Fly Rods, are they overpriced?

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Ron Clay

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #1

Later last year I lost four of my fly rods in a burglary. Two Sages, a Loomis and a Greys. Apart form the Greys which I paid ?140.00 for the rest were purchased in South Africa for the UK equivalent of about ?140.00. The price of a Sage in UK is astronomical. For what is actually quite a simple bit of kit to build, we are being asked unreal amounts for. Even locally built fly rods are darned expensive if you compare what goes into making the things compared with even a good match rod at less that half the price.
I recently picked up a bargain at Angling 2001. I 9ft6inch 7/8 im6 rod for ?45.00. I took it out yesturday and put out full #7 forward taper no problem. In fact it cast better in my hands than one of my old Sages.

It really does seem that we are being ripped off when we buy a fly rod

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #2

Ron, controversal as ever )
The problem with fly rods is this image that game anglers are all retired Majors with loads of money!

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #3

Seriously, I used to build fly rods for a living here in Aberdeen. The shop used Fibatube blanks (Hardy made) and I used to get about ?8 per rod. The rod was sold for about ?120 and the blanks were about ?45 retail. Who was making the money there then, certainly not me!
Powell actually sell there rods in the UK for less than they do in the States, so its not import duties etc that knock up the price of American Rods. Orvis are very similarly priced too.
Sage and Loomis (i used to fish with a GLX and an IMX) are the bees knees when it comes to pose value, and thats why they cost the money. Take the Daiwa Amorphous carp rod of a few years back. They were ?290, I bought the blank and made it myself for a total of ?150!
As for Hardy rods, well, I think they are crap. I have broken several whilst on demo (remember, I used to make rods so had access to loads of blanks etc) and I think they are heavy and badly made. U cannot fault a Loomis on its finish.
Loomis and Sage both use very expensive materials in there construction, and u pay a hidden charge for the lifetime warrenty!!!, but I do believe that they are a good 50% over priced.

 

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Ron Clay

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #4

Yes, It's perhaps the fact that fly fishers will pay more for their gear because they consider themselves to be superior to coarse fishahs what!!

 

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Ron Clay

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #5

I fully agree, Hardy rods are absolutely awful. They still live on the image of the retired army officer on the Test.

 

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Alan Roe

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #6

Ron you are quite right fly rods in this country are hugely over priced. The problem gets worse at the 'Top' end of the market wherin glossy advertising has to be paid for.

 

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Fergal Scully

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #7

My mate Den has a sage that cost over 500 punts although its a great rod I don't think its worth the money. Its a great caster but sometimes I think its got too fast an action for playing big fish.

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #8

Sage are fast, but i find them ideal for playing large fish (Pike mainly).

For the average to good caster, you really cant beat some of the Daiwa rods in the ?100-?150 bracket. They will do all u ask of them, be a pleasure to fish with, will leave u enough money to get a decent fly line. Because Daiwa are based in Scotland, a lot of research goes into there fly rods. Well worth a look.

I actually use a Normark Norboron for most of my fishing. It was ?200 new, about 8 years ago, but its a beauty, but my favourite is a 9 ft Daiwa bought about 10 years ago rated 5-6. Its a cracking river rod and is a beauty to play fish on. It actually looks like a Sage now that the writing has come off.

Anyone here used a Carbotec rod?

 

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Fergal Scully

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #9

I should have said playing big fish with light line.

 

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Ron Clay

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #10

Rob, you're right about the Daiwa rods. I've cast with an Altmor and it seemed excellent. As to rods for pike fishing, well in 1999 I went on a holiday to South Africa and under the name of "Stealth" were a range of saltwater rods that were absolutely excellent. Maninly 3 piece in IM8 carbon, 9 foot long, in line weights from 8 to 13, complete with uplocking Fuji reel seat, fighting butt extention, top grade cork handle, good snakes and two stripper ceramic guides. Price: R450.00 including local VAT of 12.5%. That@s about ?45.00 in our money.
Unfortunately I had run out of money itherwise I would have brought two back. These rods were of course made in Korea. The organisation that sold them direct to the public imported the rods direct from the factory, cutting out as many middle men as possible. Here I suppose there are too many pigs at the trough to get tackle at those prices

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #11

Ron, I have a Greys Esox 4 piece 10 weight rod for the heavy pike fishing, and use the Norboron 7-8 for the lighter stuff.

 

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Ron Clay

Guest

• Mar 12, 2001

• #12

Is the Greys for sale? It's a nice rod of course, Martin James showed me one some time ago

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 13, 2001

• #13

I got the Greys for ?120 second hand. Its faultless. Martin told me about it a while back, and I had the privalige of using a prototype for a wee while via a dealer friend of mine. I asked for bigger eyes on it and 2 rather than one stripping eye...and lo and behold, the production model arrived with these changes...lol..

 

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MARK FRAME

Guest

• Mar 15, 2001

• #14

i have a bob church ravensthorpe 6-7
and a reddington red fly 7-8 both good rods for the money and reddington got the guarentee with it not bad for under a ton

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 16, 2001

• #15

Mark, I see more and more Reddingtons about. Good value. The Scirra range is also excellent.
Reddington are doing a brillient spinning rod this year too. Well worth a look

 

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Denis Goulding

Guest

• Mar 27, 2001

• #16

Well it depends on the fishing u do,if u want a light rod that u will be casting all day,say in comps ,u need a light one,my next buy will be a LOOMIS,I have a sage which is light and great for Irish lough style and English resevoir fishing,but dry's i think it has to much power for light line and small light wire hook's,i think the Loomis 9 foot will do the job..what do u think????????

 

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Ron Clay

Guest

• Mar 28, 2001

• #17

I have just purchased a Greys 9 foot 6 inch 7/8 fly rod from their new range at ?114.00. I tried one of these out a couple of weeks ago and what a superb stick. Every bit as well made as some of the yankie posing rods. I should recieve it on Friday. I'm looking forward to trying it out this weekend.
Got two nice 5 pound rainbows last Sunday by the way, on size 14 buzzers would you believe.

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Mar 28, 2001

• #18

denis, from experience, I find the Loomis less forgiving than a Sage, but I guess that depends on the models. I used IMX, GLX from Loomis and XP from sage.

 

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steve watson

Guest

• Apr 9, 2001

• #19

I buy most of my gear in the US.I have found some excellent rod makers over hereand reasonably priced.I particularly like the diamond back range of fly rods[i have three of them ].I have a 6 weight9foot vsr ,excellent river rod,also 5weight,8ft6ins and a 3weight 7foot wand they compare with orvis evn look the same but are half the price!The only problem i find with manufacturers here in the states 9 ft is about the longest lenghts they do up to 6 weights,unlike uk manufacturers.I also like the Loomis GL3s they are a nice rod reasonably priced too.

 

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Rob Brownfield

Guest

• Apr 9, 2001

• #20

Diamondbacks were available in the UK through Sue Burgess....never caught on ...perhaps the price.