Do you purchase based off of performance or aesthetics?

[krayfish2]

When I've made rod / reel purchases in the past, I have bought what was needed for the situation. After reading many posts on here about gear, I've had my eyes opened.

Recently, companies have offered some less traditional looking rod color schemes. Ones that jump out to me: Orvis H3 with it's unmistakable logo, Redington vice or butter stick, Echo boost or badazz glass and Sage's method / bolt series. It's been pretty apparent that there's a fairly decent number of anglers who would NEVER buy a H3 because of the logo.... even if they fell in love with the rods performance. Same goes for the other models listed and many others I didn't list.

Over the last 40+ years of fly equipment purchases, I bought rods that had the flex profile I was looking for or the performance I needed. Not once did I exclude a rod due to color scheme or logo. Am I in the minority or majority? Find some of the human behavior in this sport fascinating and sometimes silly.

I've also been part of conversations where matching the color of the reel to the rod was a bigger concern than the reel weight or type of drag. Baffling.

It's a fishing rod, reel and line for stomping around in the woods but some act like a pageant mom getting their little angel ready for the stage and everything needs to match perfectly 🤣.

Who won't buy a rod, reel or line because of it's color? Who needs to color coordinate their backing?

I will say that I love to look at reels. Some new designs and classic ones are simply sexy. I have some nice and some trashy reels ranging from grey / silver to copper/ orange and green. Just bought whatever color that was in stock. I'm not saying one view is right or the other is wrong, just picking everyone's brains 😁

 

[dryflyguy]

The fish don't care one bit how our equipment looks, or how expensive it is.
Performance all the way for me.

I bought a pair of Simms fly weight waders last year. And they have a goofy looking hex grid on the front, that you can buy specially made accessories made to attach there
I gave some thought to the odd looks before buying them.
But when I tried them on, the lightness and comfort impressed me enough to keep them

 

[jeffroey]

When building, I prefer less flash. I tend to lean more toward muted colors, earth tones, basic wraps, cast reels. If I'm building a rod, I'll always seek those options with my component selections but I don't recall ever excluding brighter colored or heavily scripted blanks if they fit a particular need. I think I'm more inclined to be turned onto a blank because it fits a need and I trust the maker or those providing first hand feedback while I'm researching a purchase.

When buying, I can remember only once (rather recently) making an asthetics-based decision: I refused to give the Redington Vice a look when I was seeking out a rod that seemingly fell right into that product line's offerings: a 9 FT 5 WT 6 piece at a reasonable price point with good first-hand feedback.

I just couldn't get myself past its bright red paint scheme - I just thought it would be a distraction somehow and not worth the risk it might ruin my day on the stream. Because I seek out small streams, I convinced myself that waving a bright red & yellow stick around would simply tip off the little brookies before I got to them.

With that one exception aside, paint schemes and font scripts don't play much into my equipment rod & reel decision-making. I even have a couple of the really ugly v2 Butter Sticks and I love fishing them.

 

[poopdeck]

Aesthetics means nothing to me. Most people are so full of marketing BS when it comes to performance and what they think they can feel in a rod. I’ve never mer a rod I couldn’t cast easily and I’ve never disliked a rod because of how it felt.

Value. I like to spend little.

 

[dudemanspecial]

Come on man, you know you'll be laughed off of instagram for posting pics with an ugly rod!

To answer your question, I do not make looks a main factor when buying gear.
Now if I find 2 or 3 choices that will all suit my need the same, I will go with what I find visually appealing.

I prefer more muted looking stuff personally.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Without thinking, I bought the slimer green Hydros reel to put on a Redington Vice (which are currently green, not red and yellow @jeffroey). Looks goofy as hell. The setup works fine in leprechaun mode, though. Maybe it's lucky 🤷‍♂️

 

[hunter1]

I like performance, but good looks is a plus. But performance first.

 

[troutbert]

It's like "designer jeans." They aren't any better. But aesthetics are used to justify a higher price and higher profit.

They are selling the sizzle rather than the steak, as the old marketing saying goes.

 

[PennKev]

There's ugly, then there is the H3 travesty. But it's a great rod and Orvis succeeded in making a product that was unmistakable in photographs. A risk they took, but one that turned out to be a home run. When you saw someone fishing an H3, you knew it.

Then they came out with the black out version with less offensive looks.for those who weren't willing to pay over $1000 for an ugly advertisement.

Personally, given the choice, I tend towards simple aesthetics and colors, but ultimately function and cost guide most of my purchases.

 

[Bamboozle]

Who won't buy a rod, reel or line because of it's color? Who needs to color coordinate their backing?...

Me 🖐️, and only because I can easily find the performance I'm after in tackle that appeals to my eye and I am willing to go the custom route if I can't.

Examples:

I won't buy a trout rod with an up locking reel seat.​

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I won't buy a trout rod with a Wells, western, ventilated, fat or a grip with burled cork.​

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I prefer spigot ferrules.​

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I only use white backing.​

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I won't buy a two toned fly line and shy away from any crazy colors.​

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I only buy & use black, grey or silver reels.​

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I like green or gray graphite rods, brown, tan or yellow glass rods and any bamboo rod except rods with fully thread wrapped ferrules and I want no rods with huge ugly labels, script or crazy thread work.​

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All of my storage, (bags, Richardson box, accessory pouches) are black or tan and only buy black accessories (hemos, nippers, pliers).​

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I won't wear a fishing shirt in any color other than tan or moss.​

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Finally, I rather quit fishing than wear a Tilly, Boonie or Updowner Hat. ​

There is probably something else I'm forgetting but whatever floats YOUR boat is all that matters.

 

[krayfish2]

When building, I prefer less flash. I tend to lean more toward muted colors, earth tones, basic wraps, cast reels. If I'm building a rod, I'll always seek those options with my component selections but I don't recall ever excluding brighter colored or heavily scripted blanks if they fit a particular need. I think I'm more inclined to be turned onto a blank because it fits a need and I trust the maker or those providing first hand feedback while I'm researching a purchase.

When buying, I can remember only once (rather recently) making an asthetics-based decision: I refused to give the Redington Vice a look when I was seeking out a rod that seemingly fell right into that product line's offerings: a 9 FT 5 WT 6 piece at a reasonable price point with good first-hand feedback.

I just couldn't get myself past its bright red paint scheme - I just thought it would be a distraction somehow and not worth the risk it might ruin my day on the stream. Because I seek out small streams, I convinced myself that waving a bright red & yellow stick around would simply tip off the little brookies before I got to them.

With that one exception aside, paint schemes and font scripts don't play much into my equipment rod & reel decision-making. I even have a couple of the really ugly v2 Butter Sticks and I love fishing them.

Is this the eye candy you were referring to? 🤣. It is a little fugly

 

[krayfish2]

Backing color? Whatever I find on sale. Have white, olive, rainbow and blaze orange.

Fly lines I have range from a solid muted olive to a full blaze orange. Some of the more offensive ones: SA trout in solid / bright yellow, Airflo bass which is orange and baby blue, Airflo river and stream which is seafoam. Bam mentioned non two-toned lines but I believe that selection is pretty small nowadays. When casting at distance and having to guess where the fly is, bright colored line seems to help me ballpark the fly location a little better. Haven't really noticed any significant changes in success because of line color.

The fish on Clarks Creek always had a tendency to be extremely spooky. I gave up on worrying about clothing color after dressing in full camouflage and still having them spooked just because of the movement of the cast.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

For me, all the beauty is in the function. None of my gear, or attire, would grace the cover of a flyfishing publication. (The hat and vest wouldn't pass a smell test anyway... too much sweat and bug dope.)
When our rods were built, Pap didn't attach any decals onto the blanks. I've been attaching the decals onto the (custom-cut) PVC tubing rod cases.

 

[caddisflyer]

I like everything matching, all Simms grey. Just kidding. I took my sons girlfriend for her first nice flyrod and she chose a super bright fluorescent pink backing which matched the accent color on her waders.

 

[scs]

I bought a TFO rod years ago. Liked the way it felt, so I bought another, then another. Same way with reels. I like the old Pflueger Trion reels. Now own 4 thanks to eBay. Looks never came to mind. Function did

Steve

 

[coyoterahn]

I prefer function over aesthetics. Not a fan of glitzy stuff. I don’t worry one bit about color coordination. And……I don’t put “stickers” all over my vehicles. 😎

 

[bdhoover77]

The best performing rod I have ever used was an Orvis H3. I couldn’t care less about the logo or color (although I did not find it offensive). If I could afford to purchase one, I absolutely would.

 

[greenghost]

Three considerations to my rod purchases. In order of importance: performance, price, and (a very distant third) aesthetics. In today's market, you can get a great-performing rod without dropping a grand. I buy most of my rods used. But then again I am, and always will be, a cheapskate. I personally would never buy a rod that's a bright color... blue, purple, or yellow.

 

[FYfly]

I won't buy a rod if I don't like how it looks because there are so many options out there, I know I can find a rod that fits my performance needs and isn't ugly.

 

[jeffroey]

Is this the eye candy you were referring to? 🤣. It is a little fugly

EXACTLY the rod I was referring to. By all accounts I've read good performer at its price point. I have a lot of Redington's (and even an Albright or two) in the rack.

H-o-M: would appreciate a PM with your thoughts on that rod. I'm pretty sure Redington's X TOPO collaboration rod is the same one with a much softer color scheme and I would buy that one.