One of the hardest fly fishing choices for beginners is finding and choosing a good fly rod and reel combo. You probably understand that a good rod will help you learn and make it easier to cast and catch fish while a bad rod might be so troublesome that you give up the sport altogether. The challenge is to find the best rod and reel combination for the money. And the money that matters? Don’t buy a cheap rod from a discount retail store. Instead, there are a handful of rods that are perfect for beginners — a blend of quality with a low investment that will help you learn without breaking the bank. Any of the rod and reel combinations noted below will be well worth the money for beginners, and they all make great gifts. Plus, for guys who already have a favorite rod, these combos give you a chance to pick up a backup rod (in case you break yours while fishing) or get a size and weight combination that you don’t have. For me personally, I have a 9-foot, 6-weight Sage that I received as a gift that is my go-to rod for trout, while I also bring along a little 7.5-foot, 3-weight Cabela’s Three Forks rod and reel combo.

Fly rods are rated by “weight,” which is the thickness and weight of your fly line. So a 5-weight rod is rated for a 5-weight fly line. They come in different lengths, but a 9-foot rod is the sweet spot for most anglers. In fact, the most versatile rod, especially for trout, is a 9-foot, 5-weight fly rod. You can’t go wrong with this size as a gift or for a first rod. At the same time, if you know you are going to fish primarily on small creeks, you could get a 4-weight fly rod or even an ultralight 7.5-foot, 3-weight fly rod. Alternately, if you know you want to fly fish for bass or fish lakes and big rivers with big streamer flies, a 7-weight or 8-weight rod might be smart. For steelhead or salmon, you would want at least an 8-weight rod. All that said, if you want to fish primarily for trout, stick with a 5-weight or 6-weight rod . . . in 4-pieces (see also, How to Choose the Best Fly Rod for Trout). Reels have evolved into large arbor designs that let you reel your line over a big cylinder rather than a small axel.

Instead of reeling line furiously around a pencil, newer reels work more like wrapping line around a soup can — basically, they let you reel in line faster. Even cheaper reels these days come with larger diameter spools and are lightweight. More expensive reels have better fit and finish, plus they have smoother drag systems. A drag, by the way, is the part of a reel system that lets the line leave the reel when a fish takes off hard. A smoother drag will let you set it with a wider variety of minute pressure differences, and the drag will stay put at the setting you intend. Ikea Curtains Apartment TherapyIn addition, a finely made drag system will engage smoothly without sticking — and any sort of hiccup can be enough to snap your tippet (the smallest portion of your leader) and break off your fly.Used Furniture For Sale Oklahoma

Which means you’ll lose the fish. And maybe lose the fish of a lifetime.You can catch huge fish with today’s entry-level reels. I’ve caught hard-fighting coho salmon on entry-level reels, and even brought in a 23-inch brown trout on a tiny entry-level reel rated for super-light 3-weight fly rods. Both were on Cabela’s Three Forks Combos. Set your drag lightly, and if you hook into a big fish, gently apply pressure to the outside rim — the palming rim — of your reel during big runs where the fish takes off fast and hard. Are Cold Air Intakes Car SpecificThe technique is to not stop the reel from turning, just slow it down a bit and put more pressure on the fish without snapping your tippet. It’s a technique, which is part of the challenge and joy of fly fishing in the first place. These outfits are solid performers, but if you fall and break your rod, the manufacturers typically won’t repair them for you without an extra charge.

Still, at these prices, you can buy two without breaking the bank. These outfits offer an enviable blend of quality with better no-questions-asked replacement warranties. If you can afford it, these combos will last years and feel great every time you pull them out. The highest quality rods and reels almost never come in pre-packaged combos, but if price were not a factor, these three rods and reels boast superior craftsmanship and overall performance. The key here for beginners is that one of these rods and reels won’t instantly make you a better fly fisher, but they will help you make the leap from an intermediate fly fisher to an expert — if you put the time in on the water, of course! Need a fly line recommendation? If you’re not getting a pre-packaged combo, you’ll need a fly line and backing. One of the best fly lines is the Scientific Anglers Mastery MPX Taper Fly Line — hard to go wrong with it, but if the price is out of your budget, pick up the Orvis Clearwater Fly Line or the Rio Mainstream Trout Freshwater Fly Line.

The three options above are flexible, versatile lines that will pretty much handle whatever you need to do. What about the dozens of other options? Not worth it for 95 percent of fly fishers unless you’re looking for a specific taper for a specific kind of fish or style. (Seriously, wait until you’re a fanatic to worry about it!) The links above all go to Fishwest, which offers free shipping on all orders above $39.95. If you pickup your Scientific Anglers Fly Line Backing and a 3-pack of Rio Powerflex leaders in addition to a fly line, boom, you’re above the minimum and scoring free shipping from a reputable fly fishing outlet with spot-on pricing.The Fly Fishers Fly Shop in Greenfield, WI is your one-stop shop for the finest fly fishing rods and fly reels. We've got it all—from high-end fly fishing rods and reels to more economical options for shoppers on a budget. The Fly Fishers strives to provide our customers with the finest fly fishing gear and fly fishing accessories along with superior customer service.

All of our employees are passionate about fly fishing, driving us to be the best online source for fly rods and reels. Our goal is to bring only the best equipment to our customers at the lowest prices possible. Our wide range of products appeals to everyone: from the casual weekend fisher to the professional angler. With a variety of rods and reels at all price points, we are sure to have the perfect rod or reel for your fly fishing needs. We have fly fishing reels from Abel, Billy Pate Reels, Bozeman Reel Co., Echo, Redington, Hatch, Sage Fly Reels, Tibor, Waterworks Lamson plus replacement and back up spools for all of our brands of reels! The Fly Fishers is your online source for quality fly fishing reels. We only supply the best. Everything we sell has been tested by our expert fly fishers. We only sell the reel brands we would personally use. Waterworks Lamson Fly Reels Our fly rods include Echo, G. Loomis Fly Rods, R.L. Winston, Redington, Scott Fly Rods and Sage.