8 Useful Tips to Buy the Best Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

If you’ve newly developed a liking for fly fishing, it’s very important to have the right fly fishing rod and reel combo, in order to make a correct beginning. This combo package consists not only of rod, but also fly line, fly reel, and either a rod rube or rod sock. It’s interchangeably known as “fly fishing outfits” or “fly fishing combos”. Such a package saves significant money of the angler.

Fly fishing rod and reel combo has been around for several years, but today a lot of improvement is seen in the quality. Previously, the fishing rods in the combination packages were usually made of fiberglass. Fly lines were horrible and fly reel could easily break apart the moment the angler caught a big fish on the hook.

However, today most rod and reel combos contain a quality rod, reel and line. Hence anglers today have a great range of combination packages and fly fishing outfits to choose from. But this also may confuse many anglers what exactly to look for.

Actually, several of the features anglers should look for while buying a fly fishing combo are just the same as those to look for while buying a fly rod or fly reel individually. But some are different too. Here are a few tips.

1. Choose a Medium-action Fly Rod

Beginners should choose a package that contains medium-action fly rod. Medium-action fly rods are the most versatile and also a lot forgiving to learn on.

2. Rod Length

The length of the rod in the package should be 8.5 to 9 feet and not longer. Beginners need to choose a rod just that short if most of their angling will be for smaller fish, like panfish.

3. Weight of the Fly Rod

The weight of the fly rod means the weight of the fly line you’re planning to use and it depends on what you fish for. For trout fishing, for example, usually a 4-weight, 5-weight or 6-weight rod is ideal. The 5-weight rod is perhaps the most versatile.

4. Cost

New anglers don’t have to buy a very costly fly fishing combo (however, they’re actually nice to have). However, they don’t even need to buy very cheap packages because cheap packages tend to deliver a poor performance. Therefore, it’s recommended to choose one of the mid-range packages. Packages in this range contain a fly rod and fly reel that won’t outgrow soon and anglers can enjoy using them until it’s time for an upgrade.

5. Choose Travel Rods

If you’re a frequent traveler and take a chance to fish wherever you go, choose a fly rod that can be dismantled into 4 or more pieces, and then again can be assembled for fishing purpose. These are highly convenient to travel with. They are known as “Travel Rods” and are often sold in special “Fly Fishing Travel Rod Combo Packages”.

6. Get a Rod Tube

While exploring different packages, try to get a package which has a rod tube too and not just a rod sleeve. A rod tube is essential to prevent the fly rod from breaking.

7. Buy Only What You’ll Use

Sometimes combo packages contain several other items and then its cost is high. Before buying such a package, hold yourself back for a moment and think whether you’ll really need those other items. Also, sometimes such packages may contain low-quality reels and rods to ‘compensate’ the cost of these other items. Therefore it’s better to give a preference to high-quality rods, reels and lines, and buy the ‘other’ items separately of high quality.

8. What about Fishing Lures?

You just don’t have to worry about the fishing lures as most combo packages contain fly boxes and flies. But these included flies may only be partially useful; hence you’re better off buying lures also separately.

We hope that you can make an educated decision with these tips and get your hands on the best rod and reel combo and make a successful fly fishing beginning.