Beginner Fly Rod And Reel Combo.

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

Hey,
I’m looking to get into fly fishing and am looking for some suggestions and reviews of beginner 8’6" 5wt. rods and applicable reels.
I would like to narrow it down to a few top brands; research models; test one (not that I know what to look for but purely go by general feel); and then decide based upon all of those criteria and price.
My situation is that I’ve never fly fished but have been taking time this winter to both read about it and talk with others about it. I haven’t found any information pointing me in a definitive direction to this point.
I was looking at the following…

  1. Cabela’s: Genesis Fly-Fishing Outfit @ $149.99 Each rod and reel combo with case and also includes:A Scientific Anglers Headstart? weight-forward fly line and 100 yards of backing, One bottle of Scientific Anglers fly floatant, Floatant holder, Two tapered leaders, Nippers, Forceps, Two small retractors for forceps and nippers, Strike indicators, Split-shot assortment, Leader straightener, Fly assortment, Chestpack to store all your equipment. *This I have heard differing reviews about of late however.
  2. L.L. Bean: ?
  3. St. Croix: ?
  4. Orvis: ?
  5. Cortland: ?
    Out of the above the Cabela’s Genesis seems to be of the best value and for the others I have left question marks as I am unsure of the model but would lean towards the cheapest for each with applicable titles for each lost to me at this point. Also, have heard good things about these companies in particular.
    Am I off base with this direction? What other options should I explore? Opinions on these or other rod and reel companies? Should I get a 2 piece or a 4 piece rod? Also, please keep in mind I would like to be able to be prepped to begin fly fishing for less than $250 including rod, reel, case, backing, line, leader, tippet, floatant, strike indicator, leader straightener, and fly assortment and am I missing any essentials?
    I know that was quite a mouthful and even worse to read let alone reply to but any help would be greatly appreciated and taken to thought befor I take to making a purchase.
    Also, from what I had read I was leaning towards a 8’6 5wt but that seems really long as my trout spinning rod is like 5 ft long and I was just reading on llbean.com about 3wt and 4wt being more for small stream which is what i’ll be hitting, most of the streams I hit are pretty small with alot of trees on the sides and above, will the 8’6 5wt be too big or should i look smaller and if so how small?
    Thanks so much. Sorry for my rambling but I am just trying to soak up as much information as I can before I make the leap.
    Sincerley,
    Chris

“Live Free Or Die!”
-General John Stark

2

I would definatly look into TFO Temple Fork Outfitters for the rod they have very nice rods that retail for about 90 bucks… for the reel I would look at Okuma that have a great reel that goes for 39.99… I guide and work in a shop and those would be my suggestions.

3

Sounds like you are going about this the right way. I dont know about the specific rod combos you have mentioned but I think for starters a 4 weight might be a good way to go based on what you mentioned. As for 4 wts only being for small streams that is partly true but more accurately it is for smaller flies. I use my 4 wt on the Madison River (by no means a small river…LOL) and have caught 20+" trout without putting undue stress on the fish…also can be said for fishing high mountain lakes. The five weight isnt too much but it really depends on what you will use for flies…if you use a wooly bugger (or any large fly say size 8 or larger) then the five weight would be my choice even on small streams. Ultimately it really dpends on the type of flies you will primarily use…mostly small dries I would go with a 4 wt…for nymphs with an indicator or buggers then a 5 wt might be the better choicel. This is how I see things and others may offer better advice.

No matter what you choose…you will have an absolute blast flyfishing

Take care everyone and cya around. Mark

4

Chris,

Sorry for my rambling but I am just trying to soak up as much information as I can before I make the leap

No Need to apologize, … this place is just LOADED with information.

Welcome to the Board.

Don’t forget that’s also a fine chat every night over in [url=http://flyanglersonline.com/chat2.5/:73e19]The Angler’s Hut[/url:73e19]

Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum1/HTML/015738.html:73e19]2006 FishIn Ste-Marguerite River[/url:73e19]

[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:73e19]Fishing the Ste-Marguerite[/url:73e19]

5

Beginner fly fisher? You got a long way to go brother. I don’t mean that in a snoooty way. I mean there is so much involved I would go cheap. You will learn about a lot of new things along the way. Unless you just have to have the best right off the get go. Go to dorber.com and you will find a rod, reel, large arbor fly reel, backing, wf line, and leader for $66.95.

They are also a sponsor here.

Gem

6

I like the way you are researching this! That’s the way I started too. Here are opinions, not facts. But I stand behind them from my experience.

Any of the starter kits from well known brands are going to be a good value for you. They very much want people to get involved in the sport so they aren’t going to put their name on garbage that will turn you off from buying their brand when you update later. Just don’t buy a starter kit from an unknown brand.

I have yet to get burned by Cabella’s.

Don’t pay a lot extra for a rod with more parts than 2. But the multi-part rods are a whole lot easier to store and transport. Consider your storage space, car size, and the amount of travel fly fishing you’ll do. Then decide if the extra price is worth it to you. There’s not a big difference in their casting ability these days. I started with a 2-piece, but now buy only multi-piece cuz it is worth it to me.

Leader straighteners aren’t vital. Some folks even despise them as the heat build up they create on delicate tippets is weakening. You can just use your fingers.

Fly assortments tend to be suspect for your local waters. Don’t let them be an issue in your purchase decision.

8’6" is a nice length for a fly rod. With spinners, you use the rod to toss the lure out there and retrieve it. With flies, you use the rod to create a natural drift (like a bug floating in the current), which involves both following the fly with your rod tip and putting mends in the line. You’ll appreciate every one of those extra 3’6".

Most fly fishers can’t tell the difference between a 5 weight versus either a 4 weight or a 6 weight, but can easily feel the difference between a 4 and a 6. If you are serious about this sport and expect to stay with it, buy either a 4 (smaller fish, less wind) or a 6 (the opposite). Then, when you have decided to upgrade your rod, buy the opposite first. But if you expect to own only one rod in your life for most fresh water fishing, start with a 5.

Reel quality is important in other forms of fishing. It is not for fresh water fly fishing, where the reel serves mostly as a line storage device and only comes into play when catching, not when casting. Unless you plan to catch some really husky fresh water fish (bass, etc.) disc drag versus click and pawl drag is a non-issue for you. Disc is quieter, that’s all.

Fly line quality is very important and most beginner kits start you off with a low quality line. It will be OK, but not great. Your first upgrade investment should be in your fly line.

If your fly will be within 40 feet of you most of the time (chances are it will in fresh water situations), there’s very little performance difference between a WF and DT line. Key diff is that the DT can be turned around on your reel when the first half gets worn out. Can’t do that with WF. So 2X useful life of line. Do the math!

I highly reco the Cortland 444 peach classic as your first line upgrade. There may be better lines out there, but this one is time tested and a great relative bargain.

There may be some who jump in here and quibble with my post. I suspect there will be more who vocally or silently applaud. And I’ll have started you out right and prevented you from making my newbie mistakes, which gives me a nice warm feeling.

Have fun with it and welcome to the sport!

[This message has been edited by oldfrat (edited 12 January 2006).]

7

Welcome to FAOL fishinginasuit. I told ya this was a very very good site. Looke at all this feedback already. Good luck with your rod hunt. I’m currently looking for one also.

8

Just in case you haven’t found it, some of your questions can be answered by reading through the Fly Fishing 101 section. It was designed just for you! [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/:9278c]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/[/url:9278c]

Ignore the ‘techniques’ articles at the top for now, start with Frequently Asked Questions and read down from there.

Welcome to the fraternity! We really are here to help.

LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

9

Also some good deals to be found in the for sale section of this forum. In fact…he he he… I have an 8’6" 5 wt. Redington rod over there for sale or trade right now. Fits your requirements very nicely. Contact me directly if interested… PS…this was my “beginner rod” when I made the move from Glass to graphite.

These are the idle thoughts that posses a man’s mind when he’s not able to fish.

10

I’d like to pass on the advice I got when starting out.

  1. The best all around rod for Eastern fly fishing is a 5 weight.

  2. The best all around rod for Western fly fishing is a 6 weight (bigger water on the whole).

  3. The rod should be between 8’ and 9’ long.

  4. You can get away with a cheap rod and reel. In fact, you probably could fish your entire career with a low end rod and be just as effective as the big boys.

But invest in the best line you can buy. That really makes a difference.

So throw away the line that comes with your beginner kit. Or better yet, keep that cheap line and practice knots with it. It’s easier to learn to tie knots with an old fly line than mono.

11

I’m still not too far away from my teeth cutting days in flyfishing and I started with an inexpensive combo by Scientific Anglers. A 5-6 weight with graphite reel. Fished it for nearly a year to make sure I was going to stick with it. Well I’m stuck now! This past year I upgraded to a TFO rod-wow! what a differnce! Also learned fly tying-loads of fun! and participated in my first fly swap right here.Built my first and current favorite rod a Hook and Hackle 4 wt. Got a 1973 vintage Pflueger Medalist off of Ebay for 8 bucks and a 7-8 wt Pfueger Trion reel for my Salmon trips in Alaska each year. Still haven’t spent a ton of money - but have enjoyed tons of fishing and caught and released plenty.

Good quality line is one of the best things I’ve heard tossed in so far and VERY regular line maintanence is a habit of paramount importance. Makes casting soooooo much more enjoyable. This is a journey and the less expensive entry steps helped me get going. This site and the folks here have been the best mentors outside of being on the water! Good luck!

Steve

I fish, therefore I swam.

12

Welcome fishinginasuit, I did that once down in Joliet Ill at a strip mine loaded with trout. The owner felt sorry for my partner and I because of our dress and told us all his honey holes. We headed back parked the car and changed into our fishing duds and limited out in an hour.

Way oldfrat’s advise, and switch the flyline like Big flat brook stated.

LF and JC have a heck of a cast of writers some from days gone by (God Bless them) and others that are to evil to pass on. They share thier knowledge and experience, its second to none.

Enjoy your journey for every turn in the creek and every cast will be a new adventure
and a learning experience.

I’ll gaurentee the Husler or playboy magazines will be replaced by tying and flyfishing magazines in the Head .

Philip