I love my Axiom X. Best rod for the $ I’ve found. TFO makes fantastic mid-priced rods. Plus the lifetime warranty and customer service is top notch.

A very subjective subject but good . I own over 40 + rods and have been fly fishing since 1959 and had averaged around 60 days a year and in the past 10 years 120 days a year both fresh and salt . So my take on this is I own Sage , Winston , Scott , Loomis , Hardy all of these I have paid $800 to $1,100 each , They are great rods . But I also own Maxcatch, Echo , Edge , TFO and CD rods and payed as little as $120 to as much as $400 and they are also great rods . I base this on how they perform not necessarily how they look or if they have the best components. Having the lightest rod is nice but when you add a reel and line that changes everything sure some of the lower priced rods may weigh more but in the end I have never had to set one down because I couldn’t cast anymore because it was to heavy . With the availability of new technology and rod designers now designing rod for these lower priced rod companies it’s hard not to purchase them . My only suggestion is no matter what your going to buy go out and cast it and see if it fits what your looking for , the most expensive is not necessarily the best when it comes to fly rods . Oh and warranty all the lower price rods I mentioned have great warranties. Now it your turn , go fish :-)

The answer to your question, which you didn't seem to answer, for me is that cost of the highest-end rod isn't justified. Here's why: most anglers aren't going to notice the difference. Nor are they going to gain 84% more enjoyment of the sport by getting a 900.00 rod versus say a 300.00 rod. And that's the thing for me about a lot of gear. Is getting the 1000.00 skis versus the 300.00 skis going to yield 70% more enjoyment? Not likely. When it comes to fishing, it's mostly a status thing to buy the 900.00 rod. I'm firmly in the camp of not getting junk that will just break, but also not spending for top-of-line because at that level you're getting minimal additional benefit.

Q. Should you come into my shop and spend $1000? A. Yes, of course you should.

I LOVE ECHO fly rods, I own 7 of them! Everyone has cost less than $200, I have been fly fishing for 52 yrs!! I might have a clue how to cast a fly rod! DON'T STOP CASTING!! That's my ADVISE!! If it works for you to spend alot of money on a fly rod that's fine with me! GOOD LUCK and GOOD FISHING!!

I love all my rods. I have a $150 Reddington Classic Trout to a $1195 Winston Air 2 and many in between. They all catch fish and I use em all. I just love fishing but I must say my Scott & Winston are super nice. I just rotate em so I don’t get tired of 1 rod.

I've been flyfishing 30+ years and I can honestly say that some of the 250€ rods are better than many of the 800-900€ rods from 5-7 years ago in terms of casting, feel and lightness (but not craftsmanship obviously). The market has gone more from "save your money for that one really good expensive rod" to "buy many cheaper specialised rods". For the retailer it doesn't make much of a difference, the fisherman spends as much money as they have always done. Perhaps even more, since many cheaper things is a bit deceiving compared to that one really expensive one. I have some of the best rods that were available (sage one, Radian, Winstons) but nowadays I often prefer fishing with e.g. a Guide Line Elevation (best price to quality ration out there, in my opinion). One thing you have to expect though, is that the cheaper one is more likely to brake and more difficult to get related/replaced compared to an expensive one, that often comes with a lifetime warranty in the sense that you get replacement part very cheap regardless of how you brake it.

Most fly rods are capable of casting a long line providing it has a good fly line on it, the fly line is the most important part of the combination.

Weird how fast action became synonymous with high quality. It is literally just a design decision.

Bought a new never used custom built 9' 5wt with an Okuma reel for 30 bucks at the thrift store. My 500 dollar St. Croix is now a backup rod.

$650 for a “back up rod”?!!! You guys say some ridiculous stuff to over sell folks. I know you are in business and you need to make money but misleading people into thinking a $650 rod is somehow “lesser” or “sub par” is simply shameful. Kelly Galloup would agree.

I feel a "mid priced" made in USA rod like a scott flex, wave or sage maverick etc is still a better buy than a flagship level rod from an overseas manufacturer that build in korea or china. The attention to detail and level of care i feel are far greater from USA made rod manufactures.

good video, shows he big differences for the price. All these rods can catch fish, butt there are advantages if you're willing to spend more money. To me the best move has always been to keep an eye out for sales on the mid tier stuff. It gives you lots of the nicer features at a good price. I also am eyeing that axiom 2 for my 8 weight salt rod

I learned on a reddington path 5wt used it for 3 years ( still have and use it) and caught tons of fish even a few 3 pound bass and some big chain pickerel. The best investment a new fly caster can make is spend the money on great fly line that matches the rod well. That made the biggest difference to me. I just bought a new tfo mangrove coast for 285 and I can't see spending anymore than that on a rod. Now reels while not nearly as important to fly fishing, I justify spending more money because they can last so long, my ross Animas will be my 5wt reel no matter what rod I break and replace the reel should last a long time. Just my two cents. Sometimes i tie a wooly bugger on a 10 dollar cane pole from Walmart and have a great time challenging my ability to read a river and get close to spots without spooking fish.

Nice review, but how do they cast? Casting and feel is very individual but I'd get more value by adding a blindfolded casting evaluation by a half dozen decent casters. Who cares how long they last if they don't cast well

I guess for me it boils down to 2 questions, if it breaks can I afford to replace it immediately? I only imaging a warrantee claim will take time. 2. Will the rod stand up to my use? I take care of my equipment and fish 2-3X a week; yes I'm retired, and my rods last for 5-20+ years. My rods are lower to mid-priced and I mostly fish fresh water. I have one rod & 2 reels specific to salt water and the reels cost more than the rod. To me the reel is the weak link in salt water. Thanks for the review

If you're just starting out, start with a lower end rod! Once you're used to it then if you want or can afford a higher priced one!!!!

All rods can catch fish… you do get what you pay for in terms of casting accuracy ( aka more tight line) and tight line tension management (more landed fish). The larger the fish the more the quality of the rod matters… after spending thousands of dollars on the trip, it just makes sense to have the best equipment you can afford. I learned the hardest way possible… I bought cheap and paid and paid until I ended up with the top of the line

I have one Sage XP left. Probably one of the best 8 wt fly rods ever. Was a sad day when they were discontinued..

Thanks guys! Great info.

You need to do one with fly line

I have many fly rods from thomas & thomas and i could say , yes you should spend $$ on high end rods, take a paradigm 9' #4 wt for all around trout, a sextant 7 wt you can fishing streamer for trout, saltwater, bass , carp. And a contact 2 10' #3 wt. High quality , high durability and nice in hand because the grip is so good i don't like entry rod for the quality of the cork. I prefer spend money and keep my rod 10/20 years than change rod all of 2/5 years because the cork leave my rods

I like the lamson colbolt

Honestly, I have a top line Epic, a Sage Sonic and a Loop Evotec all in 6wts. The Loop was by far the cheapest of all 3 and it is a far better rod than the other two. They’re all great rods, the Loop is hand’s down the best

I have the Sage X. I like it more than the custom T.L. Johnson I had. It's a bit lighter and more comfortable, but I don't notice a $600 difference.

I have both inexpensive rods and high end rods. All are as capable of catching as the angler using them. But that being said the higher end rods are definitely nicer and more comfortable to use. I used a cheap 8 wt rod with 5 wt line for years, just because I didn't know any better, and landed a lot of fish with it. Ill bet I didn't have 75 bucks invested in the total rig but had a lot of fun using it. I always tell people who ask for advice on getting into fly fishing not to go out and buy the high end stuff to start with. I've seen a lot of people spend a bunch of money because they wanted to get into the sport and only use it a couple of times and finding out fly fishing just isn't for them.

Nice overview...Thanks for the insight!

I can see spending some dollars on saltwater rods going for big fish, needing to cast into big winds. What I don’t see is why you’d buy high end rods for small streams for trout. I bet I catch as many big trout on my $250 4wt as someone would on a rod that is much more expensive. (Caught a 21” cutthroat on a minnow pattern yesterday!!)

I love the Hardy Zane Pro. I have used TFO for years and stepped up to a Hardy 9wt and absolutely loved it. I now have the Zane Pro model in 7wt up to 10wt.

Rod technology has improved a lot over recent times. Also, most rods have good warranties. You can get some great mid priced rods that will give you years of good service. In the wash up, you get what you pay for.

in my 15 years of fly fishing I can say without a doubt that the buy cheap buy twice mantra totally rings true with fly gear. You are way better off getting good stuff from the start. If you can't afford 900 bucks for a new rod that is totally understandable or if you aren't sure if the fly fishing game is really for you and you don't want to drop 900 bucks on a rod until you are certain then I think it's better to pick up a top end used rod in good condition than it is to buy one of the "performance" low end rods or reels. Companies like TFO lure you in with the "no questions asked" warranty replacement and that seems great until you are on a trip and your rod breaks above one of the ferrules or one of your guides breaks off and then it costs you not only the warranty replacement fee but a lot more money because your trip just got a wrench thrown in it. Then you start to understand why they are willing to replace a broken rod for $25. Those TFO rods might perform well enough but in my experience - with several of them - it's only a matter of time before they fail in some way and the cork is absolute garbage on all of their rods, it literally comes apart in your hand over time. It's those little things that separate the high end rods from the imports. Another "trick" I've learned over the years is to pick up high end rods when they are clearing them out for the latest greatest version of that rod. About 10 years ago I got a spankin new Orvis helios for $300 bucks when my local fly shop was clearing the rack to make room for the helios 2 models to come in. That is still one of my favorite rods and I got it for the price of a TFO and it came with a 25 year warranty from Orvis. Another bonus of buying last years clearance stuff is you can literally resell it on ebay for what you paid for it or sometimes even more if you end up not liking it. I use that same trick with used rods too sometimes. Example: I picked up two used Helios 2's in 6wt and 8wt on ebay auctions, scoring them for $325 and $375 dollars respectively. I fished both of them for a year then I sold them on ebay at action and they both sold for more than I paid for them. Then I took the money and invested in a brand new stick.

As a teenager, my first fly rod was a no name brand for 11 dollars. Completely hollow, made of fiberglass and very whippy. Never used it with flies at the time. Only worms and any other bait i could dig up. But I caught more fish then anyone around me. I'm sure if i learned to use flies with it I would still be happy with it. Today, I have and old 4 piece Sage graphite III 5wt and a R.J Winston baron 3 wt. Nothing wrong with inexpensive rods because fish are not that bright. They don't know the difference in how much you paid for a rod. But, It's simply personal satisfaction that drives one to buy more expensive rods. Yeah, it's the look and feel of it. But i do believe there is a cut off point to it. Never tried a very expensive rod over a thousand dollars but would think with anything high end, it's more about the subtle things and of course, paying extra for the name brand.

This is excellent info for anglers looking to get into saltwater fly fishing. It's such a harsh environment. I've only had "cheapies" because of this, but - now you can find rods which are built to withstand the corrosion for a lifetime - I may find myself an nice Hardy...

I'll throw my opinion here too. I don't believe you HAVE to spend huge money, you will run into the law of diminishing returns. However the more you spend the lighter the weight of the rod. That doesn't mean much for most people most of the time, but my shoulder and elbow hurt. I can swing my little 3 weight all day with no issue, but if I move up to my 5's I have to pay for it later. Will a thousand dollar rod be better in that respect? Maybe. But I also believe I can buy a smaller brands top of the line rod for less than some other brands entry level. That Axiom is less than a Sage Foundation and I'd bet money swings a lot lighter too. A Redington Path may not compare but I'll bet a Crux will. If you spend a little time researching I think you can buy an extraordinary rod for a good value. And when you look at even how today's cheapest rods compare to a top of the line model from 20 years ago, I think we'd all agree we're just spoiled now.

My streamer rod/ first fly rod is a 25+ year old Pflueger 5/6 wt $69.95 cheap kit . I still use it often. Never tried 5wt line. I have caught bass, bluegill trout and one catfish with it. Upgraded to an 8 wt for bass Scientific Anglers. I have a Sage Discovery (going out of business sale 20+ years ago ) 8' 5 wt. Does great for dry flies. Finally bought a new rod a 4 piece 9' 5wt TFO don't know the model . Much lighter and better components but under $250 ( I had a gift card) I buy what feels right or good enough for the price.

"Why is it so cheap?" seems to be the wrong question. I'd rather ask: Why are some rods so much more expensive, when yet the production costs differ much much less between low price and high price rods? Because enough of us pay whatever a fly rod costs.

Cheap/expensive is relative. If you fish 20 times a year, no need for 1k rod. If you however fish 100+ days-hell yeah.

My eternal question about expensive, high end rods is: will it catch more fish? The answer seems to be: maybe. From what I can gather from talking to multiple fly shops is that they will sometimes cast farther and more accurately. What is farther? Here in Virginia the typical trout stream runs from maybe 10ft to 20ft across so maybe your cast upstream is at most 30ft. If a high end maker/seller claims that it will cast the entire line, my response is: why? I will agree with increased accuracy, but if I miss a target by a foot and the target was six inches, does that mean it was a bad cast? Bottom line: I am not convinced that I need to spend $1,000 for a 3 or 4wt rod to hunt trout.

You should absolutely buy the best most expensive gear available. You ask why, cause then you can’t blame your equipment as to why you are not getting any fish…. 😂😂

Fish with a series of rods down under in various places and must say they all perform well..Sage, Loomis, Hardy (Zephrus), and I also have 2 Powells (20 years old) a 4wt and a 9 wt and they both perform well...matter of choice but if you fish regulalrly then the top end models will give you a far batter return over time...enjoy the sport!

My favorite rod today is my Or is Helios coverte

I’m 75 been fly fishing for over 50yrs, I have rods that would blow all those rods away.. for performance, build quality and slimness, nothing like those tree trunks you have there.. and they cost me 96 English pounds (I’m in the UK) to me Sage stands for S**t, I’ve had them, problem is they go “soft” then useless ! Hardy are good and quality can’t be beaten, but at that price I think they should come with a lifetime warranty ! The rods I have I would challenge anything on the market against me for lightness and casting distance, I’m not bragging but I get fed up of being asked, “what rods that mate ?” after seeing me cast with it. ! One day I was fishing on the dam at Grafam, at the time I had got my Sage rod with me, and I noticed a little old man fishing a few yards up from me, and couldn’t help but noticed the long line he was putting out… I went up to him and got chatting, I said, “your putting a good line out there mate” he said, not bad but I am 86 !! He handed me the rod and said, here have a go with it.. I couldn’t believe how thin and light it was, I started casting it and the line shot out with no effort at all, I was Sold !! I thanked him and told him, it’s better than my Sage.. The Sage was sold, and the rest is history so they say ! No, I’m not going to mention the rod brand at the moment, as many of you reading this would know it ..

I think the expensive rod is worth it, if you fish in saltwater a lot and have the money. Personally I don’t fish in saltwater more than a few times a year and there’s no way I’d spend that kind of money. (I have an old Sage RPL and a Maxcatch.) When we’re talking about trout stream fishing I do that a lot more, but I still can’t see spending $1000 when there are really good options for a lot less, and it’s not as demanding on build and components as salt is. E.g., I have a Taylor Dynamix 4wt 8’6, which is a fantastic $200 rod, and high end rods are better but not by so much that I’d really notice the difference.

Spending big bucks on tackle will not make you a better fisherman , it takes years to do this , i have never spent more than £200 on a salmon rod or £150 on a trout fly rod , because amazingly the fish dont know how much you have paid , some times snobbery comes into the equation , try rods to suit your casting style , dont let sales people sway your choice , they will try and sell you a make or type of rod they cannot sell , ask yourself how often will i fish in a season , dont have a small fortune idle in a closet , most of all enjoy your fishing .

🌴 well this is a question of what are you fishing for ( species) and how often are you using it , to get your money’s worth out of it , we the consumer watch fishing shows and videos with guides and fishing stars , there using usually high end equipment that a sponsor gave to them to boost their show ( and the company’s sales ) and a lot of that equipment is expensive! They push clothes rods reels line lures , it’s all about the money but do you really need it to get the job done 🤔 my first question is have ya ever had a fish ask ya if it’s being caught on expensive or or cheap equipment! Ya I thought so, pappy taught me a fool and his money are soon parted , and let’s face it times have changed the materials and quality of rods from manufacturers from competition in the market you can get a cheaper rod that’s well built , I switched from freshwater to salt , my light weight fly tackle ain’t gonna cut it for saltwater , I have an assortment from 8 to 11 wt fly rods most aren’t high end , and most were bought at pawn shops or second hand stores or flea markets, they are mid range,cost rods that I got “ cheap “ this last weekend I picked up a 9’ 2 pc 8 wt Hurricane Redbone for $ 22.00 bucks it looks brand new , high end nope , but that Redbone is gonna get me some redfish ! And what I save on that rod gives me extra change to maybe get a a better reel and fly line , now ya I know there’s guys out there that wanna fluff up there ego , and it makes them look and feel like their a professional fisherman or guide and they need to show off , but what it comes down to is if it gets the job done , save some money , because you might wanna boat ! And that’s a whole different video 🤣👍🏼

Just buy TFO. Tight lines everyone!

What you mean is the more expensive the rod the more profit you make.

If you can afford it, get the highest quality gear that does the job you want to do. But don't fall into the trap of thinking that buying more expensive gear will make you a better caster, or catch more fish. It has been my experience fishing some of the premier trout locations in America that there tends to be an inverse correlation between the cost of the gear I've seen people using, and their ability to use it effectively. I've seen dudes in the river with ten thousand dollars of gear hanging off them that couldn't double-haul if their lives depended on it. If I had any advice for anyone looking at spending a grand on a fish pole, I'd say "when you've pushed your current gear to its limit, and you need to get more out of it, then look to upgrade. But not until."

I think I'll get the Hardy Zane with a Mako reel for the kid who has zero appreciation for anything, especially fishing, since landing that night manager job at Arby's.

I wouldnt say that more expensive gear will make you a better angler, not will it make you catch more fish simply because fish dont give a single f about your gear. However... I many cases "you get what you pay for" applies. I bought a graphene fly rod because its light like a feather and my arm wont get tired from mending. I get more feeling and responce from a graphene rod too. Reel? Dont care, and never did. Just buy whatever If you want to spend money somewhere its the line! Get premium and call it a day.

Thanks for taking the time to explain these differences to us. I know that fly fishing is a sport that can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it. If someone has the money to spend on a rod that gives them confidence, or even just satisfaction, who am I to tell them what to do with their money? I've caught hundreds of fish on cheap rods, but there are definitely times where a feature here or there might be nice to have. Can't blame someone with plenty of money to divert to a passion for doing so. Thanks again for the video!

I have a few 90$ + rods … for instructional use . My favorite rods are my Thomas and Thomas . And of course Scott rods . Years ago … the only 2 rods that ever broke wet both Sage rods both broke while play a trout ( brown ) . The 1 st was a 4wt I only cast drys and small terrestrials. The 2nd was a 6wt broke while nymphing the guide let me use it as comparison to my rod . Both Sage rods broke at the tip . What annoyed me was the customer service at Sage …. Very rude !! The rods were broken probably 4 years apart . So it wasn’t as if it was the same day same customer person . Sage can suck it as far as I’m concerned .👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾👇🏿

To me the best rod is the lightest in ounces and slim taper, Axiom 2x is the lightest there for its the best.😂

Sage r8 690.

Cool video. A outfit video would be cool. From low to hi. For salwater.

People also spend $650 on reels with the best “drag” to fish 6x tippets! 😂😂. My guess is most people buying $1000 rods won’t catch 150 fish on them.

I have a Path that I’ve caught hundreds of trout on. It’s not the rod.

This video seemed mostly geared towards salt. I agree that it's better to go for quality if you're dealing with saltwater, wind and larger fish. You're going to have a miserable time with a cheap rod in that situation. That said, if you're fishing for trout in smaller rivers, don't waste your money unless you're looking for a status symbol.

Buy the best that you can afford. You won't regret it. Go cheap and you get cheap......and little to no warranty.

I own 14 flys rod , 2wts to 10 wts!!

I would take the sage over all of them, Hardy sucks now that pure fishing owns them, plus the cork is shit on Hardy rods. My favorite rods right now is the Sage R8 690 and the Gloomis NRX+ 788 SF.

Sage components are not top of the line. Loomis has great rods just hope you don’t every need warranty service. Scott Sector for high end!

All the rods will have what carbon is used IM6, IM8, IM10 that is the modulus count. So IM10 is IM10 no matter who makes it. I don't live near salt water so anodized isn't important.

As Chuck Yeager said it's the pilot not the plane. Some will get what I'm saying.

I hate how unexcited this guy seems to be about the “lower end” rods. Come on dude. My experience with the redington path is that if you’re looking for something in the slower mod-fast action it stacks up incredibly well. It IS fully anodized on the reel seat, and using it compared to my higher end med-fast actions it performs amazingly. Its very similar to something like a Sage Graphite III which was top of the line 10+ years ago. Bit of a snobbish outlook over here from the fly guys.

no question at all that technology gets better all the time, but at over a few hundred dollars, half the price is for the name brand sticker on it. 95% of fishermen will NEVER be able to realize the so-called "advantages" of such an expensive rod. Put my old, heavy ass on a $12K road bike, and I'll still be the old, heavy, slow guy on a bike. I guess we should believe that Lefty Kreh and all the true masters of fly fishing never caught shit because all their equipment obviously sucked..... Today's "mid-range" rods (and fly hooks, hackle, tying materials, waders, you-name-it) are spectacularly advanced compared to the high end equipment of a few decades ago, but so many people caught so many fish because they were truly better anglers than most of us will ever be. They WORKED for it.

All I can say is that the fish don't give a shit what you use. Presentation is everything.

Rod is rod, even $150 is a lot of money for a rod. And most of them are made in China or Korea. 😂😂😂

มาชมครับผม+1ครับ

Everything above 150 dollar is just marketing. Sure you get a slightly better feel in the hand but it does not last longer or catch more fish.

Or you say screw all that s*** and buy a custom rod

Listen. If you are buying $650 rods as back ups, you’re operating at different level than be. $1000 fly rods? I just don’t feel it. But hey I won’t spent 89,000 on and SUV either

Lol..because the rod weight on the uplock ring matters?..u carry 4 rods in a boat..😂..how would you not know which rod is which?🙄

Comment on titanium alloy makes me question the legitimacy of everything else said.

9:27 of sales BS!

Nowadays there is no need to buy very expensive rods if you know what you are doing and are experienced with makes and trying rods out. I've had all the price points and owned expensives rods and in the UK I can get a Shakespeare Agility 2 fly rod for £100 that is almost the quality of a £600 rod in casting. No need at all to buy anything over £300 at tte very max. Been fishing for nearly 40 years and a past qualified instructor.

I think orvis and sage and all the big names are just bullshiting us ....just got a Okuma Slv 6wt and it has carbon fiber reel seat and fugi guides ..... costs around 100 dollars I guess and casts accurate as shit ...so if you want that 90 dollar line clipper or those 1200 dollar reels or rods ...you're the dumb one not the brand .... because it's their job to steal I guess

Just learn to cast and fish and all modern rods are good

Hardi made In china cheim.

???

So funny watching you twist yourself in knots to try and justify the ridiculous amounts they think a damn rod should cost. But hey, it has a number on it and it’s “tEcHnIcAl.”

I used to dream of having an Orvis rod, then they went woke and claimed fishing is racist. I have two. I stopped supporting and advocating Orvis! I’d buy a Sage or Scott next.

G. LOOMIS ASQUITH FLY ROD 7wt i got one...was looking at a 945$ so i was just like might as well lol

Nope!!