>>582904>>583000I posted that
Orvis - weekend warriors
Sage - professional level
TFO - entry-intermediate level but very high quality for the cost
I could go further into details but I know for a fact I am in the minority.
Reddit advertises Orvis over most other brands because marketing. Orvis makes many items that are grossly overpriced and even then are poor quality. I have yet to see overpriced products from TFO and Sage is arguable on their Rod/Reel prices being a tad excessive.
If you have a TFO BVK, Orvis Helios 2, Sage Method (or Elite even) in your hands and try short-long casts with each; I would be willing to bet that you find the Sage is beyond your expectations while the Orvis is mediocre and the TFO is almost equal to the Orvis rod and if you combine the cost efficiency of the TFO versus Orvis, the decision is simple.
Again, I will get blasted by redditors and Orvis fanboys for my views, but if these same people did more than fish once a month and had more experience with other brands they would not have the opinions they do.
TFO and Sage are not the only options, L.L. Bean can work well too. Almost any brand aside from Orvis I would recommend, but you have to take into consideration who will be using said rod/reel. Are they learning fly fishing; go with a cheap starter (not walmart brand but Cabela or Bass Pro might be a good starting point). Are they fishing 5-7 days a week, invest in a Sage rod or equal higher quality lifetime warranty rod. What type of fishing are they going for, 30 inch redfish or 1/2 lb panfish? So many questions and people blindly say Orvis because they do not know any better.
I would stand behind most fly ROD brands other than Orvis, Pfleuger, and any sub $40 walmart starter set. If you are seriously into fly fishing or want to learn with proper equipment, just make sure your brand carries a lifetime warranty for the ROD; it will break at some point and that will be a learning process.
