RT Something that I have learned over the last year is that the materials that go into a rod are not what makes it a good rod. There was in the 1990's a trend in fly rods to make light thin fast rods. The only problem was that the way they accomplished that was to use high modulus graphite and thin walled tubes. Although attractive they are very brittle and breaking rods became more and more of a problem. But flyfishermen being the way they are it was hard to get them away from that concept after all older graphite must not be as good right??? Wrong!
I know one of the guys at lamiglass and he brought me up one day to cast some of the titanium rods. The 9ft 5wt I spent a weekend with on the Deschutes during the salmonfly hatch. They are ok rods nothing I'd pay 400 dollars for. I think there are rods out there that are just as good for the same or less money. Although I don't like their action at all I think the Loomis gl3's are the best value single handed rod out there.
I'll tell you one thing though RT very little can be told about a rod by it's price. There are some really crappy rods out there that cost as much as 600+ dollars. and there are dome fairly decent rods under 200 dollars and even some acceptable rods under 100 dollars.
I am to the point where nothing but the best will do for me. The rods that I buy retail for 550-750 dollars. My profession allows me the opportunity to get thoes rods at a greatly reduced price, but there are no better rods on the planet. The are better not because of the materials that go into it but because of design!! Design is everything! EVERYTHING!