Fishing

Best Fly Fishing Gifts for Beginners: Rod & Reel Combo + More

If you are looking for something to get the beginner fly angler, here's a gift that saves money and will get them on the water right away.

Ken Baldwin

That wonderful feeling.
That wonderful feeling. / photo by Ken Baldwin

Fly fishing can be intimidating for beginners. It's not just the cost of equipment or learning to cast; there's a whole new landscape to make sense of. From attaching the reel to deciphering the roles of leaders, tippets, and backing, and mastering the art of knot-tying, the initial learning curve can be discouraging. If you have a beginner angler on your holiday list, here are a few gifts that, on top of saving you money, will help the new fly angler navigate these challenges and be treasured long after the holidays are over.

The Rod and Reel Combo - Just Add Water

The Greys Fin Fly Combo takes the confusion out of gearing up. It's been a lot of years since I first picked up a fly rod, but I can remember how lost I was trying to make sense out of all the components and how to put them together. With the Fin Fly Combo this is not an issue. This complete fly fishing package comes with a rod, reel, and line already set up and ready to fish straight out of the box. No agonizing over which components do what, or how to put them together – just tie on a fly and get to fishin'.

It doesn't get much easier than that. Everything is ready to go except the flies, and that will be dependent on what kind of fish you are after. There will still be a steep learning curve — fly fishing can be a lifelong endeavor, but with a combo kit, it gives the learning a jump start, and the fun of fly fishing can begin right away.

Some Books for Learnin'

A rod and reel combo like this simplifies the intro to fly fishing. However, to truly become self-sufficient, understanding how everything works should be the goal. That's why I've included suggestions for two books that will guide new anglers on their journey.

The first, The L.L. Bean Fly-Fishing Handbook, clearly explains the basics of equipment and technique. With simple language, helpful drawings, and photos, it covers everything from A to Z, making learning easy and enjoyable.

The second book is for pure enjoyment — Trout Bum, by John Gierach, is a fly fishing classic. It tells stories that humorously and honestly portray the realities of fly fishing, from the quiet moments of solitude to the inevitable mishaps and frustrations. The beginning of fly fishing can be a difficult and frustrating journey of learning, this book gets the angler to tap back into why we fish, and fires us up to keep going. 

My Experience With The Greys Fin Fly Combo

I fished the 5 weight combo for small to medium sized trout. I found the rod to be lightweight, smooth casting, and on the slow side so it was easy to feel the line loading. Learning to feel what your line is doing is important for a beginner angler.

It's Better to Begin Simple

The rod laid out a dry fly nicely, and I was very happy with how it fished. Does this set-up compare to my Winston rod and Abel reel? No, but I wouldn't start an angler on a Winston/Abel outfit. The goal at the beginning should be to learn on simple, quality gear to develop good technique and understanding. This foundation allows you to progress to higher-end equipment later on, when you can fully appreciate the nuances that differentiate rods/reels and make an educated choice based on your individual preferences and fishing style.

It's Just the Beginning...

I'm hesitant to start this sentence with "For a beginner's combo..." because that implies a lesser than quality to the rod that puts limitations on the equipment that isn't deserved. The Fin Fly Combo is an incredible value that will save you a lot of money, but the rod and reel punches well above its weight class, and an angler of any level could enjoy fishing it. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

Although I have not been paid by any of the manufacturers, some of the gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own.

Published |Modified
Ken Baldwin
KEN BALDWIN

Ken Baldwin's career in fishing and the outdoors started twenty-two years ago. For twenty of those years he guided anglers in remote Alaska. Along with his work as a guide, he created a TV show called Season on the Edge, which aired on NBC Sports, worked on the nature documentary Our Planet 2, for Netflix, specialized in photographing the Alaskan brown bear, and has published his photographs and writing in several magazines. Ken Baldwin is a graduate from the University of Washington.

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