Just three points. I stand by the statement that really good equipment isn't going to help beginners or klutzes as much as average fishermen. Beginners don't know what they're doing: it's a technique flaw that even the best equipment can't fix. Experts have such good technique that they can overcome average equipment. For everyone else, every little bit helps. (Whether or not it's value-for-money is personal call.)

The most important contributor to my catching more fish wasn't a better rod but the improved technique that came from actually SEEING a lot of the fish. I finally upgraded my shades to Smith Action Optics and this was an even better investment than the new rod. Until you see the line enter the water and then see the drift bobber trailing (a lot farther back than you might expect) then you'll never be visualizing properly. Even when I wasn't actually sight fishing, I was casting in slightly different positions to get the best drift in the area where I thought the fish would hold. I felt like I had X-ray vision out there, and highly recommend good shades.

Finally, I paid $220-$250 from TH for my GL3's. I may have got the sums wrong, but if you're paying $150 for a good Lami that's not a $300 difference.

* * * * *

You're right about this not being a BFD. People should do what pleases them. I think paying $500 for a spinning reel is insane, but $135 (what I paid for the Sustain and the Chronarchs) strikes me as value-for-money. As for that Cardinal 4 spinning reel, along with the Mitchell 301 (I'm a lefty) it has to be the all-time great entry level reel.