Aleka Sports

[Black-Don]

must be a bit like hardys /greys , if thats the case the aleka stuff looks a good deal!

Same thoughts exactly and going from what Mike has just said, seems to me that just as in everything else, there comes a point in tackle evolution where the budget brands catch up with the top of the range.

Obviously the cheapest rod can never match the most expensive and to keep costs down there will be a few cutbacks on reel seats etc,. but spend a few pound more and you are getting an equally good rod for a fraction of the price.

Mate of mine who worked in the tackle trade used to argue that you weren't getting a lifetime guarantee with an £80 rod  :roll:

[scotty9]

If you take a  hardy > mid range loop > budget end unbranded they all do the same thing. The actual blank itself can and will most likely be of similar quality assuming you choose the lower end stuff appropriately. As Mike has mentioned with guides, the big differences between low end stuff and high end stuff are fittings and tolerances. One of the loop designers I was speaking to at the kelso fair a couple years ago said the main difference between their cheap rods and more expensive rods is exactly that, tolerances of how straight the guides are aligned for example and quality of fittings.

Most brand name gear is made out east so if you carefully select you can likely pick up identical gear at bargain prices.

That's the logic, now whether someone takes a pride in the added perceived quality in high end gear or enjoys brand loyalty etc is a totally different aspect which is totally up to them.

[Wildfisher]

Another thing thing that can be missed is you are actually paying far more in real terms for this cheap gear if you look at the overall  picture.

Next time you buy food, fill your tank with petrol, buy heating oil for your house,or pay yet another massive  hike on your gas and electricity bill remember it's all related to the price of oil and the main reason oil  is super expensive compared to what it once was is because of massive energy demands from places like China that was not there before  they started  flooding  the market with cheap consumer goods. This was predicted decades ago, you do not need a degree in economics to understand why.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, one way or another you will pay.