If you're interested in fly rods Sage would be a good place to start. G. Loomis, Hardy and Winston are good too. High end fly rods mostly run about $700-$800. That seems like a lot but how many of us have spent more than that on rifles? Reels are not as crucial unless you're fishing salt water.
Price isn't the greatest factor in finding a fly rod that works for you. The number of great rods that are out there today are mind boggling. Get out and cast them and see. FWIW, I have a 4 weight Orvis Helios 2 that makes me a much better caster than I am. They're up in that $800 range but if you know what you want and don't mind not having the free warranty replacement if you break, then call the Orvis Outlet store in Manchester and they are available for around $500.
I have a 30 year old Sage 4 piece six weight that was $100 and still love it. I also have an old Powell 8 weight that's my heavy Salt Water rod and Salmon rod. A lot softer than more modern but it lays out the line well. I need to get up to Erie and fish Steelhead sometime.
