A couple of weeks ago I went bonefishing and needed a backup 8-weight fly rod to replace one I had broken (in a screen door, not on a fish). Redington rods had impressed a friend, so I bought a nine-foot Redington RS2 for $138.

In the Bahamas, I figured I might as well fish with it for the first day, just to try it out. That Redington performed so well that I fished with it for the rest of the trip, and the $400 rod I had planned to use never left its case.

The selection of bargains available to today’s fly anglers was reinforced last weekend at the Midwest Fly Fishing Exposition in Southfield, Mich.

All the top names in rod-making were there  Sage, Loomis, Orvis, Scott, Winston and Powell  and their best products performed at the same level as, say, a Lexus luxury sedan. Yet these rods are high-ticket items, most topping $500.

But take hope. The fly show offered proof positive that a rod for as little as $79.95 could perform 90-95 percent as well as one that cost $500. And sometimes the difference wasn’t as noticeable in the casting qualities of the rod as in cosmetic features like higher-end line guides and reel seats made from exotic woods.

I was amazed by Temple Fork Outfitter’s offerings, especially the rods at the light end of the line. The newest is a 6-footer for a 2-weight, a rod perfect for a lot of the small, brushy creeks I love to fish because of their solitude.

When I took it to the practice casting pool at the expo, a half-dozen anglers gathered around, and all had the same reaction: “That’s a 2-weight?” It took nearly 20 minutes before I could get the rod back from the last guy and return it to the Temple Fork booth. What really blew me away was the price  $79.95. I would have called it a bargain at $139. (Yep, I bought one.)

If you love fly fishing and have a limited budget, my advice would be to buy a couple of less-expensive rods to start and wait until you know more about the sport and how you will approach it before buying a top-end model.

A 9-footer for a 5- or 6-weight from a company like Redington, Temple Fork or Cortland would be a good selection for an all-around trout rod. Most people should follow that with a 7- to 8-footer designed to cast 3- and 4-weight lines. This second rod would be good for fishing small flies on trout streams and catching panfish, a fly fishing opportunity that many people overlook.