Introductory Rod/Reel Outfit

[nepenthesnut 0]

I have been tying flies for several months and, now that the snow has finally melted, I would like to get out and try some of them out. I have never even casted a single time so am brand new to the fishing portion of this. I have read a lot about rod lengths, weights, etc... and have a basic understanding. When I go online it seems that there are million combinations of rods, reels, backing, lines, leaders, tippets etc... The other variations are the "speeds" of the rods. From a beginner's perspective, it is way too much to sort out. I have no idea what preferences I have since I haven't even fly fished yet. I am pretty certain I want a 9.5 as I am mostly doing trout fishing. Before investing some serious money into a rod or reel I would like to get my feet wet (pardon the pun) and see what I like. Are there any good outfits available in the $200-$300 range that will let me get some experience and figure out what I like? I have seen some really cheap ones and then some at the opposite end of the spectrum (Thomas & Thomas is just up the road). Any suggestions of something "plug and play" would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[letumgo 0]

Here is an inexpensive outfit that may get you started. I don't own this set-up myself, so I'm can't give you any firsthand comments on the components. The set has all of the components you need to start out (rod, reel, backing, starter flies, etc.).

 

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true

 

Here is another outfit within your price range from L.L. Bean.

 

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/se...095-tn&np=Y

 

I think both Cabela's and LL Bean have 100% satisfaction guarantees on their merchandise, so you can buy and test it out and return it if you are not happy with them.

 

Oh, I also recommend that you pick up a copy of the following book on fly casting. I bought the first edition of this book and found that it helped greatly in understanding how to cast properly. I spent a weekend practicing the techniques in the book and my casting improved significantly.

 

http://www.amazon.com/L-L-Fly-Casting-Hand...9144&sr=8-2

[tyrite 0]

Hi nepenthesnut!! I love to fish for trout to. Now If you are going out for Brooke's & Browns I would suggest that you get a St.Croix (Triumph) 6 wt Rod & Reel combo. It has a five year warranty and is a Good starter rod.

I hope that this info will help!!! tyrite (Glen Dayton)

[DrVette 0]

I have run into a lot of new to line casting folk over the years and this advice is the best that can be offered with-out getting your hands on several rigs to test.

Trout (2-6lbs range) are probably best on a 4 or 5 weight set-up. I say go 5weight incase you get lucky on larger fish. To develop the best casting technique try to find a mid flex rod for starting.

Now blow all your money buying the best rod you can find in those specs and a top-grade DT5F line, Buy a cheep reel and upgrade later when you start catching fish on a regular basis. Look on ebay for the better rods and don't be worried about used. look up old catalogs to figure out which rods were better by who. Narrow the ebay search to Sage or Orvis and try to get the best you can afford...this will get your casting and presentation down a lot better and leave you less frustrated. There are some dirt cheep reels that will get you by untill you get the feel of your casting. Don't feel embarassed since i have really wondered about the sanity of spending over $500 on a 4/5 reel that doesn't do any-thing more than a $20 cortland special at wal-yworld. They just look prettier than the cheepy and have more drag features. Which you won't use starting out. Same with backing...go cheep 20lb. But do buy a top line tapered leader to help your preasentation. Forget about tippets, just try to not waste much as you tie in flies. Stay on dries to obvious rises and don't pull up too hard from excitement.

I hope this helps narrow your search down. Good luck and remember DRAG FREE FLOAT! And light rain hides your mistakes.

[maddog48 0]

Check out Temple Fork Outfitter's NXT package. They come in a 4/5, 5/6 or 6/7WT packages. Rod, reel, backing, line, leader and a case for around $190. They also come with a no fault warranty good for as long as the original owner has the rod.

 

 

Mike

[Old Hat 0]

nepenthesnut,

 

There are a lot of choices. Many of which are targeted at specific styles of casting and specific techniques. As a beginner you do not need to spend a bunch of money on a rod and reel. Until you become more experienced in casting you will have a hard time telling a big difference in the way all the different rods cast. I would recommend you find a medium to medium fast action in an 8-9 foot length depending on the the water you will likely be fishing. Smaller water go with an 8 foot. Larger water or stillwater go with an 8 1/2, or 9'. 4-6 weight rods are good all around trout rods. Consider the average size fish you will be after and the conditions (specifically wind) to determine which direction you go. I think for trout you can't go wrong with an 8 1/2' 5wt with a medium action. This will cover the most bases. As for brands, St. Croix, TFO and Cabelas all make great rods for beginners. Not cheaply made, not too expensive and rods that cast well and will last. As a value you cannot go wrong with the Cabela's Three Forks Rods. I have got many people into fly fishing with these rods and they last, have great actions and are a pleasure to cast. The pflueger medalist are simple rugged reels but are not fancy by any means. This was my first reel and I still enjoy it with an older fiberglass rod I have. The Cabela's Prestige reels are quality inexpensive reels. Ross makes some lower end reels and I have had a couple which I was not happy with. Preferred my prestige over both Rosses. I have casted all the TFO rods and they are quality and a good value also. St. Croix has always made a good product. My first rod was a St. Croix. I have too many rods and reels, a by-product of addiction, from lower end to high end and covering many lengths and weights for specific purposes.

 

Do not spend a lot of money on a setup. As you learn to cast a medium action will buffer a lot of the kinks you will have to work out and help you learn to cast with finesse as opposed to powering everything with a fast action rod. A slow action rod just won't have the backbone to cast in any wind or allow you to control subsurface flies well.

 

Sorry for the ramble, simply, I would recommend the Cabela's Three Forks rod, with the Prestige reel as both are a great value, then take the rest of your budget and buy more tying materials.

[carlp5351 0]

Check out the new Ross worldwide outfits. The rods cast great. I just bought the mid grade rod, and it is one of the best casting rods I have ever casted.

 

 

Carl

[Pelhament 0]

Redington RedFly2 Packages are a great setup. Comes with a rod, reel, line, backing, leader, and a rod tube. I think the 4 piece models run right under $200.

 

I have a 9' 5wt and love it.

[mswaterfowler 0]

I got a redington crosswater 2 fly rod and reel and was wondering if anyone had any experience with this rod and how it performed?

[J.Z 0]

I would get an Orvis clearwater, 6 weight 9 foot, good reel with the right fly line for you. I have used that rod and reel set up for tons of species of fish. From silver/sockeye/and pink salmon, to pike, to carp, and to any type of trout you can imagine. It also landed me my first Largemouth of the year a couple days ago. It is just a good all around rod. Here is a link:

http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice....IsPostBack=true

[flykid 0]

mswaterfowler- I have a crosswater+ I believe and it works for me. But I haven't had any other trout rod to compare it with. It casts well though and I have landed fish with no problems.

[stony 0]

Do you have a friend who has a rod you can borrow? That way you can see what your casting style is and determine what you would like to buy.

 

 

 

[J.Z 0]

next time you are at a fly shop, ask if you can try out some rods.

[CoachBob 0]

Here's you answer. Cabela's Cahill rod/reel kit. $40.

We have 6 FFF Certified Casting Instructors in our club and they wanted rods to teach with. We got them a couple of Cahill kits to try and they found them so suitable for new fly fishermen that we eventually bought 5 more to teach with. They are 9'5wt and come with line and backing, are mid-flex and cast very easily.

You have to put "cahill" in the search window on the Cabela's site, but the kit will come up. It's usually $50 but goes on sale all the time.

 

 

[Diaz 0]

I'm not sure the following recommendations necessarily qualify as low-priced or "introductory" outfits, but I read a post/article by another newbie who was considering a T&T for his first setup, so I guess those things are relative.

 

I just got back from fishing the Green River in Utah (you’ve gotta go before you die - it’s in the book, and I said so) and, according to every GUIDE we talked to, the best rods are SAGE and the best reels are LAMSON and/or ROSS.

 

Of course, these are just opinions, but I place a pretty high value on them considering they came from actual guides - all of whom worked for/owned different outfits. In my experience, most guides don't fool around with crap equipment, and they know more than anyone what qualities to look for when buying stuff.

 

They also said the cheapest models of many of the big-name rod makers are NOT very good (specifically the Sage "Launch" series). Apparently there's often a pretty big difference in quality between the lowest priced models and the next level up. My dad and I (who are beginners - going on 2 years now) just got some 6 wt. Sage FLi series rods on sale from Cabela's, and all of the guides said these were plenty for our skill/knowledge level (which would be somewhere between 0 and 1, on a scale of 1-10).

 

Also, our main guide said that if he were to buy only a couple of rods to cover most types of freshwater fishing in the U.S., he would recommend a 4 and a 6 wt. Those weights should be able to handle most freshwater fishing, unless you’re going for really big fish (like salmon and most saltwater species).

 

And if you plan on doing any traveling, get a four-piece.

 

REELS: As far as reels go, I don’t think they are vitally important for beginners or even for most trout fisherman. From what I can tell, they’re more important when fighting big fish or fish that take out lots of line - when drag is vitally important. I’ve only fished for trout and panfish, and I have yet to use my reel to fight a fish. Having said this, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing most of the time and the biggest fish I’ve caught was a 21” brown (which might as well be the world record, as far as I'm concerned).

 

The main thing I would recommend, when buying a reel, is to get one with a LARGE ARBOR. A large arbor makes line retrieval much faster, which is really nice. Neither of my reels have a large arbor, but I’m definitely going to make sure the next one does. All I know is that it’s a pain in the a$$ to have to reel in lots of line on a small arbor reel every time you move to a different spot.

 

I have an Orvis Battenkill Bar Stock II and like it just fine and have had no problems with it.

 

LINE: This is the other component, in addition to the rod, you should spend a little money on. Apparently RIO is a very good brand. I just bought some for $60-70, which seems crazy to newbies like me who are used to spending $6 on a spool of mono, but you’re line has to do a lot more in fly fishing.

 

I would NOT recommend Orvis line. That’s the line I just had to replace with Rio. Orvis makes some great stuff, but line ain’t one of 'em. According to the guy at the fly shop and one of the guides, Scientific Angler is who makes Orvis’ line and, IMHO, it blows. Mine was fairly new, but it had developed tons of memory and twisted into a cluster f**k almost every time I let some out. Needless to say, this made casting a nightmare and most of my first day on the river was spent getting untangled, un-stuck and tying on replacement flies and/or tippet. I thought it might just be that I suck, but the day after putting on new line…no problems whatsoever.

 

Well, sorry for the long post, but hopefully it will be helpful to someone.

-D