I've been fly fishing for over 30 years and have always bought and used "high end" gear. I decided to go ahead and buy a 3 weight Carbon XL just to see for myself what all of the buzz was about. It came in a nice rod tube along with a nice rod sock. The guides were well done and they all lined up perfectly. The cork is okay but does have quite a bit of filler. The handle is very lsmooth and very comfortable to hold. I put a Scientific Anglers Frequency DT fly line on my Orvis Battenkill 2 and headed for the river. I'm used to faster rods so it took me a few minutes to get the hang of slowing down my technique. Once I did I was rewarded with a buttery smooth casting experience that was simply a joy to cast. I caught a few small trout on a dry fly and went home extremely happy with my purchase. Yes, I definitely feel that I got more than my money's worth! I plan on buying another one just like it for my wife!