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WTF?

Started by Wildfisher, February 13, 2021, 09:11:17 PM

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Sean Freeman

A quick google suggests the Babolats are made in China along with most top rackets, the Yonex you mentioned were specifically highlighted for some being built in Japan but most in China with Head making some in Eastern Europe. I reckon the Babolats would be more than double the price with a lifetime warranty (rather than one or two years) and having to pay western wages, pension, A/L etc. There's more to the price of a rod than the raw ingredients.

Akos who owns Stickman and designs the tapers, a guy who is very straight to the point and honest when it comes to fly rods and the industry as a whole, told me that if he was to market his rods through brick and mortar stores and have EU, US, NZ distribution etc, his rods would likely double in price and become unaffordable. Obviously these guys want to make a good living and yeah the prices are climbing to levels that are even making me, a devout tackle tart question them but the fact you can still send back that 20 year old Sage, Scott, Orvis or whatever for repair after years of service and memories is awesome. I also like how these companies will support local and even international fisheries and lobby against destructive mining practices etc. It's a far more personal purchase than a throw away rod from Maxcatch or similar brands.

Sean Freeman

Just to add, Sage have never produced rods in China, they're all made on Bainbridge Island in Washington state, just like Scott are from Montrose, Colorado, T&T from Greenfield, Massachusetts, Winston for the most part produce rods in Twin Bridges Montana but some of the cheaper series like the passport were made in China. Orvis have and still do produce rods in China but the top end rods are made in Manchester, Vermont.

I think it's a pity there aren't tackle companies here in the U.K. the yanks have a lot of pride in fishing home grown brands that produce 100% US made products. Doesn't seem to be any of that same pride here, maybe theres a gap in the market but it would have to be a brilliant product to beat the American and Korean tackle on quality and at a price to tempt people away from Chinese products.

Bobfly

I am comparing the shape and carbon fibre construction technicalities of making a teardrop shaped hollow tennis racquet with a hollow cross bridge and tuned aerodynamics and with 136 exactly drilled holes in it, then baked and painted up and strung with complex multi micro fibre stringing by hand at the specified user's tension patterns (from the best player in the world who will absolutely hammer that racquet day in and day out) with a rod blank which is just a simple tapering tube using far far less materials. There is hardly any technical comparison between them except that the more complicated job by far is £200 all in and the other is £1,000.

The difference is really all marketing. The warranty is advertising comfort as the margin allows a few build stock to be retained. Repairs to a broken rod blank are essentially unknown, you get sent a spare section. Staff in tackle shops would be able to tell you just how frequent it is that a new rod breaks whilst being tried out on site by a customer. It has happened to me twice.

Interestingly the largest racquet supplier in Europe is Central Sports in Coventry and they are often able to carry out carbon fibre repairs to broken racquet heads, which they have done for me. I thought it would have been very difficult to do.
~  <°))))):><       ~   <°))))):><

Sean Freeman

Sage still have the mandrels and carbon cloth they used for each generation of fly rod. If you snap an old LL, SLT or RPL etc they will roll you a brand new section using the original materials. They provide excellent customer service from my experience. I've seen carbon repairs done but they never look right unless painted. Like Koenigsegg and Ferrari with their exposed carbon fibre wheels, they can be repaired when they've been kerbed but they look pants, albeit a replacement is in the tens of thousands!

I do think the prices look insane now that some rods are creeping into four figures but with inflation taken into account they haven't climbed by as much as people think, it's the fact that wages haven't risen in line with inflation in most industries. I also buy most of my gear new but have rarely paid RRP, I always look for 10-20% off.

past caring

I'm generally with Fred on this. Unless you are an absolute casting champion and can make difficult casts in tricky places with accuracy 99% of the time, I really cannot see that the 'return' you will get on a £900 plus rod over a £300 rod is going to be significant compared to what you will achieve by practicing your casting more regularly. And maybe getting some lessons.

That said, I remember 10 years back or so and people on here and elsewhere were raving about cheap-as-chips Fladen rods. I was after something short for jungle warfare so weighed out £20 on (I think) a 7' 4#. The sodding guides didn't line up even within the individual sections.  :lol: :lol: So that was one lesson learned. And since then I've generally gone for Greys Streamflex for my trout rods.

With one exception - I bought a Marryat Tactical pro Nymph Special 9' 6" at 3/4# a couple of years back. I 'know someone' so didn't pay full whack for it but I think it did set me back £400. I bought it because I'd had a couple of lengthy sessions trying it out and it's been absolute mustard. For years I've been trying to find something that will cast a dry fly accurately at short and long range, will also happily fish spiders and cope with Czech nymph and (more recently) French leader style fishing - all in the one rod. I'd hit a compromise with a Daiwa 9' 3/4# that had a 1' section you could add, but to be honest it was a bit of a pain. It didn't cast brilliantly as dry fly rod and having to add the section was a bit of a faff (not to mention trying to avoid snapping the section when it's stored in your bag and you stack it down the bank  :lol: :lol:).

I think the Marrayats are now going at something like £550 - and I wouldn't pay that for a dry fly rod, or a wet fly rod or a nymphing rod, but for a rod that does all of those things and does them very well? Absolutely.

(ps - I have no connection with Marryat - if they knew me, they'd doubtless disown me.  :D)
Oh, you wet, you weed, you mite! I will utterly tough you up!

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