Fly Rod/Reel

[thewalleyeguy]

I am starting fly fishing because EatSleepFish encouraged me too. What rod and reel combo would you suggest that is around 100 bucks. I'll mainly be fishing stream trout.

[sowbug1171]

try and find a 8 1/2 to 9 foot 4wt ~ 6wt fly rod as far as brand try cortland,3M,cabela's,sage or orvis. when you do buy try to get the best rod you can afford as the reel is pretty much just for storing your line, line will be the next important thing to look at i would suggest weight forward in whatever line size is required for your rod. if you go with one of the kits every thing should already be matched. good luck and enjoy.

[royalwolf]

I agree. Get the best rod you can. The Gander Mountain rods are made by Albright, which is run by the guy who used to run Redington -- the rods are decent for the money. They also have a Cutthroat Combo that is good (Albright made as well) -- but also a Cutthroat Combo that is crappy. If you go that route, get the one that has the black reel and matte green rod. The one with the glossy green reel/rod are not worth the graphite they're printed on.

Also for about that price you should be able to get a St. Croix combo setup that will be very nice.

I'd go with a 5wt. It's the most versatile weight and what most people start with.

Let us know what you decide on, and have fun!

[ice_shack]

You can get a Cabelas Three Forks combo with a Ross reel for $99 right now. I have a 3wt that I have had for several years and it's a nice rod for the money. Good starter rod.

[robbro]

lot of good advice here. The only thing I would suggest is get a double tapered line, that way when one end wears out ( two years is about all you can expect if you fish much) just reverse the the line to get a new line. Weight forwards are great lines if you have cast more then 50 feet but around here where the streams are small thats pretty rare. Don't worry about casting a long line, work on accuracy in the 30 foot range. The advice about reels is right on. You don't need an expensive reel but buy the lightest reel you can find in your price range.