Buy a starter combo or separate rod & reel?

[corylee4870]

I’ve been looking at the TFO NXT($150), Cabela’s RLS+($125), Orvis Encounter($170), & the St. Croix Rio Santo($200) starter combos.

I’ve read the TFO is a good rod & bad reel and the Cabela’s is a good reel & bad rod. No warranty on the Orvis and I haven’t found too much on the St Croix.

Could I get a better setup for the same money if I buy a separate rod and reel? I’m willing to buy used if it’s a good deal.

Any recommendations?




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[sawinredneck]

Not sure if it helps or not, Cabela’s is closing out the RLS combos, last I’d heard they were down to $95. I can’t verify this because they are no longer on the website.

 

[brownbass]

A lot depends on your budget. You can probably find a good deal on a used rod and reel as well as shopping closeouts. Sierra Trading Post, Backcountry, and Farmington River Outfitters all sell closeouts and one sells used rods at substantial savings. You may also add Redington outfits to your list of brands to check. If you want a starter outfit I would look at the Redington Classic. A lot of people like this rod. If you can go to a fly shop and check out the different rods and reels.

Bill

 

[mjkirshner]

I can offer one piece of advice:

DON'T BUY A COMBO!!

That said, check with Allen (Allen Fly Fishing - Quality Fly Fishing Gear) and see if they will sell you their combo with the Compass rod instead of the Prelude for the difference in rod price. If so, that will keep you under $200 and you should have a decent setup with a good warranty. Don't buy the Orvis Encounter. I like Orvis gear a lot... but not that Orvis gear. The Cabelas RLS combo is $125 but I think the warranty is iffy. If you get the St Croix Rio Santo, buy it from Cabelas, because the reel they include is probably better than the one from St Croix.

Best bet is to put it together separately. If you can swing a few dollars more, you can get an Echo Base or Allen Compass rod and Redington Zero reel for around $180, and then about $50 for Rio Mainstream line and backing. Lamson Liquid is a few dollars more, but has drag (Zero is click only). Get some decent line, because cheap line will frustrate the sh*t out of you if you are trying to learn to cast. The line is the least sexy part of the outfit when you are starting, but it is more important than the reel. If you are on a very tight budget, buy the Echo Base or Allen Compass rod, some decent Rio Mainstream line, and a Cabela's Wind River reel for $30. You can always upgrade the reel later, but the Echo or Allen rod will be perfectly good for a long time, and both come with excellent warranties.

PS: I spent a lot of money on cheap gear that I don't own anymore. Buy quality, cry once; buy cheap, cry over and over again. Better to spend a little more on the rod and line, and skimp on the reel at the beginning; you will have a good rod for a long time, and you can upgrade the reel when the budget allows. If you skimp on it all up front, you will just have junk that you will want to replace in a few months. I know, because that is what I did.

 

[rc51sport]

Get some decent line, because cheap line will frustrate the sh*t out of you if you are trying to learn to cast. The line is the least sexy part of the outfit when you are starting, but it is more important than the reel.

I made this mistake. Regretting it now

 

[smoke33]

Buy a starter combo or separate rod & reel?

I am new to the fly fishing side of things and own a Reddington Crosswater I paid $120 for. I have only used it once but it seems nice. I am willing to bet it will outdo me in anything I will do with it.
As a person new to fly fishing I have immersed myself with learning as much as I can from here, books and even a shop not too far from me. It was told to me by this shop owner that the line and pole working together are the most important pieces of your set up. As far as the reel, he said it stores your line and the average guy shouldn’t spend a lot on a reel.



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[bwf]

Re: Buy a starter combo or separate rod & reel?

You didn't say what you were targeting.....Trout? Salmon? Bass? what weight?

Considering budget, minus 100.00....and thinking trout

I have read and heard from fellow fly fishers that the redingote zero is a great reel for the $$$, 80-90.00

Used Ross cimarron in great condition can be had for under 100.00 on the big auction site.

Sierra has Okuma fly reels for 20.00 and that is a serviceable reel.

Regarding rod ...... Cabelas has some decent rods (and some clunkers) and they go on heavy discounts from time to time, Same could be said for White River and Bass Pro..... I recommend these only based on budget needs...A used St. Croix Pro or Imperial, Sage DS or DS2, etc would be a better choice MHO.

 

[corylee4870]

Thanks guys. Good info.

I’ll be fishing for trout and Bass. I was looking at getting a 5 or 6 weight. Does that sound right?

I like the Lamson Liquid reel. It looks to have a better drag than the RLS+ reel.

Which rod is better? Allen Compass, Echo Base, or TFO NXT. They’re the same price.

Is Rio Mainstream the recommended line? What type? Weight forward? Floating or sinking? I’m clueless.


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[mtbright]

I agree do not buy a combo unless you get to pick the pieces. I have a lamson liquid that I can sell you for 70. Used once but basically brand new. Nice reel but I got a sage click to go with my 4 and 5 wt’s.

 

[dillon]

I'd say it all depends on how serious you are about flyfishing. I gave my daughter and her husband combo sets for Christmas a few years ago. They have served them very well the one or two times they have been used. I knew they wouldn't have the time to fish much and would never get serious about it. The rods were decent entry level units and probably couldn't be purchased separately for much less than the combo price. If the cheap reel and line ever break down they can be replaced with decent stuff to match the decent rod.

My son is a little more serious about flyfishing but has many other recreational activities he is more interested in. He is outfitted with some of the old gear I gave him. A few years ago he met an outdoorsy women and it quickly got kinda serious. He told me she liked to fly fish. I brought up the subject when I met her. She told me that her previous bf was an avid angler and she learned how to fish so she could spend more time with him. I was impressed with her honesty.

She didn't have her own gear so my son bought her an outfit for her birthday thinking they would camp an fish together. Sage Accel, nice Lamson reel and a Rio gold line. They went fishing about twice and then she broke up with him. I guess she felt a little guilty about keeping the nice outfit so she gave it back to him. He has put it to pretty good use and is now happy that he didn't buy her a cheap combo set.

The next gf had no interest in outdoor activities...

 

[sweetandsalt]

I'll wager there are many fine fly outfits languishing forgotten in the back of closets and attics, some dating back to the have-to-try-fly-fishing craze following the popular, "A River Runs Through It", movie. When I was a young man, the predominantly male members of my fishing club all had to buy fly outfits for their girl friends who wanted to join us all up in the mountains every weekend. Many took the Wulff FF School too. Once they got actually married, in many cases their rods and reels too saw mostly the dark of storage. Not my wife; when we go to one of the big FF Shows, more other fisherman know her and stop to talk to her than me. Fine.

Other than finding a way to tap into forgotten and abandoned closet outfits...a local bulletin board?...take the sound advice offered by our helpful membership above. Then take a lesson or three and practice , practice, practice. After a couple of seasons, you'll be telling us what to buy.

 

[pnc]

Do not have, nor have I cast NXT rods. Do have one NXT La II reel. Only comlaint is same as with other makes. Handle is not tappered.
What complaints or knocks on reel are you speaking of ?
From choices in op I would go TFO. If combo is not a must. Some room to play comes into picture.
Guessing from posts this is a freshwater proposal. Depending on what is wanted in a reel. Many inexpensive reels are available that will give years of service. If you check Amazon , reels (line only) can be had for $10.- with drag. Piscifun , might be the best bang for the buck as far as reels go. As I believe TFO is for rods. You get plenty for your money from either.

...... pc

 

[timmah]

I'm still pretty new to fly fishing, but I would suggest the Cortland rod with an Okuma Sierra reel. I started with the Cortland combo, and hated the real from the start. I replaced the reel/line with the Okuma, and SA line and couldn't be happier for a sub-$100 setup.

 

[mikechell]

Okay ... I am going to be the fly in the soup here. I've been fly fishing for about 50 years.
I fish almost every weekend, live in Florida. It's warm, and I'm fishing from a boat. Got 6 rods I carry in there, rigged with different flies for different areas as I float along the shoreline.

Most of my rods are Bass Pro Shop combos that cost me around $100.00 each. Bugger rod, a couple of Dogwood Canyons, and a bright green Cricket rod. All 4 or 5 weights.
Many people will tell you these are "beginners" rods, and you'll want to upgrade. I've caught plenty of bass in the 5 pound range and never had a rod break. I don't use the reel to bring a fish in, using my hand to fight the fish. (MUCH more fun, in my opinion)
I love my rods.
Last year, I fished for a week with a $1000.00 rod a store owner let me borrow. I did not care for it. I was extremely pleased when I got home and picked up my own rods. I truly like them better.

 

[arreflections]

Buy used. Maybe tell forum how much to spend and then see what response you get. A pfluegger 1494 reel is inexpensive and solid.

 

[mjkirshner]

Thanks guys. Good info.

I’ll be fishing for trout and Bass. I was looking at getting a 5 or 6 weight. Does that sound right?

I like the Lamson Liquid reel. It looks to have a better drag than the RLS+ reel.

Which rod is better? Allen Compass, Echo Base, or TFO NXT. They’re the same price.

Is Rio Mainstream the recommended line? What type? Weight forward? Floating or sinking? I’m clueless.


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I have never cast the NXT, but I have a BVK, and IMO, for the price, it is the best rod you can find. It just broke a few weeks ago, I sent the rod to TFO and had it back, with the broken section replaced, in less than two weeks. Cost me $35 plus shipping. You probably can't go wrong with TFO.

I have never cast an Echo Base, but one of the first rods I bought was the Solo, which was their entry level rod before the Base. It was a very nice casting rod. The hardware was a little cheap looking but the performance was surprisingly good for the price. I sold it to buy something pricier, but not because it wasn't good. You probably can't go wrong with an Echo.

I bought an Allen Compass and ended up returning it, but only to exchange it for an upgrade, the Volant, which I ended up not liking, so I returned it, too. The Compass, IMO, was a nicer rod to cast. The hardware and finish were far better looking than I ever would have expected from a $100 rod. It has a softer action than the Echo (Solo) had, and is probably slower than the Base. Allen was great to deal with, and they also have a good warranty. You probably can't go wrong with an Allen.

Seriously, though, the Allen will probably have the better looking hardware of the three, but will also have the slowest action; the Echo will probably be the fastest of the three, but none of them will be "fast" rods. All three have great warranties, although I have not really heard much about Allen's in terms of actually using it. People on this forum with Allen gear seem to be very happy.

The NXT has a composite handle, and I tried a rod with a similar handle and did not like the feel. Just my $0.02, but the NXT would probably be my third choice of those three. I will say that the Allen is an odd color; kind of a steel blue-gray. It wasn't ugly, but I didn't love it. The Echo might perform a little better, and it looks as if they have improved the cosmetics over the Solo. I wold be inclined to choose the Echo rod.

Buying used is probably a good idea if you want to get the most for your money, but only if you can afford to buy used again if anything breaks, since you will have no warranty. If buying new, make sure to buy from a company with a great warranty, because that is the main reason for buying new over used.

The Lamson Liquid should be fine. I have several Lamsons, although not a Liquid. I think Lamson has some of the nicest designs, not that it is critical, but you don't want gear that looks like cheap cr*p.

Rio Mainstream is good, but Scientific Anglers and Airflo are too. It doesn't have to be top of the line, but just from a manufacturer that you recognize. Weight-forward, floating.

Just my $0.02, but I was in the same place as you a few years ago, and everything I am telling you I learned by doing everything differently. It did not always go well...

If you get an Echo Base, a Lamson Liquid, and some decent line, you will have an outfit that you will never need to upgrade; but if you do upgrade, that outfit will be a very serviceable backup.

 

[sawinredneck]

I’ll also add with the Echo rods you can send the rod back in a baggie and for $35 you get a new one. Pretty decent warranty if you ask me.
Also Cabela’s dropped the price on the CGR rods recently, from what you are describing I’d thing the 5/6 model might work well for you and at $70, it’s a steal! There’s a 22-23 page thread on these rods if your curious how well they are liked.

 

[karstopo]

I bought a combination off STP when I started out. Not one component do I use with any regularity today. The rod, a Gary Borger Pro made by Targus 7 weight was going to be my go to redfish stalking rod. The combo price was well below what I considered the rod to be worth on its own. I could use the rod still. I still have it. It casts beautifully. It’s perfectly acceptable for what I like to do. I just got where I preferred shorter rods most of the time, but how is one to know that starting out? Last time I used the rod was out on a friend’s Gheenoe in East Matagorda Bay about a year and a half ago. We didn’t see a whole lot that day except a few sheepshead and flounder. I sight cast about a 2 pound flattie for the only fish to the boat.

The reel was a pressed metal, not aluminum, Ross and as low as a reel can get on the quality scale. The reel’s drag was the first thing to go. It was already failing when I got my first redfish to hand. That 9.5# Salt Lake red took me into the backing a couple of times and the drag at that point was sort of stuck into a position that wasn’t too bad but I realized that day I needed something better in the reel department. The reel is now in the hands of a friend that wanted to try fly fishing for bass out on a small lake. The reel will serve for that.

The line was terrible. I didn’t know it was that terrible. I thought I was terrible at casting. I wasn’t great, but I wasn’t as bad as the line made me to be. It was some weird limp woven looking stuff. I’m not sure where the line is, I might have saved it to make crab fly legs.

Point is you have to start somewhere. I served as my own equipment and fly fishing guide so to speak. At that point, I had discovered a local forum board or two on fly fishing and tried to piece together what I could from those sources to select a set up. I could have gone to a relatively distant fly shop and let a staff member select something for me. I honestly believe I wouldn’t be using all of what they would have selected for all that long. But I got to where I know what I like just by having experiences out on the water. The fly shop probably would have put me on a better reel for sure and I would likely still be using that. And they would have selected a better line, too.

Get a decent rod from a known maker, a reasonable reel and some quality line to start. Later on if fly fishing is something you really like your experiences will lead you into new directions equipment wise.

 

[mjkirshner]

The line was terrible. I didn’t know it was that terrible. I thought I was terrible at casting. I wasn’t great, but I wasn’t as bad as the line made me to be.

Exactly!

Get a decent rod from a known maker, a reasonable reel and some quality line to start. Later on if fly fishing is something you really like your experiences will lead you into new directions equipment wise.

What he said...

 

[c web]

Never seen a combo that is better than carefully selected separate components.