Buying your first fly-fishing gear can be intimidating. There is so much out there and available to support the avid fly fisherman. The specificity of options for your two most important pieces of gear, the rod and the reel particularly, can make choosing just one seem overwhelming. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that complicated. There are just a few things that you need to consider and they will help to narrow your choices down considerably, getting you that much closer to finding your perfect rig.

Begin your search by figuring out what types of fish you will be fly-fishing for and where you will be most likely be fishing. This tells you what type of rod and reel you will need. For your first rig, you probably want to shop for a mid-range combination of rod and reel. At this level you may not be sensitive enough to use a higher range of rod with a faster action to its full potential. Remember to do your research before heading to the store. You should know approximately what you want when you get there so that you can try out your top choices before buying. You’ll also need to buy the appropriate flies, lines, and leaders to get the job done, but these will more or less be dictated by your choice of fish, terrain, rod, and reel.