Customer Reviews

Pflueger Fly Kit, 8-Feet 0-Inch

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We went over all the choices with our neighbor who is an expert fly fisherman. He said for starting out we should get this brand rather than the cheaper ones just to save a few dollars. He especially did not like the one with the plastic reel. We were set up in no time and are totally satisfied. We saw the same kit for $54.99 at Bass Pro Shop. He said not to go for the expensive equiptment until we know what we are doing. He has seen people break hundreds of dollars of equiptment on their first time out. Now if we only can catch some trout!

For getting into fly fishing for the first time, like me, its great. Of course, not for anyone advanced. You get what you pay for.

The reel is metal which is nice, but the line and leader are crap. I would recommend buying someother cheap line, but nothing nice because then you'll be paying more for line than a rod and reel. The pole has great flex and casts smoothly.

Overall, pretty good fly rod combo for the price.

To start off, this is a pretty good deal. I bought it so I could present light poppers and flies to the local panfish population, and to learn how to cast a fly rod. As such, it works well. The fit and finish of the rod and reel are great, with a comfortable cork grip, a fine shine on the rod, and a metal reel. The kit also included everything I needed to hit the water on the first day.

You get what you pay for however, and there is at least one thing that you may wish to upgrade before you even get started. The biggest problem is the included fly line. It is level, which is more difficult to cast than tapered or weight forward line. It also sinks in the water. This is desirable for some situations, but if you let your fly sit on the water for any length of time, you will have to pull most of your line in before you can make another cast. Sinking line also makes the roll cast very difficult for all but the shortest casts. Finally, the line has memory, meaning curls prevent easy shooting of line while casting. I rate the line a 2.

The rod is fiberglass, and has a pretty slow action, which means it bends all the way to the reel on the cast. For short casts that's fine, and pretty forgiving of inexperienced users, but when you want to cast for distance, the rod is too highly loaded to go much beyond 30 feet. I rate the rod a 4.

The reel is made of metal and so I expect it to be durable, but it does not have a drag adjustment. Therefore when casting, occasionally I accidently pull out a little line with my line hand. This is not a problem because with small fish and short cast distances, I could fish without a reel altogether, and it does a perfectly fine job of holding the line once I'm through fishing. I rate the reel a 3.

The tapered leader is pretty lightweight, and although perfectly adequate, I think I nearly broke it pulling the knot on my fly tight because I'm used to 8-lb mono. You are going to need a few spare leaders, because you will put casting knots in it and break it several times when you first start using it. The flies are decent, aimed at mostly smaller fish. I give the leader and flies a 4.

To summarize, I think this is a good deal and it met my price/performance target to get me started in fly fishing. This combo can catch dozens of fish right out of the package and is not a bad tool for learning to cast. If you want to pursue the sport further however, I would strongly recommend getting some new fly line at a minimum.

Buy this fly rod and reel kit; it will make you happy.

It has been a while since I've written many Amazon reviews, but I am going out of my way to write one now. Why? Because this is a darned good Fly Rod and Reel. In fly fishing, especially true for 99% of beginners, there is this myth thinking that goes like this: if I buy the best and most expensive of everything, then I'll catch oodles of fish. But it simply isn't true, and deep down we all know this. But indeed we get hung up on website after website and scores of reviews of higher end fly fishing products thinking that IF ONLY we had the $500 fly rod, then I could catch more... well, put that thinking out of your head and buy this Pflueger fly rod and reel kit. You WILL catch all the fish you want--whether to eat or catch-and-release.

Quite some times ago, I took a fly fishing two-day intensive course at the Orvis flagship store in Vermont. Then I went out fly fishing with some professional guides. I also logged many hours by myself and with friends in some streams and rivers in the NY area. At first, I used a very expensive Orvis fly rod and reel. I also used an LL Bean setup (equally good and light, but half the price).

Then along came this Pflueger kit, and I thought I would give it a try (especially because the price dropped to $25 that day on Amazon Prime). WOW was I surprised. It feels VERY nice in the hand, and casts wonderfully. A size 8 brown wooly bugger in fall nabbed a fantastic 18" brown trout; a size 14 olive scud nabbed a 15" rainbow. And countless panfish flies worked wonders on largemouth bass and bluegills in NY lakes. ALL on this humble fly rod that many scoff at.

It is nearly as light as the Orvis or LL Bean rods, but seriously guys, you are NOT going to feel the difference of a few ounces--don't over-analyze ounces here. And OK, the reel has a 'set drag' that you cannot adjust - it is FINE. Don't kid yourself into thinking that if you buy a $300 reel it is going to make an iota of difference in catching that brookie. Instead, choosing the right fly will help in that case.

To repeat: this rod casts very nicely, the action is good for a 5wt-to-6wt. It is NOT an Orvis Helios level rod, but it is darn close as far as beginners need to know. Let me repeat: a beginner will not know the difference between this and a Helios. And you WILL catch lots of fish with this Pflueger rod and reel.

The ONLY shortcoming on this kit are the flies--they are OK but as you may know by now, you should be trying to "match the hatch" and the six flies this comes with are limited. Also, the 4X leader it comes with is just OK; get yourself some Umpqua or Orvis Super Strong leaders (yes, you can survive without Orvis Mirage leaders): Umpqua Trout Tapered Leaders - 3 pack

If you absolutely have money to burn, purchase this kit and then upgrade the fly line by buying a new WF-6WT (weight forward, 6 wt) for $20 or so, and tie it on yourself (nail knot to backing). You will feel very proud after doing this. For instance, Scientific Anglers Supra Fly Line, WF6F will do the trick and although it is not a SA GPX Taper line, it will be wonderful for you and this rod. Spend your time learning to double haul instead of dreaming that a pricier fly line will help you cast an additional 50 yards.

I like this kit so much, that I am going to use it as my main fly rod just to prove the point (and yes, I own an Orvis Hydros). That way, when you or some less affluent kids see me at the lake, they can see than for $40 (or less) you can get a perfectly good fly rod and reel kit that catches puh-lenty of fat fish.

I have fished my entire life, but never had the opportunity to try my hand at fly fishing. Wanting to try something new, but not wanting to spend a lot of money, I decided to try this set. I AM HOOKED!!!! Not literally, but figuratively...

My package arrived promptly, as always with Amazon... I immediately put it all together and went out in the back yard and tried my hand at fly casting. It only took a few minutes to figure out the timing, but once I had that down I was ready to go fishing...

I chose a heavily fished area close to home. It fact, the last few times I went fishing with my spin cast I didn't even get a hit. Not so with this new setup. I guess the fish didn't see it coming. I caught four fish and missed three others by trying to set my hook too soon. The rod and reel performed flawlessly...

I forgot to mention that I did change the line to an inexpensive WF fly line from my local shop. This may cause some to five it a lesser evaluation, but for the price I cannot give this set anything less than five stars...

Happy Fishing!!!

this is a really good kit iam am 12 years old and have just started to fly fish and i have already caught three bass on the fly that came with it i have a great time with it. when i first started i was just amazed at how fun it is to fly fish the reel is metal i thought it was going to be plastic but is not. i have not changed the line yet but its not as bad as people say it is but i still will change it after a wile. this is a good combo and if you are looking for a good quality combo for a cheap price this what i would recomade to you biggner its a really good rod so you should buy and it is so fun once you learn how to cast and things of that sort but this is awesome

The rod is very durable, however the line is not the best for fly fishing. The reel is also durable, as it is made of metal.

I received the fly rod within a few days (free shipping!). The only bad thing is it did NOT include the leader, as described on the product, which seems to be a recurring problem. I will contact Amazon to have one sent.

This product is very well made and a great value for a beginning fly fisherman. The fly's included are not very well made, but all else is good.

I bought a Shakespeare combo for ~30 and it actually came with the exact same reel although I think the rod on this Pflueger kit is much better, easier to control my cast as a n00b. It includes more stuff than the other kit such as backing and more, better quality flies.