So can we assume that every intelligent fly fisher in Rocky Mountain House is fishing what ever the local Canadian Tire is carrying?
I find it interesting that the blogger linked just "so happened" to have the three most popular, highly marketed, most talked about and most expensive mass produced rods available out for a stroll in the parking lot.
I wonder what brought him to this place in time?
The internet opens up a world of fly fishing equipment to everyone. I had never even laid eyes on my two favorite rods (Hardy Zenith and Sage ZXL) before ordering them on line and would have never had the opportunity to cast them. Reading reviews, blogs and internet forums I was able to get a feel for the rods and they were exactly what I expected and more.
I had discarded the Sage One as a rod I would not enjoy after reading on line even though I am a huge Sage fan. When I finally got a chance to fish One, it was exactly as I had been lead to believe. An excellent rod but too fast and technical for my abilities.
After reading reviews on the Loop Opti Stream, I ordered the rod for my son. Another home run as this rod is a beautiful thing to fish and everything the rave reviews had promised.
You can easily figure out on this forum and others which poster's advice is relevant to you and which should be discarded. Many have agendas, but that certainly does not mean their advice is wrong. Many are just wrong but write it up so nicely it appears relevant.
Fly fishing is a business and without that business we would all be fishing with sticks and bottle corks. Top name manufacturers employ the some of the best designers in the industry. Their designs are scrutinized by the best casters in the industry and their success or failure is based on performance and reliability. There is no where to hide when anyone with a key board can gain access to so many opinions on your product.
Wiggle all the rods you like or even parking lot cast a few if you think that in any way is going to determine how a rod will perform under different circumstances, throwing different bugs to different critters. I will continue to read fly fishing forums/blogs to see how these things are performing in the hands of fishermen throughout the world.
It has been my experience that successful fly shops seek out what they believe to be the best performing rods and market that product. They do not risk their reputation selling inferior products for short term gain. They do this because fly fisherman find good fly rods. I have yet to see a fly rod find a fisherman although it does look so cool in written word.
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