7 Best Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combos for Beginners


When you are trying to teach a beginner how to fly fish, one of the best things that you could do for yourself and for them is to pick a great rod. Learning is complicated enough without having a rod that is hard for an experienced person to use.

There are so many fly fishing rod and reel combos out there. There are also a lot of other things to take into consideration. I will go through each rod and reel to give you the best information possible to help you make an informed choice.

1. NetAngler Fly Combo

This rod is made to be lightweight but extremely durable. That truly is the best of both worlds. It is made of carbon. This was done by high-pressure molding with increased fiber density. It is constructed with graphite, which reduces the weight but strengthens the durability.

So, you can enjoy not lifting something insanely heavy each time you fish, while still being able to rest easy knowing that your pole won’t break in the current or struggle with reeling in a fish.

It is also designed to be interchangeable between left and right hands with ease. This is awesome for someone trying to use both hands, lefty’s that have trouble finding a good pole, or parents purchasing one pole for all of their children to learn with.

As for the reel, there are a number of features for that come with it. The drag is very smooth with the gear ratio being 1:1. When it comes to fly fishing, the smoother the better. It all has to do with the casting. You don’t want to cast something that is not smooth, for your sake and the fish. With this reel and rod, it will not be happening.

The reel is made up of aluminum alloy. This makes it extremely durable so as to last you for a long period of time. This is really nice because even when buying things in combos, it can still be a hefty investment. And with this reel and rod combo, you will not be wasting your money in a useless investment.

This specific reel is extremely light, 5.2 oz. This was made specifically for balancing lightweight fly fishing rods.

The handle of this rod is made from cork to ensure the comfort of your hand. It also has an adjustable reel seat made from aluminum and two locking nuts.

It comes in four pieces and measures out to 8′ or when broken down 27″.

The guide ring is made from high-grade stainless steel. This ensures that it will not damage the fishing line you use. This setup is around $100 for everything, which is a decent price considering everything that is included.

To take a closer look at this awesome rod and reel combo, you can see it here on Amazon.

2. Osage River Fly Combo

One of the best parts about this reel and rod is that it is specifically designed for beginners! Another awesome thing is that the fishing reel comes pre-spooled so your set up time will be significantly less. This is especially nice for those fishermen who have yet to master this difficult and tedious task.

The rod is made with graphite to ensure it is lightweight. As mentioned above, having a lightweight rod is one of the best things you can look for when purchasing a rod and reel combo. When the rod is lighter, everything else is easier to maneuver with.

The reel is made from aluminum. This will help the reel remain solid, durable and capable as it battles even the largest of catches.

Another really nice thing about purchasing the Osage River Combo is that it comes with extras that make this experience even better.

It comes with a fly leader material, a plastic fly box, and nine assorted flies to put you ahead of the game. Having these extras in your combo purchase leaves you with that extra excitement and a little bit of stress relief by knocking off other things from the list that you as a beginner would have had to buy separately anyway.

Not all combo packs come with incredible add-ons but this one does! It’s always fun to get bonus products, and you need to soak them all up.

This rod and reel are extremely easy to pack up with no hassle. You place it in the compact tub that also has a pocket for your fly box. After a long and tiring day of fly fishing, you will want to just hop out of the water and pack up quick, so you can get back home with your catches.

Check out this amazing, all-inclusive set up on Amazon by clicking here!

3. Piscifun Torrent Casting Reel and Rod Combo

This rod and reel can be ordered for left or right-handed people. It also comes in medium 6’9″ and medium-heavy 7′. It’s known to be an all-around good rod for beginners. Not all rods and reel combos can make this claim.

The rod is made with graphite and fiberglass making it well balanced and extremely durable and long-lasting. Balance is more important than one may think off the bat. While you’re out fishing you will want serious stability to ensure that you do not lose hold on your catch because of fast currents or floppy fish.

Because of how lightweight it is, it helps improve the range of motion that you have and prevents you from getting excessive fatigue. A lot of rods can be excessively heavy when they are made with sold metal, so this is a really nice addition.

The rod is two pieces and is super easy to put together. Oftentimes rods come in multiple piece sets, and this can get overwhelming if this is your first time putting a rod together. But with only two pieces to deal with, it’s fairly self-explanatory and basically hassle-free.

This rod and reel ensures that you won’t be constantly having an “am I doing this right” experience.

Taking into consideration the weight, length, and whether or not the spool is pre-spun can all make a huge difference. As a beginner, these are not things that always come to your mind during the preparation for your fishing trip. It can be hard to keep track of all the different elements, but try to keep them at the forefront of your mind.

This combo is also recognized as a great quality option for new and experienced fisherman without breaking the bank. Since you do not really know your full preferences yet because you are so new, you may not want to spend crazy amounts of money.

On the other hand, you should consider making a good investment and this combo is a good place to start.

The rod also has an EVA grip that is really comfortable but also firm and will help you fight any fish from getting away. EVA is a foam-based material. It fits more to your hand and keeps it more comfortable then other grips are able too.

The reel is made in with anti-corrosion materials. With its premium gears and awesome quality stainless steel, it is the reel that all fisherman can be confident starting off with.

The reel is made with a magnetic brake. This makes it extremely effective and accurate with is on the fly needed adjustments. It also helps to prevent any hiccups that the reel may otherwise might run into.

It also has double line winding shafts which increase the not only the durability but the stability.

The crank handle is made from aluminum, which will help you pull in any fish without damaging your reel or rod. After all, nobody wants a damaged reel or rod after making a serious investment.

4. Icewei Travel Fly Combo

This rod and reel combo has some great things to offer as well!

The rod is made of steel and ceramic stripping as well as carbon fiber to create durability and strength. This helps in cutting down friction and heat when you are casting and stripping.

One of the biggest problems fisherman see is friction and heat hurting their reels. With this preventative measure, the likelihood of this happening drops drastically.

The handle is a bright green synthetic gold material and is designed so that you can maintain a great grip even when it is wet. This may not be the first quality that a lot of experienced fishermen look for, but it is a great option for the children or anyone looking for something a bit more sleek and showy.

The reel seat is made to withstand humidity and also has two locking nuts to ensure the reel is secure. Having a reel seat is extremely important. Its purpose is to keep the reel centered where you place it on the rod. With humidity, you run the risk of it coming out of place even justs a little bit and hurting your fishing game. So this really is a great feature.

You have two options when it comes to length and weight. The length options are 7′.5″ 8′.85″ and weigh in at 100 or 120 gm.

The rod comes in 4 pieces which helps make it extremely portable and easy to travel with or store in tight spaces. Along with being able to break it down, it has a tube bag to make transportation easy and a box of flies to help you kick off your new hobby.

The reel has disk drag design and superior Teflon wafers. Currently, more people prefer using disk drag.

Disk drag is there to provide resistance as reel begins to revolve as a fish that catches it takes off with it. It is preferred that there is more resistance than less so that you will be able to notice more quickly that you have made a catch and they are less likely to get away.

The reel is fairly light overall, 5.2 oz.

The reel is made with anodized aluminum material and can be used in the left or right hand.

5. Plusinno Lightweight Fly Combo

The nice thing about the Plusinno Lightweight Fly Combo is that it has quite a bit offered within the purchase.

When you buy this you get the fishing reel, fly rod, carrier case, flies and fishing line. This is nice because being so new to a hobby you may not be sure of everything you’ll need and in this situation you find it all in one place!

It is not heavy at all! And is really easy to handle, so it can be the perfect option for beginners.

The rod is extremely durable, light and thin with a fair amount of elasticity to it. The fishing line stays out of harm’s way because of the stainless steel rings it is fed through.

The rod is 8′ long, weighs in at 4 oz. and can be broken down into 4 pieces.

The reel is made from aluminum that is extremely high quality. The spool is designed from large arbor die-cast. It is simple to work with and will not break on you.

6. Redington Crosswater Fly Combo

The Redington Crosswater Fly Combo is extremely sturdy and extremely lightweight. This is a huge benefit because it will not be a disturbance or bother to you from being heavy but it is also built in a way that the aquatic life can not damage it while working against you.

Another concern may be the reel getting damaged by the current. This combo is designed to prevent that from happening.

There are two weights this rod comes in. Your heavier option comes with a rod made of anodized aluminum. The lighter option of the rod comes with wooden real seats.

Both of these options are wonderful! They are really built for different fisherman and your personal preferences. Find what you like best weight-wise by going down to a local outdoors store and holding one. See what is a bit easier.

Once you get into the swing of your fishing game you will be able to have a better gauge of what you do like and what you do not like.

It also comes with alignment dots. This makes setting up your rod quick and easy and provide you with on point and easy breezy casting. Alignment dots really will change your fishing game and help you exceed learning curves. It will help you be able to begin to know what you are terally trying to achieve when you are setting up your rod.

This way in the future you will be more able to see with the naked eye what excatly it is that you are looking for when getting your rod and reel set up for a day of fun.

This rod is a serious 9′ 5″.

It can be broken down into four pieces and stored in a rod tube. This rod tube has rod dividers that help you store your reel and rod in a no-mess, quick way.

7. Fenwick Nighthawk Fly Combo

This is an awesome buy!

It has 4 stainless steel ball bearings. With the reel, it has a machined ported and double anodized braid ready aluminum spool. Ball bearings just help the machines of the reel run smoother then it would have without it.

The handle is aluminum and has a soft-touch knob.

It has a smooth multi-disc drag system that has stainless steel and oiled felt washer.

It comes with threaded main gear design that eliminates play in the handle. And it is easy to interchange between right and left hand.

The rod has TAC and EVA handle design and stainless steel guides. It is made with classic Fenwick actions.

They are designed to be very versatile for all the different levels of fishing expertise.

Tim Butala

My name is Tim and I have been a fisherman my whole life. My favorite fish to go after is a Striped Bass.

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