Most you've spent on a rod?

[mac7x]

Maybe polling the mental health/common sense of bamboo enthusiasts would be more enlightening.

You really want to assess the mental health and common sense of folks who spend hundreds, or even thousands on a fish pole?

[sanderson]

Maybe polling the mental health/common sense of bamboo enthusiasts would be more enlightening.

You really want to assess the mental health and common sense of folks who spend hundreds, or even thousands on a fish pole?

tongue in cheek, but, yeah, wouldn't that make a good read?

[Bamboocollector#1]

I am truly enjoying all the responses and am now considering polling how many fly rods do you own; bamboo separated from other constructed materials(graphite, fiberglass, boron, & steel).
I would guess most of us own rods from both groups as sometimes the purpose, or where we are fishing may cause us to lean to one type or another.

[Booman2]

Like others, I have owned way more than 70 rods. Like the stock market, it's money over time, so the highest I have paid is under $2000. However, this includes many Howells rods starting at about $250.00 in 1972 to $1550 in the 1990's. Howells rods average about $3100 today. I once spent an evening sipping red wine and plotting the price of rods over time, using Marty Keane's catalog prices as a standard. The most expensive rods appreciated the most and it was downhill from there.
I was at A&F in NYC in the 1980's when they closed, and the prices on Payne rods would make you cry.

[G-ManBart]

2500 views and 130 votes (ballpark). I hope everyone knows that nobody can see your answer!

[Kave]

A Walton Powell Companion that is as sweet as can be. Took me a year to save the money as I was a poor fishing guide at the time.
Does anyone know of the highest price ever paid for a rod? At auction, I guess. Private sales are, well, private. I wonder what rod that was - not that that means anything. Values seem to be so subjective on many levels.

[Kave]

Not to hijack your thread, but an equally interesting and perhaps just as entertaining poll would be what’s the LEAST you’ve spent on a bamboo rod.

[adrien schnee]

2k for a Walton Powell Companion that is as sweet as can be. Took me a year to save the money as I was a poor fishing guide at the time. No regrets.
Does anyone know of the highest price ever paid for a rod? At auction, I guess. Private sales are, well, private. I wonder what rod that was - not that that means anything. Values seem to be so subjective on many levels.

If I recall correctly the highest I know of was around $20 000 for a short Gillum quite a few years ago through a dealer.

[G-ManBart]

Not to hijack your thread, but an equally interesting and perhaps just as entertaining poll would be what’s the LEAST you’ve spent on a bamboo rod.

That would be interesting, but I suspect there would be a lot of $0 replies for rods that were given to people. I'm sure there are some crazy bargains out there for legitimate purchases though, and that could be interesting, or at least entertaining!

[9.3x75r]

$500 on an Orvis. That would have to be about my limit. However, I've spent over 5 times that on a rifle....and would again if the right vierling popped up.

[G-ManBart]

Wow...under $1,000 and $1,000 to $2,500 are now tied. I wasn't expecting that, but it's not surprising that 72% of the votes (currently) are for rods $2,500 or less.

[SpringCreek]

Well I broke the tie, at least momentarily. I will add though, I have spent more on a reel than I have on a rod.

[G-ManBart]

Well I broke the tie, at least momentarily. I will add though, I have spent more on a reel than I have on a rod.

You should start a poll on the most people have spent on a reel!

[G-ManBart]

Our second $10K+ vote...wow!

[carl otto]

I am at a loss to understand the purpose of this thread. What does it matter how much you personally wish to spend on a bamboo fly rod. If you follow the market place, there are $10 rods and there are $10,000+ rods. There are far more less expensive rods then expensive rods. Therefore, there are more poeple with less expensive rods than expensive rods. It seems that they all sell (eventually). It also seems that the high end quality rods (say over $3,000) do not stay on the market very long. The middle priced rods have a lot of competition (buy new or after market current and recent past makers) and sit longer. The low cost rods are attractive to entry level and value conscious folks. Lots of folks seem to like to tell you they "got a steal" on a rod, but I find the majority of folks who paid a fair market price for a quality classic or high end current builder, are not ones who need to advertise it. Instead they understand what they have, it's value and enjoy the use of it for all of its worth. I think whatever results you glean in this exercise will be skewed, based on this fact and the small size of the sample group participating on this site.

Carl

[G-ManBart]

I am at a loss to understand the purpose of this thread. What does it matter how much you personally wish to spend on a bamboo fly rod.

I thought I explained it pretty clearly in my first post. I said:

It's really nothing more than curiosity. If you like spending lots of money on fly rods looking for the best of the best I support you, and if you like bargain hunting to get the best bang for your buck I support you just the same!


What I really don't get is why SO many people on this forum read a post and respond with "what is the purpose of this thread?". It's pretty simple...not everyone finds the same things interesting. There are plenty of threads and topics I couldn't care less about, so I just don't read them, much less comment on them.

[G-ManBart]

Bump....any new purchases?

[adrien schnee]

About $75000. Ha ha! ( G Man Bart will get it... )

[G-ManBart]

About $75000. Ha ha! ( G Man Bart will get it... )

I set myself up for that one!

[JabaliHunter]

I was brought up to buy the best you could afford and look after it and make it last… As a result I am still using woodworking tools and garden tools bought by my grandparents.
So while one person might enjoy owning 5 rods and would never dream of spending more than $500 on each, another might get the same enjoyment from owning just one but spending $2500 on it.
Some like collecting, others take a minimalist approach! Everyone gets their enjoyment in different ways; and it can change over time.