Here's my advice...remember what is fun...not getting all tangled up, and no chance to catch any fish. Casting well, and catching fish IS fun! Make that your goal, and practice casting the right way. Practice casting the wrong way will just have you giving up on fly fishing. I've conducted fly fishing schools for 30 yrs. now. Feel free to ask any question about fly fishing you want...I don't know it all, but know a lot...take advantage of it, and best of all...it is FREEEEE!

Any used 'kit' (rod/reel/line/backing) will get you going. I say go used or entry level (cheaper) kit first. You won't be dissapointed if you try and sell your first kit when you upgrade. Look for a versatile (meaning various kinds/sizes of fish) is a 9' 5wt, weight forward floating line, medium-fast action kit. Checkout Cabelas/Bass Pro. Also take a trip to a local shop and spend $25 on a basic casting/knowledge class...they will most likely lend you a kit to try out. You'll need some flies in a plastic case (again get a kit that offers some woolly buggers, attractors/dries) that match (balance) with the line/wt/rod. Get a pair of forceps, a nail clipper and learn 2-3 knots. Using a net would be a decent thing to do (if you catch-and-release). If you plan on fishing in cooler water you'll need some chest waders (hip waders are nice too if you don't plan on ever getting deeper than your thighs). Eventually, if you like the challenge and reward of fly fishing you'll upgrade. My first rod/reel was a mid-range 7'6" 4wt medium/fast action. I bought it knowing I'd get more rods and reels.

shenvalley...Terrible advice!!!!! A good caster can not cast good with a cheap outfit that a caster can not throw a decent loop with!!! My GAWD! I have conducted many, many fly casting, fly fishing schools, and a recurring theme is...dad gives his young offspring a cheapo outfit that the kid brings to the casting pond. HE HAS NO CHANCE of learning to cast well!!!! NONE! You can not learn a decent casting stroke, and see decent results with a lousy outfit! Buy something that works!! And that doesn't entail a lot of money. Would a skier buy a lousy pair of skies to learn on? An instructor would know right away the person had little chance of learning.

Btw most people who are learnig/trying to ski rent skis. Oh and FYI...the local Orvis dealer here, gave me this advice....most beginners won't appreciate the technology that goes into a more expensive rod.

I'll end posting with this. To the person who asked the question be wary of advice from 'instructors' that tout 'their way is the only way'. It's clear sayfu leaves no room for others opinions/experiences. Given his liberal use of all caps, it's evident he likes to shout to make his point—fine quality of an instructor. I'm sure he has a lot of fishing experience, but it's just a bit less valuable when so poorly delivered. Best to you on your start. I hope you stick with it despite the inevitable tangles, near misses and run-ins with bad attitudes. IMO, it's the latter that keeps more people from getting into the sport.

shenvalley...I don' want to go back and read over psots, but I'm sure you said, just buy any old cheap rod, line, and reel. The right action rod means a lot..the right flex. Not a stiffo/biffo, and not a sloppy, very whippy rod. A med/fast, or med. action rod is fine. But my point is, you have to have decent equipment to learn on. And it does not have to be expensive. Sure, Cabelas has some good stuff. I would want to know the action of the rod that I was buying. I taught fly schools now for 30 yrs. I taught with another guy, the VERY FIRST SAGE ROD fly casting schools. We started the Sage Rod Fly Casting Schools.

jamesti...That is a very meaningless statement although your Walmart combo could be quite adequate. The message is to get something that is adequate, and will allow you to learn, and improve with.

And as a note. I go into a WalMart flyfishing shop all the time, and scrutinize their rods, and combos. They have some very decent stuff. Not every WalMart store has a flyshop. They are not very well equipped, and can not be called a complete flyshop by any means, but they do have the basic necessities. In my WalMart flyshop several guys that work there are quite knowledgeable, and can help beginning anglers. That is the key. Get what you need, and not how expensive it is...doesn't have to be expensive these days.

Here is an approach that I got extremely excited about. I enjoy taking young anglers flyfishing out of one of my boats...either a small jetboat that I run up river, and we get out, OR, a float in my driftboat. I got excited about soft hackle fishing, developing attractive soft hackles, and swinging them in the current wet fly style. If a young guy was serious about flyfishing, and could hit the water with a soft hackle, I could get them to mend, follow the soft hackle with the rod tip, and catch fish. The strike was exciting on the swing, and the angler did not have to fish the soft hackle dead drift like he had to fishing a dry fly in order to catch fish. Good results right off the getgo goes a long way to making a fly angler. I had a number of exciting days on the river with high schoolers that caught a number of fish swinging a soft hackle.