http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/1398 … ece-9.html
It seems pricey, but looks pretty nice…
Bargain. Get three, one of each. Actually, they have some great bargains sometimes. Very low prices on some brand name gear.
Chunky,
No way to tell. Could be great, could be a piece of junk.
They don’t even list the correct line weight for the rod. I’d be a bit suspicious.
If you are truly interested in getting into fly fishing, a visit to your local fly shop would be the best place to start.
You can get decent fly rods for under $100, folks like Cortland, Scientific Anglers, and some of the proprietary brands from the big mail order houses have some.
However, not knowing what you need I’d think talking to a place that does know might be helpful.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Chunky,
I see your up in Lake Stevens. I’m down by the Nisqually River, a little North East of Olympia.
I’ve never heard of Rivendell rods, but $59.00 is a bargain, sort of. There are several good rod and reel combos out there by Cortlalnd and Scientific Anglers for not much more money (like $20 more), that come witih all the goodies you need to get started. That way your getting a brand name rod and reel, with a decent fly line and backing. Might be worth the trouble to check those out.
Not knowing what you want to fish for (trout, salmon, steelhead, or a warm water species) makes it difficult to narrow down your choices any more than that.
If I can be of anymore help, drop me a PM.
REE
Wally sells a SA combo for sixty bucks all day. Whole works, ready to fish.
JC is right and the sa is what I fished with very happily I might add for my first 2 years. decent action good castability and reasonable price.
“By Elves! Rivendell Rods are made by Elves, Sam. How could you go wrong?” said Frodo. 
The biggest problem with “Wallys” SA rod combos , at least in MY area, is that they come in all weights as long as it’s 6-7. Kinda like the model T’s, available in any color as long as it’s black.
But then again, we’re talkin $60 bucks here and that helps mitigate the problem effectively.
Mark
My friend is a very good fly fisherman. He was last year’s fly club president up here. I say this to give it some credibility. He caught a real hog yesterday…probably 12 pounds at the least. I can send e-mail pics. I don’t know how to post on here yet. Point is though…he caught it on a $29 rod from Wally…and it was not a big name rod or an SA. I didn’t get a good look but think it said Timberline or something like that. It is just a tool.
Gemrod
Looked at it. It’s a 9’ rod with only 5 snake guides and “NO” stripping guide at all. I would opt for the last one on their list which is a 9’ 2 piece 5wt with twice as many guides and $25 (can’t remember exacto) less. That’s twice as many guides and it’s an Orvis for $34.95? No that’s not too many guides. It has 9 snake guides and a stripping guide.
I would opt for the Orvis.
Gemrod
Cabelas has the St Croix Premier line on sale for $50-70 right now.
Yeah, the use of a place name from Lord of the Rings makes me think this rod is not good.
It is just a tool.
Yes, but some tools work better and are more comfotable to use than others. That’s why you don’t shave with a clam shell. Buy the best you can afford and you won’t regret it.