what brands of combo outfits are ok?

bassfever

bassfever

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Looking to buy a fly rod & reel combo outfit- probably 5 WT.
Should I be looking at Bass Pro, or Cabelas, or Orvis, or______?
Thinking in the $200 range.
I have been using a friends older set up, now want to get my own, but am not familiar with good names in fly equip.
Thoughts?
Thanks
Tom
 
L.L. Bean and Reddington are good set ups.
 
bassfever wrote:
Looking to buy a fly rod & reel combo outfit- probably 5 WT.
Should I be looking at Bass Pro, or Cabelas, or Orvis, or______?
Thinking in the $200 range.
I have been using a friends older set up, now want to get my own, but am not familiar with good names in fly equip.
Thoughts?
Thanks
Tom

+1 for Sbbecker's comment.

If you are able to attend the Newbie Fish and Chips event at the Little Lehigh Heritage Section this Saturday, you can also take a look at my Cabelas Prestige 5 wt. I think the outfit is on sale for $129 and contains rod, reel, line, leader, rod case, tools and a couple of flies.

Rod has performed well for me and has been called pretty decent by more able anglers than I.
 
+1 on redington. they have some good outfits,the pursuit outfit being the highest quality fitting into you rprice range
 
Don't have much info on quality but I have a Cabelas set up. They replaced my original rod w/out receipt when it snapped at the last newbie get together no questions asked. Didn't even have that particular model and they upgraded me with a $180 rod .. who was I too complain
 
St. Croix and Redington both offer good combos.
 
IMO, St. Croix and Temple Fork Outfitters make quality affordable rods and reels.
 
I've been fishing the $100, 5wt 8'6" redington combo for 5 years and it's been great. I have a desire to upgrade because I've become more experienced and want something a bit more tailored to the type of fishing I find myself doing but the redignton will most likely stay in my arsonal.

I've caught 20" stockies and 6" spookies with flies of all sizes down to a #24 trico and up to #10 bugger. Well worth the $$ in my opinion and a great way to pick up the sport. Good luck.
 
The 9' 5wt is the typical "go to" first rod for most people in PA. Dries, nymphs and streamers all on one rod. Look for reviews online too of what you want. Get a machined reel if you can. Skip the plastics. No big deal if you don't get a rod case, just make one from pvc at your local hardware store. I broke my first rod due to it not having a case and "placing" a new tv on it in my trunk. (talk about stupid)

Ask plenty of questions too, you'll get more help than you know on here.
 
I would recommend you check out the St. Croix "Rio Santo" outfit. It comes with the rod,cast alum reel, backing,line, leader and a tube. They run about $200.
 
Kind of suprised no one mentioned Orvis. Thoughts about Orvis?
 
Price compared to the others, possibly? I dunno, I don't own any Orvis gear. However, I worked for L.L. Bean and will back their product and warranty, and my first rod was a Redington Rs4 combo that I still use and find it perfect for big water.
 
bassfever wrote:
Kind of suprised no one mentioned Orvis. Thoughts about Orvis?

Yeah, Orvis's base model combo (the Clearwater) will run you out of the price range you mentioned in your OP. It goes for about $300. It's a nice rod though.

I'd agree with the recommendations for Redington and Bean. Quality combos from several different model lines for about $200 or less. I have rods from both that are in my starting lineup and aren't just "backups".

Both Cabelas and BPS will get you into full setups for under $100. They're passable for a beginner and you'll still catch plenty of fish with them.
 
Both Cabelas and BPS will get you into full setups for under $100. They're passable for a beginner and you'll still catch plenty of fish with them.
This caught my eye. If you are experienced and decent, does the quality of the rod matter that much?

I ask because b4 I caught the fishing bug I was an avid golfer. I was ok but have had the same clubs for 12 years with the exception of adding a wedge and/or putter here and there. Technology changes but a quality golfer can score well no matter if their clubs are the latest and greatest or 20 years old .. vice versa if ur not good and/or inexperienced
 
People catch fish with Tenkara. Does that answer your question about quality and catching fish? Crap, people fish with Bamboo! It is a stick.
 
Love Redington gear!!
 
Yeah, my point was more along the lines of those Cabelas and BPS combos being standard middle of the road med/fasts that cover a lot of bases but don't necessarily excel in any one area. This is ok and maybe even ideal for a beginner I think. Once you learn a little you can then make a more educated purchase on a rod that's more specifically tailored to your casting preferences and the kind of fishing you'll be doing with the rod. The advantage of those $100 combos is simply you don't have to spend as much to learn what you like and don't like.

The golf analogy is a fair one. I too was an avid golfer before FFing (funny how that works). Same logic applies IMO. I started with a cheapo matched set of Spaldings until I got decent enough to learn what I liked and what suited my game and swing. Now I'm not 15 shots better with my current clubs, but I'm certain on the average round, all other things being equal, I'd shoot lower with my current set than the Spalding starter set...because they're more tailored to my game.
 
I just got my neighbor into FF this year. And he bought a temple fork rod - can't remember the model, but it's a cheaper one - along with a prestige reel from cabelas.
The rod is OK. But neither of us care for the reel. He'll be upgrading that rather quickly
 
So Orvis is ok, just not worth the extra $ (?)
 
bassfever wrote:
So Orvis is ok, just not worth the extra $ (?)

Not necessarily. It very well may be. All fly rods have different casting characteristics and a different "feel" to them. This makes some better for certain applications than others, and some more tailored to certain casting styles than others. It's just tough to know what will work best for you when you're just getting started.

Component/materials wise the Orvis rod/reel is way better than any of the $100 Cabelas/BPS combos...it may not necessarily be that much better than any of the Redington or Bean combos being discussed, but that's a matter of personal preference more than anything. The difference IMO is that the Orvis combo is a $300 risk as to whether you'll end up liking that rod once you progress and learn your rod preferences. Sure you can go with the Orvis and if you end up not liking it, sell it, trade it, etc, but if it were me I'd go get a Cabelas or BPS combo in an 8'0 - 8'6 5wt for about $100 and fish it for a while. You'll learn with it, be able to use it on all kinds of different streams, and surely catch plenty of fish with it. Once you start to learn what you like and don't like as your casting style develops you can then go test a bunch of "nicer" rods and make a more educated purchase for your "flagship rod". You then have that original Cabelas/BPS as a versatile backup rod.

Just how I look at it...one viewpoint to consider among many good ones posted here. In there end there's no right or wrong answer...buy what ya like and will be happy fishing with.
 
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