Reviewing the CHEAPEST FLY ROD I Could Find

[@TheNeverendingProjectsList]

Isn't there a little button (or switch) on the back of the reel to turn on/off the free spool/click drag? Most of those cheap reels have them.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Holy crap, man! I was about to comment “nope”, but thought I ought to go give it a check right quick, since I have the rod collecting dust in the garage. It DOES have a clicker! Jeez. Where were you on Pond Brook when I needed you?😂 I’ll have to mention that in the video description. I wouldn’t say it redeems this combo, really, but I wouldn’t have judged it quite so harshly if I’d known it actually did have a click-drag. I can’t help but feel like something as simple as engaging the click-drag before boxing it would’ve been helpful.

[@TheNeverendingProjectsList]

@@ConnecticutAngler LOL... I only know because I am one of those people that started with a cheap setup like that. Love the videos BTW it's nice to see some CT based KZbinrs.

[@kevingarrett9694]

Yes, I have this combo. There is a switch button on the side of the reel. While this combo is bottom of the line, I have caught probably 100 trout on it. Thanks for your video.

[@VG-913]

@@ConnecticutAngler you're not the only guy that fished day 1 without drag with this combo lol 😆

[@ChadHaviland]

I have this combo and agree about it being hard to get the line to pay out. But man I kept yelling at the TV, "It has drag! It has drag!" LOL.

[@dragonbob2924]

DUDE! This is my Video! It hilarious how coincidental it all is. I've been using a Martin fly rod combo (funny enough also bought from a DICK's) for about 2 years now, or since I started fly fishing. I bought it for the same reason you've mentioned, to try and see if fly fishing is for me. I've got to say, I love mine. Now, considering how I've only ever used one fly rod in my life, and that was this one Martin, my word doesn't count for much. But, I love this little rod. I've caught hundreds of stocked trout, smallies, largies, bluegill, tiny native trout, and ever so prevalent fallfish, on this fly combo. For two years of use, it has had no significant damage. The only two problems I do have with it are the weight (arm gets tired when euro nymphing), and the loud as hell clicker which you seem to have missed (that's what you get for underestimating the getting-started booklet). The clicker is so damn loud, it probably spooked a few fish, and definitely got me a few stares from other fly fishermen. Also worth mentioning, my first "real rod" is being delivered tomorrow! A wild water 9ft 3/4 weight, at about $100, it's still a budget rod by most standards, but now I'm even more excited to see how much better this one is compared to my trusty martin combo. So to anyone reading this comment who thought about buying this rod. I would have to politely disagree with the much more experienced and qualified CT angler. The Martin fly combo isn't an awful place to start.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Thanks for commenting, man! I was actually hoping somebody would express the opposite opinion of my own, because it makes for a perfect example of how polarizing (in a harmless way) these discussions about cheap fly rods tend to be. Now certainly, I agree that this rod is capable of catching fish. After all, a dozen trout is a dozen trout. But as one commenter on FB mentioned, in reference to my hyperbolic thumbnail: "You can catch trout on a stick with some line". Facts haha. Certainly, EVERY cheap rod can catch fish... so we need at least a slightly higher bar than that to make a meaningful evaluation. Now, yesterday somebody commented about the switch to engage the click-drag and I was blown away... for two reasons. 1) It would've made my experience with this rig much less frustrating, and 2) I can't fathom why the click-drag wouldn't come engaged by default, seeing as how the scenarios in which somebody would want/need the click-drag turned off are virtually zero in ordinary usage (I added an extra paragraph to the vid description explaining the switch btw). One of my oldest reels that I bought as a teenager was a Cortland Mosquito M, which I still have. Cheap, small-arbor reel with click-drag... and the there is no switch to turn it off, because it's arguably like putting a 2WD button on an AWD car... just, why? Now I'll concede that if I read that damn manual, a simple button press would've remedied this issue. That's a totally fair point, and believe me, I groaned when I realized that having missed that switch undercut this video a bit. Though looking at it from my perspective, it's just preposterous to me that this beginner reel would come packaged in such a way that reading a manual would be necessary, even for an experienced fly angler, merely in order to turn on an arguably essential part of its functionality. Something so simple as just engaging the click-drag by default makes so much more sense to me; most users would never have any reason to turn it off. You started out with this combo, made it work, pushed though and are upgrading, which is awesome. Though I'm left wondering how many folks introduction to fly fishing was a bottom-of-the-barrel combo like these which, due in part to the awkward nature of the gear, was used once or twice and otherwise left to collect dust and eventually be sold one day at a tag sale a decade later for $5 to somebody equally unlikely to use it more than once... with that person never trying fly fishing again. Who knows? We can only speculate, I guess. All of that being said, the Wildwater is a WAY better combo and you'll definitely enjoy it. I bought a 5wt Wildwater myself even before I bought my first Cabela's Bighorn and I still have that fly rod on my "at the ready" rod rack, actually. I don't use it often, but I keep sinking line on it for rare "streamer only" days and I still take it out from time to time. Took it out last autumn on the Farmington actually, still performed commendably in my opinion. Thanks again for offering your review of this Martin! And truly, I'm glad that your experience with it has been good!

[@bradhendrix9696]

There is a click drag system on this rod. i got the same outfit 3 weeks ago. As a total beginner i suggest buying this martin combo off amazon for $30. Its worth that much to figure out if you like fly casting. Drop $200-300 on a good rod combo after you learn the basics. There is a lot to learn with this rod before make the jump. Not everybody has $500 to throw at a hobby they might not like.

[@finfollowe]

I was the subscriber that stopped. Great to meet you! There were about a dozen trout in that pool. Looks like you found them. Let me know if you head this way again and keep the videos coming!

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Ah great, I was wondering if you'd stop by the vid and drop a comment! Definitely cool meeting you out there. And yeah, after we talked it was just one after another, which was pretty welcome after flogging the river fruitlessly with that Martin for hours prior.

[@finfollowe]

@@ConnecticutAngler I would save your arm and shoulder use that Martin for a bass rod when you are fishing banks from a kayak or canoe. Next time you're down we get some good smallie action south of the dam.

[@outfaded34]

I started out with a used setup for under 100. Now I'm well over 1000 because I love it. Action is the biggest part of it.

[@dannyingamells6642]

Conneticut...dude...there is a switch on the back of the reel to turn on the click pawl. Tight lines.

[@frankmonroe8320]

I agree with you 100 percent. The first time out for a new fly Fisher has to be with the right equipment. I don't mean expensive but correct. I encourage people to go to the flea market and yard sales with a mentor. There's some great stuff out there. Never send them to Dicks. The first time is the deciding factor for new fishers. Keep em coming man!

[@ConnecticutAngler]

What do you think, folks? Was my review of this insanely cheap fly rod a fair and thorough one, or did I miss anything? And if you had to recommend a cheap fly rod to beginner on a tight budget, what would you suggest?

[@casino1954]

There’s a drag click the button on the other side of the real. I thought the same kit in first time flyfishing I didn’t have a problem.

[@tjwebb24]

Have loved watching your videos this past year. As a result I've made my way to a number of small CT streams and found success! Keep up the content, absolutely dig each and every video!! Thank you.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

That’s great to hear; definitely gratifying to know that I played some small part in improving your fishing experience! Thanks so much for watching.

[@samuelmottweiler3833]

You should revisit this combo now that you know it has a drag.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

That's actually a great idea. maybe I'll do a Part II next spring.

[@HeadshotLocke]

This is sick content. Big ups CT Angler 🙌

[@jakelukasko8717]

That was my first fly rod and caught many fish on it. Cheap fly gear works fine and makes you become a better fisherman

[@GeorgeSemel]

Well, I thought you were very very fair with the review. Think about how really bad it would have been if this was the first time you picked up a fly rod? I did the same thing in 1963. Talk about frustration and no access to instruction like now. In 1965 I bought a Fenwick 8' 5 wt rod and a Pfluger 1942 reel and a SA DT 5 wt fly line, spent 75 dollars I think, gee it's 56 years. And it was like so much better. I still have the rod and reel and I do fish with it from time to time. Vintage Glass Rods like that one in good shape will sell for a few hundred dollars now. I tell people the best money you can spend is to take some casting lessons, practice on the lawn, and get some on-stream instruction. You did well at that little bridge, I bet that was the stocking truck dumped the fish. That rod is garbage and reminds me of my first fly rod. Then again there is a Sage RP II 8'6" 5 wt and Hardy LRH reel that I bought in 1982, that rig cost me around 400 dollars, and guess what I still fish the rod and reel in 2021. Take casting lessons, buy good stuff, and enjoy the sport. Do not go to Dicks for anything!!!

[@ConnecticutAngler]

For sure, if this fly rod had been my first, I would’ve abandoned the pursuit in short order. My first fly rod as a teenager was an 8wt with a plastic reel that I used for bass. It was cheap, but I couldn’t begin to remember how it would’ve compared relatively pricewise. But suffice it to say, even the plastic reel at least had a click-pawl system haha. I still have that old plastic reel in my cabinet… and I would STILL rather use that than the reel that came with the combo I reviewed this video!😂

[@lapowers57]

My wife and I took a Fly casting/fishing class sponsored by a local fishing organization. One of these exact outfits was included as part of the course. At one point the instructor was trying to demonstrate a cast with this rod and could not do it. He finally said "let me go get a rod that will work". So I start wondering, if the instructor can't power through with this POS how is a newbie suppose to learn with it? I can actually cast OK with this rod but my St Croix is much easier and fun. It would have been much better to include a $100 package that was usable.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Wow, thanks for the story about the instructor... says a WHOLE lot! There were a couple reasons that I didn't include a comparison against a $100-range combo, though I agree it would've elevated this video even further. For one thing, I wanted to keep a totally open mind and I really didn't know what my opinion would be on the Martin. I didn't really have a backup plan if it turned out to be terrible. Interestingly though, after I filmed this and queued up the footage for editing (which wouldn't happen until weeks later), I did have the thought to add to the end of the video some comparisons between the Martin and my $100 Bighorn rods. That was very close to getting filmed at one point. Alas, there's the pesky issue of audience retention, which tends to plummet after about 11-12 minutes on this channel. This video was already nearly triple that, so adding yet another 5 minutes of talking to the end would've made the video more comprehensive, sure... but it would've been watched by virtually nobody. I often have to RIGOROUSLY chop down my source footage sometimes for these videos and still end up with 20-30 minute long final cuts; it's a balance I have no choice but to strike.

[@lapowers57]

@@ConnecticutAngler I was commenting that the class should have included a more usable rod. Keep the video's coming.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Haha that makes sense now! Here I am with my huge drawn out explanation...😂

[@my_name_is_chef4856]

The $40-70 combos are good for one thing. That is that they will make the cabelas $100 combos look like a professional setup. I bought the $70 pflueger and experienced the same things but as a beginner I could not for the life of me cast the thing further than 15 ft. I was so discouraged I almost forgot about it but I decided to by the fenwick x eagle combo. The fenwick is much more forgiving and much more fun to use. I’m the end I would say that it’s always better to get something on the nicer end even if you have to wait for it.

[@PaulCapps]

Cool Video .clicker button on right side of reel that you can see in your video adds between a half pound and one pound of drag. At least mine will not free spin with the clicker on.I bought mine at Academy last year same Martin combo as in your video.

[@dipster14]

First! Nice review. Very thorough. I was looking into getting my first fly combo. I was looking at a Pfleuger combo. You can find em for as low as $40 to as high as $50. I trust in their products as i have their spinning & baitcaster combos A+ on their quality. Cant complain

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Well, I wish the best of luck with the Pfleuger, though if a $100 price point is in reach, you can get a Bighorn combo at Cabela's for $99 right now (rod, reel, line & backing) and I can promise that it will perform noticeably better than a $40-$50 combo.

[@MayheM_72]

My 1st fly outfit was a cheapie Pfleuger kit that I got from Dick's about 20 years ago. It doesn't have a drag, but it dies have a clicker, so it's never freespooled while pulling line off. I got my 2nd flyrod from my Dad's best friend in 2020. (He never got the hang of fly casting.) What I got was a BARELY USED Wright & McGill 3/4wt with the case. Christmas of that year, I got a cheap MaxCatch reel with line. Having never used another flyrod before, I never knew what I was missing! I still use both, but I may pass the old combo down to my son, if hestays interested in fly fishing. I am pretty cheap (I prefer the term "thrifty"...) but even I wouldn't have bought a kit that cheap! LoL

[@wyatt9165]

There is drag you have to shift the little silver thing on the side over.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Yeah, somebody chimed in with that within barely 20 minutes of the vid getting released and it’s been mentioned countless times since haha. And it’s understandable, since the free-spooling reel was one of my biggest annoyances and… well… it turns out, it didn’t have to be that way. But, as I’ve mentioned it before in the comments and description, I think the fact that there’s a switch for the click-pawl is ridiculous. There no reason to ever turn it off, so having a switch for it is entirely counter-intuitive, which is why I never checked for one. I have many click-pawl reels, from cheap plastic ones to nice aluminum ones, that don’t have any such switch. The click-pawl can’t be turned off because… why would it ever need to be? And so the fact that there’s even a switch on this Martin reel at all is perplexing to me. And the fact that it would be turned off when it leaves the factory, requiring the user engage it before use, also defies good sense.

[@durden91tyler]

Love that you Wade through the water you're fishing in. And call it a bow and arrow cast,,, where's the arrow,,, it's just a bow cast.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Nah. With a bow-and-arrow, the bow generates the thrust and the arrow is the projectile. With a bow-and-arrow cast, the fly rod generates the thrust and the fly is the proverbial arrow.

[@adammanicone5784]

Try fishing at hammonasset river in Madison

[@ConnecticutAngler]

I got you covered, man! I hit the Hammonasset in May last year, if I recall correctly. If you go back in the archives, check out the vid of that outing that I released in June 2020, titled "Searching for TROUT on a BEAUTIFUL Woodland Stream (Hammonasset River)".

[@fightingforjustice-fightin8787]

Very informative.

[@bobjohnson7207]

I bought a $20 red wolf 5 6 weight that was on clearance because the real had been stolen. I was at the dump and noticed a couple of fly reels and a spinning reel and Rod down in the container and got Matt to climb down and get it. It was a Superfly 568 real with line brand new and a really nice drag which I like. Well it gets better I often going to Canadian Tire where I bought the rod and was leaving and social distancing off to the right. There's a truck 94 Chevy or so as I walk past it's got about a quarter of the box full of old fishing reels. To make a long story short the lampspeed light speed for $7.50. I splurged and bought a Rio sink weight 5 and backing for $60 cdn. So for under $100 cdn. Or $80 us. I've got the arguably the best reel line is awesome and the rod I like. I can switch to dry lime if I like. Better than winning the big trout derby. Awesome Video

[@thomasbloom8911]

Great video thanks for the content, sending appreciation from the UK. I generally find the cheaper stuff is good except get a semi decent reel I had a cheap plastic one once and it broke after second use cause the foot snapped.

[@TheSpentPenny123]

Good stuff, man! I’m looking to get out fishing streams and rivers here in CT. I’ll probably invest in waders before a fly setup but I’d love to learn! I work in sales and learning a new technique would be huge.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Good luck out there! The rivers are finally cooling off and the state will likely be doing the autumn stockings by the end of the month or thereabouts.

[@casino1954]

There is a drag button on the side. You click it up

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Yeah, somebody ended up pointing that out within 30 minutes of the vid being released. Couldn’t believe it when I went and checked the reel. To this day, I can’t fathom why there would be a button for the drag; just doesn’t make sense. But yeah, that definitely would’ve made the reel far more tolerable to use. I still think that the Martin outfit is sort of a poor choice when another $50 or so can get a FAR better combo like the Cabela’s Bighorn 4wt (includes line and leader) that I recently reviewed. If somebody really, truly can only spare $40 for an intro fly combo, then the Martin has a place in that scenario. But in the budget category of $100 and under, there are waaay better options.

[@michaellewis7758]

Maybe that rod would be ok swinging some wets down and across? A nymph on point and two spiders on the droppers, you don’t have to worry about downstream wind and you’d use the water to anchor the cast if the rod won’t load easily maybe.

[@adamwoodbury5811]

AWESOME video man.

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Hey thanks for watching, man!

[@adamwoodbury5811]

@@ConnecticutAngler always watching man. Noah loves watching too.

[@yantic_angler]

I been looking at this for months thinking if I could fly fish I live right in bozrah so we got tons of streams and shit. I'm about to subscribe cause I have been looking for a legit angler in CT that's on KZbin for months now

[@retromatt2281]

I say it’s perfectly fine to buy something cheaper, even if it doesn’t work like a $300 orvis kit it still gets them going in the hobby

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Well, the argument I made in this video was that, at a price point of around $100, which is still a relatively low, you can get something significantly better than at the $50 price point. So I’m not suggesting that $300+ combos are necessary, at all, but rather that beginners can probably benefit by aiming just a tad bit higher than the absolute cheapest option.

[@jakeyjakey4018]

saw the intro and i thought he was ginna say he’s sponsored by barnes and noble😂 but no he just shops there and loves to share ig lmao

[@Demolitiondude]

I've been eyeballing an ozark trail fly combo off and on.

[@evandeland6867]

i honestly like this fly rod but i do wish it had a better drag i do plan on upgrading the reel at some point so i can use a higher pound fly line however its decent fly rod sure i use a bobber on it to get it out there but it does help me with my casts and have caught a lot of blue gil and panfish on it so to cut this short its a decent rod its not great and not exceptional its decent if i had to put this is in a category of fishing rods i give it the same quality as a zebco it will do the job and do it ok

[@jasonrowett2705]

I started with a Ducks Sporting Goods 100.00 combo. Hate the reel. Bought a $20 replacement and have been happy learning fly fishing with that combo.

[@thearmyguy211nw2]

I bought a silver stream fly rod and reel for 40 bucks I love it

[@skankhunt4527]

That reel has a 1 stage click drag button that you never used

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Yeah, somebody had pointed that out within the first day after releasing the vid. Blows my mind that there would be a button for turning the drag on when there’s virtually no reason for ever not having the drag engaged. It’d be like having a “use twice as much gas per mile” button in my truck… practically pointless. That said, somebody suggested I should do a Part 2 of this review vid now that I know how to engage the drag. I may do that.

[@jonathanlunsford1]

Wanna sell that cabelas rig. Haha thanks for your information

[@sigma6112]

wow! who knew you could backlash on a fly rod

[@deandutkiewicz5739]

Another great video I'm your biggest fan I put you on first thing every morning when I get to w ask me I'm listening to I just say why listen to a out state guy when we your own

[@ConnecticutAngler]

Thanks so much for watching, man!

[@ChrisPaul-c3w]

theres a drag button on the back of the reel

[@aydenflaherty4072]

I started out with a cabelas dog wood combo