It Almost Felt Criminal

"He who hesitates is lost."  "Seize the opportunity."  "Know an opportunity when you see it."  These are all things that came to my mind when my buddy Cris (of Carpenter Bros. Fly Rods) sent me a text yesterday.  It felt like deja vu.  You see, about a year ago, I got a text from him telling me that Cargo Largo in Independence, Missouri had a fly rod combo with line and a case for $40.  I ended up purchasing the rod and liked it so much that I even made a YouTube video out of it!  It's a great rod for trout parts as well as bluegill and small bass.  When I received his text message yesterday, I knew I had to take advantage of this opportunity without hesitation.

What Cris sent me was a picture of an Orvis Clearwater rod with a price tag of $119.99.  He didn't know if it was a good deal or not so I headed to the Internet.  My search results showed that this rod retails for between $200 and $230.  I informed him that it was indeed a good deal and inquired how many rods were in stock.  He said it was the only one and my heart sank a little because I was more than willing to come purchase it ASAP!  An important item to note is that I do not own an Orvis rod.  They've always been a little out of my price range and the ones that I HAVE run across were the same weight and length as rods that I already had at the time.  I've always wanted one and have always appreciated how much Orvis supports conservation as well as the promotion of our fine sport.  Well it just so happens that I have been in the market for a 4 weight.  I have a 4 weight I love but the company went out of business and I wanted something else.  Wouldn’t you know that not only was this rod a 4 weight, but that it was a 10 footer which I have always wanted and never owned.  My heart just about leapt out of my chest when he said that he wasn't going to buy it!

I jumped in the truck and called him after I raided my fly fishing fund.  What Cris did next speaks to the kindness and generosity that this man possesses.  He said that he would have the folks in the electronics department put it behind the counter and that he would be back to purchase it after shopping a little longer.  He also told them that his name was Tyler.  How awesome was that?!?!  It took me about 20 minutes to get there and Cris was the first guy I ran into.  He was excited for me and happy to help me out.  I'm surprised that he hasn't gotten tired of helping me because he's done it so many times!  I headed to the back of the store, talked to a very nice gentleman that located my rod, and purchased my first Orvis fly rod.

I am really excited to use this rod, however, next comes the moment of truth.  Will this rod live up to all the "Orvis hype" that I have heard so much about?  Will I be placing this on Ebay within a month?  Will I fall in love with a 10 foot fly rod?  Will this become my go-to rod?  Only time will tell but I sure am excited to find out what happens next.  You better believe that you will be hearing more about this in the future.

I am curious if this rod was so discounted so much because the end of the case was messed up?