[B]Hello My name is Keith and I would like to start fly fishing I do not know what to buy.What beginners rod and reel should i buy? Length of rod? I would like to Bass , blue gill and crappie fish . I will fish out of a Pirogue " VERY small boat" and a tube. I live in East Texas and will fish in lakes around here. I am thankfull for any and all the help I can get with this new hobby!
Thanks Again!
Keith

Can someone help me please?

keith,
how much do you want to spend? You can get a decent rod for about 100 .00, a 9'5 wt is a good all around rod. Cabela's 5 pc Stowaway rods are a good buy. A Ross Cimarron reel will last a lifetime. You can get cheaper reels but don't skimp on line. get a good top shelf line,WF ( weight forward) or DT ( double taper) . Rio, Cortland or Scientific American are all good brands --figure between 50 to 65.00 for line.. You'll need a leader( the monofilament that connects to your line) and then tippet to attach to your leader as it shortens due to changing line ,breaking off, etc.
check out www.flyanglersonline.com on the beginners section and all of this is explained in detail. Also check the search engine here.There's been many previous posts
Have fun. it can seem overwhelming at firdt but it's just fishing afterall.
Best,
Steve

Yes... if you are already certain you want to spend some serious time fishing with flies... spend money on a rod & a line...
If you aren't too sure yet or if money is tight some setups are available that will serve as back up equipment later on... that is serviceable but by no means the end of the purchasing addiction....
For instance:
I used 9' 5 weight St. Croix Premier set ups (rod reel backing line leader & tippet) for my last beginner's class... they went over well. the people that had their own equipment switched to these & their learning curve shortened considerably....
I actually have one unused set left (still in it's plastice tube, never used)...
It appears I may not teach this spring to if you want it...
$100 (+shipping)
check it out on the St. Croix Rods web site.
Later,
Peter

minirancher, there is some great deals out there and on here. First thing I am going to say is WARRANTY. Be sure what you get has one. I will second the 9' 5wt. for a great all around rod, but you need to test some and find out if you like the slow, med, med/fast or fast action. I will say, I use to play a Washburn Hawk guitar, heavy, and high action. Got by, but didn't axcel. Bought a Fendar Strat. light weight great action and I progressed and getting paid for it. Price does make a difference quality equipment, but, there can be a $600. rod that just isn't for you & a $100.+ rod that is. All rod manufacturers have different flexes, find yours with what ever company. Forget the price right now and get a warranty great feeling rod for you, but you got to find out what that is first.

Although the rod I had mentioned in my previous post has the warranty card (since it's brand new) I must respectfully disagree with the FlyGoddess...
I typically buy used rods with out warranty cards. I seem to like the flex & feel of rods that are 10 or 20 years old... Thomas &Thomas, Winston & Scott are my current favorites... unavailable to purchase new these days. I have paid some decent dollars to own these rods (sometimes great deals other times whoosh)...
I have rods repaired by Scott & Winston... VERY FAIR & REASONABLE prices for the work (free sometimes, shipping charges only other times).
Well respected manufacturers seem to support & stand behind their products.
Used to be lifetime no fault (for the buyer) were free... then there were charges for the shipping then it was shipping plus a couple of dollars (like a co-pay) sometimes you might receive a lower quality rod to replace a non-repairable rod... that was the current equivalent (eyes of the manufacturer)....
So, what's a boy to do?
Take responsibility for your actions... slam you rod in a car door... buy a new rod.
down locking mechanism falls off in a stream... a reputable rod company will probably fix that for free.
well, just my humble opinion.
HOWEVER: I do agree with the FlyGoddess regarding trying lots of rod actions...
in my years of teaching I am still surprised when someone likes a soft slow action when I figured they'd want faster action.... oh la.
Later,
Peter

Later Peter, you are mentioning some top end rods (T & T, Winston, Sage, Etc) and yes with one of these used when they originally cost say $500.+ it is no big deal to come up with $100+ to repair them, but on the other hand, we are talking a new comer and the ol' saying sh&%t Happens, that warranty is a good thing.
Ex: I bought my husband a Winston 5 pc, cost $625. but this one was a Demo (with that printed on it) I got it for $500. The ferrul wore out, sent it back and $125. total to fix it and get an extra tip. Worth it, you bet.
Young man comes in my store and buys the Stream (really likes the action)
$98. I mentioned the clearwater with warranty, $179. he too new to the FF world. His first trip out, the rod got shut in the door by the wind. He came back and bought another Stream at $98. He could have had the Clearwater with that warranty, plus money for flies. I do agree that you can find some killer deals on name brand rods and they will cover the fix. It is just knowing what ones. I know that Orvis it is possible to buy a second hand rod and they will still warranty it. I have not broke any rods, knock on wood, but I do know that I would not settle for a lesser rod in a replacement. I know with the Orvis rods I have, they might suggest say my TL replacement would be a TLS Power Matrix, but, I know and they will honor that it is equal to the T3 (in price that is)
I feel that the upper end rods that you are paying $500.+ with the unconditional warranty, take it no matter how it happens, as long as it isn't deliberate to up grade, which personally I couldn't and wouldn't do.
Thanks LP though for going the other way on this one, it does bring up some interesting thoughts.

Check this link out .

Fly Fishing 101
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/

Since it seems you will be fishing low on the water, I would recommend a longer rod like a 7.5 or 8 foot. Like the others said, you could get by with a 5wt. for most warmwater duty but really big LMB and carp may give you a real hard time on a 5wt. Casting in high wind is another factor you may want to consider. A heavier line weight (like a 7wt.) casts better for me in higher winds than lighter line weights even though lighter line weights are much better for smaller fish like bream or Specks. Just some things to consider .

I haven't bought a new rod since I started to fish with a fly. That was something from GI Joe's (local sporting/auto/exercise chain)... Since then I have discovered:
demos
custom rods
used rods
I am a BIG proponent of used equipment.
three Winstons
$100
$150
$300 may latest purchase TMF best deal I could find... this one had a loose male ferrule & Winston repaired it FOR FREE. I told them I purchased it used. they felt responsible to fix this rod & pay for shipping back to me.
My T&T's & Scotts all used when I bought them.
One Scott arrived with the top end broken in two... Scott fixed it (replaced the top) for $20 including the return shipping. They also knew it was purchased used...

I was not talking about buying a $655 rod & then using the warranty card.
I am speaking of quality products from consumer oriented companies.

I purchased a BRAND NEW Lamson V1.5 that came out of the box malfunctioning... they wanted $35 to fix it & $15 (?) to ship it back to me...
What the F*ck? I won't buy another Lamson reel (I fixed it my self with the advice of a Waterworks technician... & 3 phone calls (my dime).
I had a ROSS REEL purchased used. It had a dent in the spool (not manufacturers fault) I emailed ROSS... THEY CALLED MY HOME PHONE & ASKED ME TO SEND THE REEL & ALL SPOOLS I HAD SO THEY COULD "TUNE EVERYTHING UP" no charges at all to me!!!!
Guess what reels I would purchase in the future?

So my point is: buy what works for you & deal with the trauma of damage later.
replace, repair, rant & rave.... what ever fits the current arrangement.

Also:
In all my years of fly fishing I have only had one rod break... it was hit with a weighted nymph (someone borrowed it).
Anyway,
try before you buy.
don't buy based on price or
prettiness of the advertisement
make you fly fishing days as enjoyable as these tools can help you make them enjoyable.
Later,
Peter

A note regarding second hand purchases:

Assuming excellent condition, high end rods that retail for around $600 new can be picked up around $300 plus or minus. Entry rods that cost around $100 new can be picked up around $60 plus or minus.

The difference for high end is about $300 and for the entry end about $40.

For the $40 savings I would probably purchase the rod new.

(I have only once paid full retail for a rod - it cost me $95).

Here are some brands with entry level pricing to consider... TFO, St Croix, Cabelas, Redington, Albright... I'm certain there are others too.

CG

Yes, a 9' 5 or 6 wt ( 6 wt if you will do more bass fishing than pan fishing. 5 wt if visa versa) rod will do nicely.
If this is your first rod and you don't know what to expect/if this is a lifetime commitment, get a pre packaged combo from St. Croix, Cortland or (my favorite) cabelas. Most of these are versitile packages that even come with some basic instruction on set-up, casting etc. You can get started for well under $100 if you want . You illl see a noticable increase in quality in reels and lines as you spend more but IMHO, not so much 'usable improvement" in rods . (.ie. there is no need to start with a $200 rod . The $50-$75 rod will cast just as well for you for quite some time. )
Enjoy.

p.s. Look at the FAQ forum on this site or search 'first" . There is ALLOT of talk on this topic.

Hi Keith,
First of all welcome to this site. I hope you enjoy the your adventure down the wonderful world of fly fishing as much as we all do here. I'd like to approach your delimma in a different direction.

I would very strongly suggest you go to your local Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) or Trout Unlimited (TU) affiliated Fly Fishing Club and take their Beginner’s Fly Fishing Class for free or relatively inexpensive. Go to the above web sites to see where the closest club is in your area. The second option is to go to your local Flyshop and take their Beginner’s Fly Fishing Class for a bit more $. Finally, you can hire a good guide on your favorite waters and have him teach you. This is probably the fastest way to increase the learning curve. Either way, they will get you started in the right direction and you'll also have a better idea of what equipment you'll want to purchase. Good-luck!