Like the title says i am new to fly fishing but not regular fishing. I am looking for advice on what kind of equipment to buy from rod n reel to line. Since this will be my first fly rig i want to keep it simple and cheap. I mainly want to fish for bluegill crappie and the occasional bass. I dont know anything about 3wt 4wt but I'm thinking it has to do with line test??? School me on your ways.
Thanks in advance

A three or four weight would be an excellent start.

Line weight is a system made up by manufacturers to describe the actual weight of the line. It's not actually line test. From 1 to 14, with 1 being ridiculously light (I have a one weight, it's only usable when the wind isn't blowing) to 14 which is for marlin and sharks.

I'd recommend a Google search and plenty of reading on the subject in order to get up to speed.

There are plenty of reasonably priced combos out there. My advice is to err towards spending more money on the line itself if it comes down to that choice.

Fly casting is different in that the line itself does the work as opposed to the line being mainly the connection between rod and bait.

There are a few local fly fishing clubs. I'd recommend attending a few meetings, going on some outings, getting some pointers on casting etc.

Those are real fun on a 3 wt rod.
I recently bought a tfo 3 wt rod and orvis from someone here on the forum.
Good price and was just what I had imagined it would be for perch and small bass.
Really a blast.
Recently started fly fishing for catfish.
Light wire hook shad and small split shot.
Even put small peg float on leader. Same setup as on spinning rod.
This is a blast on my 5wt.

Figure what you want to fish for most then get rod wt to match.
You can be as conventional or unconventional as you want
Just go out and have a lot of fun.

Thanks guys for the replies! Lots of good info there. Another question i have pertains to rod length? What would be the best for a 5wt reel? I have narrowed down the reel to a 5wt as i think its kind of in the middle. I have seen lenghts from 6ft to 9ft. Is it just a personal preference?
Thanks again!

Cabelas makes a nice 7ft fiberglass rod in a 5 wt. I’ve got one paired with one of their cheap fly reels. I like the shorter rod for my kayak. It’s great for bluegill and bass.

Personal preference and where you plan to fish most of the time... Dougfresh mentioned a 7ft and shorter rod for kayak fishing.

I tend to the 9ft; seems to be a versatile rod length for me. Have one 9' 5wt' rod/reel combo that I have used on ponds and lakes in the DFW area, fishing Denison Dam's and Possum Kingdom's tailrace, rivers in Oklahoma - Blue, Lower Illinois, and Lower Mountain Fork, and the rivers in Texas - Trinity and Guadalupe. Have done well with it.

Good luck on your purchases... I say the plural because once you get the fly fishing bug, there will be another purchase!

PS: Here is a link posted on our blog to answer a Reader's question... What is the best setup for a beginner...

I started a couple of years ago with a 5 weight and just picked up a 3 weight last month. Either is fine for the kind of fishing you described, although a 5 weight will give you more confidence when you are fishing for bass. I've bought all of my rigs at Cabela's and have been very happy not only with the quality of the gear, but also the knowledge of the salespeople.

If you are too far away from a Cabela's look for your nearest fly shop. They're a little more expensive (sometimes a lot more) but the people are usually pretty knowledgeable.

I fished using conventional tackle for most of my life, but in my opinion there is nothing more thrilling than catching a fish on a fly rod.

If you are mostly going after perch and crappie will have a lot more fun with 3 wt.
You will not have much of a fight on 5 wt. thanks

I started fly fishing two years ago and I am on my third year. I love my ultralights and will keep using them. However there is something about fly fishing that only fly anglers can relate to. I have a good friend who only fly fishes and I have learned a lot from him. He has taught me a lot and has spent many a day teaching be some basic techniques. The more you fly fish the better you will get. I learned with a 5wt fly rod. I now have a 3wt,5wt,and 7wt . Acadamey and Bass Pro have some pretty good sales that go on throughout the year on combo's . I would suggest a 5wt to learn on. For me the 5wt is easier to learn with. My friend was {right on the money) when he said. "The more you fish with a fly rod the better you will get". I have several places to fly fish that are perfect for fly fishing. I will always remember my first fish I caught on the fly. It was a 7" Bluegill in a pond using a Red Lady Bug! Good luck on your new fishing adventure. You are going to really enjoy learning and fishing on the fly!

Thank you Laker One! You just added another vote of confidence twards the 5wt. Unfortunately its now going to be awhile before i can purchase a fly rod combo.
The Lord works in mysterious ways! Yesterday the wife and i took the boat out and decided to fish a different river lake. Good thing we did. Our usual spot we fish we put in and go upstream about 8miles, the river has lots of sharp curves and thats alot of steering. Back to the other river lake we went to we only use the big motor to get off the trailer then use the trolling motor as we fish right around the ramp. It turned out the fishing was slow there so we decided to go to another lake but as i was loading the boat on to the trailer my steering cable broke. It couldn't have happened at a better time! I think now if we had been at our usual place taking one of those sharp curves and the cable broke the outcome would have been disastrous! This is proof that God is watching over us and it only strenghtens my faith!
So now i have to buy a steering cable at $150 before i buy the fly rod.

The Bible says! "In all things give thanks unto the Lord"! The Lord Jesus Christ will be with you always in both the good times and in the bad times! Sometimes the Lord is trying to tell us something when something not good happens in our lives. Bad events can strength us up! Also as I always say. "The Lord Jesus Christ has control!

Amen Brother Chuck! preach on, i couldn't agree with you more

Even though I am far from being an avid fly angler,I personally think a 5wt is good to start out with. Yes a 3wt is great for the Bluegill/Sunfish but for me the 5wt was easier to work and learn with.



Side Note: Keep your eyes open for some pretty good sales coming up this late winter and spring at Bass Pro and Dicks. You should get some pretty good deals on both fly rod and rod/reel combos! Also late fall before Christmas you can get a nice deal on a fly rod combo!

As everyone says five weight is usually the best. I actually think I have an old 5wt and a real. I'll look and see if I have a line if your interested. Pretty sure I do just need to poke around some stuff is still in boxes since the move from Colorado. I'd hate to tangle with some bigger bluegill on anything less than a 4wt though I have caught some good sized smallmouth on a 2wt when I was in Kentucky. Some the fish the Banker and Vogey have been catching would be a challenge on an 8wt.

I use Gehrke’s Gink every time I go fly fishing - it's cheap and yes you should start off with a 3 wt rod :-)

The rod weight is more about what you are casting, and the conditions (wind, etc.) that you are casting in that what you are casting for. The five weight will allow you to cast in windier conditions than lighter rods, and will allow you to cast heavier or bulkier (wind-resistant) flies than a lighter rod. The strength of the tippet you use has more influence than the rod's power on the size of fish you can fight with it. The five will be a good starter rod to learn on. But beware; as you gain experience you are liable to end up with a wide range of rods and lines .

Good luck and have fun!

Everyone has given lots of good info for sure ! I started with a 7' , 5wt way back in the late 60s' . First time I ever fly fished . I caught bass , perch bluegils , the best fights were with Redear ! A few crappie is good too ! It took a long time to understand about fly line and the importance of it with a good leader .

Back then I barely had money so I had to use those eye hooks that tapped into the end of the flyline and I used whatever fishing line I had for leaders which was mostly 17-20 lb line . I didn't know any better and had no teacher . All I fished with were top water flys but didn't matter cause I love to see fish hit those top water lures !

Years went by and I got away from it but last 5 yrs got back into it whenever I can get to a lake which isn't often and I still bank fish cause I have no boat . But now I have two rods and reels . One is a Sage VXP 9' , 5-wt with a Orvis Batten Kill reel with Orvis Trout weight forward line which means the first section of line is heavier making casting easier for longer distance .

My second rod is a Cabelas Rls+ rod and reel match both 5wt and rod 9' . The Sage is a great rod but actually I could do all I need on just the Cabelas rod and reel but just change to better line . Getting use to 2-lb line for homemade leaders takes a bit getting use to but after use to it it just comes natural . However 5-lb leaders work too just make sure leaders are 7-9' in length .

But points made are mainly have fun and when you want better challenges go to light equip wt . 4-wts are excellent just like 5-wts are . But the smaller the fish the smaller the wt is a good principle to follow .

Thank you everyone for all the great advice this is the best kind of advice from experienced anglers and you are what makes this the best fishing forum

Thanks to all who replied

if having the best top name equipment disregard. Still here? Ok I bought my 1sr fly out from Academy for $24.95 total. 8' rod not sure what weight but maybe 4/5 , reel , line and 3 jigs. Been using it til it getting worn out ( mostly drag ) I fish blue gills mostly here but a group goes to Rock Bridge Missouri for a 3 day ( including 500 mile drive ) to fish for Rainbows and EVERYONE can cach fish as section of 1.1 mile creek stocked daily. Yes purists will slam yhis but I fish trout once ayear. Yes it is expensive but if you cut back on restaurant exrra roll away bed . Something to think of is that if you buy regular license you have to keep everything you catch and pay by the pound. You can pay more for catch and release which is $100 a day Enclosed is 2 pics. Honestly the one with multiple fish is average size, really and if you can afford it you can catch a lot. You have to turn in and wegh your catch. The office tallys total weight and puts that weight back in early next morning. Its far but a great friend lives in Stlouis so it help him and I have more time than money. The solitarf fish is not average but Mark ( st louis guy has caught 1 twice that size ( very rare. He is very good, tall and looks for fish and works til it bites. Any questions pm or call 972 740 1243. If you have boat the best Coppernose blue gill lake is Lake athens. Will add pic otf that too. ( cooler top is 13 1'2" )

Dig them gills. That last rainbow is one pellet pig. I know all about the trout "farms". I was in Colorado for ten years and there were a ton there too. Some times the tug is the drug and you can usually turn a few toads like that if you are selective.

If you are just considering one rod and reel you may want to think a little bigger. I use a 8'6" fly rod 6/7 weight almost exclusively in Texas freshwater fishing. I started with a lighter weight, but expanded from sunfish and largemouth bass fishing to carp, buffalo, striper, white bass, catfish, gar, etc. I had a nice 5 weight till a big carp turned it into kindling.

It can be crazy making trying to sift though all the advice on gear, but that’s typically how it goes with gear threads.

I’ve got way too many fly rods, but tend to hang on to them for those “just in case” scenarios. Anyway, there are people that have way more fly rods than me so I may be a sinner...

I live on water and keep about a half a dozen set ups rigged and ready. I might get on a 2 weight kick and try to see what I can do with that. Lately, I’ve been messing around with 6-7” flies that need a 7/8 weight to cast well for any distance.

The 7’6” 5/6 weight cabelas fiberglass CGR I have is a pretty good jack of all trades Texas warm water fish rod since the OP mentioned bass, crappie and bluegill. It’s got enough horsepower to cast some bushy bass poppers well enough and isn’t such a broomstick that makes an 8” bluegill feel like nothing. I can cast weighted crappie jigs, I like the balanced type, all day with the 5/6 weight CGR. The rod isn’t going to break the bank either. Fiberglass is super durable and tough to break, a lot tougher to accidentally bust than Carbon fiber fly rods.

The general knock on fiberglass in fly rods is that it’s heavy. For a 7’6” 5/6 weight, that extra 1/2 ounce or so won’t swing appreciably heavier than a 9’ graphite rod. The other knock on glass is that it’s more noodle than rod and won’t allow for crisp on the water mends. I can’t think of any time where I wished for a 9’ graphite rod for Texas bass, bluegill and crappie. I find the slower action of glass to be an asset for touchy casts slinging flies under tree branches or around docks, the kind of stuff that you will find on a Texas lake, pond or river.

Kinda amazing that Karstopo mentioned graphite rods and mending I've always thought it easier to mend with glass or 'boo but that is what I learned with. Probably don't need to mend in Texas though haven't seen the need for a perfect dead drift for warm water fish.

I know very little about fishing cold water trout streams and the dead drifts for dries. I’m on another forum where some knock shorter glass, (bamboo rarely comes up) for on the water mending in favor of modern long and lean Sage and other graphite rods. About the only on the water mending I do is for to adjust the path of the streamer I want it to take stripping in or to control a drift of something, usually a weighted pattern, in current like in the surf or a marsh drain. Might make an adjustment for wind, too.

Mostly, I try to shape the cast in the air, aerial mends, such as to cast to put the fly on the back side of a exposed log or pier piling. Glass does that type of mending very well.

Cold water is where my mending experience comes in. Keeping a dead drift over twenty yards of stream across three or four current seams. Its a pain, really a pain with a #24 trico spinner but whether you are nymphing or flinging dries it becomes critical.

Glass is not dead. Still use a Fenwick glass 7wt I bought early 70's. Pretty nice with DTF line.