervous. Just my two cents…
Ron
saflyfish,
You can’t justify it. If you have to do so you may take some of the pleasure out of owning one. I have a range of rods from top end to low end in different weights. So depending on where and the type of water I am fishing determines which rod I use. I have found that as my casting has improved it does not matter as much who built the rod.
But we each are different, buy what you wish, you can only decide for yourself. The recommendation to buy second hand is a good one and seems to make the most sense dollarwise.
Jerry
Dream the Life, Live the Dream
Laugh at yourself first and all else falls into place
Board of Directors, Valley Forge Trout Unlimited
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Gentlemen:
A grand and vintage sage when asked what was the difference between a $500 bottle of wine a $5 bottle of wine scrathed his grey maned head and replied " pretty close to four hundred ninety five dollars". In the grand scheme there is some sort of scale/balance between cost and utility and only the utility side when overweight makes sense. If the cost side is overweight, emotion has trumped reason.
Mark
I’d rather be in Wyoming!
Well, if it’s a good bamboo rod, you can always rationalize it because if you take care of it, in five years it will probably be worth at least the same $$$ you paid for it.
All I noticed with all the rods I’ve cast over the years, is that it takes different adjustments to style and technique to acheive a decent cast with any of them, my favourite rod right now isn’t even a fly rod, its a spinning rod with a 5wt line. A mitchell 7ft Zero Gravity spinning rod, with a small okuma reel and a scientific angler 5wt floating double taper.
Rod 39.99
Reel 54.99
Line 22.99
You can do the math but it’s a grand cheap bit of fun.
[This message has been edited by Newfoundlander (edited 24 October 2005).]
If you’re a guy who can tell the difference between a $600 rod (like a wonderfull scott s3, or winston b2x, or maybe a sage xp or tcr), and an entry level rod like a TFO, and take advantage with your casting abilities, that’s all the justification you need.
There are plenty of mid level rods that cast all right. I cast as many rods as I can, and generally try to cast similar action rods from different companies next to each other. Sure, a tfo will make make a decently long cast, and put the line where you want it. I guess that’s all you need. But compared to a high end rod, TFOs are laborous to cast, have slow tip recovery which makes casting a little sloppy, and are VERY insensitive in the butt sections…even compared to a sage tcr.
Anyway, TFO, and other companies make fine fishing rods in the lower price ranges. But to compare them to some of the top end rods is wrong. Do you get double the performance for double the price…NO. But you are buying a true performance rod…that’s made in america by a company that takes care of it’s employees. You’re buying a rod with much better fit and finish, with better quality control and finer materials. And most of all you’re buying a superior casting and fishing tool…no matter what anyone says.
(this is not a flame geared at getting responses…if it comes across arguementative…sorry)
there are two ways to justify it:
get it at 50% off
win the lottery.
otherwise, it’s too much money for a peice of graphite.
Don’t buy it is one idea. A $200 rod will do just fine or a $600 at 50% off. I for one cannot justify the $600 when I probably get as much pleasure from the rod I use.
As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with d.micus.
jed
The purchase of a fine fly rod needs no justification. (Though I agree with my pal Dave Micus when he says buy it a t 50% off - if you can.)
Along these lines I broke out a mid level 9 wt Redington last weekend. I think I paid a little less than $300 for it. I had not cast it in a while and it felt pretty darn nice. Then I grabbed hold of my 7 wt Sage RPLXi and remembered why the Redington had spent so much time in the basement. It simply does not cast as far (or as accurately) or fish as well.
It is a fine rod that I am happy to use, just not when I have other options.
It should be noted that I purchased the Sage at a considerable discount when they were discontinued.