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Originally Posted by Fenix_84
Informative thread, answered a lot of questions. But still waiting for some reasoning on why Asian made blanks are so inferior when some of the highest quality products come from there. How is it that they built most of the appliances in your house but can't figure out how to bind some sheets of carbon together? I also don't understand the whole America made is better argument especially when they manufacture some of the lowest quality cars today.
Not trying to start a debate on who makes better products, just wanted to point out how baseless this argument is.
As pure and grounded as we believe fly fishing to be it's still a business with brand recognition on the forefront. Of course companies spend millions on research and development but they spend at least that amount advertising why their product is better than the next guys. Just because something costs more and more professionals are paid to endorse it doesn't mean it's what it's said to be.
Don't get me wrong I have nothing against expensive rods for all I know they may very well be better rods. My problem stems from people preaching their opinions as though it is facts and not realizing that they may very well be wrong. Looks to me of a classic case of people trying to justify their purchases.
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It is not so much country of origin. My favorite rod is made in S Korea (Hardy Zenith) and my son's favorite rod (Loop Opti Stream) is made there too.
Your appliance comparison is a good one. One can buy a ultaquiet dishwasher that will last decades and another that will rattle you out of the house and last a few years. They may be from the same country or even the same factory. Using the cheap fly rod argument; they both will wash dishes.
Light weight rods that flex at different points and can withstand extraordinary stress didn't just show up at a factory one day. They were designed by innovative fly fishers and rod makers that spent their lives on their trade. Year after year the changes they make are sometimes subtle but overall we evolved from the stone ages in the last 50 years or so.
Today you can very well purchase a low cost rod that has been copied from these folk's work. The quality of the materials and finish may lack and they may perform at a slightly lower level, but they do catch fish.
Like I mentioned earlier, the best deals are when a company retains the latest and greatest designs of yesterday and sell them as a second or third tier rod. There is also the closeout and used market.
Anyway, I have never met a fly fisher that tried to justify their purchases. We like what we like and pay what we will. Most will offer an opinion if asked but have little interest in what someone else thinks about their stuff or what they did or didn't pay for it. The only place it seems to matter is online.
