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Top 10 Best Budget Fly Rods in 2023
Our guide to the absolute best budget fly rods available in 2023 including the best rods of different weights and even the best affordable fly rod combos.
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In this post, I’ll cover the best budget fly rods on the market in 2023. I ordered, fished, and tested all of these rods myself (plus many others) to narrow this list down to the 10 best cheap fly rods.
When you can’t afford to splurge on luxury sports gear, you may find yourself shopping for the best budget fly rod, rather than a premium Sage or a top-end St. Croix.
After all the bills and debt are covered each month, sometimes we have less free cash to spend on the things that we truly love.
As I am a firm believer that you don’t make debt to buy a fly rod, for many of us, the only option is to look at more budget-friendly options.
I have compiled a list of what I believe to be some of the best budget fly fishing rods on the market today after hands-on testing of countless cheap rods.
We ordered every one of these rods, plus many other budget fly rods to compare them and narrow them down for this list of the best budget fly rods in 2023.
For testing, myself or the team took all of the rods on this list (and a dozen or so others) to the river for a multiple days of testing and comparing. I also took them to a nearby field with targets to test their casting accuracy at different distances.
We fished the rods on small rivers, large rivers, and lakes, and because I was out testing them for numerous days, I was able to fish them on calm days and in the wind; on low-water days, and when the tailwaters were pumping.
In many cases, these rods are in our personal arsenal, so we’ve personally fished them for months, or even multiple seasons on the water. You’ll never find reviews on this site from gear we haven’t owned, tested, fished, and properly reviewed.
We review rods based on the following criteria:
Overall Weight: The weight of the rod in hand. Typically the lighter the better.
Swing Weight: How the swing weight feels and how it measures in G/m²
Action: How slow or fast the action is and if it aligns with the manufacturer’s claims
Build Quality: Cork quality, blank quality, guide material, and overall craftsmanship play a huge role in our overall rating for a rod.
Warranty: Manufacturer warranty and after-sales service is vital in today’s fly fishing gear market.
Durability: Can the rod be put through the paces and stand up to the elements?
Castability: How does the rod feel in hand when casting for long periods of time?
Accuracy: Obviously one of the most important metrics. We cast the rod at targets from distances of 10-80 feet to determine the overall accuracy of the rod. For this, we employ experienced casting instructors AND new fly fishers.
Cool Factor: Sometimes a rod has a particular clout behind it. You know what we’re talking about. That plays a small part in our decision.
Let’s just say they’ve been heavily tested and reviewed. With that out of the way, let’s get into the list.
The Best Budget Fly Rods in 2023
Below, you’ll find fly rods ranging in price from $50 to $198. I also included a budget-friendly fly rod combo, which could be perfect for the beginner angler looking to get into the sport, as well as the best budget trout rod for those long days out on the river.
1. Redington Crosswater
Pros: Highly accurate for the price, great components
Cons: Lacks a bit of power on longer casts with heavier rigs
When the Redington Crosswater arrived in the mail and I opened it up, my first impressions were very good.
The rod is built like it costs a lot more than it does. At under $60 for the 5wt 9′ option, this rod is definitely the best budget fly rod on the market in my opinion, and if you’ve been following the blog or our YouTube Channel, you’ll know I’ve tested A LOT of budget rods lately.
I liked casting the rod. Is it as light as a hardy? No. Does it have the same build quality as a Winston? Absolutely not.
But for this price, it’s pretty incredible that a big name like Redington is able to put a rod like this on the market. I’ve fished this rod extensively and I love the way it casts.
I find it highly accurate up to 60 feet. At 3.9oz, it’s not the lightest rod out there, but the swing weight felt very nice to me. Not so light that you think you’re going to break it, but not heavy enough to hurt your arms after a long day of casting.
My only issue was when I was tying on larger streamers and trying to cast beyond 60 feet. The rod just doesn’t retain the backbone at this level.
But still, it’s a wonderful rod for the price and tops my list as the best cheap fly rod in 2023.
As soon as I started casting the rod, I knew it fit me well. The more beginner-friendly build felt like some of the extremely affordable rods I used in my early fly fishing career. I was able to shoot the line with ease, pick any spot within 60 feet, and put my dries and nymphs exactly where I wanted. I needed little effort to get the flies where I wanted. The rod felt like an extension of my hand.
Pros: High quality for the price, casts well, comes with everything you need
Cons: Not a great warranty or after-sales service
I’ve probably bought half a dozen Maxcatch Rods over the years and the Maxcatch Premier is my favorite. When it comes to the absolute cheapest Maxcatch rod, it’d be the Maxcatch Extreme (listed later in this post), but I still think the Premier is a worthy upgrade.
You can get the rod by itself for around $60, or the full combo for under $180, and to be honest, this level of fly rod has no business being this cheap.
Love or hate rods made in the East, this one is a great rod for the price. It casts well, is surprisingly powerful in all of the weights, has a decent cork handle, and surprisingly high-quality componentry.
My full Maxcatch Premier Fly Fishing Combo on the floor
I’ve been fishing this rod as my backup rod for years. No, it doesn’t even come close to comparing to my Sage R8, but it’s a great little rod for beginners.
If you’re on the fence between the Extreme and the Premier, I’d say go for the upgrade. It’s not much more, but it’s absolutely worth it for the improved blanks and materials of the Premier.
It’s worth noting that while Maxcatch says they have a lifetime warranty, we’ve heard complaints that they don’t fullfill the warranty for overseas orders (which are any orders outside of China).
You can’t buy the Orvis Encounter rod without the reel and line package, but overall this is easily one of the best budget fly fishing combos you can buy as a beginner and unlike the Maxcatch, it comes with Orvis’ name and warranty in the business.
If you buy the Orvis Encounter, you’ll get a limited Orvis warranty which covers the tip of the rod, but that’s more than we can say for most rods on this list. If you want the whole rod to be covered, it might be worth the upgrade to the Orvis Clearwater.
My Orvis Encounter Setup
This rod casts beautifully, especially with lighter flies at shorter distances up to 50 feet. Casting at longer distances, or with larger flies, or in overly windy conditions, the rods power breaks down a little bit, but it can still get the flies out there.
While I don’t mind it, a lot of anglers don’t like the plastic construction of the reel. But for this price, you can’t really expect a bar stock aluminum reel from Orvis, and in my experience, the reel is really sturdy (mine is still going after many years of hard fishing).
Pros: Excellent Value, Redington Name, Great accuracy up close
Cons: Not as easy to mend in fast water, loses accuracy because of medium-action
When I was testing all of the rods for this list of the 2023 best budget rods, I was constantly amazed that big brands like Redington are able to produce great rods like the Redington Path II at the sub-$200 pricepoint.
It’s going to be hard to beat this brand when it comes to producing high-quality, lower-priced rods by a reputable name in fly fishing.
I loved casting the Redington path, particularly with no wind, on a slow-moving river, up close. I have to be honest that while the Path and Crosswater are in a similar price point, I found that the Path had a harder time mending line in fast-moving water and lost a bit of power on longer casts.
My Redington Path Kit on a Table in my House
This is a common thread through many of the rods on this list and that’s simply because rod makers can’t produce insanely high-quality blanks for less than a couple hundred bucks. It’s just not possible.
When testing and comparing rods for a list all about the best budget rods, I had to take that into consideration, but I’d still say that the Redington Path is up there as one of the best budget fly rods for the price.
When I was fishing and comparing all of these budget fly rods for this list, my favorite Redington was the Crosswater, so I couldn’t help but to compare all other Redingtons to that one.
When it comes to castability, accuracy, and power, the Redington Original just lacks a bit of the backbone that the Crosswater and Path have. But still, this is a great rod.
The Original has some great parts, is relatively light, and casts very accurately at shorter distances, but for me personally, I just felt the Crosswater was a better value, better casting rod.
But for those of you who are Redington Original diehard fans, this rod is still a great deal and that’s why it makes our list of the best budget fly rods.
Pros: Great medium action, extra tip, great warranty & service
Cons: Slower action means a bit less power
If you’ve been following our blog or YouTube Channel, you’ll know that we’re huge fans of Moonshine and the Moonshine Drifter is their cheapest option, so you know it has to make our list of the best budget fly rods in 2023.
Not only is their warranty and after-sales service miles ahead of any other lower-end fly rod company on this list, but they also ship their rods with an extra tip section, which is something we at Into Fly Fishing® believe that more rod manufacturers should do.
Coming in at $180, this is definitely not the cheapest rod on our list, but you have to consider that it comes with Moonshine’s warranty and you get that extra tip section out of the box, which is easily worth $50-$80 on its own.
I’m not usually a guy who fishes medium-action rods, but this one is the exception. At shorter distances and casting smaller flies, this rod is super accurate and you can hit your spots even if your casting stroke isn’t timed perfectly.
I fished the rod in small to medium size rivers and had no problem casting dry dropper rigs, dry flies, and even smaller streamers into the wind.
Me Fishing My Moonshine Drifter Fly Rod in Arizona
When I upped the fly size to a 8 or larger streamer pattern and tried to punch it out, the medium action broke down a little bit and my casting became unruly.
But, if you’re like me and you like to cast smaller flies for trout in small to medium size rivers or lakes, then this rod is a great option.
When you’re in the market for a cheap rod… and I mean cheap, then the Piscifun Sword is definitely hard to beat. The surprising thing? Aside from the rod tube, this thing isn’t built with cheap components.
When I first got the Piscifun Sword in the mail and opened it up, I was immediately turned off by the rod tube. This thing comes in a flimsy clear plastic case that looks like something a cheap poster or world map might come in.
My first impressions were not good, so when I headed to the river to fish the Sword, I didn’t expect much.
But, surprisingly this rod performed extremely well in almost all conditions that I threw at it. Wind, strong water, big flies, it did alright.
Was is as good as the Redington Crosswater, the Orvis Encounter, or the Moonshine Drifter? No. But it did well and costs a fraction of the price as those rods.
The accuracy is great at short distances and the blank is actually very high-quality for the price. I don’t even know how Piscifun is building high-modulus graphite rods for under $40.
If you’re brand new to fly fishing, or you’re looking for a last-minute backup rod and don’t want to spend hardly any money, then the Piscifun Sword will be your best bet.
I’ve had my Eagle Claw Featherlight rod since 2017 and it’s still going strong. Out of all of the rods on this list, this is the one I’ve fished the most, simply because it was one of the first budget rods I ever purchased.
At 6’6″ this rod is much shorter than the normal fly rod length of 9 feet, and with a mixture of graphite and fiberglass in the blank, it’s not your average construction material either.
The moderate action of this rod takes some getting used to, but once you get it the rod is super fun to cast with. It’s able to drop dry flies on a dime and even though when you look at it, the guide wraps and cork handle don’t look perfect, I can assure you this rod can last plenty of hard-fished seasons.
My Eagle Claw Rod That I’ve Had Since 2017 Sitting Against My Shop Wall
This is easily the best budget fiberglass fly rod on the market and if you’ve ever wanted to try casting a more retro-style rod, but don’t want to break the bank on a bamboo rod, then this is the one for you.
I love the matte black finish and high-quality of the blank, but what I love even more is Wild Water’s lifetime warranty on their rods. For $35, you can send any part of the rod in for repair for the lifetime of the product. That’s pretty amazing.
When I took the Wild Water fly rod out on the water for testing and review, I was just as impressed by the casting ability of this kit.
Wild Water says it’s a medium-fast action rod, but I’d say it’s a bit closer to the medium side, which means you lose a bit of power in high winds and at long distances, but I actually loved the swing weight and feel of this rod at close distances.
Pros: Great value, versatile, accurate, kit includes great reel and line
Cons: A bit pricier than other Redingtons on this list
The Redington Wrangler Trout XL is a bit more pricey than some of the other Redington’s on this list, but with the exception of the Crosswater I think that the increased price is well worth it.
For an extra $50, you really are getting a better rod. This thing has more backbone than the Original and the Path and is able to deliver flies with ease.
I also fished it on a day when the river was pumping well over 700 CFS and I was still able to make massive mends and keep my fly drifting naturally.
Have a look at the 3 and 4 weight models if you are looking to fish smaller rivers or if a younger person (under 10 years old) will be using it. The 5 and 6 weight models are perfect for targeting the majority of freshwater species.
This would be the best fly rod combo for most beginners. If you are starting out with saltwater fly fishing and you’re looking for a good saltwater fly rod, the 7 weight and up would be perfect.
All the combos come with a rod case that can accommodate the rod while the reel is fitted to it.
Included in every combo is an aluminum fly reel with a smooth disc drag system. The size of the reel will differ with every different weight outfit to ensure that the overall combo is well balanced.
The reel comes preloaded with backing and a weight-forward floating line, once again suited to the specific weight combo you’ve chosen.
It also comes with a good quality neoprene reel pouch that protects the reel, even when it’s mounted onto the rod.
The Maxcatch Extreme combo also features a waterproof fly box, a retractable lanyard and line nippers. These aren’t included in even more expensive combos but are something you’ll definitely make use of when on the water.
When you look up the meaning of the adjective budget, it means inexpensive. Sometimes the meaning might be mistaken as poor quality, or in layman’s terms – crap. Obviously this perception comes from somewhere.
It’s a generalization that all things cheap directly translates to something being of poorer quality.
While this might still be true in many cases, we would like to assist you with making informed decisions when it comes to cheap fly rod selection.
Below, I have pointed out some of the factors that you should take into consideration when looking for the best budget fly rod. I have learned many hard and valuable lessons over time – especially when it comes to cheap fly rods.
Brands
If you read through our “10 Best Budget Fly Rods” section above, you would have noticed that I recommend reputable brands. This is not to say that there aren’t any great budget rods for fly fishing of lesser-known brands out there.
The first question I ask when looking at different brands is “will this company still be around in 20 years?” This is an important question, as this will give peace of mind when you need to have your rod repaired.
In South Africa we had a budget fly fishing rod brand, whom I’ll keep anonymous, that offered lifetime warranty on the majority of their rods.
Initially, it worked very well, and if you had any problems, like slamming your fly rod with your car’s door, you get it sorted out.
Recently, they have gone out of business, and now there are a lot of people that can’t get their rods repaired.
I tell you this story because it is something you have to take into consideration.
This brings us to a very grey subject. Let’s first mention that you get rods with lifetime warranties, and then you get rods without any warranty. The latter has been thrown out as we feel a manufacturer must back their product to some extent.
I also understand that, out of the manufacturer’s point of view, it’s not economically feasible to sell a rod for $100 and keep repairing it for free for the next 50 years.
My best advice is that if you have a friend or a trustworthy fly fishing shop in your area, have a chat with them to find out what their thoughts and experiences are.
Negative stories tend to travel quite fast and you’ll soon find out what manufacturers you can trust or not.
The rods that we have mentioned in our “10 Best Budget Fly Rods” have different warranties, but all have been in the game long enough for you to trust them.
Line Weight
As with any fly rod, it’s worth deciding on what budget fly rod you’ll go with based on the type of fishing you’ll be doing. You don’t want to target Tarpon with a 3 weight, and you don’t want to overpower small trout on an 8-weight.
For beginners, a great weight to start with is a 4 or 5 weight. And all of the rods we’ve listed above have these weights available and feel great in that category.
Rod Tube And Sock
Fly rods, well any fishing rod for that matter, are damaged the most while they are transported.
To me, it is of utmost importance that a rod comes with a rod tube and sock. This will ensure that the rod is kept safe and will prolong its usable life.
If the rod does not come with either of these, make sure you purchase them separately as soon as possible.
Whether you are an experienced or beginner fly angler, somewhere in your fly fishing career you’ll be looking at buying an affordable fly rod. It might be due to budget constraints at home or looking at a backup rod, or maybe you already have a saltwater rod and you want to get a budget trout rod.
Whatever the reason, I hope that our list of 10 Best Budget Fly Rods will give you some direction.
Please share this article with your fishing buddies or newcomers to the sport.
Until next time. Tight lines.
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My name is Danny Mooers and I’ve been fly fishing for five years. As soon as I went to college, I dove headfirst into my obsession for fly angling. Every spare weekend or long break was dedicated to finding fish. I’ve fished all over North America in search of trout, salmon, steelhead and everything in between.
I currently write articles for Guide Recommended and Reel Adventure Fishing. Fly angling is one of the most challenging yet rewarding hobbies any person can have. Don’t be afraid to give it a try. It’s an addicting activity that tests everything from your fine motor skills to your patience, but it’s well worth your time.
Our team of professional fly fishing guides, casting instructors, and anglers reviews, compared and tested numerous rods to bring you this list of the best 5 weight fly rods in 2024.
