New fly fisher, this an ok deal?

[LeadBasedToys]

So I've picked up fly fishing here in WA and my buddy gave me a 4wt Reddington that I use for the salt run cuts on the sound. I'm not very knowledgeable yet since I started but I'm wanting to go into streams and lakes soon, so I'd ideally need a bigger wt rod right? How does this one look? price seems decent to me but figured I'd ask the most experienced guys here first. I'll likely hire a guide or something before I go out solo there's so much to learn but I enjoy it. Would appreciate any pointers, thanks guys.

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[solv3nt]

Try to get some casting time in. Once you do, go to a shop where you can try out the rod. A fly rod is very personal and different for everybody. I really like my 4wt for trout, but she can't cast real far, especially with big flies. 5wt is considered the standard trout weight for that reason.

A manufacturer rod will cast different even in the same weight with different lengths, and the different weight rod will behave differently too.

The reel on a trout rig is really only to hold your fly line.

Good luck and tight lines.

 

[Yarome]

Depends what you are fishing for, but.... here ya go....
Great all-around rod.

Sawtooth

This package comes with everything you need to get fishing. The Sawtooth rod: The Sawtooth is our more playful rod. You might have six inch rainbow on line

www.tenkararodco.com

 

[Xaevian]

Try to get some casting time in. Once you do, go to a shop where you can try out the rod. A fly rod is very personal and different for everybody. I really like my 4wt for trout, but she can't cast real far, especially with big flies. 5wt is considered the standard trout weight for that reason.

A manufacturer rod will cast different even in the same weight with different lengths, and the different weight rod will behave differently too.

The reel on a trout rig is really only to hold your fly line.

Good luck and tight lines.

This ^.

Also, I would say the line is the most important part of a fly rod setup. For western WA freshwater, 5wt is a good general purpose size of rod/reel/line.

 

[Nosferatu]

Head over to Pacific Fly Fishers in Mill Creek and take one of their casting classes. https://pacificflyfishers.com

I took one a few months ago, and this is after several years of fly fishing, and they fixed all my bad habits and got me casting well again. Worth every penny.

They are also very knowledgeable about gear, especially for this area and have lots of stuff in stock for you to try out.

I use an 8.5' 5-weight for my general purpose trout rod in lakes and rivers. I have 2 spools setup, one with floating line and one with sinking.

For steelead and salmon, I have a 9', 7-weight. It has handled the 20+lb fish just dandily.

I'm adding a 3-weight soon for the smaller streams and rivers.

I think that 8-weight is overkill for what you're going after.

 

[LeadBasedToys]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll hold off and get more casting time before going for gear.

 

[Stomper]

Good luck and tight lines.

Sounds like a reformed coke-head….

 

[solv3nt]

While there's definitely some good cheaper rods, there are some cheap rods that cast like a broom handle.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Like everyone has already pointed out, a good 5wt is the gold standard for everything in the PNW and a great starting point. I would look at brands known for casting ability and feel, and once you try a few rods out, you should have a good feel for what your looking for! Also, you really want to focus on the fly line, both length and type, I highly recommend a shooting head, long leader, floating line to start out with, and set it up with at lest a 6" "Leader" between the main line and tippit, THIS will really help your casting and get you tuned and ready for success!

I Recommend T.F.O. Fly rods or ECHO for a good intro rod that will teach you the finer art of fly casting with out breaking the bank, and these will really show their magic once you can cast well enough to actually get into the fish, I personally LOVE the TFO rods, they are easy to cast accurately and with a good amount of power for those much needed longer casts, while being supple and sensitive enough to feel a bite, they are a far better rod then many higher priced name brands, and they have a great warranty should you ever need!
Another Rod to take a good look at is SAGE, specifically their "Launch" series, a great rod with tons of power and precision potential to really expand your abilities while not breaking your bank account, and will make for an exceptional learning tool that can really expand your abilities as your skills improve!

Then there are the 2 handed SPEY rods, and we won't even go there, that's a whole nother addiction you don't need, ................Yet! LOL

Finally, Reels! Don't spend a bunch here, but do consider the Drag, nothing suckz more then getting into a really big fish that's going to really fight, and all you can do is hang on,, the last thing you want is a reel with a poor drag that the fish takes you deep into your backing, that's never fun, until it is, and that only happens after your good enough to deal with it! I Like Ross Reels, they are reasonably priced, have a really good and solid drag, plenty of line and backing capacity, are light weight, and they flat out work, nothing fancy or flashy, but nearly bomb proof!