Kelly Galloup on $1000 rods

I busted out an older St. Croix Imperial rod a few weeks back that I rarely use anymore and I really love that rod. I was asking myself why I do not use it more over my Winston Rod . . . it still catches fish the same.
 
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I wouldn't buy a $1k graphite. Most of my pencil sticks were bought used or are low end models from the bigger makers like Loomis. Others that were bequeathed to me I know weren't high end purchases either. The lone Fenwick glass rod I have is from the 70's and might have been pricey then but not top of the scale.

Now bamboo, different story 🙂 They can be craftsman made rods worthy of a higher price tag, though even here I'm a few hundred sheckles short of the $1000 mark.
 
Most of my "high end" graphite was bought on the second hand market. I picked up a nice 9' 5wt Recon for $200 from a fellow PAFF forum member. The butt section was original with the other 3 pcs replaced by Orvis. Still a great casting rod.

If you can wait, the $1K rods of today will be at least half the price in a year or two.
 
I wet wade 99% of the time so I haven't spent money on waders in a L - O - N - G time, my wading shoes cost around $100 when I bought them almost 10 years ago, I don't do the spare spool thing and I have 20 year old fly lines...

...which leaves me with more money for high end rods and good steaks. 😉
 
falcon said:
Avoid the Orvis Encounter entry level kit. It is terrible. There are much better entry level kits. The Clearwater rods are much better.
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I second this. The Encounter is a pretty lousy rod. My buddy had one and may still have it. It is in the 9ft. 5wt configuration. I don't know if it was the line on the rod which I think was Orvis Hydros, which has a somewhat "heavy" shooting head, or at least it felt that way on this rod, but the overall feel of the rod was very heavy, like heavier than my 9wt. Speaking in terms of the felt swing weight. My buddy wanted to offload it and I told him that I could not in good conscience help him sell that rod to someone. Definitely in the top 5 worst rods I have ever casted. The plastic reel it comes with is atrocious too, maximum cringe.

The Encounter I did cast was an older version and I think they have updated it since then. Hope the newer version of rod I(if it exists) doesn't have the issues I had with the older version. I hope to never encounter this fly rod again.
 
I spend way way too much money on gear since i like bamboo rods. That being said, i still have all my winston graphites and my favorite rod they made was the GVX, and that was mid priced compared to their other stuff.
 
When I started FFing in the early '80's, you only had a a few rod companies.
And I stuck with the major brands - Orvis and Loomis - in the latest high "modulus" blank materiel available.

When I started to take trips out west, I decided to get a 4 piece travel road.
And went to a local Orvis store to buy one.

A guy was working there at the time, whom I had got to know a bit thru TU.
I told him what I wanted, expecting to pay big bucks for a good rod.
He told me that he'd be happy to sell me an expensive rod.
But that just between the two of us, he had rods that were less than half as much in price - and were just as good.
Then handed me an Echo Carbon, along with a line and reel, and told me to cast it outside.

I was quite impressed, and bought it. $160
And have bought a few more travel rods in that same price range since.
Been happy with all of them.

IMO, more important to spend money on good waders
 
PennKev said:
For those who don't feel like watching, Kelly says the only difference between $1000 rods and cheaper rods (from reputable brands) is "made in the USA" and fancy components.

He's not wrong at all. There is good performing equipment available at virtually any price point and it has been that way for a long, long time now.

Someone who is serious about fishing but is on a budget is much better off buying 3 or 4 lower cost, but more specialized rods, than purchasing one $1000 9'5wt. For $1000 you can have a general trout rod, a steelhead/smallmouth rod, and a Euro rod or small stream rod. That would cover 99% of most PA anglers needs and they would never feel like they had the wrong rod for the job.
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I'll take 3 or 4 rods for $1,000 apiece please!
 
Bamboozle said:
You can have these arguments all day long about anything:

Is a USDA Prime dry aged at Morton’s BS when I can feed six people for the same price at Hoss’s?​
​
Is a Château Pétrus worth it when I can get just as gassed box wine?​
​
My Kia Sorento is just as good as your Porsche Cayenne Turbo...​

However, for some reason these discussions seem to the most prevalent on fly-fishing boards regarding tackle along with a LOT of reverse snobbery... 😳

Fish with what makes you happy and spend what you can afford or where you feel comfortable, there’s nothing wrong with that but there’s also nothing wrong with the high end stuff...

...in my book there is also nothing wrong with spending my money with companies that make their products in the USA, even if it means I have to spend more and own less.
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I second the reverse snobbery, and it seems to be the most prevalent in fly fishing.

If you show up to a car meet in a Carrera GT most people will give you high praise or like me be straight up stunned. Show up a the gun range with a Colt Delta Elite (10mm 1911) some old head will tell you how sweet the gun is. Show up at at the creek with an ARI T Hart F2 strapped to a SAGE Little ONE and people tell you there are better ways to spend your money. I really don't get it considering the higher echelons of cars and guns are drastically more expensive than any piece of fly gear could ever hope to be, though the fly gear is "snobbish" when it's more expensive and it seems taboo now to want high end fly gear. Peace, I'm out
 
jifigz said:
Preface - Some of these rods haven't been fished in years but....
My current fly rods that I own and prices paid (as best as I can remember) are as follows:

Eagle Claw 3/4 6'6" - $30
Eagle Claw 5/6 8' - $30
Cabela's - Three Forks 4 weight 8' - I don't exactly remember, but it was cheap, maybe $50?
Cabela's CGR 7/8 - $50 - this has been my primary smallie rod for like 8 years now and it is still going strong. I love fishing this cheap glass stick
Risen ITB 9' 6 weight - $150?
Redington CT 4 weight 9' - $100
Redington CT 4 weight 8'6" - $40 used from a forum member, thanks Roger. Still on of my favorite and most fished rods for smaller waters.
TFO Blue Ribbon 10' 4 weight - $270 or so. The rod is okay, but all things considered I like my classic trout rods more. I fish this on bigger creeks due to the longer reach.
Ovris superfine glass 4 weight 7'6" - $500 (but free to me, thanks again to those that made that happen) I love this rod too and fish it often. I am a big fan of fiberglass rods and enjoy them tremendously. This or my Redington CT 8'6" see A LOT of action on smaller waters.

I own mostly cheap rods and see no reason to own anything else. I don't have the coin to throw around on high-end, expensive sticks. I think those Classic Trout rods represent a fantastic quality to value ratio.

FWIW without sounding arrogant, I am a better than average caster and can throw any action of rod with ease. I have no problem adjusting on a whim. This past summer when I had ya'll up to fish the Juniata I traded rods with Maurice for a little. His fast action graphite felt so weird and bizarre after fishing my CGR for smallies. I could easily transition and bomb long casts, but didn't enjoy that fast action.
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Totally agree on the Redington ct. I have the 3 weight and am going to buy the 4 weight just because I need something a little heavier. I do not like the 9 ft. Rod in anything. It’s just me. 8 ft. 6 inch
4 to 5 weight will just about handle anything trout related in Pa. As far as I’m concerned. I also will not pay big bucks for a Rod. It’s just an opinion based on my wallet and 50 years of fly fishing. Important part ,have fun with whatever you chose.
 
I have been in the market a 9' 5 wt. I posted on the TU Lifetime Membership deal and have decided to forego the lifetime membership and Winston Rod. Seems like I am hearing a lot about the Redington CT. In fact, it was recommended on the thread I started. Seems like the St. Croix Imperial is a great rod also. Is it made in the United States? I assume the Redington is not.
 
riverwhy said:
I have been in the market a 9' 5 wt. I posted on the TU Lifetime Membership deal and have decided to forego the lifetime membership and Winston Rod. Seems like I am hearing a lot about the Redington CT. In fact, it was recommended on the thread I started. Seems like the St. Croix Imperial is a great rod also. Is it made in the United States? I assume the Redington is not.
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The CT is Chinese in origin and the Imperial is USA.
 
Nymph-wristed said:
I couldn't agree more. I don't think I own a rod over 300 bucks, but I have a rod (or more) for every type of fishing I might want to do.

I understanding wanting nice stuff if you can afford it. However, if I fish 100 days a year and prefer to use my money towards that, and my buddy fishes 25 days a year with a 1700 dollar set up, I can surely out fish him with a broom handle and some twine if it's what I am holding in my hand 100 days a year....
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jifigz said:
Preface - Some of these rods haven't been fished in years but....
My current fly rods that I own and prices paid (as best as I can remember) are as follows:

Eagle Claw 3/4 6'6" - $30
Eagle Claw 5/6 8' - $30
Cabela's - Three Forks 4 weight 8' - I don't exactly remember, but it was cheap, maybe $50?
Cabela's CGR 7/8 - $50 - this has been my primary smallie rod for like 8 years now and it is still going strong. I love fishing this cheap glass stick
Risen ITB 9' 6 weight - $150?
Redington CT 4 weight 9' - $100
Redington CT 4 weight 8'6" - $40 used from a forum member, thanks Roger. Still on of my favorite and most fished rods for smaller waters.
TFO Blue Ribbon 10' 4 weight - $270 or so. The rod is okay, but all things considered I like my classic trout rods more. I fish this on bigger creeks due to the longer reach.
Ovris superfine glass 4 weight 7'6" - $500 (but free to me, thanks again to those that made that happen) I love this rod too and fish it often. I am a big fan of fiberglass rods and enjoy them tremendously. This or my Redington CT 8'6" see A LOT of action on smaller waters.

I own mostly cheap rods and see no reason to own anything else. I don't have the coin to throw around on high-end, expensive sticks. I think those Classic Trout rods represent a fantastic quality to value ratio.

FWIW without sounding arrogant, I am a better than average caster and can throw any action of rod with ease. I have no problem adjusting on a whim. This past summer when I had ya'll up to fish the Juniata I traded rods with Maurice for a little. His fast action graphite felt so weird and bizarre after fishing my CGR for smallies. I could easily transition and bomb long casts, but didn't enjoy that fast action.
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With you on this. The rod I still own that caught the most fish for me is a $75 Shakespeare 7'6" 4 weight.
Bought their 8' 6 weight for the same price for bass, but slammed it on a car door.
Upgraded to an 8'6" Orvis far and Fine and hated it. hardly ever used it. had a 25-year warranty on it. Two years ago I took it out for some local fishing and it snapped at the butt end. I was year 27 into the rod, so no warranty coverage.

Subsequent rods were either kits or rods I won at raffles (one won in a casting contest). My wife bought me an expensive Lamson Reel which I proceeded to lose in the first season I owned it.

After that, I vowed not to sink big bucks into FF equipment. You can adjust to any quality piece of equipment.

My wife has a couple of Sage Rods. They practically cast themselves and are good rods, but I don't need the big guns to catch fish.
 
st. croix imperials for me. i have a few that covers everything i need. however at the same time i have an almost $1000 bamboo rod.

the thing with hobbies is you can spend as much as you want or as little as you want. for some people spending 1000s of dollars on rods wont break the bank. if thats what they wanna do, then who am i say its wrong? have at it and have fun doing it.
 
My Bass rod 7 WT and Trout rod 4 WT total less than $200. They catch fish.
The 7WT was bought in Baltimore when graphite was young in the '80s, on sale for $35.00. I used it for trout for years.
Then I splurged on a 4 WT Bass Pro White River for about $120
Unfortunately, I have more than $300-$400 dollars invested in fly-tying materials. DUH.
 
Bamboozle said:
You can have these arguments all day long about anything:

Is a USDA Prime dry aged at Morton’s BS when I can feed six people for the same price at Hoss’s?​
​
Is a Château Pétrus worth it when I can get just as gassed box wine?​
​
My Kia Sorento is just as good as your Porsche Cayenne Turbo...​

However, for some reason these discussions seem to the most prevalent on fly-fishing boards regarding tackle along with a LOT of reverse snobbery... 😳

Fish with what makes you happy and spend what you can afford or where you feel comfortable, there’s nothing wrong with that but there’s also nothing wrong with the high end stuff...

...in my book there is also nothing wrong with spending my money with companies that make their products in the USA, even if it means I have to spend more and own less.
Click to expand...
"reverse snobbery" IS the right word for it. I get that we don't want FFing to become a sport for the rich only, but come on. Nothing wrong with splurging.
 
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