First saltwater fly rod

[Woodrow]

I have fly fished trout streams most my life and thought I would try inshore and surf along the NC coast. Looking for beginners outfit before investing a lot of money. Would either of these do: World Wide Sportsman Kingfisher/Deceiver Complete Fly Outfit/World Wide Sportsman Silver King Fly Outfit from Bass Pro. If not give me other recommendations.

Thanks

[The Mad Duck]

Personally, I would rather go into a store and put my hands on a rod before purchasing it. I want to feel the action of the rod

[swallisa]

I personally would look at the TVO Lefty Kreh starter set believe its a little better quality in the same price range.


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[BillinDurham]

Get a sinking or intermediate line for the surf. The floating line you probably use for 90% + of you freshwater fishing doesn't work real well in the surf.

I like to feel a rod too, but ideally with a line on it.


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[Whitefish115]

If Santa didn’t get the message and you have to get your own, the recommendation about TFO is good, as well as the intermediate line, though get some floating line for the creeks and ICW. When you get a reel, get a second spool so you can carry two types of line, Don’t wait to get the second spool since manufacturers are always changing and the new never works with the old. The main thing in saltwater is to get a good reel with a good drag. There are composite reels that are very good but this old dog still likes the machined reels since they are a bit sturdier and don’t bend and chip when you drop them. A big question has to do with the weight rod you decide to get. 8-wt. is the standard saltwater rod/reel. But if you plan to do a lot of surf fishing, it wouldn’t hurt you to look at a 9-weight. It will cast a bit better in the wind and handle slightly larger flies. I have a batch of rods and find myself using my 9-wts more and more. Just remember that when surf fishing, you don’t have to cast to the sea buoy. Most of the fish are going to be much closer. Good luck in your new endeavor. Saltwater fly fishing rocks. I strongly agree that you should go to a good fly shop and talk to the folks there about the outfits they sell and how they will work in local fishing.
Whitefish

[bmac]

8 Wt probably best all around. I'd avoid the bargain basement kits. Cheap Chinese knock offs. Some may work well enough but I think you'd be better off with entry level kits from established fly companies. Echo, Reddington, Orvis, Sage and TFO all make good ones that won't break the bank. Cabelas and BPS ain't too bad. Weight forward floating line for me, even in the surf. Learn to cast and fish with that before you branch off into sinking / intermediate lines. By all means go to a fly shop. It will save you many hours of frustration.

[gofishn]

I'm going to step outside the box and probably get some folks riled up. I agree with putting your hands on equipment and trying before buying. Since you don't make any mention of where you live I'm not even sure that is convenient. What I do know is that there are any number of fly fishing clubs where you can meet fly folks that likely have equipment and knowledge that will make starting out less stressful. I'd be willing to bet most folks still have the outfits they used as a beginner and would likely be quite willing to let you get your hands on it without the sales pressure you might find in a shop. Cast a couple of different weight rods, especially 8's and 9's. Learn what the term action means. You are likely to find in those weights they have a fast or extra fast action and my guess is that if you have trout stream experience you've probably not thrown a fast or extra fast blank. When you find someone to work with you, make sure you determine what line you are casting. Many of the newer lines have a short, heavy head intended to load the rod quickly for quick casts with faster action rods and they have very different tapers than a freshwater trout line. And my .02 on reels is to look for one you can easily clean, preferably with a sealed drag. If you are going to fish in the surf, sooner or later you will dunk it in a wave full of sand and just rinsing won't cut it.
Now here's where I may ruffle some feathers......once you identify some equipment you like, don't hesitate to buy used. There are any number of used tackle sites and you can often save a bunch. There's a whole bunch of folks who are constantly looking to "upgrade" with the latest and greatest and are willing to sell at a reasonable price. I know, I know......buy local, support your neighborhood fly shop, etc but sometimes if you know just what you are looking for, saving money lets you buy just that much more and believe me if you get the saltwater bug you will buy more.
And one last piece of advice....if you are going to fish the surf with a fly rod, buy and use a stripping basket. It will make the experience more enjoyable. Beyond that, if you are near Emerald Isle give me a shout and i'll show you my tackle and give you an opportunity to cast it. Maybe even give you bmac's address and you can go drink his beer........

[EvBlue]

8wt is fine if the wind isn't blowing but really, that's a freshwater bass rod IMO. 10wt will throw larger flies in any conditions you want to fish. For a store brand I'd choose Cabelas over Bass Pro.

[DavidCMosley]

I absolutely agree! Fishing rods, tools, camping equipment must be inspected BEFORE purchase.

[The Mad Duck]

8wt is fine if the wind isn't blowing but really, that's a freshwater bass rod IMO. 10wt will throw larger flies in any conditions you want to fish. For a store brand I'd choose Cabelas over Bass Pro.

Cabelas and Bass Pro and one and the same now. They merged a couple of years ago.

[NCTribute]

I whole heartily agree with trying before buying, the trouble is fly shops are few and far between in the coastal areas. There are a fair number of shops in the western part of the state, but they typically do not have much saltwater gear. Also, casting in the grass at a shop is way different than on the water, especially of you are new to the sport and do not know what to look for in the performance of the rod.

If you can find a shop with the right gear nearby, great. Another alternative is joining your local Trout Unlimited to see if members will give advice and let you try their gear. Also, site members here letting you try out gear. If you get down around Oriental, let me know, have 11 fly rods between 7-12 wt you can try out.

[Drum Solo]

I whole heartily agree with trying before buying, the trouble is fly shops are few and far between in the coastal areas. There are a fair number of shops in the western part of the state, but they typically do not have much saltwater gear. Also, casting in the grass at a shop is way different than on the water, especially of you are new to the sport and do not know what to look for in the performance of the rod.

I've never visited but I think there's a fly shop in Atlantic Beach on the causeway, isn't there?

[valve_box]

http://www.captjoes.com/capelookoutflyshop.html Cape Lookout Fly Shop. It is small but has all that you may need.

[gofishn]

Pogie's in Swansboro has some tackle and there are several folks joined at the hip to the shop that would gladly give you an opportunity to get your hands on some gear.......