Two Gear Posts

[Zach Matthews]

Hey guys –

Two gear posts this week that you all might like:

First, on Monday I broke down my views on the finding the “sweet spot” of the fly rod market:

New Domestic v. New Imported v. Old Domestic Fly Rods

Then, this morning, I did something similar for the fly reel market, even though it is in some respects a different animal:

Best Fly Reel Bang for Buck

I know all of you probably have opinions on this stuff and I’d welcome your thoughts.

Zach

[Aaron Christensen]

Enjoyed both of the articles. They were well-written and well-reasoned.

I have also been impressed with value from some lesser-known brands, like Allen Fly Fishing. I don’t own any of the Allen products (yet), but I have been impressed with the products I had the chance to hold and the owner’s commitment to quality.

[David Anderson]

Interesting article on the rods and a good topic.

Yesterday I cast my new Sage One 5 weight for the first time.
I can compare it to Sage RPL’s, RPL+’s, SP, SP+’s, XP’s, TCR’s and TCX’s, I’ve had for trout fishing over the years and can see the clear line of progress in rod design – it’s amazing.
That said, if I didn’t have enough for the One, another SP+ or just hanging on to the TCX would still be just fine – they’re both very good.

My advice to new fly fishermen looking for their first rod always includes buying a good second hand top end rod over an import.
If nothing else, a classic Sage or Scott (or others) will hold their value and if/when said person goes for latest and greatest, they’re not going to lose much on the trade up.

www.dsaphoto.com

A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.

[Buzz Bryson]

Zach,

Good rod article. I’d add that buying a used rod is somewhat like buying a used car, although any meaningful wear and tear is going to be apparent, and there’s little worry about what’s hidden in the engine, transmission, etc. If the prospective buyer gives the used rod a good once-over, looking for any damaged guides, nicks or scratches that could lead to fracture, etc., and if the price is right, go for it. Well, one more thing, if having a lifetime warranty is a major issue for a buyer, and the warranty on a rod is not transferrable, those so concerned might want to make another choice.

Totally agree, though, that for the most part, year-to-year changes are minor, although perhaps noticeable and/or meaningful to some. Most of us in the middle of the bell curve have to ask ourselves if a 10% betterment in weight, performance, “shine”, whatever is noticeable and/or worth that $700 price tag. Can’t see it for new anglers. For years, the “admission price” was viewed as a major impediment to recruiting new fly anglers. To the extent that was an issue (and it was), TFO, Redington, Echo, etc., broke down that barrier.

That the more moderate priced rods have reached the level of performance they have, greatly increasing the offerings to prospective buyers, has benefitted us all.

Buzz

[Zach Matthews]

Hey Buzz –

Appreciate your thoughts as always. You’re absolutely right about our debt to TFO, Echo, etc. If you think about it, we don’t really hear the ‘fly fishing is for snobs’ routine nearly as much these days as we did back in the 1990s.

I also appreciate your comment re: the wear and tear issues. Primarily the issue there would be clousering, i.e. nicking the tips with heavy weight. Not sure you’d be able to identify that in a wiggle test.

But the real sweet spot is going to be new but discontinued rods; that’s where you get the best deal but still avoid the risk of pre-purchase damage.

Zach

[Mike Anderson]

I’d love to see someone make a streamer rod with ceramic guides instead of those outdated wire guides…. Until then I’ll keep building my own.

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