Beginner Setup Advice

[hooke]

I am getting back into fishing and am looking for some advice for a setup. I need to start making better use of these great rivers we have access to, but am not sure where to start.

 

Any thoughts on a beginner set up that won't break the bank. I was thinking of starting with a 5 wt as a good start, but as for brands and quality, I know nothing. Would love some input.

[Cutbow16]

Welcome back to fishing!

 

A 5wt is great choice for a rod to start with, and will get the job done in many fishing situations here in Alberta! As far as set-ups/rod and reel combos go, the Orvis Encounter series or Clearwater series, at around $159, is good quality for a good price. Temple Fork's NXT series is also good, as well as Redington's Crosswater outfit ($140). I think Bass Pro has a starter outfit as well, but I would go with an outfit from a more well-known, respected fly fishing company.

 

Hope this helps and let me know if you need any more information!

[bigfry]

Buy a Winston b3x or a sage one. Pair it up with a hardy ultra lite 4000dd. You can thank me later.

[Smitty]

I posted a review on another board; I like the Scientific Anglers beginner combo outfit (The Fishing Hole had them on sale recently for $100) and the Orvis Encounter combo is very nicely balanced and can be bought for less than $200.

 

Smitty

[jgib01]

Nice to have a few recommendations of where to start, as the choices can be overwhelming. How the rod feels to you is just as important as any bits of advice or thousands of reviews you could read online. Advantage of buying from a fly shop vs big box store is that you can try out the outfit at a fly shop. I personally love the Orvis stuff, so would second Cutbow's recommends. There's lots of great stuff out there that won't break the bank but will be decent quality (unlike the bank-breaking outfits bigfry has sarcastically[?] suggested... yes my BIIIX is groovy, but is clearly not what hooke is looking for). Surprised no one has mentioned TFO yet, as it has a real following with the Calgary crowd; reportedly good stuff and as the warehouse is there you can walk in to get repairs done locally and quickly. My standard advice as someone who recently walked the path you are on right now... wherever you land on a rod, upgrade to the best line your wallet will allow. My first outfit was a middle of the road Orvis setup, but instead of Access line I went with the Hydros and have never regretted it. My 12 y.o. son's big box outfit was treated to an upgrade to a decent Airflo line we found on sale this winter, with significant improvement noted even by him with very little experience.