fetha styx rods

http://www.fethastyx.com

these are made in Redmond, Wa.  have seen them around while cruising the larger stores but Saturday in sportco in fife was the 1st time i took one in hand and played with it a bit.

i admit, i like good gear, but I'm balking at the $245 price tag for one of their True Hero rods. i know a percentage goes to charity and am OK with that. still, i had to ask myself, do i really need a rod that costs that much?

has anyone ever used one of these rods?? ever played with one seriously ? what did you think of it?

Looks like if your a firefighter/police you get about 50% off this series of rods.  I'd never pay that much for a rod, I'd rather put the $425 towards a couple guided trips.  The more you know the more fish you catch, the price of your gear has little to do with it.

Pretty slick looking, but a bit rich for my blood. I'd like to fish one to see if there is a difference between a $400 rod and my $80 rod.

yeh, ain't it funny.

i know there is definitely a difference between my (seldom used right now) fly rods. i mean, my $60. Scientific Anglers ( heavy, stiff) doesnt feel anything like my more upscale Fenwick or Reddington ( more limber, lots lighter), which in turn doesnt feel anything like my even more expensive  Sage. each lays out a good cast if i do my part and each  catches fish, but you can really feel the difference when casting, especially when you cast a lot during the course of a day.

don't get me wrong, i really liked the feel (solid with a feeling of authority) of the FethaStyx, and the workmanship quietly says "top shelf" but , uuhhmm , that's still a lot of money.

yeh, ain't it funny.

i know there is definitely a difference between my (seldom used right now) fly rods. i mean, my $60. Scientific Anglers ( heavy, stiff) doesnt feel anything like my more upscale Fenwick or Reddington ( more limber, lots lighter), which in turn doesnt feel anything like my even more expensive  Sage. each lays out a good cast if i do my part and each  catches fish, but you can really feel the difference when casting, especially when you cast a lot during the course of a day.

don't get me wrong, i really liked the feel (solid with a feeling of authority) of the FethaStyx, and the workmanship quietly says "top shelf" but , uuhhmm , that's still a lot of money.

Rich,
I'd have to add that I'd need to consider the type of fishing we're doing before I'd spend this kind of money on a rod. Fly casting on the Deschutes for steelhead all day is quite different on the body compared to casting for river bass or rockfish.

yuhp, very true.

it's kind of like being given a choice between a aston martin db9 and a ford focus. both get the job done, getting you from a to b, the aston is a hallmark of craftsmanship and luxury,  but the focus will be a lot more affordable overall.

while i'd love to have the aston, i'll stick with the focus.

They look to be nice and it's always cool supporting local companies. They have a strong fly fishing lineup so could be part of their priceiness. I'm sure they know a thing or two about a rod w/ nice flex characteristics.

The most I've spent on a rod was about $200 for a Loomis rod and to me it's been worth it. I figure if I'm gonna fish a lot I might as well make it the best experience possible. There's a few kinds of fishing I do most of the time, so having a real quality rod that's specifically designed for those applications not only makes it a ton of fun but also more effective.

Z