Need advice cheap and good

[damonspreng]

My best friend is coming home from college this weekend and he is looking to buy a flyrod setup. He wants to keep it cheap. he will only be fly fishing with me and I have a 5wt lamiglass with flossing line trying to get him a setup that's close to that but a lot cheaper. Just don't want him to buy one of those "starter" kits and it not be worth a poo. Any advice? We need it Friday so like dicks or river city fly shop are our only 2 options.

 

[18406ej]

Dick's Sporting Goods has a nice combo set by Cortland that is highly rated and is $129. River City has some really good sales going on right now, so you might want to check both places. For the record, my Bi-Mart cheapo set was absolutely acceptable for my skill level (starter). I don't know what would be considered cheap for a returning college student these days, but I know that when I returned from college, cheap was just that.

Good luck,
EJ

 

[brandon4455]

i have to ask,what is flossing line?? are you sure you dont mean fly line? ej's suggestion is good,also check out cabelas wind river rods and reels/lines

 

[damonspreng]

I was trying to say floating. Auto correct on my phone is killer trying to say floating for some reason... Also we need the gear Friday I think he will be able to afford the one at dicks.

 

[Troutski]

I would check out your local Goodwill or St. Vincent dePaul stores, one can pick up a reasonable quality rod and reel with the line. Even garage sales can have an offering, just a suggestion.

Chuck

 

[Van]

I would get him a Redington Crosswater starter setup from Dicks. Better yet would be a Red.fly2 if they have one. Redington is a great brand at the price. Avoid the Martin brand.

 

[stanster]

not sure what the definition of "cheap" is in your friend's context. However, Orvis has a nice entry level set up called the "Streamline" for $235. It includes rod, reel, line, backing, a leader and one of Tom Rosenbauer's how to books. I've casted this rig at the Orvis store and its nice. I just (today) purchased an Orvis Cleawater which is slightly more expensive, but with coupons made it afordable for me.

 

[TimberTodd]

PM sent
Todd

 

[jimmy]

borrow, until you figure it out.......

you buy cheap, you'll regret it.

 

[damonspreng]

He is getting the starter combo from dicks now he is set. He doesn't fish a ton and also needs waders.

 

[GungasUncle]

River City has a good starter combo from Wright & McGill - a 4 piece rod, a large arbor all metal reel, fly line, backing, along with some small trinkets (foreceps, leader straightener, indicators, small fly box w/ half a dozen flies, and some split shot) for $165. They have 8'6" 4 weight, 9' 5 weight, and 9' 8 weight combos. Oh, they also come with a carrying case for the rod that allows you to carry/store the rod w/ the reel attached.

I gave the rod a test cast not long ago - and was pleased with how it performed. They're not the lightest rods - but they're a solid rod, way better than the cheap beginner setups from Cortland, Shakespeare, or the like.

 

[GDBrown]

Your title in an Oxymoron! Have you thought about borrowing from someone who might be willing to come along for the ride?

 

[stanster]

Good luck to your friend. He can get started now and hopefully, his passion (if indeed he has it ) will stick. I will pass on a bit of advice from the smartest man I have ever met, my Dad. In my professional career, before I retired, I commonly dealt with Law professors, physicians, engineers, other attorneys, judges etc. But my Dad, who grew up barefoot picking cotton in Dust Bowl Oklahoma, and then three years of a running gun battle in the South Pacific during WWII was the smartest of them all. Given his background, he was frugal, to put it mildly. He was an electrician and always bought the finest tools,, any of which I still have. He was the same way with sporting goods. Dad always said to me and my brother, "Boys, you buy a good tool, you pay or it once. You buy a cheap one, you pay for it every damn time you use it." He didn't make up the phrase, its been around for years, but the wisdom was passed down.

 

[R.Gertken]

Yeah i have to second what Van said. This was my first set up a few years back. A really good product for the price. I dont use the reel anymore, but still use it as a second rod with my sage. Caught 7 fish on it today dry flying.