Trout Fly Fishing Kit

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on November 5, 2009):

I bought this kit @ 3 months ago and began my journey fly fishing. I live in western Oregon, and surrounded by good fishing. I have spent many hours on the water since purchasing my Trout Fly kit. For almost 2 months I spent at least 3 hours per day and 10-14 hours per day on the weekend on the river. This kit is perfect for the beginner. Although I would say dump the line and get some real line immediately. I put on SA Trout Mastery Series 6WF-F line. The rod loads easy and casts well. Since owning my SA Trout Fly Kit I have caught 2 big steelhead (one 12lbs and the other 8lbs) while trout fishing and hung several other nice steelies (in the 6-10lb range) . It has caught dozens of trout and whitefish. At this point in time I am seeing some stress fractures around ferrule on the 3rd piece. This is where the bulk of the stress is placed on the rod when the rod is under pressure. For the $80.00 I spent for it, it has been a great tool to learn the art of fly fishing. The drag on the reel is mediocre, I've had to play with it with big fish on and lost one due to the unreliable drag. I have thoroughly enjoyed this kit. I typically fish with a 4x leader/tippet and #8-#14 nymphs.
I give it 4 stars on Value because it has spent lots of time on the river and with it I have learned and become obsessed with the art of fly fishing.
3 stars for Quality, the line that comes with the kit is mediocre at best. Which immediately cost me another $70.00 the reel could be a little better maybe a step up from the bucket reel.
3 stars durability it has held up against some abuse, but it should be able to withstand more abuse than I've put it through.
4 stars for price, it was one of the cheaper kits that I saw, and I didn't want to sink a small fortune in something I didn't know if I would enjoy.
Overview:
This is a great kit for someone that is wanting to learn the art of fly fishing. First piece of advice is dump the fly line and get some good line ASAP. It will make your experience much more enjoyable.
Careful with big fish. The poor rod will take a beating. The drag on the reel is a bit on the touchy side, so adjust with some patience.
It has definitely come time to replace the beginners kit with some big boy toys. But this has been a great learning tool. Enjoy!