Flyfishing

I need some information from a die hard fly fisherman. What brands are some of the top quality fly rods on the market? Gonna buy one and don't have a clue. I want one that would fall into the trout arena so what weight would be best? Thanks Daniel

Head to Gruene by New Braunfels and go discuss this with the guys at the fly fishing store. They are a good source of information.

spacejunkie thanks for the info but that would be quite a drive to look at rods. Daniel

You could spend several hundred dollars on a single rod. I have a very nice St. Croix that catches fish and was reasonably priced.

For a beginner not wanting to invest a lot, but get a feel for if you really like this addiction, I would suggest a 5 or 6 wht combo from Bass Pro. Probably a little north of $100. would be a good start.
Where do you intend to fish for trout ??

MM

Quick search finds this,

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/white-river-fly-shop-hobbs-creek-complete-fly-outfit
If you find you like this and want to upgrade, I have have been happy with the TFO range as Value for money and lifetime warranty.

MM

TFO is a great rod for the money. I have one and 2 of my sons use them as well.

Fenwick

How much do you want to spend? There are plenty of decent rods out there that you can catch fish on. If you just want to get a pulse on if you like it you could start lower end. If you want performance and the best:

I would go with LOOP. Any of their rods will be excellent. Even their q-series. I typically put over 220+ days on the water in a single year and LOOP outpaces and outperforms everything I've got my hands on. G.Loomis NRX would be my next..and then orvis has some decent stuff..so does sage...but...LOOP has the best warranty, best product, and best customer service. I worked at a fly shop for a long time and consistently the most repaired rods are: Sage,Reddington. Orvis and g Loomis aren't fam behind them. I've seen I don't know how many orvis helios 2 rods busted.

If you want an inexpensive route, I could probably recommend echo. Cheap with a decent warranty.

If you want to continuously replace your equipment I could recommend a variety of brands that will fit the bill. If you want 1 stop shop, look not further than LOOP. It has a cult following for a reason. On top of that they are just sexy AF. For trout...

6wt LOOP Cross (evotec cast or q series will fit the bill and outperform most other high end rod ranges.)

Reels...also, I recommend LOOP. The Opti Runner is perfect on the 6wt.

You will see a lot of people recommend smaller wt rods, but to.be honest... You'll only use it on smaller game fish.

6wt I think is the go-to all around rod. Most reasons why people go smaller is because other manufacturers will make broomsticks for rods and they can't have delicate presentations. Lines are whatever. I've caught just as many fish on a cheapo Cabela's line as I have on a $90 line...it is all about presentation. But I do have a preference. Arc 99+ 6wt line is money on the 6wt cross. If you are new, sizing a line size up from your rod will help load the line a little better (overlining). Weight forward (WF) is pretty standard. I could go on for days. Don't forget your backing. If you got coin to spare gel-spun is the tits. People who complain about it have likely never used it. It is smaller diameter and significantly stronger and way more abrasion resistant. I like Orvis gel-spun for that. Dacron is fine, too, but takes up more space on the reel.

If you gave me a budget you were wanting to stay under I might can shed some light on other manufacturers too. Hope this helps.

Scott radian, sage x are two of the best rods out there. granted they are pretty expensive the radian id a fast rod and is harder to cast for aq beginner the sage is much more user friendly. if you both companies offer good warranties. i would recommend a 9ft 5 or 4 wt for trout you should go to tail water in dallas they will help you out.