I’ve been watching as a favorite shop closes up and sells off it’s remaining stock. There was this one rod… a TFO BVK 5wt to be specific. I cast one a couple of years ago at the Louisville show and fell in love (darn you Jack Hise). Well, fast forward… the aforementioned shop has one and I have picked up it’s buttery goodness no less than a dozen times and just grinned at the wife, knowing I could neither justify the purchase nor afford it on my allowance. (Self imposed.) A month ago I noticed it had been deeply discounted from $289 to $159. WOW-EE! Trouble is, I recently decided to knuckle down and replace the nearly bald tires on my pickup, rack up several hundred dollars in medical bills (from 6 months ago that just showed up with a notice that they were due in a week!) Oh, and I thought it would be good to lock down the old credit card and finally pay it off. (It has hovered at $750 for years.) So needless to say, the rod is out of the question. We make near-weekly trips that bring us in close proximity to the shop, so the itch to check and see if the price has dropped further can be scratched often. I hadn’t been there in over 2 weeks and I had come to the point that I was actually hoping it had sold so I could quit tormenting myself. The wife and I stopped in last evening and much to my dismay, not only had it not sold, now there were two! Self control is so difficult.
Luke;
No wonder the shop was closing up! The regular price for a BVK 5 wt. was $225.00!! If you like a faster rod action take a look at Cabela’s Stowaways 6 Pc. They have been on sale for $92.00 marked down from $154.00. I have the 8’ 6" 3 wt. and 9’ 6 wt. and love them both!
I obviously lack that self-control you speak of. I was shopping for wading boots at cabelas and saw their CGR glass rods on sale for $79. The 7’ 4/5wt is due in 2 days. Lol!
Be strong and hang in there. Many in your shoes would have folded long before now. If you do happen to fold, just know you will not be judged here. I’m sure walking to work, putting off the medical bills for a couple of more months, and letting the credit card bill “get lost in the mail” for several months are all three viable justifications that some of your flyfishing peers have used at one time of another.
Good for you. self - control is admirable, however, sometimes you have to embrace the notion of " I"ll pay the fine".
Best,
Steve
I think you’ve suffered long enough, but it.
Just go buy it and say three “Fish on’s” . all will be forgiven.
Doesn’t seem as if it is like taking out a second mortgage or something. Offer $159 including taxes, and go enjoy it. Even on a strict budget like most of us are, and even though that sum of money is a bit of an extravagance, let it happen once in a while. Not like you’re jetting off to Yellowstone a few times a year or traveling the world to fish all the time.
Life can be short…hope you get the rod you want.
Luke, ignore these fools! You have your priorities right. A new fly rod is a luxury item worth saving up for but never worth cutting into meeting your current responsibilities.
A few years from now you will forget the money you spent but regret not getting the rod. Go for it.
I won’t advise you one way or another relative to financial priorities, that’s ultimately up to you and/or your wife. But I will chime in about that rod. I was previously lukewarm on a lot of the TFO offerings, though I’ve always thought they were a fine company, but that BVK is in a class by itself in my opinion. I’ve had plenty of rods that cost much, much more than that one, but I thought the BVK cast as nice or nicer than any of them. I liked the 5 weight so much that I’ve bought two in fact, and I think it’s as versatile and pleasant to cast as just about anything else I could hope to find, especially at its price point. There will always be nice rods to buy out there, and you may in fact find one of these used or on closeout someday at a price similar to your local shop’s sale, but if you do figure out a way to justify it financially, I suspect you’ll be thrilled with the rod.
Luke,
My compliments on your "self control ". There ARE more important things than a new fly rod .
Mark
I just keep telling myself that even if I have to wait a few months and pay full price, it will feel so much better than sinking deeper into debt. My inner Scottsman is wrestling with himself on this one. Luke
As the youngsters say “YOLO”
I am in agreement that you should retain self-control financially. The ability to ward off sudden impulse purchases is hard for any of us. This is different tho. First, the medical can be put on payment plan of your choice. Second, this is an item you’ve looked at and wanted for some time and not an impulse purchase. I’m for buying the rod, enjoying the hell out of it this summer, and not looking back on this chance in the future and kick yourself. I remember a few times I’ve put off a purchase, decided to go ahead like I should of in the first place, then found I’d missed the opportunity.
As for bills being paid, the only reason the wife and I are comfortable in retirement with only S.S. and a pension is because everything on our lot is paid for. If I still had to be making payments on house, cars or truck or boats, we would not be so comfortable, so my advice to do it does not come from an impulse buyer but one who knows what it is to pass up a chance and regret later.
I think calling other posters “fools” is quite inappropriate.
LOL…I’m no fool. BUT…if my wife’s going to give me grief over a new rod…I would enjoy some company. 
It is surprising how many people tell others to buy something as long as it is not their money. Paid off my credit card last year and really enjoy not getting that monthly bill. Hang in there and laugh at them all and there debt.
Byron,
Appearentl you’re too new herebouts so there’s no way you could sense the tone of rainbowchasers comment. Smileys are not always needed if one knows the source. HE called NO ONE a fool .Stick around and it’ll come to you.
Mark