If you are referring to the rods you had at ISE, I only remember the name of one of them. The other names fade into the subconscious and I would only recognize them by looks since I remember what the seats and components look like. If you wanted to do a real test, I could tear down a few rods and put the exact same parts on each rod, same grips, same seats, same guides, same color wraps, and then let folks have at 'em.

You could have fooled me, I thought that $100.00 was expensive. But then I've only been fly fishing since the 60s. I've only fished in NY, Pa, Ohio, BC, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Washington, and Alaska. I've only caught 4 species of wild salmon, steelhead, rainbows, cutthroats, brookies, dollys and bass and grayling on the fly. Someday I need to spend more time and money upgrading my tastes.

Not easy to cast blind. Why I head for happy hour when it starts to get dark. There is a big difference in the expensive rods that I now see, almost a shocking difference. Using the most advanced graphite technology that creates a lot of the expense, an expensive rod in a FAST ACTION can be a flexible rod..it just recovers fast making it a fast action rod. The lesser priced blanks in a fast action? They will be stiffo/biffos. And the expensive rods will be somewhat lighter. Matter of whether you want to pay the difference. But I do have several fast action expensive rods that throw a long line with ease because the flex so well, and I do not have to do the hard work of bending the rod. Many buy a more expensive rod thinking it will improve their casting when the problem is they are not very good casters.

sometimes.... but it doesnt matter, a $300 dollar rod may be nice but its not going to catch you any more fish. my favorite rod still to this day it an old gatorback rod made by zebco, med.light action... ill never get rid of that thing in facct ive eeen keeping an eye out for them at garage sales and online

If you're truly an elite caster/angler perhaps there is a subtle difference that you would notice. Maybe it's worth it to them (a few percent of anglers). I'm happy with rods around the $150 mark. I'm not near elite status. I still catch plenty of fish, and come to think of it I get outfished regularly by a buddy that uses a walmart quality combo.

I was closer to elite status in years past with my golf game. I relished using cheap crappy clubs, and outdriving and outscoring others that overspent on gear. I'll keep the same philosophy here.

Like all things it is a curve of difference with diminishing returns at the top end and it is really the "pride of ownership" at the top end like anything else. for example shotgun they all go bang and shoot straight now but some feel better and that feel may be mental, they look better (which adds to the mental advantage) but at the high end also you get more cutting edge which today is in Weight. This may be no big deal on a 9' 5wt road but if you are out all day, or you are spey casting a 13' 9wt reducing weight will make it a more enjoyable day.

Generally speaking, a less expensive rod will weigh more than it's corresponding more expensive counterpart. The most difference will obviously be in longer rods for higher weight lines. For such rods, I know I can tell the difference.
The only store-bought rods of the 15-or so I own are lower-end models, since a friend builds rods from components for me for free, and the most expensive one was about $65-most are way less. :-)
For the kind of fishing I enjoy most, small-stream trout fishing (7 ft rod, 3 or 4 wt), I can see no advantage to a high-end rod. The difference in weight would be virtually negligible, and the beauty of a particular rod's action is entirely in the hand of the beholder (so to speak). The finish on my go-to rods isn't as exquisite as on a $750 rod, but when I fish I'm looking at the stream and the scenery, not on the grain of the wood insert in the reel seat. I promise you the fish don't know the difference, or care.

I took a 8wt big water ugly stick with me to Ak in the fall of 2000. for Christmas in 2001 my late wife gave me a low end Orvis with a low end Lamson reel. I way could tell the difference between the ugly stick and the Orvis. I caught a pile of fish with both rods, but the Orvis was about 52 lbs lighter. Not being 20 years old anymore, my arm was very thankfull. That being said, the biggest fish catching tool in my arsenal is Rio versi-tip line. My low end rod putting the fly at the right depth has caught me a pile of fish that I wouldn't have caught before. I will admit that I have never had a $750 rod in my hand streamside. That $600 price difference will get me about 2000 miles in fuel on my way from NY to Ak this April though.

Hornd..Don't believe in anyway you are right. They get a good markup, but not anymore percentage markup than a lot of lesser priced rods. The higher end equipment is very competitive to price as well as the lesser priced rods. If you knew the difference between IM-6 graphite matting, and the price of the new tech graphite matting you wouldn't say that. And the fixtures, the guides, the grade of cork is of better grade on the more expensive rods. It is all about being able to cast a flyline well. If you can, and that is but a small percentage of fly anglers taking part in the sport, you notice the difference. It is all about feeling you can afford to pay for the difference, or want to pay for the difference if you can afford to. And it does translate in some instances according to how you have to cast, and the demands of fishing to more fish hooked. The sector that I see willing to put out the bucks for good equipment are the salt water anglers. The equipment/conditions are demanding, and they will pay the money for good equipment. A reel can be $1,000.

Sayfu, We cannot forget the price of new rods includes R&D cost and advertising cost.

Deeter's question is a little unfair. There are a lot of reasons to like a good rod. Quality cork, reel seats, finely wrapped guides, good hardware(properly placed).

I like a rod that recovers quickly. I shake it side to side then front to back. If spined correctly it should act differently and quickly return to a still rod. I place the rod butt on the ground and spin the rod by the tip to see if it is spined correctly.

I tap the tip on a hard surface in hopes to feel a good vibration in the grip. A good blank will have a hollow tip and the blank firmly seated in the cork and extend through the reel seat.

I like stripping guides a comfortable reach from the cork and close guides which gradually get closer and smaller leading to the tip.

I like unfinished blanks. I always feel the glossy finish on cheaper blanks cover imperfections. I prefer fast actions rods but own a couple expensive slow rods.

Can I tell the difference between a good rod and a cheap rod just by casting? Can I tell the difference between a $10,000 Parker shotgun and a $250 Mossberg just pulling the trigger? I know I would rather have the Parker than the Mossberg.

I own some cheap rods that I really like and some expensive ones I rarely fish.

Do we cast the rod or the line? Or is that for another day?

More expensive rods give me "bad habits" as they are designed to recover easier. Such as backcasting, tailing loops, reach casting, etc. 20 years ago cheaper rods were made like tanks, very hard to cast. However, in 2012, cheaper rods are now built with competitive materials. I can only wish I had access to rods of this quality at this price ($100 or less) when I was learning to fly fish. Honestly, I can tell the difference in weight, quality and workmanship. But, as far as which casts better, farther, more accurate? NO difference. And guess what those lifetime guarantees are now on the $100 and under rods. Cane rods are a different story - period.

I'm not touching that one with a 9ft 8wt stick. It's 99% the angler's ability when it all comes down to it.

Flutter, What do you use the 10 foot 3 wt for? Sounds like an interesting rod. Belly boat fishing?

We built two casting ponds next to our store for this very reason and we try and have every rod customer spend sometime casting a few different rods before making a purchase. All of our rods on our rod rack have dirty grips and you can see which rods get used more. I have sold thousands of rods and it is very rare that a customer can not tell or feel the difference between a $200 and a $700, but then again we only stock the $700 rods that you can tell the difference!

I believe strongly that the difference between wiggling a stick in a shop, cast on pavement or grass, and casting on water is huge. To truely "feel" the rod you need the water to help load the rod.

Another factor here is the fly line you use. During our spring show last year we loaded six rods and reels that were exactly the same with different fly lines and had around 100 customers cast them. It was eye opening just to see how many customer learned how much difference the line makes.

Next time anyone is in Colorado Springs stop by Angler's Covey and cast all the rods you want, it is free.

One last item, Kirk Deeter will be at our Colorado Springs Fly Fishing Show Saturday, March 3rd. You can stop by and casts some rods with Kirk personally that day.

David...Here is a sneaky thing the line mfger's did as you know...make a 5wt line close to a 6wt line in grain wt. The ave. caster will like the heavier line wt. virtually every time. as it loads their rod at modest line lengths used much better. I am always concerned about the action of the rod that I buy. I always now buy a rod for a specific use..say small fly shorter line casting, and longer casts using bigger flies....GOOD POST from a knowledgeable angler.

Sayfu's, can you show me proof of this? And this argument over line weights and rod actions needs some scientific verification with any rods given measurements and a manufactures line's true weights. Bring on the common cents measuring system and we shall really see what's up with what.

Since graphite blanks were introduced, I have believed that, compared to the old fiberglass, etc., there in no bad graphite.
As the technology has marched on, there is some graphite that might be a little better for one reason or another, but the advances are not so huge. A little lighter, a bit more sensitive, but on the other hand, sometimes a bit more brittle and less suited to take the life of actually being fished.
I do love the capabilities of some 4 pc rods. That has been a real useful development. Handy to travel, and still perform on the river, I'm a happy guy.

Sayfu, I know what folks are going to say, but where'
s the proof that line makers are lying about their line's rated weight(in grains of course).

Koldkut, I suspect that if you weighed 5 different fly lines with a line scale, you'd find some variations among the manufacturers(and that's bearing in mind that a line classification falls in a specific range)that might be surprising, just as some tippet diameters are mislabeled. That's just a hunch. Buckhunter, picked up a Sharkskin line late last season, haven't had much of a chance to fish it yet. I am impressed with the suppleness of the line though. Can't wait to test it more thoroughly.

barefootwt. Got to move into that class of angler to appreciate their use of good equipment. Like the guy that drives the Porche...you can say, "all the cars I ever owned didn't add up to the cost of his Porche, but you'd have to be able to appreciate the Porche, and get behind the wheel.

good post backcast. You are right. There is a 10 grain wt. give, or take on grain wt.s for a particular line as I remember. Tippet diameter should be exact...3x should be exactly .008, but some lie by a .001 Maxima is natorious for being a .001 bigger than it says.

SD BOB..All this subjective reasoning about little difference is in the mind of the owner. To those that have the disposable income, a little bit means a whole lot to them. I've changed the guide sizes on rods so the line would shoot throw the bigger opening with less resistance...primarily the feeder guide, the next guide, and the tip top, and the little bit of extra distance made a big difference to me. Some expensive rods, especially in the past, were dressed with tiny guides that looked better in the flyshop, but restricted the casting difference. I like a nice looking reel seat, that adds a lot of expense over a cheap reel seat that has nothing to do with the performance of the rod, but something I will pay for. A thing that really impressed me about the newer graphite material, and the newer, strong, but very lt. wt. guides, was the thinner rods they produced in the bigger rod wts..same strenth, and less material. I am a steelheader, and an 8wt steelhead rod 9ft. or slightly longer, is a big rod, and it can be fatiguing to cast for a lengthy period..pick up a higher priced 8wt. today, and you can not believe it is an 8wt. It feels like a 5wt. and the less fatiguing it is over time on the water is significant to me.

You are right Sayfu. I inherited a Pflueger with a push button line retriever reel and a West Bend outfit. I have no idea what I did with the West Bend and the Pflueger is only around because it's more of a novelty item than a usable tool. I guess I do know what i want in a rod and that's something I can use effectively, with confidence and for many years. I know that often means I buy rods at the higher price ranges, but my grandkids are going to be very happy with their fly fishing inheritance after I die.

I think Sayfu hits on one end of it. The other is that, in my opinion, there is a mechanical difference between the cheap stuff and the higher end models. Also along that line, I'm more than willing to pay for the R&D that these higher end companies put into their products.

Let me say that I started off with a fly rod from Wally-world and after a year or so of learning, I upgraded to a St.Croix Imperial 5wt (still have it and love it). The first thing I noticed is the weight difference. Drastic difference. Then there was the functionality. The reaction of the St.Croix allowed me to reach farther with half the effort.

So are we just paying for a "Name", maybe - but without quality, the name don't mean a thing.

abbner...good post. It is like a pro golfer totally unwilling to play a round without a precise swing wt club fitted to them, in length, and wt. But they are good at what they do, and expect more from their equipment. Same with good fly casters. Once you are good at it, and it becomes a work in progress as well, as new casts and ways of presenting the fly are learned...you can appreciate the higher end stuff. St. Croix makes some good rods.

Sorry, but I have to make a comment about R&D/technology. The recently launched MTx line...it looks and weighs nearly as much as a helios (.5 oz lighter), reel seat is almost identical as well as the carbon fiber tube and the 25 yr warranty. But the MTx is nearly half the price. So if the technology keeps getting borrowed by mass retailers from innovators, which do you buy?