Assuming ten dollars a pound, I’m  quite a few ducks and geese away from paying off my new shotgun. But that is okay. Why? Well, for one, I can’t even begin to think how in the hole I am when it comes to fishing gear. I have killed some fish over the past few decades. The vast majority of the quarry I’ve tangled with in that time period went back in the water to swim another day. With some fly rods, I imagine I’m still 100% in the red. At least with my shotgun I’ll be slowly paying myself back in free range meat.

Of course, I don’t keep track of such things. That isn’t to say that I don’t consider the cost of gear and associated expenses. But when a hobby is about recreation, even if there is some objective “payoff,” the investment entails countless qualitative variables.

What do I mean?

First and foremost, I do want to offer up my recurring gear discussion disclaimer. You can have a totally enjoyable and enriching experience with the cheapest, oldest, and least exciting equipment out there. You can even outfish and outhunt those who have the latest and greatest if you have the wrong gear but use it with great skill.  But there is nothing wrong in liking a fly rod or taking great care with a firearm. For the majority of sportsmen, that is a part of what makes their particular pursuit so gratifying.

With that contrarian-appeasing word out of the way, I’ll return to the topic of the little cost/benefit analysis we all do when considering that next purchase.

I’ll admit that it doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend four figures on a saltwater rod if you live in Montana and have no plans to go to the ocean. But I can think of a handful of good reasons why you might add another premium 5-weight to your closet. There may be a need, a circumstance, or simply a want that budget and opportunity allow for. It might make your fishing better and it might make you happy.

You could argue that adding a second rod will extend the life of your primary rod (and if it is your tenth, then just work with those exponents) because the use and wear will get spread out. You may maintain that another pair of sunglasses will add a level of efficiency and effectiveness in a wider range of conditions. Or it could be that you like how they look or feel and they make you happy.

Situations arise when you are asked what you want. A gift, of all things, shouldn’t always be considered simply on the merits of practicality. Gifts make the giver happy, and gifts ought to make the recipient happy as well.

Sure: there may not be an economically  quantifiable justification for many expenses within the activity-based ledger of our hobbies or favorite pastimes. But, remembering that things don’t make us happy,  the pleasure that comes from using something enjoyable to do something enjoyable is worth something. Not unlike art, a good fly rod or a quality shotgun adds to the joy of being outdoors by yourself or with others.

After all, you can’t put a price on a lot of life’s pleasures.