I’d agree w/ micus, but that’d make me another sheep.
mgj
fly goddess, i’m a big orvis fan, and i’ve been drooling over the zero g–but a beginner can’t go wrong with bean
You are absolutly right, I was just kidding. I look at L.L. Bean all the time.
Thanks everyone for such quick responses. I will start to get an idea about casting with the old/cheap combos I have. I will keep adding to the pot for better equipment as I get into the sport. I have tied crude flies when I lived in Nevada and they all caught fish there. (my most unique was tied froma strand of old yellow-gold-brown shag carpet.LOL)I only fished flies using a bubble and a spinning rod. Now to take the full plunge.
Randy de Jong, rank beginner but willing to learn
[This message has been edited by dejongster (edited 13 February 2006).]
de,
Keep it simple and above all Just have fun!!!
Not that in time you’ll find yourself anything but keeping things simple…Fair warning 
I’m glad I started with a moderate cost outfit. Serves me well when I know I’m probably going to be rough on a rod. Like letting it ride in the bottom of the canoe for example. IMHO, your first rod can always be your backup rod.
Jim
Don’t know what your price range might be…But there is a Pflueger 7’6" 4wt. Paired with a Redington #3-4 Reel…and SA XPS line for $140.00 On the forsale board at the moment…Might even be able to do some bargining and trim some off that…Not that this isn’t a good deal as it stands…
As well as looking through the free catalogs and finding a good local fly shop maybe another good thing to do is to find a local fly fishing club.
The club I am a member of has several rod and reel combos that they allow new comers to practice with and these are not bargin basement units. We also have casting practice before each meeting and many of the more experienced member will help you correct your cast. There are also some FFF casting instructors among this group.
All this is good information… you’ve come to the right place.
God Bless and Tight Lines,
Rusty <><
“PC” is for Plant City not Politically Correct. if you wanna catch something ya gotta get a hook in the water
Don’t forget to pick up a flask…
…you’ll need it 
.
I’ve had 2 friends start off fly fishing by buying the cheapo WalMart combos. They got to where they could cast them reasonably well, but as soon as I let them use a couple of my older, lower cost homemades(specifically a Forecast 4 wt and an Amtak 6 wt), they never used their junk rods again. One of them built his own, and I built one for the other guy. Both relined with decnet but not high dollar lines. There seems to be a huge return on investment by spending a few extra dollars and getting out of the cheapest rigs and into the lower mid-range stuff. Graphite technology and design these days is excellent, so you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a nice casting rod. Just don’t get the cheapest stuff out there, and you should be just fine.
[This message has been edited by ol’ blue (edited 14 February 2006).]
Dejongster,
I was in Wall Mart the other day and had to have a look at their fly fishing equipment. They had some Scientific Anglers rods that felt very nice. . A 9ft 6 wgt that they had is about as good as one I paid big bucke for about 10 years ago. I don’t know the streams you are fishing but probably “Tyeflier” (who posts here and lives in Bishop) would be able to advise you.
Ol’ Bill
1932
i picked up a pflueger summit, complete with line and reel, at walmart for $35. the reel and line were junk, but the rod is a pretty nice casting rod.
There is a 1594 1-1/2 on the for sale board today, with lines and extra spool. If you can get a glass rod to match the lines you will be set for you river. It is a China reel but the lines would cost more than the whole set up he is offering. Good deal to start out with on a budget IMHO.
I’m with Ol’ blue. The cheap stuff is that cheap. It is like trying to screw a screw in the wall with pliers, you can do it but the right screwdriver makes it so much easier and more enjoyable.
everyone has their own opinion, here is mine.
I use 7wt daiwa procasters to teach learners about the basics, how to load up, line control, casting into the wind, basic casts and movement. I have found that these rods are perfect for this. They are balanced and feel right for all ages, the rods load with ease, yet the loading is felt easily and you can almost hear it tell you what its doing. I have found its the best rod to allow people to understand just how to cast - the actual mechanics of it and cast successfully quickly. These rods are very cheap, and true budget rods. But, they are well made and are of a good quality and comparable to an entry level Sage. The choice is up to you, but I would learn the basics on a very cheap rod learn the absolute basics then as soon as you have the basics take a flyfishing friend and yourself shopping for a new one. Dont let the sales staff tell you its on special or new release or whatever, find one that suits your wallet and your casting for now. New, more expensive rods will come later.
So borrow one of Jo’s Diawa and get the basics down then go buy a nice one. Ouch! did I say that out loud? Just ribbin’ you Jo. Never heard of a diawa fly outfit, but why not.
Well, Diawa owns Loomis…I think, so they can’t be bad.
Wow so much to digest. I did join the local club. I will use the junkers I have as I save for a nice rod and reel even if they aren’t the top of the line versions, but they will be nice. What about waders etc. I realize this isn’t a cheap sport. I am gaining a lot from all the responses.
Randy de Jong, rank beginner but willing to learn
Waders: Where you live, go for breathables. I reco stockingfoot as they give you a more supporting shoe-like fit as you hike in and fish. The easy on & off benefit of bootfoots isn’t very important to a guy your age and in your climate.
There are lots of brands and lots of price ranges out there. Look at the ones in the catalogs I reco’d earlier. Be sure to get ones that come from a good brand name, which includes the catalogs’ private labels, and with a warranty that last at least 2 years. My experience has been that waders are more prone to defects than most FF gear and, if they fail, it tends to be early on. If I can get two years of non-defect leaking performance out of a pair, I consider myself to have broken even and don’t pursue the warranty even if it lasts for more years.
Start out with Chest high waders. They’ll cover any fishing situation you face. Once you know what you really need you may buy a shorter (and less expensive) pair later, but that decision will be based on your experience and your needs.
As for boots, start out with a cheap pair from a recognized brand. Get felt soles. This is another area where you can upgrade later based on what your known needs are.
Hope this helps.
Randy,
Bottom line is that what you have used to this point has you loving our wonderful sport & that is just SUPER! You will move on to more (possibly more expensive) gear in the future. Come to our Michigan Fish-In August of this year & you are more than welcome to play with ANY of my outfits…that includes a Sage & a vintage bamboo!..(you might even find that you like your current gear better!) Hope to see you there.
Mike
This site’s about sharing!