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Not really a hijack but a somewhat tangential set of comments. First of all thanks for commending Mr Weiler's rods. I have often visited his website and wondered about how his work is regarded. I was very favorably inclined to the tapers he makes and found it quite cool that there are some Pezons amongst them.

As in any human endeavor where one attempts to assess excellence I suspect that there is some injustice in the sphere of rodmaker reputations. No doubt there are some who have climbed above their true merit and others who do not get the recognition they deserve. There may well be many who get their just desserts either negatively or positively. I sometimes think that very superficial factors can either propel one to undeserved heights or leave a maker in relative obscurity.

Some of these factors?

(1) Price I've noticed a tendency that if a rodmaker prices his rods near the lower end of the price spectrum people assume that there is some reason for this, i.e., a new builder, a hobbyist, some lower level of quality. It may simply be that a maker wants his work within reach of a broader group of fisherman, or that he feels this is a "just price," or that he might sell more and ultimately do better this way (price point model). At the other end of the spectrum are high priced rods that may not be "worth" the premium. I won't name names but I think some of the established companies often charge a price that cannot be considered "worth it" when compared to a rod by an individual maker. Mr Weiler has fairly priced rods and may suffer some from these silly assumptions.

(2) Website. I think people often are influenced by the sophistication and beauty of the website of the maker. Of course, many great makers have lovely and informative sites (eg, Brandin, Carlin, Schilske). I think Mr Weiler's page is relatively simple and unsophisticated. It has a kind of Americana 1950s feel that is exacerbated by the place name "Kunkelstown". The photos of his work are VERY simple, spartan shots that don't look much different than an online auction photo. There is no mystical prose, fascinating biography, or technical pyrotechnics to wow a visitor to the site. So, perhaps Weiler suffers from the lack of sophistication of his webpage---unfair---but maybe true.

(3) Cloning. There may be some who simply think that replica rods don't rise to the level of worth of "novel tapers". Some people want to see some kind of innovation whether it be hollow building, or quadrate, or god knows what. I'm on the fence on this. I think true genius and the ability to truly innovate are extremely rare. I dislike novelty for novelty's sake. I tire of the artist's need to smash the idols of the past just top thumb his nose at the rest of society. I long for a day in which craftsmen continue longstanding traditions, and preserving those traditions is on an equal footing with "innovation." So, I don't doubt that todays makers can tweak and improve the great tapers and that some innovation is taking place somewhere. For myself I am more interested in the hommage rods.

Thanks again for the positive report on Weiler----of great interest to a Garrison fan like me.