Ken I am not saying all factory rods are bad because thats just not the
case. But let me put it to you this way a custom rod will hold up
better over time. A custom rod will be less expensive for the same
blank and components because the customer is not paying for a warrenty.
A custom rod built by a qualified professional will absolutly cast with
less effort and less friction simply because it will have ceramic
guides on it. Until the factory starts using ceramic guides their rods
they will be inferior. A custom rod is fitted to the customer and
designed for a specific type of fishing and the customer can choose any
layout he wants. The factory isnt interested in any of these things and
certainly not quality they seem to be interested in quantity. They dont
use the best glues, finish or components because they know the rod will
be broken in a year or two and they'll have to replace it. And this
comes from a guy that is in love with his sage 490-4 LL, its damn near
my best friend. But the rod has deteriorated so badly over the last 10
years that it needs to be stripped and refinished. The reel seat fell
off two years ago and I had to reglue it, the guides are all cracked
and water had rotted the threads. These things dont happen with well
build custom's. So its not the pretty stuff that makes it custom its
the quality, cosmetics are secondary. With all this being said the
thing that kills me is the rod blanks for any major company only cost
about 3 dollars to manufacture, 5 with labor. My buddy is a distributor
for serveral major midwest companys and if you only knew what he pays
for his stuff you would fall off your chair. So for myself I would
never pay more than 50.00 for a blank no matter how strait or perfect
the paint job, or how nice it bends. Never in my wildest dreams did I
think I'd see the day when a graphite fly rod sold for 700.00 but they
do and people actually think they are better then custom's because of
the price. It amazes me what advertising can do to a culture. I'll give
you this the Winstons are pretty damn nice maybe even the best of the
factory rods but for 700.00 I could build myself 3 great rods. Bruce