Hi All,
I'm new to fly fishing and I'm in the process of acquiring equipment. I don't have tons of money to spend on gear, not to mention that I probably can't appreciate the difference between a $70 and a $700 rod, yet.

So with that in mind, I'm looking for suggestions on first time gear. I can afford to spend a little bit more on either the rod or reel, but all the fishing mags and internet discussion boards I've read thus far conflict when it comes to which is more important. (I know they're both important) My budget is in the $300 range.

I will be fishing for mainly lake trout and panfish. But after reading the Westport Jetties thread, saltwater "black bomber" fishing looks interesting as well.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
(I will also be headed to Meydenbauer Center for the fly fishing show as well.)

There are many good less expensive rods and reels out there. Notice i didn't say low end because of the less expensive gear I happen to like better. St Croix rods come to mind right off the bat. I think these rods are great and for the most part. And the imperial series is around $150.

If you are going to be fishing for trout and panfish in lakes a 5 wt will do you good. I think that the reel is less important in this type of fishing as it holds line more then anything, my opinion of course. You might need a floating line and a sinking line if you are going to fish lakes. My trout reel is a Diawa and I have had it for 10 years and love it. Solid reel and I can rim control the drag if necessary.

JJ

When you are fishing a 5wt, you will probably be playing all of your fish just by stripping the line with your hand. This would make the rod more important, but if you do hook a bigger fish a cheap reel can really hurt you.
Personally when I fish for trout I use the reel exclusively as a line holder and play all the fish by hand. It sounds like you are going to be targeting smaller fish so I would say that a cheap reel is ok for your situation.

If you ger into salmon and steelhead, or even larger trout, get a good reel over a good rod. Having a reliable drag is the most important thing when fighting a big fish.

Thanks JJ & D3,
I'm going to look a for a decent 5wt rod and less expensive reel.

I'm sure as I get more into the sport, I will accumulate my equipment.

thx!
Dan

Dan- Something you may want to look at is the Discovery Series by sage. The DS2 is a really good rod and you save money if you buy the kit. I am not sure how much it is but a 2 piece 5wt wouldn't be too expensive I dont think.
Also with Sage you get a lifetime warranty and the'll ask no questions. 100% garunteed. It is a sweet deal. You can do anything to the rod and get it replaced if you break it.

JS,

For the fishing you describe, I agree with other recommendations that the rod is most important. Your reel is just a line holder, but real junk is just that. Something along the line of a Cortland Crown or Berkley 556 will serve the purpose well. A good 5 or 6 wt. rod at a reasonable price is offered by Lamiglass for around $125, I think. They aren't heavily advertised, but they are a good value for the price.

If you decide to chase rockfish on the jetty, you'll need a completely different outfit in an 8 wt. or so.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Take a close look at the kits. Sage, Cortland, SA all have kits out there that are good. I just bought both my boys a 4pc 9' 5wt cortland kits for $100 each that are decent. All the brands above have the starter kits around that price. Use the extra money for casting lessons.

Yup, I'm taking a look at the fly rod/reel combos from Sage, Cortland and Redington.

I also ran across something from WW Grigg. Anyone ever hear of these guys? The rods are cheap but seem to have good reviews.

I took fly casting lessons last Sunday then went to the Fly Fishing Show in Bellevue. Great one, two punch since I was able to get actual practice on the water with a Sage DS2 5 weight 9' rod and a Ross Gunnison reel.

At the show, there was a lady that was giving basic instruction on casting and she was great! Well worth the price of admission for me.