The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

the "why" post about $700 trout reels got me thinking - one of the things that's always attracted me to fly fishing is the aesthetic of it all. the curves of an ari hart, the handle on a bogden, the finish of a winston, the split tail on a well-tied dry, the way a tight loop unfurls, the surface dimples of a subtle take, the way a double spey cast rolls out across a wide run, that redheaded hardy girl in her waders, etc. you get the drift. sure, i know you can catch just as many fish with an old medalist, some cat gut, and a fiberglass stick - but this is a beautiful pursuit that magically blends sport with science and art unlike any other. so please tell me i'm not the only one who's made a fly gear purchase decision based on the "look" of something - even if it cost me more and gave me no functional benefit?

or was i just born a sucker?

If I can layout a an 80 ft cast and the fly settles into the the coffee cup without hardly a dimple does it matter what the cost of the rod is??

Paul

Let me know when you can do that and I'll answer your question!

Beerfly

I fish with a Winston rod purchased for me as a gift by my ex-wife with our college loan money that I am still paying off.

I love that rod! It really does have nice finish. So many great flyfishing experiences with that rod...Montana, the San Juan River, Apache Trout, half pounders on the Clackamas, The McCould!

I hate my loan...it really sucks.

Its one of them ther philosophical ying yang things.

Hopefully this info helps.

-SST

I got a sweet 20 gauge over/under shotgun for my ex-wife...best trade I ever made...

Paul

Gold - You make a good point. I have a number of old Powell rods I fish with. They do fish well and I love them, but I primarily buy them because they are a connection to my childhood and the memories I have of fishing with my Dad and enjoying the hell out of living in the middle of all that glorious hunting/fishing/hiking/nature that was northern CA in the late 70s and early 80s. That has nothing to do with how well they work, but as far as I am concerned, those rods are a perfect combination of form, function, and nostalgia. It's cost me close to $2000.00 to aquire the group of rods I now have...but it was worth every penny and I'll probably be getting more down the road.

I guess I can understand buying something because of the beauty of it. That's not what moves me as I tend to be very much focused on what works... I don't tie pretty flies, I tie flies that I can tie quickly and that work. I guess that is my take on things. I like things that are effective and a good dollar value. So, when I see a reel for $49 that will do the job I ask it to do without complaint, I have a hard time seeing why someone would pay $500... but if you are moved by the aesthetics of the thing, if it speaks to you of the tradition of the sport or the pride in craftsmanship... OK... I can understand that.

I guess I just don't want folks to feel they need that $500 or $700 reel in order to have a better fishing experience. You aren't going to lose fish because you have the $50 reel... at least not for 95% of the trout fishing you would be doing in CA. All that money spent on what I see as overpriced gear could be going to... oh, I don't know... help preserve California's Rivers through a gift to a great organization like Friends of the River!

B-

...how much to spend on equipment, versus having the funds to get us to a location where we can use this gear in the first place? Do we buy online or through a catalog and save a few bucks, or support our local fly shop and buy there? Using our hard-earned dollars to buy expensive gear which will (theoretically) last us many years, or saving money for the kid's college fund, which is still years away?

Aesthetics aside, sometimes our decisions on spending are even more difficult, due to a million different factors.

At least I don't golf...


--FlyGuy (Dave)

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