Hi my name is John and I'm new to this site and also fly fishing. I'm taking casting lessons soon in sac. I'm looking for a good stater rod and reel, and also any tips for a beginner.
Depends how much you wanna spend. Redington and TFO have some very fishable rods in the 150-250 range. Matter of fact the TFO BVK series is one of the best rods out there for around 250. Ask whoever your getting lessons from, if they know what they're doing they should be able to steer you in the right direction. Have fun.
I've been experimenting with expensive vs. cheap equipment for many years matching Sage rods and Orvis reels of all weights against various inexpensive, but decent quality brands. Here are some of my recommendations.
Rods:
TFO: The Lefty Kreh Pro-Series is the sweet spot IMO. You can get these for about $125 (incl shipping and tax) from FlyShopCloseOuts.com. I took a TFO 9wt out to Baja this year and it stood up well to 15lb bonito - stood up better than my arms. These rods tend to be on the moderate side with some flex in the lower section which is what I like.
Cabelas Wind River: When they were on sale for $40 they were the cheapest decent quality rod I have ever fished. I took the 5wt out to a local lake stocked with trout and was getting around 80' (ok a breeze at my back) casts. I have also used the 8wt on salmon, steelhead and salt water fish and have not broken it yet although it has been bent double.
Okuma SLV: Used the 11wt for a trip to Baja and it performed very well. Casts great and didn't break under load. It felt a little on the stiff side which is good for a heavy wt rod. I just bought a 6wt for $70 to try on on the shad this year so I hope it is as good.
Reels:
Okuma SLV: Cast aluminum, but seems really sturdy and the multidisk cork drag is pretty awesome. At $45 on Amazon, you won't beat this deal. I've caught monster fish in Baja on the 11wt and caught all sizes of trout up to 25" on the 4/5 wt with no problems. The only problem I've encountered is a few rough edges on the line guard that I had to sand a little.
Pflueger Trion: The reviews at Cabelas and Amazon speak for themselves (5-stars). This reel is machined bar stock with an impeccable drag that is silky smooth. I have the 9wt and I haven't seen a more expensive reel that was better. $100 at Amazon.
I still mostly fish my 5wt Sage LL and my 4wt Sage SLT for trout and my Sage RPL+ 7wt for shad as I don't think you can beat the feel of these rods. However, from a functional standpoint, I don't feel like I miss a beat with any of the above equipment. Also, I would trust an appropriately sized SLV or Trion reel with almost any fish.
At this point I think a lot of the fun of fly fishing is due to the fact that you are using fairly rudimentary equipment to get a good result so maybe cheap, but functional equipment is even more fun! I remember one of his friends telling me that the legendary Bill Schaadt used to fish with a rod covered with duct tape to hold his guides on.
-- Edited by iamamultitasker on Wednesday 9th of May 2012 12:39:58 PM
I second the TFO professional series rods. I built a 6 wt. last year for a buddy and he's been crushing fish from the lower sac to Alaska on that thing....
Took a new 6wt Okuma SLV (4pc) out shad fishing last night and was extremely impressed with the feel of this rod. Exactly the right kind of moderate-fast action I like with a lightweight feel, but powerful action. It felt and cast like an expensive rod. Time will tell if it is durable.
