Modern fly rods are just too expensive. They’re not worth $1,000, and anyone spending that kind of cash on one should also take a look at this catalog of beachfront property for sale in Iowa.
Those are the common retorts I hear from folks whenever the subject of fly rods gets brought up. Considering how much fly anglers love their gear, it’s a topic of frequent conversation, especially among my close-knit group of fishing buddies. I’m the lone outlier who honestly doesn’t mind what fly rod companies are charging for their top-tier rods these days, even though I agree that $1,000 is a lot to spend for some graphite and fancy cork.
I believe it was the first-generation G. Loomis Asquith that broke the $1,000 mark for a production fly rod, and just about every company has followed suit since then. A common refrain in rod reviews, forums, and at the counter in fly shops has been that “fly rods just shouldn’t be priced so out of reach for the average angler.”
But are fly rods really more expensive now than they used to be? Or has the price just kept up with inflation?
The Real Cost of Fly Rods
Back in 1989, for their 60th anniversary, the R.L. Winston Rod Company sold the first version of the Tom Morgan Favorite for $380.
A top-tier rod from one of the most respected companies in fly fishing for less than $400? Even back in 1989, that must have been a steal! Right?
For someone looking for a bit more versatility than a light-line 8′ 4-weight, Sage sold their 9′ 5-weight RPL in 1989 for $320, per their catalog.
The late ’80s were good for more than grunge rock’s evolution and big hair. A fly fisher back then could have bought a handful of top-tier rods for the price of one in today’s market!
On its face, that’s true. But there’s one nasty little feature we often forget about when comparing the cost of things today to that of…almost 40 years ago.
Inflation.
$380 in 1989 has the same buying power as $1,016.85 in today’s money. That lovely Tom Morgan Favorite from Winston was, technically, a thousand-dollar rod. The RPL from Sage? It’s a better deal, since $320 in 1989 could buy $856.29 worth of goods in 2026.
Is Any Fly Rod Worth That Much?
Now that we’ve dispelled the myth that fly rods were cheaper back in the good ol’ days, the big question still needs to be answered: are any fly rods really worth that much money?
A used 1989 Tom Morgan Favorite I saw on eBay a few days ago had a starting bid of $750. A 9′ 4-weight RPL in the two-piece configuration has a buy-it-now price of $350. A used Sage X (the company’s flagship rod before the R8 CORE series released in 2022) in a 9′ 5-weight has a buy-it-now price of $675, and a Scott G2 8’8″ 3-weight can be yours for $456.50.
It was Tom Morgan himself who said that “a good fly rod is always a good fly rod.” But like any other product, rods do improve and evolve over time. So these great rods of yesteryear are still worth owning and fishing, even if they don’t command the top-tier price tags they once did (that collectible Winston notwithstanding).
Enough folks bought those rods for their sale prices when they released, including the more modern Scott G2 and that Sage X. That’s why a robust used fly rod marketplace exists today, after all. Someone, somewhere, thought those rods were worth it. And I reckon a lot of folks who turn their noses up at the $1,050 asking price of a 9′ 5-weight Sage R8 CORE would have to admit that 9′ 5-weight X is a decent deal for $675.
They’ve Always Been Expensive
This trip down memory lane today has shown us two things: fly rods weren’t as cheap back in the good ol’ days as many folks may have remembered. And if fly rods weren’t as cheap back then, I’m really wondering if all the fish my dad and grandpa caught actually were as big as they are in the stories…
Price is always relative to everything else in life. A $1,000 fly rod is a lot, sure, but a new truck these days is also about $45,000 for a mid-trim level mid-size pickup. Back in 1989, a Toyota Pickup (the Tacoma didn’t exist back then) in a 2-door, 4-wheel-drive, long-bed deluxe trim had a factory MSRP of $12,698 (equivalent to just about $34,000 in today’s money). Shoot, the average home price in January 1989 was $113,000, which is only $302,379 in today’s money. An average home in 2025 was as much as $435,300, far outstripping inflation.
With how crazy expensive trucks and houses are now (both vastly outpacing inflation) we should kind of be happy that fly rods still cost, relatively, what they did almost 40 years ago.
Except for the G. Loomis Asquith. The rod that retails for $1,750 in some models right now would have cost you $653.98 back in 1989. The only rods that sold for that dollar amount back then were likely bamboo, although I can’t find any reliable figures to support that claim. I’m certain graphite wasn’t selling for that price point, though.
They’re Reasonably Priced
On the whole, fly rods have just kept up with inflation. That’s surprising, and probably a tough pill to swallow for some who think rod companies are just out there price gouging the average angler. I think it shows a legitimate amount of restraint, and a good knowledge of the rod market, to keep making rods at essentially the same profit margin for all these years. Especially given the expanded repair and warranty operations many companies have introduced since 1989.
And if top-tier rods aren’t your thing, you have more options than ever before to spend less and still get a great stick. The Douglas LRS sells for a bit under $300 in most places, and it’s a fantastic 9′ 5-weight. The Scott Session is $695, which I think is very reasonable for that rod’s performance and quality.
Many of the mid and low-priced rods for sale today are leaps and bounds better than the cheap stuff that got fished in 1989.