I am new to fly-fishing (and to Fly Anglers OnLine) and I'm trying to sort through the myriad of equipment that exists.

I am primarily interested in going after trout and from talking with friends who fly-fish I have been told that I should probably get a 9' 5wt. rod. This seems reasonable from what I have read of FAOL and other sites, but that doesn't really get to the crux of my problem. The problem as I see it, is what type of rod/reel system should I get? There are lots of rod/reel combinations that are inexpensive and those are quite expensive and I can't really tell how the rod with the higher price is better than the one with the lower price. One of my friends has recommended a Sage rod (since that is all he has ever fished) and I've found a introductory trout outfit for around $270 (rod, reel, line, backing and case) which is about the most I want to spend. I've also looked at some of the Temple Fork Outifitters rods, and heard good things about them on this site and others. Places like Cabela's also sell introductory fly fishing outfitts for less than $150, but in taling with a sales person at a Cabela's retail store he recommended against them.

This leaves me with the following questions. Is there something about more expensive equipment that makes it easier for beginners to fish, or is this just a case of being misinformed to get me to buy something more expensive? Also, if you were to buy an outfit for someone new to fly-fishing what would you buy (with a budget of $300 or less)?

I have been lurking on the boards for the past few weeks and I've already learned a lot about fly-fishing, and I want to say thank you in advance for your reples.

Brian