Asking for a friend:

[Sylvaneous]

My friend is interested in going fly fishing. I can start him out , lending him everything, no problem. But he will need his own stuff. We don't live in a place with any fly shops, besides Neshannock, which is an hour away. The 2 things I'm tapping into the Pa Fly Fish knowledge bank for are 1) waders and 2) rod. I can help with this, but I don't have any direct experience with new equipment at the starter and mid-level. Does anyone have any experience with a friend or family member who started with new stuff in this range and what their observations were.

 

[nomad_archer]

Lots of ways to go on waders and I'm just not sure what is there in the mid range.

As for rods and a beginner I'd suggest an orvis Clearwater combo. It comes with, rod, reel, backing, line, and leader. I recently got the Clearwater kit for my dad and it'll work well. It's a good rod with a workable reel and line. I got it at a local shop and it was $225-250 range but I don't remember the exact price.

I started with a Clearwater and still use it to this day.

The most important thing about the first rod is that it has a warranty. Many of the entry level rods carry a 30 day to one year warranty which are useless.

 

[greywolf]

For somebody just starting to fly fish, the waders and fly rod kits available at Cabelas cover the need. You can get breathable waders for around $100, wading boots in the $70 range, and a combo rod and reel in the $100 to $200 range.

 

[Bruno]

I like these outfits for a beginner or a pro. My teenage son fishes it and I've found it to be a nice rod for the money https://www.madriveroutfitters.com/p-8136-redington-path-outfits.aspx

 

[a23fish]

I was a beginner starting in January 2021 after getting an Orvis Encounter outfit for Christmas in 2020. I received the ubiquitous 9' 5 wt 4-piece rod, reel, backing, 5 wt weight forward fly line, etc. It has worked fine for me over the past 16 months. Any problems I've encountered have been due to my beginner's skill level and not the rod/reel/line. It cost $170. I've caught rainbows up to 18" with it - more a matter of being in the right place at the right time than expertise on my part - and it easily handled those fish.

I had researched beginners outfits for a friend in late 2020, and the Orvis Encounter was included in that list. Other recommended options for beginners that received good reviews included: Redington Path Flyrod Kit ($166); LL Bean Quest or Quest II Flyrod Outfit ($149, $169); Echo Base Fly Rod Kit ($199); and Cabela's Prestige Fly Outfit ($180). Not sure if these are all still available or have been upgraded, but there were lots of options in that price range. I have been happy with the Orvis Encounter, and probably would have been happy with one of the others too.

I haven't kept up with current beginner's waders. My old "go to" waders were Hodgman wading pants, but after going through 2 pairs of those over the years, I got a pair of lower end Simms chest waders (neoprene foot). Then a pair of LL Bean wading pants with fabric foot for warmer weather wading.

Wading boots? My current boots are Orvis Clearwater wading boots ($169). I also looked at Orvis Ultralight and Simms Flyweight wading boots ($198 & $200 respectively) but decided I needed a bit more ankle support. No recommendation on boots, except to try them on with neoprene socks or waders with neoprene feet to be sure they'll fit and feel comfortable. And go one size up if planning on fishing in cold water.

But I think the best thing you can do for your friend is to give him a small fly box with 6-8 proven fish-catching flies, e.g., streamers, egg pattern, midges, etc. and 3 or 4 of each of those. The most difficult thing for me as a beginner was sorting out what fly to use: still is for that matter. But having a proven selection will not only reduce his anxiety while learning to use the fly rod but will allow him to focus on casting, reading the water, controlling drifts, etc. rather than on which of the 100 flies to use next.

 

[krayfish2]

I'll second the suggestions for Redington path combo Orvis Clearwater combo. I will say that the path is a very nice casting rod. Most of those kids will come with a rod, real, line and a case. I would strip that line off and replace the line with something better. You can then put that old line on a $10 reel and make it their practice casting line for the yard or parking lot.

As far as waders go, it's getting warm enough out that wet waiting is coming into play. If you insist on getting waiters, factor in height shoe size weight and figure out what that corresponds to in each manufacturers sizes. Cabela's, steep and cheap, eBay a good place to find a decent pair at a good price.

I would spend a large percentage of the time starting out explaining casting mechanics, learning how to tie a knot, understanding what bugs look like and where fish might live. If they're not casting to where the fish are they won't do a lot of catching 😁.

 

[AngryViking]

The Orvis clearwaters are nice rods. No need to really upgrade either. Some of the best advice I received when starting had to do with equipment. I was told “it’s the Indian, not the bow and arrow.” If you can learn how to cast and know where to look for fish any equipment will do the trick. Just get out there and practice. Make mistakes and learn how to correct them. Fly fishing doesn’t need to be complicated or costly.