Fly Fishing - Quality brands?

[mosquito]

I forgot to mention one item about rods, GLoomis is owned by Shimano and Gary Loomis started a new company Rogue Rods. I have seen some reviews but not the rods themselves but thought I would mention it.

http://www.roguerods.com/

http://www.west-fly-fishing.com/foru...-a-new-co.html

[GrouseWhisperer]

As a word of advice, you should be looking to invest approximately half of your budget into the reel. It may seem excessive at first but a quality reel not only last longer, but helps you get more fish in the net. The drag system is incredibly important especially on outfits that target bigger species such as pike.

I hope this helps,

^I'd disagree with this in principle. A REALLY cheap reel can work against you, but pike aren't really runners. Steelhead or salmon when they have a little room~that's a different story. Still, an Okuma SLV or Pflueger Trion are @ or under $100 (give or take) and by your math, that's a rod/line for $100-ish? They're very decent reels, and both have the power to stop a steelhead or salmon. I'd give the Okuma the slight edge there.

[rfb]

St Croix Imperial in a 5 weight is a great entry level rod. I haven't fished the 8 weight, but it's gotten decent reviews.

The Redington Classic Trout is also a well respected rod in a 5 weight.

If you can find them still, the Greys Xf2 Streamflex is a good quality rod that compares favorably to upper end rods.

For a trout rod, the reel is really just a line holder so a simple click and pawl reel will do you fine. The Orvis Battenkill is a nice little reel at a reasonable price. Also check out Allen Fly Fishing in the states. Great reels at a reasonable price.

For reels for an 8 weight Hardy UL DD is a great reel. May be a little pricy though. Allen also has some decent options in a lower price range.

Temple forks outfitters BVK series of rods is another solid option.

Check out Yellowstone Anglers rod shootouts for some great rod reviews. Best of luck, it's a great sport

[Jacob McD]

If you have free time and want to save some $ simply buy the rod blank you want and build the rod yourself. This will cut the price of the rod by a fair amount for example I bought an Orvis access rod. On the Orvis site for 400$ ish and I paid 150$ and built it myself. Mind you I had a friend who had all the guides and materials and whatnot so I saved money in that area but overall buying blanks and making your own rod will save you money and you will get a top end rod.

[ollie]

I had my good fly rod/reel stolen a few years ago. I'm retired now and on just the CPP pension so I bought an 8'6' Berkley 7 weight rod/reel combo on sale at Canadian Tire for $10. I've been using it for 5 years now and have no complaints. I've caught some decent sized pike and bass on it.

I LIKE YOUR STYLE PETE!
I started fly fishing on the very same rod, but I think it was a 5wt. Fly fisherman all too often spend way to much money on gear, that's a known fact.
Buckchaser- I know people said it, but I actually just purchased a 5wt and a 5wt reel off amazon for about 1/2 the price they are in most stores or fishing shows I've been to this winter. Check it out.