Deniz

Hi everyone! I'm just starting in fly fishing and was wondering, what should I get as a startup? I'm mostly interested in Bass and I don't want to spend more than $300. Any tips appreciated thanks!

Vladimir

There is no single, universal rule that may be applied to picking the best rod and reel. It really depends on your preferences, that's why it will be hard for us to make a choice for you without having the most basic information. Anyway, you should check a couple of guides - there is literally tons of them on the web as well as some on our forums regarding picking most fitting rod and reel depending on your situation. Personally, I would aim for something like 9'ft. 6 Weight Fly. This will help not only with small mouth bass, but also with anything else as I assume you are not interested in bass ONLY, right? And even if you are, you will probably want to expand quite quickly, so it's better to buy something with a more universal use.

Camello

I think that for beginners any rod will do actually. You have to learn the basics first, so I wouldn't focus that much on its size unless you really want to specifically target only one type of fish, which I don't see a point in doing. To get the most of bass fishing though, I would say a shorter rod will be a much better choice. Remember though, that it's a subjective opinion and heavily depends on your preferences.

007_goodguy

I wouldn't worry too much about the reel though. This will be cheap and you can grab a decent one for less than $50. The most important thing to consider here is a line. You can literally cast a good line with basically anything, but trying to cast good rods with a fairly bad line wasn't either easy nor pleasant. You can get a really decent gear for like $80 in total, so if I were you, at this point, I definitely wouldn't spend as much as $300. Of course, we get what we pay for, but at this level it doesn't make nearly as much of a difference as it does when you are more experienced.

You have the basics to cover for now and that's what you should focus on. Good luck!

Deniz

Thanks a lot for help guys. I'm actually glad to hear that I don't have to spend that much and yes.. I don't intend to focus only on bass fishing. Sure, this is what I'm the most interested in, but I will be going for anything else available too, so I believe getting something more universal will be a much better choice for me. As long as I'm not on budget though, it may be a wiser choice to save this extra money for when I will be more experienced and use it to buy a pro gear. Thanks!

Bandaley

Actually, I wouldn't even say more expensive setup will help you that much with catching a fish. I love high-end gear mostly for its solid construction and beautiful design, but having a good line is really what you need to be proficient in fly fishing. So get the best line you can, and rest you can get really cheaply. A hundred bucks top and you are ready to start your adventure.

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

I have been fly fishing most of my 75 years and what I would suggest is that you check with some of the local fly fishermen/women in the area to see if they have an extra rod that they don't use or know of someone who does. Perhaps, a fly fisherman has died and the widow would like to get rid of some of her husband's fly gear. You may be able to buy the whole ball of wax for a very reasonable price. The locals may know of a fly fisherman who is no longer able to fly fish and would love to help someone else get started in the wonderful sport. He may just give you his gear as well as some much needed advice in order to get you started. If worst comes to worse, check with e-bay or craig's list to see what they may have for sale. You will not need any more than a 5# rod for most bass fishing or trout fishing, and a reel does nothing more than store your line when you not using it. Keep me posted, maybe I can help you out. I live in S.E. MN., in the driftless area, one of the best trout fishing areas in the U.S. Glad to have you with us.