Been to all sorts of water this summer that seemed to lend itself to flyfishing. Noticing a lot of bugs, low clear conditions with mucho river bar to make learning easy.

Line weight: Was thinking about starting with 6
I'll primarily be fishing trout but also wanted to take a trip to ozette since I saw it's now selective only. (Hoping to hook into a few bass/perch)

Drag, I see cork and disc listed in all the starter combos I check out. Pros/cons of either?

Any set of flies that I can't live without?

Thanks guys

I started out with an 8 and now fish a 5, mostly. That works well for me on trout and panfish. Even used the 5 for chums, which may explain why the rod recently broke.

I like the lighter rods. Used what the gude said was a 0 on the Yakima; he also called it a toothpick, which describes how it looked. That was a real kick, landed a couple nice ones on it, too.

I'd say, especially if you are looking for trout and panfish, that light (low number) is the way to go. But, go out and test cast a bunch. See how far the rod comfortably casts; will that cover the water you want to fish?

A 6 weight is a great choice, and one of the more universal rods. It covers summer run steelhead down to some very delicate trout presentations.

Ok, 6wt sounds like the way to go. Thanks for the help guys, I'm going to hit up cabelas and take a gander at their options.

I have a 8' Redington 5/6wt that I need to get rid of and I will make you a good deal, if your interested. Or a 8' St. Croix 5/6wt that has only been used a dozon or so times. BOoth a practically new, as my family bought them for a vacation then didn't really use them at all.

Before checking out major rod dealers. Check eBay, and Craigs list. People are needing cash, and good deals are out there.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/spo/1299735576.html

Mf

Plugpuller I'm not looking to spend much more than ~100. Much less than you want for those rods/reels most likely.

I've learned my lesson plunking down money on stuff I'm not dedicated to yet.

Thaxor,

A 6 wt is a good choice for a first fly rod. FYI, the 9' 5 wt has become the most popular "all around" choice for trout fishing. A 6 is a good trout rod as well, and can work for summer steelhead, but most experienced steelheaders consider it too light, especially for a beginner at steelhead fly fishing. There are very few bad fly rods made these days, so you can get a good rod at most any price point. However, be aware that the few bad rods in the marketplace do occur at the lowest price points. You can get a good rod for around $100, especially if you use Ebay, CL, or Sierra Trading Post which carries a lot of closeouts.

The reel drag is irrelevant on a 5 or 6 wt trout rod. You could carry your fly line in your pocket except it would get all tangled. Any kind of drag is perfectly fine on a trout reel. I use old fashioned spring and pawl, even for bonefish up to 9#, steelhead in the 20s, and have never had any problem.

Flies depend on what you're fishing for and where you're fishing and when you're fishing. That said, it's hard to go wrong with some parachute adams in 12, 14, 16, stimulators in yellow and orange in 12 & 14, BWO in 14, 16, PMD in 16, 18. For nymphs you'll never go wrong with a few Prince in 12, 14, gold ribbed hare's ear in 12, 14, 16, a stonefly or two, . . . and the list goes on. It's almost time for sea run cutthroats in the rivers, so get a Knudsen's spider in traditional yellow, and black - black has always been best for me, so I mainly fish a Spade in 6 or 8. These can get you started.

Sg

I would concur with what has alrady been said regarding the universal 9'- 5 wt. and reel selection. I mostly use my free hand to strip or slip line to stay on a hooked fish at that line weight. A 20# steelhead on an 8 wt. is a different matter.... I would also add that line selection relative to a given rod is very important. A fast 5 wt. combined with your casting/fishing style may favor either a 6 wt. double taper (DT) or a 5 wt weight forward (WF) taper. The suggestions for a used setup are sound and will leave you with remaining funds to try different lines as well. Welcome to the Dark Side and have fun learning.

I've got enough information to be dangerous now, I appreciate all the info. This will be a fun change of pace for sure.