# New to fly fishing (best rod and reel)



## Brigandoutdoors (May 27, 2019)

I am sure this question has been asked hundreds of times, but I am new to fly fishing and I am just trying to do some research. I live on the Georgia coast and I want to start chasing after reds, trout, with the occasional trip down to south west Florida for snook, small tarpon etc. I would be fishing from both land and sometimes a boat. What would you guys recommend for a good beginner fly rod setup? Any info is greatly appreciated!


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

I suggest an 8wt for what you're chasing. As far as rods and reels go you may actually start a war with that. But my suggestions are below. Also, honestly reels don't really matter that much at first when you're learning. But if you're looking for something to last then go Tibor or Nautilus.

Budget friendly Rod: Echo Ion XL 8wt 9ft
Mid Priced: TFO BVK 8wt 9ft
Used Rods: Scott Meridian, Orvis Helios 2, Sage Salt.. etc. Typically you can find a used rod for about the price of a new BVK.


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Agree with an 8wt, lots of options as to which one. Kinda goes to your personal casting stroke. If you can try some out at a fly shop, would be good, or get with someone with experience and try some of theirs.


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## Dave Nickles (Feb 3, 2018)

I'm sort of new as well and I recently got a used TFO Mangrove rod in 9wt that casts great. I'll yield to the more seasoned folks here on weight but you might want to look at a TFO.
BTW, lot of really helpful folks on here that will give you good advice.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

An 8 or a 9wt, a floating line -a beater reel that will hold at least 100 yards of backing... and you're ready to get started... Learn to cast with it, then learn your knots and a bit about flies - then use it, again and again... You'll learn to catch a fish or two, you'll also learn what you like (and what you don't like...).

Your best bet will be to hook up with someone that's already fly fishing and learn all you can from them... then expand a bit, join a club if there's one within range -and fish with as many different guys as you can... 

All that I'm describing is the way I got started way back when... Be careful, it's addicting... If you can, try not to fall into the trap that most do --- better gear won't necessarily make you a better caster.... so practice, practice - and it will help to have someone watching you that knows a bit about the sport.. They'll spot things that you can work on....

Hope this helps


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

lemaymiami said:


> An 8 or a 9wt, a floating line -a beater reel that will hold at least 100 yards of backing... and you're ready to get started... Learn to cast with it, then learn your knots and a bit about flies - then use it, again and again... You'll learn to catch a fish or two, you'll also learn what you like (and what you don't like...).
> 
> Your best bet will be to hook up with someone that's already fly fishing and learn all you can from them... then expand a bit, join a club if there's one within range -and fish with as many different guys as you can...
> 
> ...


Perfect advice Bob.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

If you're serious about transitioning from conventional tackle to fly I'd recommend finding a fly shop that offers lessons. After some lessons supplemented with practice you'll make a better choice on what equipment you need.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Visit a local fly shop. Pick up an 8wt on the used / consignment market.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Beginner setup, I'd look at something along the lines of an 8wt TFO Signature 2 (~$130) and a Redington Behemoth (~100). I wouldn't go cheap on the line, though. You should be able to find something in the $80 range that will work well for you. I personally like bonefish (less aggressive) tapers.

You can get good prices online, but I think you'd be much better served to buy something along the lines of the TFO and Redington from a local fly shop, where you can get good advice to go along with them. Plus, if you buy everything from them, they will usually spool it all up for you and might even throw in the backing for free. If they have some room outside and aren't busy, they will probably help you with the basics of your cast too.

I'm typically more of a "used gear" kind of guy, but many warranties are non-transferable, and you will likely miss out of the advice of the fly shop guys, which is more valuable than you may think. Although if you go in and talk to them before you buy anything at all, one of them may have a lead on some used equipment for you anyway.


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2019)

J-Dad said:


> If you're serious about transitioning from conventional tackle to fly I'd recommend finding a fly shop that offers lessons. After some lessons supplemented with practice you'll make a better choice on what equipment you need.


I couldn't agree more with J-Dad. Taking a few lessons will allow you to learn without forming a bunch of bad habits if self taught. A reputable shop will also steer you in the right direction as far as equipment goes. Don't be afraid of looking at used gear. Some people trade in their gear whenever "new and improved" gear comes to market. Good luck, have fun.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

eightwt said:


> Agree with an 8wt, lots of options as to which one. Kinda goes to your personal casting stroke. If you can try some out at a fly shop, would be good, or get with someone with experience and try some of theirs.


wait a second, you're telling me _you_ like the 8wt recommendation?


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## Brigandoutdoors (May 27, 2019)

I appreciate all the info! I have a local fly shop that offers some free casting classes and other private classes for a fair price. I’ll probably look into those


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

bryson said:


> Beginner setup, I'd look at something along the lines of an 8wt TFO Signature 2 (~$130) and a Redington Behemoth (~100). I wouldn't go cheap on the line, though. You should be able to find something in the $80 range that will work well for you. I personally like bonefish (less aggressive) tapers.
> 
> You can get good prices online, but I think you'd be much better served to buy something along the lines of the TFO and Redington from a local fly shop, where you can get good advice to go along with them. Plus, if you buy everything from them, they will usually spool it all up for you and might even throw in the backing for free. If they have some room outside and aren't busy, they will probably help you with the basics of your cast too.
> 
> I'm typically more of a "used gear" kind of guy, but many warranties are non-transferable, and you will likely miss out of the advice of the fly shop guys, which is more valuable than you may think. Although if you go in and talk to them before you buy anything at all, one of them may have a lead on some used equipment for you anyway.


Great advice Bryson


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## Brigandoutdoors (May 27, 2019)

Anybody have any knowledge or experience with Wade company rods or moonshine rod company? Around the $300 price and look to be nice rods with a good warranty. I think they’re manufactured in China though.


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

Brigandoutdoors said:


> Anybody have any knowledge or experience with Wade company rods or moonshine rod company? Around the $300 price and look to be nice rods with a good warranty. I think they’re manufactured in China though.







I wouldn't mess with it. the low cost options out there that aren't well known will more than likely be wasted money


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

8weight as mentioned above. My advise is to take only the fly rod with you leave the spinning gear at home you'll find yourself getting frustrated and putting down the fly rod. I've caught fish at the end of a day that I wouldn't have caught because I would have put it down and picked up a spinner once you hook a fish on fly you'll be addicted.


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## Caleb.Esparza (Jan 31, 2016)

Brigandoutdoors said:


> Anybody have any knowledge or experience with Wade company rods or moonshine rod company? Around the $300 price and look to be nice rods with a good warranty. I think they’re manufactured in China though.


I would shy away from both of those rods heavily. All marketing and hype in my opinion with overseas “quality”. You would be much better served spending that same 2-300 on a used Loomis/Hardy/Sage/Scott etc. or a brand new and excellent rod from TFO or Echo. There are loads of great options out there for you and with companies like TFO and Echo designing fantastic rods for less money there is zero reason to buy into some social media marketing scheme and waste your money on junk.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

All this advice is good. When I first started fly fishing (1989) it was saltwater. I went out and looked at rods and reels then saw how much they were, and my butt puckered. Went to a fly shop and told them I wanted to catch Reds and Specs and they laughed at me saying; that I was fishing for bait, “Tarpon is where it’s at son”. The rods were too much anyway, and the reels were so expensive and all they did was hold line (as far as I could tell). So, this got me to looking at making my own rods and I bought an English made Cortland reel and saltwater fly line then found a place that sold Sage blanks, Struble reel seats and fly guides. The blank was a Sage 2pc RPL that was $200. It cost me about $250 to build a $425 Sage rod. I had a small surfboard company so assembling a fishing rod was easy for me. Fast forward about 300 rods made of all types later and I will tell you this; most of the blanks now are all faster and somewhat lighter and even the cheaper ones are better than what was available 30 years ago. If you are hard core and know that you are going to stick with it, spend the money. If you are look warm and not sure, go get you one of those “everything in one package” deal, like a Redington set that has the rod, line and reel ready to go. It is a harder way to fish but also very rewarding as you develop, it is almost like learning how to fish all over again. You can catch fish anywhere on a fly at the same places you would with conventional gear. Get someone that knows how to cast to show you and that way you won’t start with bad habits.


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

You seem to have a local shop that you trust. Go take some classes and cast different rods they suggest for you. An 8 weight is a good place to start. Ask the guys at the shop about a decent reel to with with the new rod. Find an outfit that works for you and go fishing. I second leaving your other gear at home. Stick with the fly gear and learn how to fish it.


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## Brigandoutdoors (May 27, 2019)

I appreciate all the advice. I will definitely leave the spinning and conventional gear at home when I go fly fishing. In reference to the moonshine rods, I agree with what you guys’ are saying. They do have a “midnight special” line that’s 100% USA made but it’s not vetted enough like the other rods like TFO etc. only problem I foresee going to the fly shop and trying out rods to figure out which one I like is that they really only sell orvis rods. I don’t have anything against orvis but I feel like I’m not getting exposed to potentially better rods for the same price point. I guess I’ll just have to continue to do more research once I figure out what kind of action, weight etc. I like


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

You might want to look into a TFO. NXT . outfit. A beginners outfit that are used for training sessions. Have heard they cast well.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

I am going to offer a bit of a counter opinion to the "leave the conventional tackle at home" advice. There is certainly logic behind that and I used to say the same thing. However, I have changed my tune a bit the last few years. 

The problem is that most guys get way too few days on the water. Life just has other priorities. So when you go get to go fishing the last thing you need is frustration. And there is plenty of that with the long rod to start with. So here's the issue. You finally have a day when the stars align and you get to go out. The weather looks good for using your fly gear. Sunshine and just a light breeze. So you leave the conventional tackle home and head out.

Two hours into the day some clouds roll in and the wind starts to blow 15. Those make it tough on the most experienced fly fishers. Not conditions suitable for a beginner. But there you are and now you have two options. Just keep hanging in there and hope for the best. And yes you might make it happen but its way more likely that you are going to get more and more frustrated. Or you could just pack up and go home. Unfortunately those both suck as options. But if you had your conventional stuff you could at least have a reasonable chance to make something out of the day. If you get too frustrated with the fly rod, and it can certainly happen on that kind of day, it becomes easy to become disenchanted with fly fishing.

Now the downside of course is that its awful easy to just put down the fly rod and grab the conventional stuff. But come on show some fortitude and resist. If the conditions are reasonable for fly fishing then stick with it. So my advice is don't leave stuff at home. After all its about enjoying the few days on the water we have.


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## Sethsawyer (Apr 5, 2019)

TFO professional 9wt $169 is easier to cast than most saltwater rods. It has a medium action, and it will help turn over the bigger flies you use in the salt plus if you are going to hit beaches I wouldn't be caught dead with anything smaller than a 9wt.

Scientific Angler Grand slam is a great redfish GA line. heavy head, but long enough to cast the distance. Only floating rod/line combo I use that I can consistently cast 70+ft even in the wind with a redfish fly.
Reel: Lamson liquid or even cheaper. Redfish pull hard, but no need for a tarpon quality reel.

When I sneak back into my secret spots where redfish live If my first cast isn't with a flyrod my odds of hooking up on the fly drop astronomically.

Practice, Practice, Practice. If you don't feel like a zen warrior at least sometimes practicing on the lawn. When the wind is blowing and a Big red appears 40ft out you will blow the cast every time.


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## Mike K (Feb 24, 2018)

Brigandoutdoors said:


> I am sure this question has been asked hundreds of times, but I am new to fly fishing and I am just trying to do some research. I live on the Georgia coast and I want to start chasing after reds, trout, with the occasional trip down to south west Florida for snook, small tarpon etc. I would be fishing from both land and sometimes a boat. What would you guys recommend for a good beginner fly rod setup? Any info is greatly appreciated!


First of all, *DON'T GET A "STARTER OUTFIT" UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.* They will cost a little less than buying the rod, reel and line separately, but usually one or more of the components is not as good at the others. Good rod, "meh" reel or line; or vice versa. Choose the components separately based on how each one feels or appeals to you.

For rods, I second the recommendations for TFO. The BVK is a great rod, and Mangrove has a good reputation too. I am not so sure about their lower-priced options, but they are probably good rods, and their warranty is very good. Echo is another brand with good entry-level rods and a great warranty, but I don't know about their reels. Fenwick Aetos casts surprisingly well for the money, but the quality of the build and components is what you'd expect for the budget price. Allen has nice gear at reasonable prices, with a wide range of price points, and the build quality is probably better than the price would imply. Allen has good rods and reels, so you may be to "build" a complete outfit from them. Orvis is the only other company that I would recommend for that, as both their rods and reels are good, and their line is made by Scientific Anglers, so it is also first-rate. Orvis Clearwater is a nice rod at the price point, and the Battenkill Disc is the best machined reel I have seen for the money. The Clearwater rod and Battenkill Disc or Hydros reel is an outfit you could fish for years and never need more. You may also be able to pick up a Lamson Guru reel on closeout right now. I have a Clearwater/Guru outfit that I enjoy fishing as much as outfits costing two or three times as much.

If you are looking at the bigger name brands, check out Stillwater Fly Shop online, as they offer credit toward line with most rod or reel purchases, and you can end up getting really good line for free. On that note, someone already mentioned not skimping on line, and that is a very important point. Most people getting started in fly fishing get all jazzed about the rod and reel and ignore the line - understandably, because it is just not as sexy - but the line may be the most important thing when starting out. Almost any fly rod will cast good line, but garbage line won't cast well on even the best fly rod. Cheap line will make it very difficult and frustrating to learn to cast, especially in saltwater, where there is always wind. On that note, a line with a shorter and heavier head, like SA Redfish or Rio Bonefish Quickshooter (not regular bonefish taper), will help you load the rod and be able to cast some distance (before you get the double-haul nailed down), especially in wind.

Long answer, I know. Sorry, but there is no short answer.

Short answer: you can buy inexpensive, but you will regret buying cheap.

Decent entry level gear is worth a little more. If you become addicted and buy more expensive stuff later, the decent stuff will always be good for backup; and if you don't get totally into it, you will still have decent stuff for when you occasionally want to toss a fly at some fish.

PS: Don't overlook the warranty/customer service reputation. Fishing gear gets some abuse, no matter how careful you are with it, and sometimes stuff breaks. A $100 rod that breaks and has no warranty costs $100 to replace, and then you've got a $100 rod that cost you $200. A $200 rod with a great warranty that breaks may cost $25 or $35 to replace, but you'll have a $200 rod for only $25 or $35 more. That becomes an even better gamble when you go up in price.


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

The Orvis Recon outfit from your local dealer would be nice. And probably not something you’d outgrow.


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## Palma Sola (Jun 5, 2016)

My advice is to spend a few more bucks on a good fly rod now, and a bit less on a reel as long as the drag works well. Allen out of Texas makes good reels that can stop a truck. Sage,Orvis, Loomis, and Scott make good mid range rods, and nice luxury rods too if you want. Learn how to cast, and load the rod will be your secret to success. I always turn to fish down wind whenever possible


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## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

Start cheap, then if you think you like it move to more expensive gear. Sierra trading post has a 8wt Redington Path II for $70 right now. Then jump over to Amazon and get a Piscifun Sword reel $50 and some KastKing Exergy line $13. Once you get your groove sell it off or keep it as a backup.


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

I agree with the 8wt and the 
Redington Behemoth. I personally throw a 9 wt Orvis Recon with a behemoth and SA Mastery Redfish Line but I’m mostly throwing heaving dumbbell eyes or bulky deer hair. The 8 wt would be the best all around bet though


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

JOHN BOTKO ,owner of salty feather in jax fl suggested to me over weight the line by one weight to load rod easier to give me confidence of longer casts and to teach me rythm without flopping my arm around like I was swatting flies. The line is everything, go with a weight foward floater.that was 19 years ago and I believe it works for learning ,best rod and reels don't matter if no one shows you how to cast correctly....and critics your cast.just my own experience. Good luck and remember you are supposed to enjoy it.


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## Micro Thinfisher (Jan 27, 2018)

Great advice so far from the MS regulars; like Capt. Lemay states you can get by with a lesser reel and I would invest more in the rod itself. There are good reels in the lower range such as Lamson, Ross Evolution, FW or X Nautilus and even Orvis reels. Caught this snooklet on an Orvis while fishing dock lights in Tampa Bay with Capt. Dustin Pack - Fly Tide Charters.


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