How much would you pay???

[no-one in particular]

Is it not the case when you are fishing with a rod if you can forget about it, then it is the best rod regardless of the cost. I think I would have a problem doing that with a very expensive rod. You shouldn't be thinking about the rod or reel at all, all the concentration should be on your fishing, I wouldn't want to be distracted by any rod or reel that didn't feel right or the fact it cost a bomb so, an expensive rod would probably make me a worse angler.

 

[108831]

I don't know if i've ever said this on FM(probably several times lol),one day I was fishing Lechlade trout fishery and the lake was surrounded by trees and bushes with only a few swims offering decent scope for casting,I had been fishing a point swim and had caught four rainbows 2-3lbs on a gold ribbed hares ear nymph,before the fish moved beyond my casting range(full length w/f floating line,plus leader)i'd rested it between fish,sat for more than half an hour but they were spooked out,anyway opposite a guy fished on another point,there were fish rising within my range there and he hadn't caught,I made a decision to sit tight,with all my gear packed,so as if he koved I could drop in straight away,after some time he moved,,I was in like Flynn,sat there,had a drink and a sarnie,picked my rod rod up,I had to cast backwards here as th wind was blowing into my right side,first cast a good rainbow,sat down for ten minutes or so and recast which resulted in another,my sixth and my limit,the guy who had been there came round as I gathered my gear together,he was quite poshly spoken and grumped how he had fished there for hours and caught nothing,I said that I had noticed,he adked why and I said he wasn't getting quite far enough as his set up wasn't heavy enough line rating wise(he also had a double taper line),he then berated me saying that it was right for the job as he had a Hardy rod,reel,cortland line and quoted the price of each,I said it doesn't matter what make,or how much it cost if it is the wrong tool for the job in hand,my Bob Church rod and rimfly reel managed just fine,I daren't tell hom that he needed to learn how to cast,lol....

 

[108831]

Whilst that can be true for some, that's not the same as believing that they are better anglers. Better gear might catch an individual a few extra fish, but it might not, it depends on what it is and how well it's used. It's never made them a better angler and never will. However, I've never heard anyone actually claim that it does.

I believe a good angler would catch fish with Geoff Boycott stick of rhubarb,the thing is it is far more pleasant to fish with a quality item,easier too,it's whether paying massive prices affects that pleasure lol....

 

[sam vimes]

I believe a good angler would catch fish with Geoff Boycott stick of rhubarb

Provided that they can deliver a baited hook to the area required, absolutely.

 

[nottskev]

I've been fishing with rhubarb for years. With a spliced in asparagus tip.

 

[Keith M]

I’ve never been tempted to pay absolute fortunes for individual rods no matter how good they’ve been advertised; however I don’t buy cheap bottom of the range rods either and usually aim to buy near to the top of the range rods (which are usually not the most expensive rods in the range). The difference between a good mid priced rod and a top of the range rod is very small anyway, and the prices certainly don’t go up in proportion to their improved specs once they reach a certain point. It’s usually more like a ‘wouldn’t it be nice to also have’ type of improvement rather than a ‘must have’ improvement anyway.

I do have a £400 float rod but it was bought for me for my retirement present a few years ago (15ft Hardy Matchmaker).

Back in the early 90s I bought a Shakespeare Annex Excel Match 18ft/20ft Float Rod for around £180 to £200 which was quite a lot to pay for a float rod back in the early 90s; because I was fishing team matches in a lake with deep margins and I didn't want to use a sliding float (NB: I won several of the team matches using this rod back then so it payed for itself)

Apart from the above rods I have around a dozen or more modern rods that cost me between around £100 and just over £200 with a few less expensive ones which are still good rods (around about 25 to 30 rods in all).

I can’t see me ever paying out for a rod that costs more than £300 plus no matter how good the adverts tell me it is. There are lots of other much more important things that I want to spend my cash on besides unnecessary extra rod features that I don’t really need.

Keith

 

[chevin4]

I would avoid buying cheap carbon rods having worked in a tackle shop I have seen a lots of returns where tips have snapped under load. I guess the old adage is true you get what you pay for. I am touching wood as I speak but I have only managed to break one rod in over fifty years of fishing namely a Drennan 15ft Floatmaster which was my fault breaking 3inches of the tip whilst hitting the rod against the front seat of my car.

 

[Philip]

Its never really been clear to me how mant people out there are actually manufacturing the blanks...I mean actually creating the weave, rolling it up , baking it and so on.

There cant be THAT many out there with the infrstructure to do it and certainly less than the number of brands of rods out there which means the same blanks must be being used for different brands of rods.

Obviously fittings will vary in quality too but to my mind its the blank thats the heart of the rod.

 

[sam vimes]

Its never really been clear to me how mant people out there are actually manufacturing the blanks...I mean actually creating the weave, rolling it up , baking it and so on.

There cant be THAT many out there with the infrstructure to do it and certainly less than the number of brands of rods out there which means the same blanks must be being used for different brands of rods.

Obviously fittings will vary in quality too but to my mind its the blank thats the heart of the rod.

Probably less than we may think. However, just because that may be so does not always mean that the exact same blanks are used for umpteen different brands. I have three different high end rods from different brands that I suspect may be from a single source. The fixtures and fittings aren't exactly the same. Not surprisingly, the graphics are different. The blanks are similarly light weight and there are a few very minor commonalities if you look hard for them. However, I don't believe for one moment that the blanks are exactly the same.

If what I've been told about far eastern suppliers is true, I'm sure that they will sell generic blanks with graphics and fittings to suit different customers. These are likely to be at the lower end of the price spectrum. However, if a brand is prepared to pay for it, they'll also make exclusive blanks for a single brand. Along with relatively minor hardware changes, this exclusivity, and perhaps improved (and therefore more costly) QC, could actually account for a good dollop of higher end prices.

 

[GT56]

I can't help thinking if you purchased this expensive feeder rod, you'd also probably be matching it up with an expensive quality reel and wonder what the total outlay would be.

 

[steve2]

You could match it with a nice quality Mitchell 300.

 

[silvers]

Not much to add to what “Sam Vimes“ has already written about law of diminishing returns and personal preferences meaning that it very easy to prefer a £100 rod over a £500 one. In the end you buy what you think is right for yourself.

But for me, with very capable new rods being available from £100 upwards ... it’s much more important to be utterly familiar with whatever rod you‘re using than to have the very latest tool. That doesn’t stop me from owning 4 different float rods and 6 different feeder/bomb rods (of varying powers) ... but many of those I’ve been using for 20 or more years.
most have been purchased second hand, with my amorphous stillwaters probably being the most costly at RRP (accounting for inflation).

i don’t think I’ve paid more than a hundred for any of them.

 

[108831]

Tightarse Alex

 

[silvers]

Guilty as charged!!

I’ve definitely benefited from other people upgrading over the years!

 

[108831]

Nothing wrong with that mate...

 

[trotter2]

I would never pay that much for a feeder rod ,not that I don't think its not worth the asking price,its just I simply don't use one enough. On the other hand if it was a stick float rod which was out of this world you never know. Buy what you want be happy you only live once.

 

[trotter2]

And my Acolyte plus hasn't broken with double figure carp either... A great rod .

I buy stuff that's fit for my purposes , and , within reason , price is not the main criterion . That said, I certainly won't pay £500 for a light lure fishing reel because some Youtube Influencer has extolled its virtues while sporting some leisure wear , sexily branded in Japanese script. Nor will I buy some gratuitously overengineered fly reel forged from pure unobtainium nor a miracle new fly line made out of unicorn tears.

The best buy in recent years has been a Shakespeare Agility 6ft #3 weight - the best small stream river rod I have ever used and at fifty quid a quarter of the price of the reassuringly expensive Greys Streamflex it replaced . But if it had cost £500 I'd have still bought it - just don't tell Shakespeare.

I do wince at the staggering price of some big pit carp reels but I guess , in that market, shiny toys have a certain kudos. Still don't understand why folk use big pit reels on tiny little pits though - is it a cred thing ? And insanely priced breathable waders ....grrr they leak just as readily as the cheapos . I've gone back to Vass PVC jobs .

As Sam says, modern stuff is all relatively cheap anyway - my not very good at all Hardy Farnborough in that new fangled carbon fibre cost me the equivalent of £500 and it was so good I sold it and went back to glass fibre . And Mitchells - bloody hell we thought we'd struck gold when we found some in a discount store for £8 in 1975 - now nearly £75 . That much for a grindy old piece of tut with a rubbish clutch - I'll keep my Shimano Exage thanks ..

I agree those agility fly rods are a bargain got 2' got rid of me streamflex

 

[Andydj]

I don't have a problem with people buying expensive rods, if you have the money and want the best, why not. What I cannot see is how much better than a cheap rod they are to warrant the extra money. I have only ever used cheap rods, second hand, hand me downs, a few bought from new etc. etc., cane, glass, carbon, it doesn't really matter to me as long out of that lot I find I few rods that work for me. In no particular order, I like the look of it, the general feel when I hold it, the casting ability, the playing ability. I have about 30 rods at present but I use only 3 or 4 of them and that includes sea fishing. The others are just random cheap or value buys, lucky free finds and do up projects etc. The thing is, I could afford to go and buy a couple of expensive rods, my finances are in good shape but I cannot see what I am getting for my money, or at least that sort of money that I haven't got now, all my needs and requirements are catered for and I mean casting, looks, playing abilities etc. over the whole gamut of how and what I fish for. One day maybe, I could just be a tight old git but, I will be very disappointed if I found I went and spent say £500 and got very little extra to what I already have for £20 say, or will I?

Regarding feeder rods, I never do it these days but on having a rummage the other day I found I have something called a carbon composite Chevron Winkle Picker 10ft, I guess it is a feeder rod and I don't remember how I got it but I am sure it wouldn't have been more than £20 if it isn't just something I found. Should I use it if ever I go feeder fishing, will it be good enough or should I buy one of those eBay jobs for £500? Would I be missing out on something special?

I like a nice rod but do tend to hang on to them and not change them when something new and supposedly better comes along.
Amongst my favourites are a 1lb 2oz tc Terry Eustace Carbon Avon blank that I bought about 1983. I have rebuilt the rod many times but still use it a great deal. For big Chub it is brilliant. It is also good for Barbel away from snags and heavy weed. With 6lb line it will land almost anything I am ever likely to hook.
Most of the newer rods are too stiff from what I've seen to persuade me to retire it.
I also have a Graham Phillips Barbel Trotter. For trotting bread for Chub, it has no equal. Terrific rod.

 

[rayner]

I always yearned for a flagship pole whilst I was saving for my retirement, I never had any cash spare.
Now I've retired I could never use a pole longer than the short pole I use. Should I have spent the dosh when I needed it, you bet your life I should.

 

[mikench]

Send me your address Gary and I’ll treat you.??

4.5m Value Flagpole

4.5 metre value Flagpole, manufactured from 4 sections of white powder coated aluminium. Comes complete with Finial, cleat, halyard rope and ground sleeve. All you need now is a flag. Ideal as Garden Flagpoles. Recommended Flag Size: 1.5yd Flagpole install instructions

www.flagsandflagpoles.co.uk