My thoughts exactly [bANNED TEXT], I recently tryed a fly rod which cost over 400 quid and I couldnt find any real improvement on my current rod which cost me £90, the only real difference between the two was the weight, with the more expensive rod being a bit lighter and having a slightly better quality cork handle but deffo not worth the higher price tag. I think these big priced rods from big named brands are more of a status symbol for anglers than anything else really.