Boobies, commando heads, and kayak fly fishing

No, it was my bad.  Apologies to all.  Do I get to wear The Hat again?

I'm not here to weigh in exactly on the subject at hand, but I don't think arguing about cost is the best use of time. There are all kinds of things people could do to save some money while fishing, but people choose what they like. Fishing, for most of us, is a hobby and should be enjoyed. Maybe I spend more than I have to on braided line that I prefer even though it's functionally identical to another one. I definitely spend more on my rockfish jigheads than any sane person would, because I like them and I've developed confidence in them, not because there's a good argument for it.

"just to catch a trout" may be a particular person's #1 ambition, and if so, I think that's awesome. There's room in the hobby for all skill levels and avenues of interest.
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I look at it like this: Confidence in your gear, whether purchased, or made yourself, is just as important as the rest of the factors each of us accepts when we participate in the science and hobby of fishing. You can go spend outrageous sums to get the latest and greatest  (btdt) or you can  invest what you already have with a little additional outlay to fill in what you're missing .   (old school fly fishing fits this description)
Tyler did a great job laying things out in his video. Hopefully we all take something new from it.

I needed (okay, "wanted") a 5wt and tried the 10'0" Ion XL.  Great rod for me and for where I've been fishing, and I wouldn't have given them a second glance if you hadn't used one in the video.  Thanks for that.