Fly fishing gear has a way of getting pricey in a hurry and more than a few fly fishermen have been waylaid from the pursuit of fish to the pursuit of collecting gear… Much like those Leica collecting photographers who no longer take pictures as the tools of the trade are too valuable to actually risk taking pictures…
Life on board a cruising sailboat is hard on gear and if you have pricey gear you tend to stow it away in such a way that when needed in a hurry, it becomes just too much hassle to get it out… So why have it if you don’t use it?
I’ll admit gear lust and the attraction of work of art gear making but a reel that costs more than my most expensive winch on the boat is just silly!
Orvis, which is more often than not on the pricey side of things, has a really nice 8 weight rod in their “Streamline” series and as they do a very nice Saltwater outfit you can have a great rig for not a lot of money that does not require a safe to keep it in.
Might even catch a few fish…