Quote Originally Posted by Gigmaster View Post
If you are just starting out, the beginner kits are great. Cortland, Scientific Anglers, and Pfllueger (did I spell that right???) all make really nice combos. I still fish with mine, and I own several Scientific Anglers sets. Actually, I have never progressed beyond these, because I've never seen a reason to. They have served me well for several decades. I don't even own an expensive rod, like a Sage, or Orvis.

To make a confession, I bought a Martin combo with an automatic reel back in 1973, and I still fish with it. It's a great bluegill rod and reel.

OK...let the jokes begin.......
No jokes from me. My main rod, i.e. the ONLY one I use when fishing my area of the globe, is a hand-me-down Fenwick fiberglass. I'm looking to get my son a rod that he can learn on and we can fish together. I've looked at the kit rods, but they all seem to come in 8' or more. The streams of our area being what they are, I feel that may be longer than he can handle at the moment/while he's learning.

I've looked at the Cabela's rods on their site, but I'd really rather get something that I can put my hands on before buying. I'm going to the local fly shop this coming weekend to talk to the guys there. If they don't have something, which I will be very surprised if they don't, I'll likely check the nearby Gander Mountain or Bass Pro (I'm really trying to support the little shops though and stay away from big box stores).