Redington Fly Fishing Field Kit Review: a straightforward trout combo that actually feels decent out of the tube

I’ve been through a few entry-level fly combos over the years, and most of them felt like something you buy to confirm you like fly fishing, then quickly replace. The Redington Fly Fishing Field Kit for trout is the first "starter"-style kit I’ve used that doesn’t instantly feel disposable. It still looks like a beginner-to-intermediate package on paper, but in practice it fishes closer to a mid-range setup.

I’ve been using it as a grab-and-go rod for local trout streams and small rivers. Basically, it lives in my car trunk in its tube, ready for those after-work sessions. That’s how I judge these kits: if I forget my main setup, am I annoyed to use this instead, or is it actually fine for a full day? With this Redington kit, I wasn’t annoyed. It handled dry flies, small nymphs, and light streamers without feeling like I was fighting the rod or the line all day.

The big difference compared to cheaper kits I’ve owned is the line and basic casting feel. Most combos cheap out on the fly line and you pay for it with ugly casting and constant frustration. Here, the RIO Gold line is actually decent, and that matters more than people think. You feel it right away when you start false casting — the loop shapes are cleaner, and you don’t have to work as hard to get 30–40 feet of line out.

It’s not perfect. The reel is clearly the weak point of the bundle, and if you’re picky, you’ll feel that. But as a full kit that includes rod, reel, line, leader, and a travel case, it’s pretty solid for someone who wants to fish, not spend weeks researching gear. If you’re coming from a bargain combo, this feels like a step up. If you already own high-end rods, this will feel like your “beater but decent” backup, which isn’t a bad role for it.

Price-wise, this Redington kit sits above the bargain basement Amazon combos, but below building a full setup piece by piece with higher-end gear. The key thing is that you’re actually getting a decent rod and a genuinely good fly line, which is where a lot of cheaper kits cut corners. If you buy a cheaper combo, you often end up replacing the line immediately and then eventually the rod, which kind of defeats the point of saving money in the first place.

When I compare it to a much cheaper combo I own, here’s what I notice:

• The Redington casts cleaner and with less effort, especially at 30–40 feet.
• The RIO Gold line alone would cost a decent chunk if bought separately, and it’s miles better than the generic lines in budget kits.
• The rod feels like something you can keep as a backup or loaner even if you later upgrade, instead of something you throw away.

On the flip side, the reel is just “fine”. It works, but it’s not going to impress anyone who already owns better reels. So part of what you’re paying for here is convenience: everything is matched, strung, and ready to fish. If you’re comfortable shopping around, you might be able to piece together a similar or slightly better setup by buying used gear or hunting sales. But that takes time and some knowledge.

For someone who wants to skip the junk tier and start with a kit that actually fishes decently, the value is pretty solid. It’s not dirt cheap, but you’re not just paying for a name. The rod and line pull their weight, the case is practical, and the reel is serviceable. If your budget is tight and you’re not sure you’ll stick with fly fishing, a cheaper combo might make sense. If you already know you like the sport or you’re upgrading from a basic starter kit, this Redington package feels like money better spent in the long run.

The rod design is pretty standard for a modern 5wt trout stick: 9 feet, four pieces, medium-fast action. That medium-fast feel is exactly where most anglers are comfortable, especially if you’re not casting every day. It’s forgiving enough that your timing doesn’t have to be perfect, but still has enough backbone to punch into a bit of wind or throw a small streamer. On my first session, I was getting decent loops within a few minutes, and that’s coming from a slightly faster primary rod.

Visually, it’s not flashy. The color is fairly neutral and the finish is clean but basic. Guides are aligned, wraps are neat, and nothing looked sloppy out of the tube. The anodized aluminum reel seat feels solid and held the reel tight; no wobble or play. I fished it with the included RUN reel and also swapped on another 5wt reel I own. Balance was actually better with the RUN than with my heavier reel, so at least weight-wise, Redington matched things reasonably well.

In hand, the rod swings light enough that you don’t feel worn out after a few hours of casting. The action is friendly: roll casts work fine, overhead casts feel predictable, and short casts in tight cover are manageable. I spent one morning picking apart a small creek with mostly 15–25 foot casts, and the rod didn’t feel clumsy or overbuilt for that. Then I took it to a wider river and comfortably fished 35–45 feet of line. It’s not a distance cannon, but for normal trout fishing, it does the job.

The RUN reel design is more functional than impressive. It’s a die-cast body with a large arbor and a simple drag knob. It looks decent from a distance, but up close you can tell it’s not a high-end machined reel. Still, the large arbor helps with quick line pickup, and the porting keeps the weight down. For a kit reel, it’s fine. You’re not buying this for the reel design; you’re buying it for the rod and the fact that everything works together out of the box.

The rod is made from graphite, like most modern fly rods in this price range. It’s not ultra-light or ultra-fast, but it feels sturdy. I banged it lightly against a few branches while bushwhacking to a spot (because that’s real life) and didn’t feel like I was carrying glass. The blank has a bit of flex through the mid-section, which actually helps protect lighter tippets like 5X and 6X when a trout runs or head-shakes near the net.

The reel is die-cast aluminum, which is pretty standard for budget-friendly reels. It doesn’t have that “machined block of metal” feel you get on more expensive reels, but it also doesn’t feel like plastic junk. The drag is a carbon system, and for normal trout use, it’s more than enough. I hooked a couple of feisty stockers and one nicer wild fish; the drag was smooth enough and didn’t chatter or stick. Would I take this reel to chase big saltwater fish? No. For trout, it’s acceptable.

The RIO Gold line is honestly one of the best parts of the kit, material-wise. This isn’t some no-name fly line; it has a SlickCast coating, which slides through the guides nicely and doesn’t feel gummy. After a few outings, it still floated well and didn’t crack or show weird memory coils. Compared to the cheap, generic line that came on a bargain combo I owned, this is night and day. With that cheap line, I was fighting tangles and sagging line; with the RIO line here, casting and mending felt cleaner.

The Cordura case is tough enough for car and trunk abuse. I tossed it around more than I should, leaned it against rocks, and slid it into a packed trunk with camping gear. No tears, no busted zipper. The inner dividers kept the rod sections from rubbing too much, and the reel pocket did its job. Overall, the materials balance cost and durability pretty well: the rod and line feel like the higher-value parts, the reel feels like the compromise, and the case is just a practical shell that should last a while if you’re not totally careless.

I didn’t baby this kit. I treated it like something meant to live in the car and get used whenever I had a spare hour. The Cordura case took the brunt of the abuse: tossed into the trunk with boots and a pack, laid in gravel at the side of the road, thrown into the backseat a few times. So far, the fabric hasn’t frayed, the zipper still runs smoothly, and the stitching is intact. For a combo case, it feels tough enough for regular use without you worrying about it every time you move it.

The rod itself handled a few small knocks and some less-than-graceful transport through brush. I definitely smacked a guide on a branch once, and nothing bent or cracked. Ferrules still seat well and don’t loosen mid-session, which is a problem I’ve had with cheaper rods. The finish hasn’t chipped yet, though long-term, I’d expect the usual cosmetic scuffs. From what I’ve seen so far, durability is on par with other mid-priced graphite rods I’ve used.

The RUN reel is the one area where I have mild concerns long-term. Being die-cast, it probably won’t like big drops onto rocks. I didn’t drop it hard, but I did set it down on gravel and wet banks multiple times. No immediate damage, but it doesn’t give that tank-like feeling you get from fully machined reels. That said, the drag still feels the same after several outings, and there’s no extra wobble or grinding. If you’re not constantly slamming it into boulders, it should be fine for normal trout use.

The fly line and leader held up well over multiple trips. The SlickCast coating still felt smooth through the guides, and the line floated nicely without needing constant dressing. I did step on the line once on a rocky bank (my fault), and it didn’t instantly nick or crack, which is a good sign. The original leader eventually shortened from fly changes and snags, but that’s normal. Overall, I’d say the durability is good enough for regular anglers who don’t treat their gear like museum pieces, and certainly better than the super cheap combos that start falling apart after a season.

Performance-wise, the rod and line combo is the highlight. With the RIO Gold line, the 9' 5wt loads easily at short to medium distances. I spent a few evenings casting size 14–18 dry flies and small beadhead nymphs. The rod had no trouble turning those over, even with a bit of wind. I was consistently and comfortably fishing 30–40 feet of line, which is where most trout fishing actually happens. Long-bomb casts beyond that were possible, but you start to feel the limitations compared to a pricier, faster-action rod.

Presentation was decent. It’s not a super soft, slow rod, but you can still land a dry fly reasonably gently if you don’t power the cast too much. Roll casting and mending felt straightforward on medium-sized rivers. With a small indicator and a nymph, the rod had enough backbone to pick up line and reposition it without feeling like a wet noodle. I also tied on a small streamer (size 8–10) and the rod handled that without issue, though it’s clearly more at home with dries and light nymphs.

Fighting fish, the medium power and moderate flex actually help. I hooked several trout in the 10–14 inch range and one around 16 inches. The rod bent nicely without feeling like it was maxed out, and the tip protected 5X tippet when the fish surged near the net. The drag on the RUN reel is fine for this level of fishing – I set it lightly and mostly palmed the reel for extra control. There’s enough stopping power for trout, but this is not a brute-force drag meant for huge fish.

In practice, the only performance gripe I had was with the reel feel and startup drag. There’s a tiny bit of play in the handle and spool, and the drag doesn’t feel as refined as higher-end reels. It’s not terrible, but you notice it if you’re used to better gear. That said, it never cost me a fish, and for the intended use (trout in rivers and lakes), it’s acceptable. Overall, the kit fishes well enough that you can focus on reading water and line control, not fighting your gear, which is the whole point for this kind of setup.

The kit is simple: you get a 9' 5-weight graphite rod, a matching RUN reel spooled with RIO Gold floating line, backing, a 9' 5X tapered leader, and a Cordura travel case that holds everything in one tube. No flies, no tippet, no gadgets – just the core hardware to actually cast a fly. Out of the box, I literally attached a fly and was on the water in under 10 minutes. For a kit, that’s basically all I want.

The rod breaks down into four pieces and slots into individual compartments in the case. The reel comes already mounted and lined, which is nice if you hate dealing with backing and knots. The RIO leader comes with a loop-to-loop connection, so you just loop it to the line and tie on a fly. I used the stock leader for a few outings before swapping to my usual 4X – the original held up fine, knots didn’t slip, and it didn’t coil too badly after being in the tube.

In terms of positioning, this kit sits above the ultra-cheap Amazon combos but below fancy custom setups. You’re basically paying for a decent rod and a genuinely good line, bundled with a functional reel and a solid case. Compared to another budget combo I own (a no-name 5wt that cost half as much), the Redington feels more sorted: the pieces fit better, the line quality is clearly higher, and the whole thing just feels less like a toy.

Don’t expect bells and whistles: there’s no fancy rod tube with pockets for boxes or built-in storage for tools. It’s a straight tube with a zipper, a rod, and a reel. If you want a ready-to-fish kit with flies, nippers, and all that, this isn’t it. But if you already have a small fly box and some basic tools, this is a clean, no-nonsense bundle that gets you casting with minimal fuss.