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.