FS Digest

Reasonable budget.

--
by Smomarkski

FS Digest

Honestly, your best bet would be to go to a local fly fishing shop with the rod and tell them your situation. If they know you're on a budget they may not mind you taking notes so you can buy the same or comparable gear online way cheaper. Or post more info about the rod and where you plan on fishing and what for.

--
by SailsAk

FS Digest

At first I thought you were asking how to put a 3 piece rod together.

--
by levinicus

FS Digest

Find out what weight fly rod it is and buy a matching reel. You will then need backing for the fly line, fly line, leader, and tippet. After that, you just need some flies and a place to test it out. You can start in the back yard without tying a fly on, and maybe just using some mono instead of leader/tippet. Once you get the basic overhand cast down, then head to a pond with a mowed grassy shoreline and no trees nearby, and do a little brim fishing to start getting used to it. After that you can consider wading gear and whatnot if you get really into it. I do it from shore or my kayak occasionally for fun, and am by no means even good at it, but it is a lot of fun and a challenge. Best piece of advice when learning to cast at first, is freeze your elbow in place, and cast only with your forearm... this is the most basic cast to learn and the biggest thing is learning is not a finesse movement, not power. (Which is hard for me since I'm a power crankbait caster, surf fisher, etc LOL).

I'd recommend going to a local fly shop, if you don't have a dedicated one, some of the big sporting goods chains, Bass Pro/Cabelas one of both have them, and can help you gear a starter reel and local flies. If not, you can do your research on-line and wing it, shouldn't be too bad as long as your rod, reel, fly line match eachother weight wise.

--
by aRushinTroll

FS Digest

Be prepared to sink a TON of money.

Reel. Backing linem floating line, leader, tippet, and then the flies.

Also waders, fishing vest, fishing hat, fishing net, fishing creel basket.

--
by MtnMaiden

FS Digest

Thank you for the help!

--
by Smomarkski

87cad

Just go to a fly fishing shop or a good sporting goods if one is available. They will offer you some choices.

Ross Hammer Loc: Tacoma, WA

As those above have said, the best source of guidance is a local sporting goods store with a fishing products counter person.
Fly rods are designed for narrow ranges of line weights which will be indicated by a number from a low of 4 or 5 up to 11 or 12. The stick you were given should have a number on the butt or right above that on the lower shaft that tells the weight of line for which it was designed. (I would expect it to be a 6 or 7 from the picture.)

Fly fishing can be done by floating flies on the surface (dry flies) or by sinking the flies blow the surface (wet flies).

Surface flies let you see when the fish takes the fly. Wet flies (not on the surface) are fished like other bait in that you have to see movement of the line or feel the pull of the fish taking the fly.

Casting dry flies takes some practice to develop the ability to place the fly where you want it, especially if you are reaching for smaller positions near lily pads or weed beds.

Wet flies are less difficult because you are not usually fishing is tight locations that need finesse. There is still skill required to place the wet fly where it will be presented to the intended prey. I feel this works well in streams.

Your local sporting goods outlets will help you a lot.