Tom Morgan rods..

**JB in SC** · 02-26-2010, 01:42 PM

I was looking into a Tom Morgan rod yesterday and was astonished at the pricing....about $1400 for a glass or graphite rod.

Am I crazy or is that crazy?

I am crazy, but you know what I mean.

**adam** · 02-26-2010, 09:45 PM

You are crazy.

There are no old graphite rods yet.

**JB in SC** · 02-27-2010, 05:54 AM

Poorly worded on my part....

No way would I consider a $1400 plastic rod. The pricing is crazy to me.

**Mostyn** · 02-27-2010, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by JB in SC

Poorly worded on my part....

No way would I consider a $1400 plastic rod. The pricing is crazy to me.

Idiotic and ludicrously over priced; but someone is making a fortune from producing them and selling them at inflated prices!

**JB in SC** · 02-27-2010, 11:00 AM

Granted the blanks are wrapped by a protege of Russ Peak, still.....

**Ernest** · 02-27-2010, 11:10 AM

Econ 101: Any item is worth exactly what someone will pay for it.

I don't see myself paying $1400 for a graphite rod, but maybe it's worth that to someone.

If I was in the business, I'd rather sell 10 rods at $1400 each than 100 rods at $140.

I had a guy offer me $250 for a wood rod once. I didn't even like the rod that much myself, I had $12 in materials in the thing, and I thought he was crazy. His money was good, though.

**adam** · 02-27-2010, 11:42 AM

Ernest, that is funny.

I would rather have 10 quality people here than 100.

A $1,400 rod is not worth fourteen hundred dollars to those 10 people.

Just sayin...

**streamcaster1** · 03-01-2010, 05:35 PM

JB in SC said the rods were wrapped by a protege of Russ Peak. I'm over at the fiberglass board a lot, and they've been watching and talking with Tom about the progress of his glass rods. He's been working a L ..O .. N .. G time with someone to get the tapers he wants. He's not using anyone's off-the-shelf blanks. KHe may even be rolling his own, but I'm not at all sure about that . . .

Still, I would NEVER pay $1400 for a plastic rod, graphite or fiberglass!

The best to you each morning!
Peter

**palewatery** · 03-01-2010, 07:45 PM

Out of the range of what I'd call reasonable for a rod, but as Ernest says they're worth what someone is willing to pay for them.
Of course if they want to give me a free one. :lolno:

**Zac Sexton** · 03-01-2010, 08:09 PM

I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Morgan, several years ago, soon after I graduated college (and was at the apex of my bamboo snobbery :twisted:). The things I learned from Tom and crew overwhelmed me. He is a pure genius, and finicky rod-designer. Since that time, I had the pleasure to B.S. with him on several occassions, each time being an enlightening experience. During the interview, Tom said something that made my jaw drop. I was pushing toward the point that bamboo was superior to graphite or fiberglass rods. Tom stopped me and said, "Well, every rod-making material will make a wonderful rod. You just have to know how to use it. I take the individual characteristics of graphite, fiberglass, and bamboo, and design my tapers to fit the material."

A moment of silence from me, then I just said, "Really?!" After the interview I cast every model Tom had then, with my friend Mike Peck. Most his rods were just being finalized as far as taper. I don't think he had any glass rods finished, yet. So, we cast his bamboo and graphite models in 4, 5, and 6 wts. Each one was amazing. The biggest surprise for me, was I LOVED his 5 wt. graphite rod. It cast so much different than any graphite rod I had cast at the time; it worked in close delicately, then punched line out fine and far-off with authority. Mike and I were truly impressed. I also really liked his 4 wt. bamboo rod!

Tom has a world-wide market and makes what he sees as one of the best rods available today--in any material, in the World. He doesn't really market to most anglers. I would buy one--if I had $1,400 laying under my matress! Maybe some day. Tom isn't going to be around forever, but his influence in fly-fishing will be. He is history in the making, a wonderful, kind man, genius rod-designer, and author.

I don't mean to change the subject too much, but I think this applies to this subject and concerns about the name-calling of carbonfiber rods...

I've been thinking about this topic for a while now, and maybe I can let the cat out of the bag and say, "I like graphite and fiberglass rods! Hell, there's some I love." I've been so in to bamboo for so long now, that I kinda have missed out on what's been developing in the carbon-fiber market. Well, sorta. I've cast most models available by attending the wholesaler show in Denver, most years. But, I still didn't like most the actions available--though I did like a few. My newest education in carbon development has been with Sam Drukman at Sweetgrass Rods. I see Sam often, and get to B.S. with him, when he will put up with my questions. I have learned untold amounts about rod design from Sam. Just rods--material doesn't matter. Sam rolls his blanks on his mandrels, and cuts rods to exacting precision that would make any rod-maker envious. I swear 80 percent of his rod-making time is spent sanding the varnish on his wraps!

Sam makes custom fiberglass and graphite rods under the Sweetgrass name. They are entirely custom, made to fit what an angler wants for fishing conditions. I own a prototype graphite rod, that I, and others who have fished it, named "The Little Big Rod." It is amazing. It's a 7'11" 4/5 wt., 4 pc. rod that has caught fish on small freestoners as well as large tailwaters, using midge dries and medium-sized streamers. It casts where I look, with no effort, out to 60 feet, and in to a few feet, with ease. The whole line is possible, it just takes more haulling. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fishing. I love it, and will be ordering a fiberglass rod from Sam this summer (just gotta put away some change). Sam's rods start at $850--slightly more than mass-produced rods by the Big Boys, (but so far better, there is NO comparison!).

I'm sure there are other makers with graphite and fiberglass designs that are amazing, and some day I hope to cast/fish 'em. Until then, this is my experience with carbonfiber rod-makers I know and respect. Yes, they cost more, but OMG are they worth it.

Anyway, there you go. My feelings on carbonfiber rods. :wave:

Sam's Little Big Rod with a 16-inch Brownie from a small Montana freestoner.

Single-turn trim wraps and agate stripper!

Nickel-silver harware...

One of my favorite rods--period.