After my last question I posted I am left wondering what is important to you when selecting a rod. Not line size or length.
price.
sales person
company/brand
warrenty
preformance
ect.
please rate them in importance
Rich
performnance all the way.
then I suppose brand.
and a warranty is nice, though I take good care of my shlitz.
mgj
Graphite-performance
Bamboo-Maker/taper
Graphite performance and quality of components. My rods must be light in weight. ~RobJ
“The years of searching in the dark for the truth that one feels but cannot express, the intense desire and the alternations of confidence and misgivings until one breaks through the clarity and understanding are known only to him who has himself experienced them” - Albert Einstein
Depends entirely upon its intended use.
knockabout-canoe-loaner - price/action&feel
primary rod - heft/action&feel/price
wall hanger - condition/price
historic - nastalgia/condition/price
investment - scarcity/condition/price
gift - craftsmanship/availability/price
Jim
Dear Rich,
I wanted it, and I liked the person selling it. That pretty much covers why I buy anything, not just why I buy fishing rods.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Performance !!!
performance, that is, how well the rod suits my casting style. I have cheap rods and a couple expensive ones and I like them all.
price #2
sales person #411
company/brand #3
warranty #4
performance #1
[This message has been edited by Gardenfish (edited 19 April 2005).]
I never buy a rod that I have not cast first. If it doesn’t cast or feel the way I like a rod to I will not buy it for any reason. Next comes the fittings. And this all comes down to how much I am spending at the time. If I am buying a cheaper rod I do not worry as much about the fittings just the preformance.(But the fittings and finish had best not be to bad even in a cheaper rod) If it is an expensive rod then the fittings had best be good as well as how the rod casts. Ron
Well, I guess I buy my rods from want, from all the info I can gather about how it relates to me. Then, when all is done, I trust the info, If I’m wrong I search to find out why, where did I go wrong, cause I try to put myself up front on the best BB, to ask the Q… then, well, I guess, I go to bed, and sleep on it…
Spelling and Grammar not subject to judgement… 
[This message has been edited by Grubb (edited 19 April 2005).]
Two years ago, (or was it three?)I bought a Gatti rod as a direct result of things that were said on this board. Since then I have bought two more, and i couldn’t be happier.
Bob
[This message has been edited by Sawkill (edited 20 April 2005).]
I’m with Tim Murphy here…of course, the “I wanted it” part includes performance, warranty & company reputation & strength, but the person/shop selling it is extremely important (at least to me).
Mike
I won’t even consider a rod that is not made here; after that it’s about:
Performance
Dealer
Warranty
Construction
Hardware
Resale value
Cosmetics (which relates to resale value)
price 1st, (she gets to spend what i spend).
salesman 2nd.
im not too worried about performance, if it shoots line, its ok with me.
also not worried about weight, im FAIRLY young, and not fragile.
warranty, see #1, if i spend 400-500$ bucks on something, who knows what she"ll be dragging home, (more than likely a nice project for me to do).
Fishability.
Casting a rod in a parking lot is only a small piece of the puzzle for me. I find one that feels good in the parking lot then I ask the flyshop guy to get me a demo rod to take on the stream. If the rod puts the fly where I want it, the way I want it, without me having to think or work too hard at it, then that is my “fishing” rod of choice. So far a Sage SLT 586-4 and a Winston IM6 8’ 4wt top the list for trout.
Action or performance.
If I don’t like the way the rod fishes I don’t want it.
Price is a key attribute. It’s hard for me to spend $600 on what seems like an intangible. IMO, the “performance” of a rod is ultimately a subjective evaluation, outside of a few crude parameters.
I find bamboo rods interesting, and I’ll research them, but I doubt I’ll ever spend $2000 on a fly rod (and a low end bamboo rod at that). Although it’s conceiveable that I’ll eventually learn enough about them to think it’s worthwhile to plunk down that much money, assuming I continue to find them interesting.
When it gets right down to it, I think that much money is better spent actually fly fishing.
I also believe that people adapt to their rods, much like tennis players adapt their games to their racquets. A lot of guys buy $300 racquets, but it doesn’t change their game. Only the practice court will do that.
However, I also like the warranty arrangements. And spending $600 on the tool for a lifetime is an attactive idea. I’ve been thinking about it.
I am confused… in the string (how much would you pay) most, if not all would not pay more for the perforance…maybe I worded the question poorly.
Rich
Hi Rich,
Very good question. I had a retired Air Force guy for a boss and he used to talk about getting as much “bang for the buck” when he was purchasing stuff. I think that phrase sums up my approach to buying fly rods and most other fly fishing needs. I generally try to target my purchases in the range where quality and price intersect. I guess that puts me in the higher end of the lower price range or the medium price range. I’m not buying cheap junk but instead I try to get reasonable quality, performance, and durability for a reasonable amount. If I were buying a digital camera, I guess I would be in the 4 megapixel range. I just don’t need or want a $600-$2,000 fly rod though I fish pretty much every day. 8T Want what you have! Oh yeah, don’t forget the replacement waranty.
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it’s a real short camping season.
[This message has been edited by Eight Thumbs (edited 20 April 2005).]
A few possibilities to ponder:
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As a whole we are pretty satisfied with our current rods.
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We have been conditioned to beleive “new and improved” is pure hype.
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We EXPECT real continuous improvement.
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We have considerable money and time invested in our current rods, and don’t wish to see them devalued greatly.
Jim