When searching/buying a rod do you find yourself focusing more on the maker or the rod? In other words if money were no issue and in one hand you had rod
"A" made by "the supreme being rod maker" that cast o.k. but nothing great. In the other hand you had rod "B" by
"average/no-name joe maker" and casting it was phenomenal. And let's be real, you can't really differentiate the finish between the two rods
or it's minimal. Which do you choose? The name or the rod?
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Maker or Rod?
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 Boo.fiberglassflyro... |
Maker or Rod? |
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Posts: 137 05/07/2009 15:03 |
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Eric Peper |
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Posts: 246 05/07/2009 15:14 |
Easy answer for me. The rod -- because I only buy rods I intend to fish.
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PaducahMichael |
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Posts: 648 05/07/2009 15:22 |
Eric Peper wrote:Couldn't have said it better myself. Besides....if that revered maker really was the "supreme being rodmaker" his rod would cast better than "o.k.". A name means nothing. Trout can't read.
Last Edited By: PaducahMichael 05/07/2009 17:24.
Edited 1 time.
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jz2 |
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Posts: 227 05/07/2009 16:56 |
In a given rodmakers repertoire, whether they are famous or unknown, some rods will work for you, others by the same maker might not.
Gary Howells is an example, he had a handful of different tapers for each length rod he offered. I have 2 8' 5 wts. One I really like and the other good, but a little slow for my taste. Long story short, if money isn't an object, by whatever rod casts best for you. |
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cwood |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 562 05/07/2009 17:00 |
Buy the rod that fishes well, of course. If you are collecting and plan on sticking it in the closet it doesn't matter anyway. If you are an angler and
looking for the ultimate fishing tool, then a fishing tool is what to focus on.
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ttrotter |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 1058 05/07/2009 17:08 Moderator |
No question- it's THE ROD!!
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Marty |
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Posts: 155 05/07/2009 17:24 |
Agree 100% its the rod although sometimes knowing a maker and his style (if he only makes a few tapers or his own versions of particular historic ones) will
give you a better idea of what rods you will like if you can't cast before you buy. For example: winstons to me have a certain feel and If I know I like
my 4 wt the 6wt is likely to have a similar feel...same for grangers (modern and vintage these are my favorites) . I really believe we are in another golden
age of bamboo there are a number of guys turning out some really amazing rods now. Every time I come across mention of a maker I bookmark his website in a
folder and there are 60 + listed right now. Many guys have years and years and hundreds or thousands of rods under their belts many not as much but such
choice and opportunity!!! No way to ever fish rods from all these guys but talk about a candy store!!!!! And with the web there is an acess to vintage dealers
like the old mail lists never had......If I had 8 arms and an unlimited amount of time and money I don't think I could cast or fish even half the great
rods out there in a lifetime......but fun to try
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Armchair Angler |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 183 05/07/2009 22:17 |
I'd want both. The rods that I have are something a bit more than just great rods. I get hung up on intangibles that come with great rods. Some makers
have a particular history that I'm interested in. Some are from a region that I'm familiar with. A few are from a guy I happen to like for odd
reasons. There's a pile of other unexplainable nonsense that goes into choosing a rod as well. So I wouldn't buy just a great rod nor would I buy a
rod that I didn't like just because its from a particular maker.
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maruoff |
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Posts: 903 05/08/2009 08:23 |
both, I agree. coincidentally the very best makers out there also produce the best tapers in my opinion. there are exceptions to this rule and this is why I
always tend towards the exception because I can have a superb rod for half of the really big names. with only minimal loss of performance. that last degree of
performance will cost me about 1300-1500$. and simply put thats the money for another great rod. but in the end we are all s...... for big names, arent we?!
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alpom |
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Posts: 313 05/08/2009 09:32 |
It is both. First is to find best rod maker in ones price range.
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mac7x |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 850 05/08/2009 10:37 |
The rod, because I would fish it. But remember that this is the collecting forum, and there are those among us who wouldn't buy the best rod in the world,
if it wasn't made by a demigod whose name is only whispered with reverence.
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quashnet |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 2570 05/08/2009 11:25 Moderatus Muscae |
On the other hand, a true challenge for the collector is to identify and acquire now the rod from a maker who everyone
will acknowledge as a great maker twenty years from now. A collector who is confident about his assessment skills may choose the phenomenal rod "B"
over the so-so rod by the recogized maker.
Quashnet's Paul H. Young Rod Database has photos and descriptions of over
450 PHY Co. rods, plus catalogs, accessories, etc. Thank you to all
who continue to send me PHY rod photos and info.
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quadrate |
#12 | |||
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Posts: 88 05/08/2009 14:54 |
Great topic, since it is so relevant with the availability of so many different rods today.
Lets face it. The best bamboo rods ever bulit are being built today. Modern rods handle the plastic lines available today. The way people cast today and fishing a rod is much different than 50 years ago. You can get a rod today that is the equivalent of the "supreme being maker" at 1/2 to 1/3 the price. (Supreme being makers price would be any rod that would retail lets say over the 3K mark if you ordered it today. If you scratched the names off of the rods and cast them side by side most casters could not tell the difference in rods. I would bet it would be a toss up if you cast the rods side by side without knowing who made them. The "name" factor is rampant in this field (as in most collectible fields). There's nothing wrong with it but a lot of people miss out on
some real bargains and the future rods that people are going to search out. If you want to purchase a rod that will go up in value, a rod by some of the newer
makers is probably a good bet. Think of it this way. If you purcase a rod (even at retail today) for $1500. And in 5 years the same maker is selling at 2150
thats a 43% increase in addition to having used the rod for those 5 years. Look at some of the top rods that people collect, Maxwell era Leonards for example.
5-6 years ago a Hunt would sell in the $3500 to near 4K. Where are they at today. I would venture to say that they are more in the $3200 to $3600 range.
You can show similar number comparisons on other makers as well.
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kermit |
#13 | |||
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Posts: 105 05/08/2009 16:09 |
I think we can have our cake and eat it too...............I have some popular name rods that cast/fish great, and I have some not so popular name rods that
cast/fish great too.....To have a choice, I would take the popular name rods that cast/fish great. If in the future you need sell out, you will get more for
the Cadillac than the Subaru. KERMIT
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Quick Reply
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