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Often we pick up a rod and if it feels good we buy it. This works with spinning rods but with fly rods it's not such a good idea, especially if you are just starting. Better to look at the fish you want to catch and the size and type of flies streamers or bass bugs you want to catch them on. Then look for a fly line that will handle those flies. For instance if you fish small streams and want to catch those smart browns, then you'll likely have the best chance with smaller flies, so line 5 would be a good choice because it will drop a tiny fly on the water without spooking a fish. Make it a double taper (OT) if you want the best line to lay the fly down gently. If you also fish ponds and are more concerned with reaching trout that feed farther out or you want to use some streamer patterns then perhaps a weight forward (WF) 6 or 7 will be the line for you, because a WF line will cast farther & handle a fly, but you don't get as gentle a drop on the water.

Then look for a rod that will handle that size line and a reel that is adequate for the line and backing. ~ double taper line takes more room on the reel than a weight forward so be sure the reel has the capacity to handle the line and backing. If you want to get big bass out of logs and weeds you need a line that will handle bass bugs - a double taper 8 or 9 will do the trick and a good powerful 9 ft rod to match it.

If you go after big rainbows or salmon then you'll likely use some egg patterns, nymphs or at times some fair size streamers. To handle this use a line which will be good for the different size flies. A W.F. 6 is still light enough to feel hits on nymphs and handle some medium flies & streamers, but If you intend to do mostly streamers and bigger flies and want to handle windy conditions then a WF 8 or 9 would be a better choice. If you don't have to cast long distances and plan to do some roll casting then a double taper would be good.

Floating or sinking? Best to start with a floating line. They are easier to learn with- mostly because they are easier to lift off water for the back cast. also when you learn to roll cast you will find you don't need to do a lot of casting to get the fly where you want it. The double tapers are easier to roll cast. For a lot of fishing you'll find the floating line will work best, as often the fish are feeding near the surface and by adjusting your leader or using a weighted fly you can still reach them if they are a bit deeper. With the newer sink leaders you can get down quite deep. Once you can handle a floating line try a sinking line. If you fish trout in ponds a slow sinking line can be a real help. Trout hit fast, the straighter your line & leader are between you and the fish the more chance you have of hooking one.
If you fish the spring and fall runs for big rainbows and salmon the floating · line can handle lower waters and shallow areas nicely and you can use the sinking leaders to get down or else go to a wet tip Hi D or a sinking line in fast or extra fast if the water is deep and fast. With nymphs in faster and deeper water you'll get more fish if you put the fly right in front of their nose and you want as straight a line & leader as possible so you can feel the light hits.

TAPERED LEADERS
If you are starting out use a tapered leader. A straight length of mono is okay for practice, but for fishing a tapered leader straightens out better and drops the fly gently. Because of the length and bend of the fly rod you can use what at first seems like a light leader and still hold a fish. A 61b leader will handle a 10 lb. trout very nicely and in the summer you'll find a 21b tippet will get more trout.
The cheapest way is to buy a couple 7 1/2 ft leaders and when you wear them down to 5 or 6 ft just add leader tippet material.
I
FLY REELS are like cars, everybody has their own preference. For anyone getting started or going up a notch, all I can do is give you some
ideas from my own experience. In lots of fly fishing you will find your reel is just a line holder. You can play most fish by holding the line with your free hand paying out line as needed. All you really need a drag for is to stop the spool from overrunning and tangling when a big fish makes a fast run. Your heavy fly line pulling through the water wears a fish down as effectively as the fly reel drag. For this you don't need a $200 reel. The main things to look for are not too much space between the spool and the frame so the fly line wont jam up and make sure you can get enough backing on the reel for the type of fish you are going for. 75 to 100 yards will do most situations. Also make sure the screws are tight especially the ones holding the reel foot to the frame. These have a habit of falling out at the wrong time on some of the cheaper reels- and on some of the more expensive ones too'.
If you fish the bigger rainbows and salmon you have other problems. These brutes can tear off a lot of backing and if you try to use too much drag you can soon wear out the normal fly reel drag. You may find it best to go to a disc drag type of reel. I like using a rim control with a normal drag, which is usually cheaper and I can apply pressure without jamming or ruining the reel. However you have to be careful with your fingers or you can get some neat bruises. As for backing you probably feel more comfortable with 100 yards or more. A good braided casting line type of backing of 251s or more works well. Be careful if you use mono filament for backing. Mono will stretch and as you reel it back on your spool when playing a big fish, it will expand back to its normal length After a while it could warp your spool. I've seen some expensive reels ruined this way.

FLY RODS
There are 3 basic fly rod actions- Fast, Medium and Slow.

FAST ACTION has most of bend in the upper half of the blank ~ have crisp, fast actions to give high line speed and very line control. They also have a stiffer mid section to control large The St. Croix SC lV series and the Lamiglas blanks have this action. You do have to be careful with this action with light as the rods are very responsive and require some delicacy when playing a big fish.

MEDIUM ACTION is a smooth moderate action that comes down into the middle of the blank. The mid section has a little more give fast action blanks, but there is still lots of power to control big fish. The St. Croix S C11 series have this type of action. this action for a lot of fishing because you can use light l~ and still handle big fish even if you make some mistakes.

SLOW ACTION has the action right down into the butt. Unfortunately you don't see many fly rods with this type of action any more were some around when we used fiberglass. It took a bit to get use to casting them, but they were really pleasant to cast, especially with bass bugs and streamers and quite sensitive with nymphs

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Rod Terminology

(From G-Loomis)

ACTION