I've never been fly fishing but have a friend that can teach me how. I'm now interested in purchasing a fairly cheap fly fishing rod. You guys have any good, inexpensive rod and reel compos to sujest to me?
Thanks.

What is your definition of cheap? Less than $100? Less than $200?
For less than $100 you can get a decent Cabelas 3 forks combo, not a bad option really. For less than $200 you can get a TFO rod and a cabelas reel from Cabelas with SA Mastery line. I vote for the later, you won't soon outgrow it.

Like Jukebox said, there are several levels. The Cabelas Three Forks are good, as are the Bass Pro offerings. Don't rule out the Scientific Angler starter combos, they were, I found, surprisingly sweet casting rods.

The TFOs are really great stuff, lifetime warranties and all that. They would be the next bump up

I saw this Wright & McGill Plunge 9ft 5wt Outfit in a recent Feather-Craft catalog. It has everything you need to get started, including tools, flies and a DVD.

less than $100. although that link posted looks like a deal. What do yall think about this one right here?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp;jsessionid=PHPU0HJN1LNMDLAQBBKCCNNMCAEFKIWE?id=0052677&navCount=1&parentId=cat602038&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat20431-cat602038&parentType=index&indexId=cat602038&rid=&_requestid=103372

sorry don't know how to post the link correctly. I guess just copy and paste it in the address bar.

thank yall.

You have opened the can of worms that never gets shut for long around here...most will say buy a decent 100 - 200 dollar rod and a cheap reel and some decent line & they will be right, you cant go wrong with that kind of advice. My suggestion is buy a cheap starter kit & they can be had for 60-70 bucks (Okuma comes to mind), learn to cast it, use it, catch fish with it, you will grow out of it, but during your growth you will have learned what qualities you want in your equipment & therefore be able to make a wise investment when you decide to upgrade (and even the guys that start with $200 rods upgrade)...good luck, read, listen, learn, but most important go fishing.

I agree with Bass Bug. Because I wasn't a "dedicated fly fisherman" it took me a lot of years to ourgrow my entry rod. Heck, even after I upgraded I hung on to the old gal until it had a terrible encounter with a dead elk.

If most of the fishing you'll do is for bass and sunfish, you don't need a fancy rod. You'll want one after some time, but you don't need it to get started. Just get out there and fish.

I am somewhat of a beginner too and these guys have given you some great advice but I will throw my two cents in and see what happens. Really, it all depends on what you want.

I went the really cheap route first off, so I could grow out of mine really quick, but that depends on the fish and the perception. I am not at all upset about what I did, and am glad I went the route I went. My first set up cost me $80 plus tax but it wasn't a combo so it was slightly better than some of the combos. The only thing I would change is my line, which I will change soon. Here is what I did.

At Academy I got a cheap fly rod called the Apache Tomahawk 5/6 wt, $30. It is 8' and fairly stiff so you will need the 6 wt line. Then I picked up an Okuma Sierra reel for $30 and some cheap line for $20. I would suggest either finding Scientific Angler, Rio, or Cortland line on sale if you can, but if not, get the Cortland 333, it's only $35. With that set up, you will have a good line, a decent reel and an OK rod. If in six months you want something better, get a better rod and slap that reel on it. If you do want to go for trout, you may want a more sensitive rod, like I said, this one is a bit stiff.

I now have a better 8 wt set up with a nice Albright rod, a good reel, and some good line. I am better with my cheap set up, probably because I haven't gotten used to the nicer, heavier set up.

Here is another suggestion that I have, hopefully everyone else will chime in on this because of my lack of experience. I believe it is best to learn in the 5 or 6 wt range, at least for this area. 4 wt might be good too but you may have a harder time throwing bigger weighted flies with that for bass. I would say if you are going to target bass, start with a 6 wt, if you want to play with perch and trout, get a 5 wt. If the other guys say different, you probably want to listen to them. I only say that because I am having a harder time learning to cast my 8/9 wt than my 5/6 wt.

Good luck with what ever you choose, I hope you find the sport as exciting as I do. One thing to remember though, if you do get hooked, one, two, and maybe three rods will not be enough, just a warning.

man that aint even the beginning & dont forget all the the different lines ya gotta have, plus some extra reels & spools.. hell you oughta just go ahead a start a heroin habit, it'll cost less in the long run

Definitely start out in the 5-6 wt range. It's plenty of rod for everything you'll get into around San Marcus, the line is heavy enough that you can actually cast in a little wind and it can carry most bass flies, but it is not so heavy that it will wear you out on a long trip.

I also recommend a cheaper rod to start with. They tend to be slower action and more forgiving as you learn how to cast.

Be careful hanging around here. There's this thing called tyin' which will cause you to develop really odd habits like hanging around Hobby Lobby and having hundreds of dollars worth of colored feathers and animal skins laying around your house. All your friends will think you've either joined a cult or gone a little fru-fru.

As must be expected in this kind of thread, it's time for me to recommend the Cabela's Three Forks Rod and Prestige Plus Reel Combo with Fly Line.

I've got one of these in a 3, 5, and 8 weight and have been very pleased with them. It's a great starting point and after a while you can spend a few bucks to put some better fly line on them to make them just about perfect for a sub $100 outfit. I would suggest a 5wt, 9 foot rod, which is small enough to enjoy some bream, but large enough to land a decent bass. The fish in my signature fish was somewhere between 2.5 and 3 lbs and was landed on the 5wt rig shown in the picture.

Good luck.

you're not s'posed to mention that yet, first comes the fly fishing gear (ie: gateway drug) then fly tying (the real dope)

go to walmart or academy and get the one that like 30 bucks, thats what i learned with,

so if you find that this isnt for you, your not out a lot of money

I'm gonna have to agree with everyone and say go get a cheapy starter combo. It really helps to be able to go into a knowledgeable shop after you've used for a while and tell the guy what you're looking for in your upgrade rod. I almost bought a rod based on recommendations when I first started but talked with a guy at my local fly shop who set me on this path. After about 3 months I went in and knew what I wanted in a set up and have been upgrading since then....

yeah since then because these guys are right your first fish hit is like a first crack hit you just cant seem to focus on anything else afterwards! Casting can be frustrating at first but take the time to go to some clinics and get tips then you'll be spending all your free time out there getting fish

Are all the big box starter rods slow and "forgiving" actions?
I have never cast one.
The reason I ask is that casting habits are hard to change and slow actions just aren't suitable for most flyfishing situations IMO.