I'm in the market for a 9ft 5wt combo for trout. I took lessons last year and I'm going on a trip in 2 weeks for trout. This seems to be the best size and weight for the steams around my home.

I'm looking at the orvis Clearwater combo. I was wandering if anyone has any recommendations around this price point for a combo. If anyone knows of any good deals I'd also be interested in hearing those. Thanks in advance.

By "combo" do you mean fly/spin combo?

What type of water will you be fishing?

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
By "combo" do you mean fly/spin combo?

What type of water will you be fishing?

Fly Rod/reel combo. Mainly medium size streams.

Don't forget the line. Its probably more important than the reel. Fly reels do little other than hold the line while its not being used. And it can cost a bundle! When my father died I inherited his split bamboo rod. It had a pretty economy looking reel from the 1930s. I'd say its still serviceable. I bought one of the snazzy reels with a lever that just winds up the excess line hanging there.

Orvis or somebody used to sell a combination that should work OK. You can practice in your front yard if its not too small. You don't need one the size of a football field. Chances are you won't be fishing in a place that affords that much open space. Remember you're not throwing the bait or fly, you're throwing the line and the leader and fly just goes along for the ride.

For play out in the yard, parking lot, or open field, you don't really want a hook. It just gets caught on stuff.

I live on a blue ribbon stretch of the Missouri River. Just shuttled some friends who floated today. I'm just down stream from Craig.

I have a 5 WT an old Teton graphite rod. Most everyone here uses a 6 wt or even heavier due to our winds and it's a big river too.

I much prefer a lighter combo,

The Clearwater combo looks like a fine setup to me. Probably a lot nicer feel than the Cabelas Prestige outfit I'm using now. I'm actually looking to buy an Orvis Clearwater reel for my upcoming build of a new fly rod.

5 wt is a good traditional rod to start with. I prefer a 4wt as I fish a lot of smaller streams in the higher country here in Utah. Orvis clearwater is a good combo. No point in spending as lot of money on your first fly rod.

You are on the correct track, IMO. I have an Orvis Helios combo myself, not the Clearwater, but I was given lessons at the local Orvis store on one of their Clearwater 5wt combos, and it's a solid set.

Speaking of Orvis, if you have one in driving distance, they do classes for fly fishing for free, and while the 101 class practical is done in their parking lot, the 201 class is at a local pond. You'll get to use the Clearwater most likely, and at the end they give you great coupons to buy gear that you won't get otherwise.

Be sure to look at warranties when you're shopping. For example, LL Bean once had a lifetime warranty, now they make excuses. Be sure you get a good warrantied rod, you may need the warranty.

My SIL got a solid beginner set online, I will ask him at church tomorrow and get the name. Came from Amazon.

Lastly, rburg is 100% on track with his line comments, you'll drop some coin on a good line, but it makes all the difference and can actually make a crappy setup feel great.

I think you can do better than the Orvis combo. I highly recommend the Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Pro II rods. I have friend who owned a fly shop and a few other friends who are professional guides. They swear by them. I also own a few and have found them to be an excellent entry level rod. https://tforods.com/pro-ii-fly-rods/

Don’t spend too much on the reel. For trout, it will really only be a line holder. Okuma makes some nice reels for well under $100. Do spend the money on a decent line.

TFO is good stuff, their basic sets are reasonably priced and tough!

Yes TFO. Don't worry to much about equipment with anything you do. My wife and I snicker routinely when we see city folk NOT catching anything with $5000 rigs.
https://smile.amazon.com/TFO-N...%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-31

Check out LL Bean. I picked up a nice beginner rod/reel for a little less than the Orvis Clearwater. At the time LL Bean had their lifetime guarantee which also factored into my purchase. Keep an eye out for their 20% off coupons too.

LL Bean Streamlight

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FN in MT:
I live on a blue ribbon stretch of the Missouri River. Just shuttled some friends who floated today. I'm just down stream from Craig.

I have a 5 WT an old Teton graphite rod. Most everyone here uses a 6 wt or even heavier due to our winds and it's a big river too.

I much prefer a lighter combo,[/QUOT

Sound advice here. It's been said that most people are chasing twelve inch trout within twenty five
miles from home. Most of my time is spent on decent sized rivers(Coeur d Alene, St Joe, and Clearwater). I have a 9ft 5w which is the standard recommendation and I thought I would prefer a fast action rod.
The fast action rods tend to be a little broom sticky for me (stiff) and I currently reach for an 8ft 4wt with a more relaxed action. I fish this rod out to fifty feet with pin point control and can handle 17-18 inch fish no problem.
Be sure to try out whatever you decide on beforehand and don't get caught up in the casting contest
discussion.

As others have pointed out I think you are on the right track with a 5wt rod for the size of the streams you will be fishing and the size of the trout you will likely find.

I've never owned an Orvis but have been interested in buying one of their rods and have test cast them before. They make a fine product...

...but having said that I think it really depends on how familiar you are with your own casting style and how committed you are to the lifestyle and sport of fly fishing. Fly rods have different "actions" and it's best to find a rod action that suits your casting style.

If you know what action you prefer then great, start trying rods with that action type, however if you are new to the sport and unsure of what your action type is then I would be hesitant to advise investing in any high dollar gear, whether it be from Orvis or any of the other high end manufacturers. Also, I would be hesitant to advise sinking money into any high dollar equipment unless you know that this sport is for you and that you are going to regularly fish and are going to develop the skill level to wring out the performance you'll get from this high dollar equipment.

Knowing my burning passion to learn fly fishing many years ago (and after he received the same package as a gift) one of my brothers gave me a St. Croix fly rod (5-6wt. hybrid rod)/ reel/ float line combo that was put together by a local fly shop as their "entry" level package for the types of waters and the size of fish likely to be encountered in our local waters. This "entry" level package was fine for me for the first several years of fishing and I still have it and beyond the sentimental attachment I have to the combo because if was a gift from my brother and because if was my first set-up, I still use this combo even though I later upgraded to a better performing rod/reel/line combo from Sage. Some anglers find that having more than one rod/reel/line combo pre-rigged and ready to go means that they can adapt to changing conditions faster. I typically have one rod rigged for fishing with float line and dry flies or emergers and the other rod set up with sinking line (I have two spools for one reel, one spooled up with float line and the other spooled up with sinking line) and the second rod is rigged for running deeper with nymphs...or in some situations I have a rod rigged with streamers. I tend to use my St. Croix for "brute" fishing and my Sage for more "finesse" fishing. Someday I'd like to pick up a 3 or 4 wt 5 piece rod backpack combo as I do sometimes fish tiny streams for Brookies and while it works my 5-6wt. Sage can be a bit much for these conditions.

I'd suggest that you visit a few different local fly shops and see what sort of entry level combo packages they offer specific to the conditions you will likely encounter and test cast them to see which one(s) will match your action type. Also, sometimes fly shops are willing to substitute one part of the package to meet your needs (sometimes for the same price and sometimes with a variation in the package pricing). Also, keep an eye out for annual fishing shows. They often offer anglers the chance to try new gear and test cast various combos...not to mention the various talks given by both nationally recognized anglers or by local experts that can offer good tips on how to fish waters local to you.

You may find that an entry level less expensive package may suit your skill level now and then, later once you learn what your prefer in a rod, you can upgrade to a higher performing one that is more expensive, while still keeping the first combo as both a back-up set-up in case one breaks while fishing you still have another to fish with while having the option of an alternate rigged rig when conditions change. Twice now I have snapped off the tip of my St. Croix and I would have been left without a rod to fish with after going through all the trouble to get on the stream OR I would have been without a rod to fish with if I didn't have a back-up rod while my St. Croix was being repaired under warranty. Sage to the rescue!

As others have pointed out, the reel is mostly just holding the line, although it can be more satisfying and helpful to fight the bigger fish with a good reel with an easily adjustable drag.

Good performance line that matches the action of your rod is a must.

Although I haven't kept up with Orvis pricing in recent years I know that a couple of my local fly shops will occasionally run an Orvis Days special so if you are committed to only buying Orvis (or any other high end maker) then you might watch your local shops for these promos. Like many businesses today local fly shops are only too happy to get your email address and update you with fly fishing news and specials so check in with your local fly shops and get on their distribution lists. As a seasonal business fly shops tend to run sales/ specials in late Fall, throughout the Winter and into early Spring, with additional sales around Father's Day and the Thanksgiving/ Christmas season.

Sounds like the only responsible thing to do here is to arrange a Sigforum fly fishing trip, gents.

Lots of good advice as always from Sigforum members. I'll stop by the local fly shop this week. Hopefully they have some good Father's Day deals. When I took my lessons the streams were high and all the practice casting was in a field. They still owe me some time on the stream. Maybe they have an opening soon. There is also a Cabela's that is within 45 minutes.

A nice budget-friendly rod is the Fenwick Eagle series. You can order directly from them online, and they ship from SC. I have it in a 9ft 5wt.

Orvis has a great book about fly fishing for the beginner.
Cabelas has a very good assortment of rods, reels and line. They carry TFO, Sage, Fenwick.

Fly rods are like golf clubs, new model comes out and “old” model is passé. Cabela will buy “old” rods and pass these rods on sale as typically great buys, (Sage). Their RLS reel is a rebranded “name” reel- can’t remember the brand.
Good luck. Fly rods are like guns, you don’t own just one.

It's been awhile since I was in the market for fly fishing gear, but from what I recall Orvis equipment was pretty good (I have an Orvis fly fishing vest that has been great). Is there a place where you can lay hands on that rod to see how it feels and maybe try a cast or two?


My go to for smaller streams is a 4wt Loomis GLX rod that I purchased as a blank and put together. Love that rod and the Ross Gunnison reel I have on it (although looking at those reels today it's unlikely I would purchase one as the price has gone through the roof and they're essentially just for line storage). I like the 4wt simply because it's lighter and a bit shorter making it easy for me to get into smaller spaces.


I know you didn't mention it, but breathable chest waders would be on my short list if I was just starting out.

Orvis Clearwater is decent. I like TFO and Redington in the entry-grade rods. 5wt is the universal "only rod" weight. Match your rod weight to the wind and the size fly you are throwing, not necessarily to the size fish you are chasing. If you're nymphing small flies most of the time, you may like going down to a 4 wt or even 3. If you're throwing streamers most of the time, you might go up to a 6.

You can also find a nice cheap used reel and a more decent rod for nearly the same prices. The St Croix Imperial is a fantastic rod in the $200 range.