Fly Fishing Starter Package

Update: I wrote a note to the company explaining the issue with my reel and admitted I was outside the return window. Within an hour they responded and notified me they would send me a replacement reel & prepaid shipping to return my defective reel. Super kind customer service rep and they 100% stood behind their product which I really appreciate. Reel is here and feels good. The package was sitting at my door in the cold for a bit and when I initially opened it up, the drag was froze up again (like my last reel) so it seems the drag knob is a bit sensitive to cold weather. Once it sat inside for a while the drag knob was turning just like I would expect it too. Original Post: I bought the Wild Water Fly Fishing combo set (9 Foot, 4-Piece, 5/6 Weight Fly Rod and Reel Combo Set) back in early November 2020. I didn't actually get out on the water and use it until late November. Since then, I would estimate I used this approximately 10 times in the Provo River (UT) and 2 times on a small pond. All of my previously described uses were very standard, nothing abnormal happened and I was very pleased with the combo set. On my last time in the river, the drag on the reel seemed to freeze up. Then it stopped working altogether. It didn't matter if I tried to tighten it or loosen it, the drag remained the same (no drag). The knob to tighten and loosen the drag also seemed to stiffen up a lot and sometimes it would easily twist, other times it felt cemented in place. It also became difficult to pull out any line in a smooth way, it seemed to catch, release line, catch again, then release a bit more. My rod is still in good shape, seems like it could still go for a long time so that's good news, but with the reel being broken, I'm sitting out from good days on the river until I can find a new reel I like. When the reel did work, I found that this rod & reel were an awesome set and did the job I expected them to do. I caught probably 15 fish on it and had a good time while it lasted. So it's not all bad. Bottom line: If you're looking for a fly fishing rod & reel combo to get you started in fly fishing, or if you want to have an inexpensive backup rod & reel in case something happens on the river, this may be the perfect option for you. If you're planning on using this for a whole season--I haven't made it that far with it so I have no helpful info. Of course, it's possible my situation could be the anomaly so maybe others aren't having the same problems. I like what this company is doing so I'm not trying to come down on them, just trying to write a review I myself would find helpful. I'll send a note to the company via Amazon and if I end up hearing anything from them I'll update my review. I'm just outside the predetermined return window so I don't have any high expectations.

If you're looking to dive into fly fishing, the Wild Water Standard Fly Fishing Combo Starter Kit has got you covered! This kit includes everything you need to get started, making it an excellent choice for beginners. I've always wanted to try fly fishing, and with this kit, I was able to join my father-in-law on our fishing trips without missing a beat. The rod is lightweight and easy to handle, which is great for someone like me who's still getting the hang of casting. The reel works smoothly, and the line included is of good quality. The carrying case is a nice touch too, keeping everything organized and protected. One thing I wish was included is a few more flies. As a beginner, I lost quite a few in the process of learning, and having some extras would have been really helpful. But overall, this kit provided a fantastic introduction to the sport, and I couldn't be happier with it. If you’re thinking about picking up fly fishing or just want a solid backup kit, this one's definitely worth considering!

I looked around a lot here reading reviews. Like so many, I was favorably impressed by the volume of high ratings for this package. For the most part, I find the review system by product users/purchasers a reliable source pre buying. Obviously if a product has just a couple of reviews and they are all positive 4.5 - 5 stars one wonders if the seller or a couple of employees of the company "loaded" the score and you have to dig deeper beyond Amazon. But 68+ reviews and all so positive? Probably very reliable. So I ordered two- one as a surprise gift for my fly fishing brother. I've been looking forward to giving it to him given all the positive reviews here. While waiting for my order to arrive, I had the opportunity to stop into a Cabella's and a Bass Pro Shop and see some similarly price to a few dollars more starter paks. There were some decent offerings, especially with the upcoming holiday promotions going on. The package arrived within a few days and was well packaged. My first impression as I opened the case and removed the rod and reel was favorable. Well put together combo. Nice details on the rod. The reel however was the disappointment. It looks and feels cheap. The guy who commented that it feels like a finely machined reel in his hand ... well, he's entitled to his opinion I guess. What I see is a "cheap" low end reel that sells at Bass Pro for about $25.00. There is some slop/play, a kind of in-out of the spool in the reel base. I thought maybe the screws needed tightening but not so. It's just a sloppy fit. Update: 05/21/2014 I decided to send the two combos back and keep the fly package I ordered- a nice grouping and appear to be well put together for a very reasonable price. So I sent a note to Wild Water via Amazon earlier this afternoon. Within a few hours I received a phone call from Heidi Dodd, the owner/partner of Wild Water Fly Fishing. Heidi was very professional, apologized for my disappointment and had already send an RMA through to me. As well, she told me that they would provide a full refund to include the original S&H charges for that portion of my order. As an entrepreneur and business owner myself, I am particularly sensitive to customer service and how a customer is treated in such a situation. While I could only give the rod/reel combo a 3 star rating, I give Wild Water a 5 star rating for how they treat their customers. So I'll push my rating to 4 stars now. In the final analysis, I guess as "starter" combo systems go and after comparing it to say Cabella's and Bass Pro Shops similar combo pkgs., this one is on a par for a few dollars less with the bonus of a nice case and a small fly box with three nice fly's in it. It's a good value for starting out. I DEFINITELY recommend Wild Water for their prompt, courteous service! Update #2 - May 28, 2014 As mentioned above, I opted to return the items and double down on my investment to get started in fly fishing. The refund to my credit card was immediate and how often is it that you return something for whatever the reason and the company provides a full refund to INCLUDE the original S&H charges? That speaks volumes about a company and in this case, Wild Water. Buy with confidence!

Wild Water Fly Fishing... What an incredible starter package! From the moment I placed my order, I could tell your product(s) and customer service were going to be outstanding. My order shipped the very evening I placed it (a Friday night) and arrived via the USPS just 4 and a half days later (Wednesday afternoon). The box arrived in pristine condition and inside, I found your very thoughtfully packaged 5/6 starter package. It literally has everything I need - and you guys just didn't go cheap... from the quality of the fly box, to the fly pattern selection, to the thoughtful spacing of the flies themselves inside the box, to the way the fly rod pieces are individually stored inside a fabric storage system that rolls/ties and is then housed inside a very stiff cylindrical travel tube, which neatly holds all of the other components in this package - reel, fly case and leader. I am new to fly fishing, but not to fishing... been fishing for 40 years... and recognize a company that literally cares when I see one. The paperwork you provided is very professional, clear and helpful. The set-up is exceptionally well balanced, beautiful to look at and clearly, an unbelievable deal. Thank you for starting off a new facet of an old hobby of mine in such a positive way... expect more business from this guy. Great job with customer service and expressing passion for the sport through your products. ------------------ UPDATE ---------------------- Just got back from my annual fishing trip to the Elgin Ontario area of Canada. I fish for Northern Pike up there, but this year, brought my 5/6 Wild Water Fly Fishing outfit I purchased last year. I used it HEAVILY, every day, for non-pike. I caught hundreds of bream and rock bass - at least 50 a day. The outfit performed flawlessly. One of the rock bass weighed 24 ounces and even tested the drag! I practiced casting on an artificial turf field through the spring and all I had to do was just tie on a fly! If you haven't fly fished before - like I hadn't - it just may change your life - be forewarned! In my opinion, there is nothing quite as exciting a seeing a fish rise behind your dry fly (or popper) before your hear that sucking sounds knowing the fish has just inhaled your [dry] fly. The flash of color just beneath the surface of the water is also exciting as I tried to determine what fish I had just attracted. I had zero problems with the outfit. This outfit was battle tested, in my opinion, over 7 days. It saw more action than all of my other gear will see this year. Not much else I can say - totally worth it and I consider myself a fortunate owner.

This is a very, very well priced and legit starter fly rod combo. The fly rod and reel case itself is nearly worth it, rugged reinforced and thick embroidered "Wild Water" logo. Classy. The rod is clean, balanced and responsive. The ferules have very deep sockets that fit snug. The four piece keeps things small for the hike in to any riffle, run or pool you might be headed to. The reel has a solid aluminum body, with black nylon bearing caps. It spins silently on the reel, and the drag feels right and adjusts in easy click increments. The three flies and fly case are a fun little cherry on top. And all of this with a lifetime guarantee. Great! On a personal note, I like cottage industries. After being impressed after receiving this combo I looked into the Wild Water company a bit more. It seems to me that this is a small business run by a guy who has a passion for fly fishing and wanted to provide the market with something that the big outdoor hunting and fishing chain stores couldn't; a good deal. I have a feeling that the owner Erik Dodds, personally assembles the combos and ships them from his garage or something. I don't know about you, but I like that. Update: My reel seized up. I am technically inclined and pulled the reel apart. It is actually a decent reel, but the drag mechanism can be loosened off too far which allows debris to wash in, and components to wash out if dropped in the water. Also there are screws which have rusted. I contacted Wild Water and admitted that it may have been my fault, they offered a fix or replace if I shipped it with 25 dollars. I will not take them up on that offer as I can guarantee a new comparable reel (Pflueger Purist) with new line and not have to ship anything around. If you have a new combo, and if you are technically inclined, be sure that you occasionally grease the reel seat, and do NOT unscrew the drag excessively. I believe that is what caused mine to fault. I still give this product a five star, although Wild Water's reel fix/replace reel policy feels a bit like a 'Take a hike buddy'. Good idea, I'm going for a hike over to an upgrade in reel and rod, and putting a cheap reel on the Wild Water rod, as a back-up.

I've wanted to transition over to fly-fishing, and have been looking at starter kits for some time. While I'm not an expert in fly-fishing equipment, I do know fishing gear in general, and the starter kit is good quality; the rod is good quality, and despite the mediocre criticism that the reel received, I would say that it has exceeded my expectations too. The starter kits I've looked at have either been below $70 or right around $200, and of the latter I did not see the quality associated with the price. The pole has a lifetime warranty, and is made of IM6 graphite which is considered a good standard. As I understand it, the resin used with the graphite is just as important a factor in rod performance, but little information is available. Focusing solely on the reel, it's aluminum and operates smoothly on its bearings. The drag has a wide range of adjustment compared to my spin-cast and spinning reels. In the hand it feels like a finely machined instrument although it's die-cast. This starter package has "hit the spot" for my fly-fishing needs. If Sage is the "Dewalt" of fly-fishing, then Wild Water is the "Craftsman" equivalent, to put things in perspective. The bottom line is that I'm very happy with this purchase and I recommend it. Good fishing! Update-----8/2012--------------- I am thoroughly convinced that this set up is the best bang for your buck. I've put alot of miles on this set up and it has performed great. The reel is great, my only complaint is that rarely the line will make its way between the little metal flap that bridges both sides, and loop around the outside. This can happen when I strip alot of line off and pull it at an angle against the reel. The problem can be avoided with better handling on my part. With that said I would not trade the reel for anything comparable on the market. Most of the low cost reels are low quality and I haven't yet found an equivalent for a second fly rod I acquired by circumstance recently. I absolutely recommend this set up, in fact, I don't see why anyone would feel the need to pay much more for a kit that is only marginally better. The owner of Wild Water knew what he was doing when he put this kit together, and I highly recommend it.

. . . fish don't care what you are using if you cast the correct fly in front of them, and this rod and reel will do that. I'm new to fly fishing and my local fly fishing group / chapter of Project Healing Waters said this is a great starter rod and reel. Come with everything needed. However, that is only 1/3rd of what you need. The other 2/3rds is instructions, patience and practice, A LOT OF PRACTICE. Join a local fly fishing group is the best way to learn and use a kit at this price point. Watch YouTube and you'll see folks fish with cheaper kits, less than this kit and home made kits, and they catch fish, so it's not the equipment per-se, it's the fisherman / person. Good luck!

I bought this to practice fly casting and fishing before an outing in Ireland. I didn't expect much, but I practiced a lot and took a local fishing tour with a guide to learn technique. Everything in this kit will catch fish, much to my surprise! I started early morning top water targeting bluegill on the river with the dry fly- success. I nymphed for bluegill on a lake with the sinking fly- success. I bought some wooly buggers and bigger leaders, and caught smallmouth in pockets on the river- success. I caught river fallfish with the nymph, then started targeting trout. I caught a 14" river brown trout on a nymph, and then went to a lake and got a 14" rainbow on a bigger. I don't have luck every time, but I've definitely caught fish on this. The range isn't the best, and I probably could have caught more rainbows on the lake if it was. It also isn't powerful enough to toss larger heavier flies well. But it's only a 6 weight so I didn't expect too much. The rods I rented in Ireland were obviously much nicer, and I could tell, but for $100 this thing works great. And I've had better luck with it in VA than I did in a famous salmon/trout location in Ireland with much better rods and flies. I recommend up sizing your leader and tippet if you want to catch anything 12" and above. Bass and bluegill don't care about the larger size lines and if you're going to go after trout, why not target a big one? I'll eventually grow out of this kit, but will probably always keep it around to have a cheap setup I don't mind getting dirty or dinged up.

Nice full kit for the price I paid I'm very happy Fast shipping and good quality

Great packaging. Love all the products that come with the package deal!! Even hooked a fish first day using it with one of the darker flies! Great for beginners!

It's pretty good as a starter rod for me but the leaders it came with were very weak. Even just a light tug with my hands would snap it so I bought some Fenwicks and everything was good again. I can imagine an experienced fly person would be disappointed but for me, it was the perfect way to find out I don't like fly fishing very much. Imagine how ticked off I would be if I spent $500 to learn that I suck at it and never want to do it again. Anyhow, I might try it next year on a completely windless day and see if it's any better but until then this will be in the shed reminding me of the failure that I am.

I have caught 20. Rainbow trout on this rod and in my opinion it is a great rod (5/6 9foot rod). The. Reel is ok. But the drag is touchy and not the greatest I took the yellow flouting line off because it’s lousy and put a fast sinking line on ...giving it 5 stars for the rod and case. It’s a great deal

My fly rod came almost a week ahead of time.the rod feels as if its like a super expensive rod.i havent tried using it but will give it a go soon.hopefully its a sturdy rod.overall im happy!thank you.