[Simonsays]

I recently decided to take up fly fishing, I've been fishing for bass for a while and and wanted to give this a shot!

I was reading the FAQ about the low cost outfit and I saw this...

TFO NXT outfit

http://thefullcreel.com/product_info.php?products_id=573{34}516

another outfit I was considering was the...

Cabelas Genesis outfit here:

Cabela's Genesis&#8482 Fly-Fishing Outfits

I was thinking of a 6wt for bluegill and LM/SM bass

Which one should I go for? they're both at the same price range (with shipping) or if you had any other recommendations below 200 I'm all ears.

Thanks!

[Jose]

Here are my $.02:
Both seem like good starter outfits. I've heard good things about the TFOs and the Cabelas seem to have good user reviews, so I think your good with either, but...The TFO is a 4 piece, which might make traveling with it easier (if this is an issue), you might be able to use the $10 discount from the full creel, if you haven't already, plus they have a great "try it out" policy (from what I understand). I love hunting for bass on my fly rod and a 6/7 weight is my all purpose rod, which I find just fine for small trout as well, even on small brooks. I use an 8.5 footer though, but now that I have a few years into fly fishing, I feel fairly accomplished with a larger rod on small waters. I do have a 2 weight for brooks as well, but half the time, I want to explore different waters in one day, so I end up grabbing my 6/7 weight. It was a great starter rod for me, and I still use it often, but I'm one of these "master your weapon" guys over "I need to have the best weapon" people. You do seem to get some extra goodies with the Cabela's set-up, but I think the 4 piece vs 2 piece is something to consider. I actually bike around with my fly rod sometimes, so my small 4 piece tube is much easier to carry than my 2 piece tube. I guess, if it were me, from what I've heard of TFO rods, I might go in that direction, but in the end, the best thing to do is cast the rods and compare them if you can, although as a beginner, it may take a bit to know what you like anyway. The extras from Cabelas are nice, and you will need some of those things, but for me, now that I have had a few years in, I would go 4 piece over 2 piece, just to make moving around a bit easier.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Simonsays,

I agree with Jose, kinda. I have a problem that the Cabela's outfit includes a lot of add on items. Those add ons are useful but I would feel better if most of my money was in the rod. This is probably Cables lowest priced rod and I recommend staying away from rods that are so inexpensive. I have not cast either rod but I think the TFO rod would be my choice. Both rods are from overseas but the TFO rods are from Korea. Rods and especially reels from Korea seem to be better quality than the same items from China.

If you live close to a Cabela's that may be a better choice as you can see the equipment. If you have to mail order then I would order from The Full Creel. The Full Creel has a 21 day trial period. Cabela's also has a good warranty.

I noticed that one of our moderators recommends the Three Forks rod. I think that is the rod provided in the Genesis Outfit.

Frank

[BMRisko]

I was in the same boat as you and went with the TFO NXT outfit from The Full Creel...I was able to use the $10 off coupon and had it at my door step in 3 days. For me, a big selling point was the 4-piece and the fact that TFO seemed to have a good reputation around here. I am not sure if you have a Sportsman's Warehouse around you, but I was in there this weekend looking at flies and was surprised to see they were selling the TFO NXT outfits...it would at least allow you to fondle some different rods and reels before purchasing, or even try a local fly shop if there is one close to you. That's my $.02, although I'm an absolute newbie to fly fishing.

[Sprattoo]

I would stick to the local fly shop advice.

Cortland has some nice starter outfits that generally start out at about $125.00 and up.
The bonus of going to a local small fly shop is that they can show you the knots, get you casting help, and beginners pointers. Many will even take you out on the grass and make sure you have the basics of the most intimidating part down (The cast).

When I was first trying to figure out fly fishing, I found "Fly Fishing for Dummies" pretty helpful.