Beginner trying to find a decent rod/reel brand

Hi all,

I'm new to fly fishing and I've actually never been before.

I'm going to buy my first rod/reel set on ebay pretty soon and I was wondering what you guys thought were reliable brands. I realize that some rod/reels are expensive, and I don't mean to buy one as a beginner.

I'd like to spend under 75 dollars on a combo, but don't want one that's going to break readily.

Could anyone recommend some brands that are a) under 75 dollars 2) reliable.
Also, if anyone has strong feelings for/against specific models, that would be good too.

Thanks in advance,
jbu

Also, why does it seem like flyfishing combos are so much more expensive than non-flyfishing combos? They're made out of the same materials. The flyfishing reel is less complicated.

With a spinning combo you can catch just about any fish up to 50 pounds with a reallly cheap rod. Is that not true for fly fishing rods?

It seems like fly fishing combo manufacturers are ripping people off with these combos above $100. In the non-flyfishing world you don't need a combo over 50 bucks.

I'm confused - please explain.

Well, to start with, its a matter of economies of scale. I think of the Shakespeare Intrepid line (assuming they still make that one) as a good example of a decent spin/casting rod for about $30. Shakespeare can get their chinese factory to make them 20,000 at a time. They can get about 8 different models made and cover basically every need out there for conventional tackle anglers.

However, there's probably not many if any fly rods out there where it makes sense for the brand to get that many made up. If you look at TFO's Professional line of rods, they offer 20+ different models, so they don't have the pure economies of scale to work with.

Next there's the fact that most fly rod buyers want 4 piece rods nowadays. That and the fact that we're talking about a 9' rod instead of a 6' rod means there's that much more work involved in building the rod.

Another detail is that for a rod to fall into my definition of "decent", its going to have a lifetime warranty that covers breakage due to any manufacturing defects, along with car doors, cieling fans, clumsy hiking, and any number of other non-fishing causes.

Further still, there's the fact that in fly fishing, you're using the rod to cast, not the reel. You can put a Curado on a $20 casting rod and it will still perform pretty well. Such is not the case AT ALL with fly fishing.

Moral of the story, it makes sense to spend $150 on a fly rod that is covered against all mishaps for life, and that will be a pleasure to fish that long as well.

Along those same lines, I would avoid ebay for buying your first rod.

A local fly shop will help you determine exactly what you need. Will answer some basic questions and get you setup properly (backing, line, tippet, etc.).

I would also encourage you to read a book like the Orvis Fly Fishing Guide (about $16 from Amazon).

On the budget end of the spectrum (remember line alone can run $60+) is the TFO outfit for $175:
TFO NXT Outfits fly fishing gear

Or other potential options from Cabela's starting at $79:

Cabela's -- Scientific Anglers Fly Fishing Made Easy Fly Combo

Cabela's -- Ross Reels EW Essence FS Fly-Fishing Outfits

Cabela's Three Forks/Prestige Plus Fly Combos

Although this one for $149 was the most tempting to me:

Cabela's Genesis&#8482 Fly-Fishing Outfits