First, your right about the Dennison. The best UL reel deal on the planet, period. To bad it's going to be too small and light to be practical on the Dorber 9' 2wt when I get it built.

Second, conventional tackle is priced right, although I refuse to go back to that type of fishing. No inflated life time warranties and other BS. The business model on the FF industry is the complete opposite of the conventional market. Maybe the FF industry should take a hard look at Rick Pope's TFO business model and asked themselves what they are doing wrong, and what Rick is doing right.

Tippet too, is a rip off unless you always buy it from Sierra Trading Post. I just got a spool of Redington 7x for .40 cents when I ordered my new wet wading shoes. Since I have gone back to flourocarbon for the vast majority of my fishing needs, I refuse to pay the price they are asking for Flouro tippet spools. $10.00 plus for a 30 yard spool? Thats just nuts. I went to Walmart and picked up a 110 yard spool of Berkley Trilene 100% Flourocarbon for the same price as a tippet spool. I got the 4lbs. which is the same diameter as 4x tippet. Works great by the way.

Saving money is another reason I started building my own rods. I'm not paying large sums of money only to have a rod with shoddy workmanship.
I appologize for being a complainer in this thread, but something has got to give with the FF industry, or there won't be much of one in the near future.

J.