| Choosing A Rod - Factory vs. Custom (Things You Should Know!) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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It is not unusual to see folks with custom-made rods. While you can clearly save some money (upwards to 20%), it comes with some negatives. In many cases, we see rods that were built with components that were inferior to those normally used by the manufacturer. While this can be deliberately done to save money or eliminate weight (exchanging nickel for aluminum, etc.), the buyer needs to be careful. We have also seen rods where the builder tried to "outthink" the manufacturer and in fact, negatively impacted the rod. Common mistakes are in regard to guide size and spacing, over or under sized grips, and our absolute biggest complaint, ceramic spinning rod guides on a fly rod (talk about friction!) As such, the buyer should do their homework, see some samples, and ask for some references before they buy. Another issue is in regard to warranties. While you may save some money up front, it may in fact cost you more over the lifetime of the rod. While most factory rods are covered by an "unconditional" warranty where for somewhere around $20 you can get your rod fixed or replaced, custom rods may be subject to a fee from the builder (blanks are warranted against breakage but the rod builder must finish the new section). Lastly,
you should consider the resale value of a custom rod before you
buy one. If you are the type that upgrades their rods periodically,
you may be disappointed when you find what your used custom rod
is worth. While a used factory rod may be worth 50% of its original
purchase price, a used custom rod may be worth only 25% if in fact
you can even sell it (a custom rod is a very personal thing.)
FLY
RODS
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