Mike- Good take on the subject. Ya, there is something that just feels good about owning the best toys. If someone wants to sacrifice in other areas to have an upper eachalon rod & reel combo there's nothing wrong with that. I just think the guys making them gouge our over-indulgence too much. That's my main gripe. It's funny that the last couple years I have gone thru half a dozen expensive titanium golf drivers trying to "buy" a better tee shot. Unlike the rods though, the clubs do make a big difference in the upper price range with better performance. I won't do the same for the rods & reels for the mentioned reasons. But I don't really mean to dis those that do.-- & No.- That's one of the beauties of the $125 rod compared to the $400+ rod; that you can use it w/o sweating out the first scratch and then the possible breaks, and just concentrate on the fishing. But to each his own. Right?