I went to Canadian Tire yesterday to take a look at the assortment of FLY rods and reels they carry.

I found the MLT78FB kit from 'Martin' which includes : 3 pcs fly rod, spooled reel and some bass and trout flies. The kit sells for 49.99.

What I like about the kit?

-- a 3 piece rod packs shorter than a two piece rod. This is a great advantage when carrying rods in a remote trip in a canoe.

-- the reel is made of STEEL...not plastic! I have had too many bad experiences with plastic reels!

-- The reel is already spooled. This may not be great for the experienced fly fisherman...but trust me, it's a HUGE bonus for the beginner!

-- Oh and, the 3 piece rod fits nice and tight together. And the 'whip' is awesome!

Anyone else using this kit? What are your thoughts/experiences with this kit?

Strange that this thread should come up. A few of us were talking about fly fishing just the other day and wondered where we could get a good deal on a rod and reel for the first-timer.

I'll definately be visiting my local CT to check this package out. Sounds like a good combo.

Thanks for the info Backward!

Dave

Your welcome Dave

I don't know if all ctc stores carry the same combos, but if they do, you will see that they also have a combo consisting of a Berkley 2 piece rod with a Mitchell reel. You will see that the reel is made of cheap plastic. This is surprising coming from Mitchel. I own several brands of Mitchel products for my trolling/casting fishing kits, and they are made of steel! not plastic!

I was also looking at a fly rod/reel kit from a company called Crystal River. They have a 3 piece combo. It is cheaper that the Martin I bought. They also have a Fly rod kit with two reels. One for fly fishing and one for casting. It comes in a handy carry case (foam padded) that would make this choice obvious for remote trips. I have no idea about the quality, but if you are interested in this kit, check out Wal-Mart! They have the same kit for $10.00 cheaper!!!

Keep in mind that I am only starting to use a fly rod. So I am noooooo expert! I actually took a friend with me that is, say, advanced-beginner with fly fishing. He compared the combo I bought with his own fly rod, and he was pretty impressed. My fly rod and reel compared very well to his, which he paid a good $80.00 for. Mine was at $50.00...

Another advantage to the Martin combo I bought; It comes with a little booklet that explains the basis of fishing line. Fly line seems more complicated than buying monofilament line for a casting reel. There is a 'balance' thing with the different types of fishing lines. So if you are a beginner and buy this combo, well, the reel is already spooled with the correct line. The booklet also describes the basic motion behind fly fishing. This was a short but interesting read.

I'm sure they are quite a few experience fly fishermen on this forum that could give specific insights on 'how-to' fly fishing and equipment. This would certainly be appreciated!

I'm all in favor of saving a buck or two, but if you plan to continue fly-fishing, at some point, you'll have to spend more than $80 on a fishing outfit. Even a decent spool of line should cost you $25.

I would take a beginners class. It's really hard to get a feel for a rod as a beginner and therefore be able to tell the difference between a piece of crap rod from Walmart, and a nice rod. I think stariung with a cheap kit is a good idea, but be open to investing in a nicer rod down the road.

Like canoes and paddles, if you learn to love them, you'll want more. More so than spin-casting, you'll need multiple rods for multiple types fishing. A rod's weight is the critical factor. Keep in mind, you'll also need different line and reels for different weight rods.

I have a 9 wt rod for northerns. I have an all purpose 6/7 wt trail rod, on which I'll try to avoid catching northerns. I have a 4 wt rod I use for little brookies and panfish. Then I have a bamboo rod (6 wt.) and a 2 piece 7 wt.

One last little point, the reel is not so important. When your spin or bait casting, the reel is the critical piece of equipment - not so for fly-fishing. The reel just holds the line.

Take a class, read a book or two, and catch some fish. Practice, practice, practice. I spent hours casting on my lawn before even wetting my line. I took my wife out only after she had tried a few casts, and things didn't go so well. Fishing is no fun if your line is always getting snagged or knotted.

Get some practice line, so you don't tear up good line in the grass (or snow - it's been snowing for hours here.)

-Andy