Martin Complete Fly Fishing Kit, 5/6 Rim-Control Fly Reel, Pre-spooled with Backing, Line and Leader, 3-Piece 8-Foot 5/6-Weight Rod, Includes Custom Fly Assortment

Great starter fly rod for the beginner or experienced. bout this for my 6 year old to learn.

I typically use a spinning reel and sometimes a baitcaster and noticed a guy fly fishing at the local urban pond near my house. He was catching plenty small bass so I thought I would give fly fishing a try. I didn't want to break the bank as I wasn't sure I would like fly fishing. After some research I saw this Martin combo on sale with everything I need, except a case but that wasn't a deal breaker. I have only used it about 4 times now and some of my casts are better than others, but I have caught about 20 panfish (bluegill/sunfish) and 4 small bass so far. I figure I already have gotten my money's worth from this purchase.Some reviews complained about the 3-piece rod separating but that has not been an issue for me. I haven't even bothered to check it. I did notice it was a tight fit between sections when putting the rod together, so maybe Martin (e.g. Zebco) has addressed this. I also saw at least one complaint about only having 5 flies instead of 6. The yarn without a hook is for newbies like me to practice in the backyard.Since most reviews mentioned the quality of the flies was iffy, I did buy assorted mix of flies, that were cheap as well, as I figure I'll be losing flies in trees, etc. I have caught on the included popper, the included wooly bugger looking fly, and a couple of flies from the other collection I bought.As I have only had this combo a few weeks, I really can't speak to the long-term durability. Also, as this is my first fly fishing set up, I don't have comparative experience with other combos. However, I have been able to cast, catch fish, and have had a fun time doing it. I will keep using this combo for now and decide after I've used it a bit more if I want to step up to a nice set up.

A little about me. I fly fish, by that I mean I fly fish almost 100% of the time. Multiple days a week, sometimes 7 days a week. I purchased this fly rod, not because I needed it or even wanted it. But, because I often teach people and some ask about cheaper setups. It had been a long time since I tried one. So I purchased a few cheaper setups, this one included.Addressing a few other reviews first.It is a click and paw reel. No drag. The reel itself will spool either direction. To flip the retrieve simply let out all the line, flip the reel around, then reel back in.To many peoples surprise, the reel is the LEAST important part of the setup. When fly fishing unless it is a huge fish...you aren't using the reel at all. It is more of a line storage device. Your finger does all the work (or hand on the reel). This rod isn't made to cast large flies or in salt water. So, a drag isn't needed. I tried a few ways (on purpose) and I think the people complaining about too much line coming out and "backlashing" are routing the fly line over the frame support instead of under it. It is acting like a wheel. (See photo in the add) route the fly line the same).Casting, while the price is very fair for what you get. Don't expect to make ultra long casts with this setup. You can get it out fine but I suspect those having issues need lessons. I can easily almost cast to the backing on this rod, though it's small arbour reel makes reeling it in a task. I didn't measure it but it isn't a standard 90' fly line. Maybe 50ft. That is more than enough to be productive. I prefer a 9' rod myself because I often I from a boat and have no reason to sacrifice leverage with a shorter rod. Good times for a shorter rod would be creek fishing for example.Remember no matter the cost of a fly rod, they will all break. You cannot fight a fish close to the rod (high sticking) and a lot of breakages are due to flies hitting the rod during the cast. Usually caused by a bad cast, heavy flies, or wind.I found this rod personally a little slow action for me. I prefer a much faster action rod and think most beginners would be better off using a medium/fast rod.Overall, a good value for the money and though it takes a little more effort to get a cast, at least for me. It is usable and functional. If you are seriously getting into fly fishing I would look at a $200 combo from a few of the better brands. Otherwise, this is a decent starter setup but too soft of a rod for most beginners in my opinion. I think with softer rods, you need to be a better caster to begin with.

Been wanting to get into fly fishing for a while now. This is a great entry level rod/reel combination. It even comes with a small assortment of flies to get you started. Watched a couple of videos to get the general idea of what to do and then went out and started casting. I would definitely recommend.

The martin fly rod combo was our first fly rod setup we purchased. The rod seems pretty good. I know fly reels are not the important part of your setup but this reel has no drag. If you typically fish from the bank I think it would be fine. But if you intend to get in the water I would recommend a reel that you can set some drag. I was constantly trying to keep the line from spinning all out of the reel while standing in a water current. Will it catch fish... Yes you can catch fish with the martin setup. We have since purchased a couple other rods and reels from a different manufacture that I enjoy using a lot more though.

Great lpoking set

This rod is easy to use and easy to catch. The line is good and is fun to catch fish with it did catch a big bass and a lot of crappie. The bigger bass was very challanging.

I have never fly fished before, but I have a lot of fishing experience. So this is what I will say about this fly fishing set up.Pros:1) can’t beat it for the price.2) no set up required3) heavier rod, easy to cast (less twitchy)Con(s):1) the flies aren’t the most durable. My smallest fly is ruined after 10 blue gill.The only negative is that the flies don’t seem to hold up, in the end, I would still buy this again and I had a blast with it. 10/10 would recommend.