When you begin to fly fishing, you’ll need some essential gear to get on the water and start catching fish. The basics begin with a fly rod outfit, also known as a fly rod combo. These beginner fly fishing setups include a fly rod, a reel, and a fly line.
Some companies sell these three items in a combo package for beginner fly fishers, making the shopping experience simple.
If you’ve never fly fished before or are looking to upgrade your fly fishing gear, a fly fishing combo can be a great place to start.
In this review, Slackwater recommends five high-quality beginner fly fishing combos, made by reputable companies and designed for the beginner angler.
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Fly Rod Combo Comparison
| Best Overall | Best Performance | Best Budget | Honorable Mention | Worth Noting | |
| Fly Fishing Combo | Orvis Clearwater Combo | Sage Foundation Combo | Orvis Encounter Combo | Echo Lift Kit | Redington Trout Field Kit |
| Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | |
| Price | $419 | $695 | $198 | $189 | $389 |
| Action | Medium-Fast | Fast | Medium-Fast | Medium-Fast | Medium-Fast |
| Warranty | 25-year | Lifetime | 5-year Limited | Rod: Lifetime Reel: 1-year | Lifetime |
| Where it Shines | Versatility, accuracy, value | Swing-weight, performance | Value for the price | Value for the price | Easy to learn to cast |
| Where it's lacking | Lack of hook-keeper | Higher price point, low-end reel. | Swing-weight and limited warranty | Accuracy, Limited sizes available | Limited sizes available |
| Comes with Rod Tube | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Score (Max 30) | 28 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| Buy Now | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
We tested all models of these rods in the 9-foot, 5-weight size. A 9-foot, 5-weight fly rod is generally considered the most popular rod for trout fly fishing for trout.
Scoring Beginner Fly Fishing Setups
For every fly fishing combo, we’ve rated each in the following six criteria on a scale of 1-5 for each one. The six criteria are:
- Value for the price
- Accuracy of the rod at 30 feet
- Warranty & Customer Service
- Versatility *
- Craftsmanship
- Fun to fish with
* Versatility in a fly rod is measured in its ability to cast dry flies, roll cast heavy nymph rigs, fish with streamers, land large fish, delicately play small fish, and perform well in windy conditions. A versatile rod can do all of these things well.
As we scored each fly-fishing combo, we considered whether a beginner fly fisher would be happy with their purchase related to each criterion.
- Would a beginner fly angler be happy with how the rod feels?
- How easy will it be for them to learn new casting skills?
- Does the equipment feel sturdy, and is it backed by excellent customer service?
- Is the price point agreeable for entry-level gear?
Apples To Apples Comparison of Peers
Our scoring system is based on the principle of comparing rods in the same category with the same length and weight. As such, each rod was ranked and scored in comparison to its peers: 9′ 5-weight beginner fly rods.
This category does not include the vast majority of intermediate, advanced, or performance rods.
For example, if we compared the Orvis Clearwater to the Orvis Helios, scoring would look much different because the Clearwater is a beginner fly rod and the Helios is an expert-level performance rod. This would not be an apples to apples comparison.
The max score a fly rod combo could receive is 30.
| Orvis Clearwater | Sage Foundation | Orvis Encounter | Echo Lift Kit | Redington Trout Field Kit | |
| Value for the price | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Accuracy at 30 feet | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Warranty & Customer Service | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Versatility | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Craftsmanship | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Fun to fish with | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| TOTAL SCORE | 28 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 22 |
What is a Fly Rod Combo?
A fly rod combo consists of a fly rod, a fly reel, and a fly line. Fly fishing companies bundle these essential pieces of gear and sell them as a package. Oftentimes, we call these packages fly rod combos, fly rod outfits, or, in general, a fly fishing setup.
Buying a fly rod combo allows anglers to obtain the essential pieces of gear simultaneously, generally saving money due to the items being bundled together.
For those new to the sport, we highly recommend fly rod combos. They offer a convenient way to get all the necessary gear in one go, saving you time and simplifying the shopping process.
Buying individual fly rods, reels, and fly lines can be a great option for the more gear-savvy fly angler who enjoys selecting gear individually. It allows you to create a more specialized system that suits your specific needs and preferences.
A downside to buying individual pieces of equipment is that you’ll typically spend a little more in the long run for quality gear.
Read Slackwater’s review of the best beginner fly rods for more information on the best non-combo fly rods for novice anglers.
How To Choose Your First Fly Rod
When choosing your first fly rod, consider where you’ll fish most often, how often you’ll go fly fishing and your budgetary constraints.
For small streams, a 7’6″ to 9′ rod with a 3-5 weight is ideal, while larger rivers or lakes with strong fish may require a 9′ rod with a 5-7 weight. Think about your primary target species; lighter weights are good for trout, while heavier weights handle bass or saltwater species.
Furthermore, starting with a medium-fast or fast-action rod, which balances power and flexibility, makes it easier for beginners to learn how to cast. The action of a fly rod is indicative of how much finesse an angler has to have to make sure the rod performs well.
In general, medium-fast and fast-action rods will be easier for beginners to learn with.
Additionally, it’s important to consider a reputable brand and read reviews to ensure durability and quality. Slackwater’s review of the best fly fishing rods for beginners is a great place to start, as we have completed in-depth testing and reviews of several quality beginner fly rods.
Or, if you’re interested in a fly fishing combo, read on to learn more about our top picks for complete fly fishing outfits.
Lastly, it’s important to consider your budget. The more you spend, the better a fly rod will be at its job. However, we never recommend beginners spending tons of money on their first fly rod. This is because they likely won’t be able to appreciate the difference between a high-end rod and a beginner rod. Regardless, if you plan on fishing a lot (more than 20 times a year), it may be worth investing more in your fly rod because it will likely be more durable and resistant to wear and tear.
In our detailed list of the best fly fishing combos below, we’ve outlined our top picks of outfits ranging from around $200 to $700. All outfits include the basics you’ll need to begin fishing, including a fly rod, reel, and fly line.
How Do Fly Rods and Spinner Rods Differ?
Fly fishing rod setups differ from conventional fishing rods in several ways. First, fly rods are typically longer and more flexible than traditional fishing rods. A fly rod’s long length is designed to delicately present artificial lures (called flies) in ways a conventional rod cannot accomplish.
Fly rods are made to cast the weight of the fly line rather than the weight of a lure, like a conventional rod. Further, a fly reel is mounted in a different location than a conventional reel and is designed to help manage a fly line and balance the rod.
Lastly, the line used in fly fishing is much thicker than that of conventional fishing lines. A fly line is made from various materials that may float or sink, and come in various sizes to match the weight of a fly rod.
Best Fly Rod Weight for Beginners
Fly rods come in varying lengths and weights. We recommend that most beginner fly fishers choose a 9-foot, 5-weight rod for their first fly fishing setup. This rod size is best used when fly fishing for trout and other small fish in rivers and lakes. It is also the best all-around rod size for fly fishing with nymphs, dry flies, and streamers. Lastly, it is one of the easiest rod sizes to learn how to cast with.
If you are fly fishing for larger, stronger fish such as bass, steelhead, or other saltwater species, you’ll want to consider a heavier-weight rod, ranging from a 6-weight to a 12-weight.
What Does a Fly Fishing Reel Do?
Many people say a fly is merely a place to store your fly line. While this mantra is true at times, a good fly reel will do much more and is a crucial part of the gear any beginner fly fisher needs to begin fishing.
The purpose of a fly reel is to do these five important tasks:
To set up a fly reel, anglers will spool approximately 100 yards of dacron backing onto their fly reel first, followed by a fly line, a leader, and tippet. Read more below about leaders and tippet.
Often, fly fishers won’t reel a fish in but rather strip in the fly line with their non-dominant hand. We also strip fish in when appropriate, but aim to use the reel as much as possible to control and land the fish.
When you’re exclusively stripping in line, you never will utilize the advantages of a reel’s drag system. Further, exclusive stripping will often result in lost fish and more tangles of your fly line.
The Winners | Fly Fishing Combo Review
With all things considered, here is our list of the top beginner fly fishing combos:
Best Overall Fly Rod Combo: Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Outfit
Top Performance Fly Rod Combo: Sage Foundation Fly Rod Outfit
Best Budget Fly Rod Combo: Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit
Honorable Mention Fly Rod Combo: Echo Lift Kit Fly Rod Outfit
Worth Noting Fly Rod Combo: Redington Trout Field Kit Fly Rod Outfit
Best Overall: Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Outfit
Reasons to Buy:
Reasons to Avoid
The Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Combo is our top pick for the best beginner fly fishing setup. The Clearwater fly rod is a medium-action rod that is forgiving for new anglers and more accurate than almost any beginner fly rod on the market.
The Orvis Clearwater combo comes with the Clearwater Fly Rod, Clearwater Reel, and Clearwater Fly Line.
What We Like
This beginner fly rod feels and performs like a robust intermediate rod (or better). What does that mean? Well, it’s accurate, light in your hand, and will grow with you as an angler.
We loved the Clearwater’s smooth, medium-fast action for freshwater trout fishing as a great tool for nymphing, dry fly fishing, and throwing streamers. This is a great rod if you wish to buy an excellent piece of fly fishing gear now that you will continue to use and cherish for years to come, even as you progress your fly fishing game. Additionally, it comes with Orvis’ no-questions-asked 25-year warranty and outstanding customer service.
Overall, this fly rod combo offers more than what you pay for.
What We Don’t Like
Yes, it is priced a touch higher than other fly rod outfits; however, we can look past this due to the high quality of the combo. Also, it doesn’t come with a hook-keeper above the cork grip, but again, that is certainly not a deal breaker for us.
Read More: Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Review
Best Performance: Sage Foundation Fly Rod Outfit
Reasons to Buy:
Reasons to Avoid
The 9-foot, 5-weight Sage Foundation Fly Rod Combo is an all-around excellent fly rod combo built for the angler who demands performance and accuracy.
While it excels at casting fly rigs at long distances (over 30 feet), it is also more than proficient when casting light flies at medium distances (15-30 feet).
The Sage Foundation is built with Graphite IIIe technology, a proprietary material Sage uses to strengthen and stiffen its rods. The main benefits of Graphite IIIe technology include the rod’s increased casting power, the ability to put flies precisely where you want them, and improved resistance to wear and tear.
The Foundation Fly Rod Outfit comes with a Spectrum C fly reel, a Rio Gold fly line, backing, and a tapered leader.
What We Like
Compared to other rods in our lineup, the Sage Foundation easily outperformed all other entries regarding accurate casting at longer distances. The rod’s stiffness and quick recovery speed translate to pure power and accuracy with minimal effort.
Due to its lightweight construction, we felt noticeably less fatigued after casting it for an hour. If you’re looking for a rod to minimize fatigue during long days on the water, the Foundation fly rod combo is for you.
We love this rod when float fishing because when hitting the mark at a good distance on your first cast matters, this is the fly rod you want to be holding.
Catching large and small trout on dry flies and nymphs was a joy, lending to the Foundation’s ability to be an all-around excellent fly rod for various conditions. The butt section of the rod is very stiff, allowing anglers to lift heavy nymph rigs with ease. And the tip section was just delicate enough to cast single dry flies with more than enough delicacy.
We’ve broken the tip of our Sage Foundation once due to misuse, and Sage gladly repaired the section for a small fee. Thank you, Sage!
What We Don’t Like
This rod is a performance rod, and it comes at a performance rod’s higher price point. However, if money isn’t a consideration, we recommend this rod for beginner anglers who wish to buy a fly rod they’ll never want to replace.
A minor annoyance with the rod is that it lacks alignment dots and a hook keeper. While these are not make-or-break frustrations, they seem like silly components to omit on a performance rod.
The Spectrum C fly reel is a great reel until it’s dropped or mishandled (which happens to us all). We’ve owned several Spectrum C reels, and all of them inevitably do not hold up as well as other reels in the same price range. Nevertheless, the reel looks good and will function well if meticulously cared for.
Lastly, this rod is not built for fishing on small streams due to its fast action and magnitude of power. This doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent fly rod, but it is slightly less versatile than other rods that are fun to fish with on large and small streams alike.
If you enjoy small stream fishing, we recommend a rod with medium to medium-fast action in a 4-weight size (or smaller). The Orvis Clearwater is a great option for this type of fishing.
Best Budget: Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit
Reasons to Buy:
Reasons to Avoid
The Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit offers everything you need to get started fishing in an affordable package.
The Encounter is a medium-fast action rod, which is generally hits the sweet spot from a versatility standpoint. While it is less accurate and powerful than the Clearwater and the Foundation, beginners will quickly learn the basics of fly fishing with the Encounter fly fishing combo.
Due to its medium-fast action, the fly rod performs well on small and large trout streams and is strong enough to land large fish.
The encounter fly reel is primarily plastic, which is acceptable for anglers who understand their gear will require replacement over time.
What We Like
If frugality is a top priority, but you are committed to avoiding budget brands, we recommend the Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit as an excellent beginner fly fishing setup. It comes with a 4-piece fly rod, an Encounter Fly Reel, a weight-forward fly line, backing, and a leader.
Simply put, this fly rod combo gets you fishing for less.
The outfit casts as well as you can expect for a product in this price range. We could not hit a 3’ x 3’ target at 30-40 feet (easily), but it served its purpose quite well when roll-casting dry dropper rigs at 15-20 feet (which is suitable for most beginners).
It is backed by a limited 5-year warranty, which is good for a budget-centric fly fishing product.
What We Don’t Like
There’s not much not to like about the Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit, especially at its price point.
However, it’s important to note that you get what you pay for, and this combo costs considerably less than others.
We haven’t explicitly broken any components to the rod or reel, but we know wear and tear will inevitably take its toll over time, especially on components such as a plastic fly reel. If you’re looking for a fly rod combo that will stay in good condition for years and grow with you as a fly fisher, you should reach for another fly rod.
As such, if you are a committed fly fisher who plans on spending a lot of time on the water, we recommend a higher-end product. But if you need a fly rod for your 7-year-old to use sparingly, the Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit may be for you.
Honorable Mention: Echo Lift Kit Fly Rod Outfit
Reasons to Buy:
Reasons to Avoid
This beginner fly fishing setup provides an excellent entry point into fly fishing in an affordable, well-rounded package.
The Lift is a medium-fast action rod designed for versatility and ease of use. While it may be less precise than high-end rods, it excels at helping beginners learn to fly fish.
This rod is effective on small and large streams and has enough strength to handle larger fish easily.
We fished this rod on medium and large trout streams in Central Colorado. While it was slightly more challenging to deliver our flies with accuracy at distances more than 25 feet, the rod performed very well when we hooked into fish ranging from 12 to 16 inches in length.
The medium-fast action of the Echo Lift makes it forgiving and suitable for various fishing scenarios. Its action allows for smooth acceleration in the casting stroke, helping anglers feel the rod load.
During our test, the rod performed well with dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. However, for a rod in its category, it was best at casting dry flies and light nymph rigs.
The Echo Lift Kit includes a four-piece rod made from durable graphite, a composite reel, and a fly line. The rod features a comfortable cork handle, an anodized aluminum reel seat, and alignment dots for easy assembly. The kit also comes with a rod sock and a protective tube. The overall build is lightweight for a rod in its category, making it suitable for extended use on the water.
One of the significant downsides of this combo is the reel’s plastic construction. Now, it does appear to be high-quality plastic. But it will likely never be as resistant to wear and tear as a die-cast or machined reel.
What We Like
The Echo Lift Kit offers excellent value, making it accessible for beginners without compromising essential features.
The medium-fast action rod performs well in various fishing conditions, helping beginners to learn and improve their casting, all while providing a smooth feel when casting. Further, when landing bigger fish, this rod bends very deep, making the catch much more exciting than some rods.
The rod is comparable in design, weight, and feel to the Orvis Encounter. For beginner fly fishers looking for an all-around fly rod that is versatile enough for most applications, the Echo Lift Kit checks the box in several categories similar to the Encounter fly rod combo.
What We Don’t Like
A plastic reel may not withstand long-term use as well as higher-end reels that are die-cast or machined. But we understand that a plastic reel is what you get at this price range.
The rod’s aesthetic design is straightforward, focusing more on functionality than visual appeal. It looks good enough, but certainly isn’t a “sexy” fly rod combo.
At its price point, this rod is excellent value. However, if you can spend a little bit more money, we’d recommend you check out the Orvis Clearwater as a superior product.
Worth Noting: Redington Trout Field Kit Fly Rod Outfit
Reasons to Buy:
Reasons to Avoid
The Redington Trout Field Kit is another excellent beginner fly fishing setup in the mid-price range.
This beginner fly rod combo is built with a matte olive green graphite blank and sports a medium-fast action (which is generally a sweet spot for speed for all-around fly rods).
It comes with a Redington Run reel, made from die-cast aluminum, and has a large arbor for quick retrieval of fly line. The reel is fine and will do the job, but we have had to take ours apart and rinse it regularly to continue performing smoothly. Read more below.
It’s important to note that almost every reel on the market now comes with a large arbor, so while it’s a nice touch, we don’t get too excited about that characteristic of the reel. The fly rod outfit comes with a Rio Gold fly line (which we like a lot due to its SlickCast coating). When maintained properly and stored indoors, a Rio fly line can last for many years
What We Like
This is an all-around, do-it-all-well beginner fly fishing setup. The rod is good, the reel is good, the fly line is good.
We fished this rod on small backcountry trout streams and medium to medium-large tailwaters in Central Colorado. The rod felt good when fighting small fish, and it felt great hooking into larger fish.
Redington is a reliable fly fishing company that generally makes good products and provides an excellent warranty program. We haven’t had any significant issues with this rod, but we know that Redington will take care of us promptly if/when we do. Lastly, this fly rod combo stands out because it is offered in sizes ranging from 5-weight to 9-weight. There aren’t many beginner fly rod combos that go up to a 9-weight size.
What We Don’t Like
It was frustrating to take the reel apart and put it back together several times only after a few days of fishing. It felt like it was picking up a lot of debris only after normal use. We like reels that will repel sand and debris quickly, even after setting it down to unhook and release a fish.
Additionally, we don’t love the green coloring of the rod blank, specifically because it feels like it stands out too much. But at the end of the day, we can chalk this issue up to a minor annoyance because the color doesn’t impact how the fly rod combo fishes.
Conclusion: The Best Beginner Fly Fishing Setup
There are several great beginner fly rod outfits on the market. When you’re purchasing your first beginner fly fishing setup, it’s important that it meets your needs as an angler, fits into your budget, and is fun to use.
Our favorite fly rod combo for beginners is the Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Outfit. This rod is easy for beginners to learn with and will be cherished for years to come.
The Clearwater’s smooth casting action, accuracy that competes with rods priced exponentially higher, and versatility to excel in a variety of fishing conditions make it an excellent buy.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to email us at info@slackwaterco.com with any questions.
Are you new to fly fishing? Do you need help finding the right beginner setup?
Look no further than Slackwater’s comprehensive guide to the best fly fishing setup beginners. We believe that the best fly fishing gear should be of high quality but rarely do we need the most expensive equipment to get the job done.
Check out our Ultimate Guide to Beginner’s Fly Fishing Gear for more information on WHAT YOU NEED to get started fly fishing.
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