The other day while at a large chain department store I happened to see a "package deal" of fly fishing equipment that included a rod, reel, fly line, some flies, & a fly box all for about $50. This price is appealing if your the one doing the buying because you don't want to spend a lot on a sport you're not sure you or your friend / youth may not stick with. Fly fishing equipment is just like anything else - you get what you pay for.
There are two pieces of equipment I would NOT compromise on for the beginner & they are the rod & fly line. Those are the two most important parts of all your tackle when learning to fly fish. You don't have to have the best on the market to start out, but you should buy the best your budget will allow. If this means spending less on a reel or vest, etc, then fine. Having a good rod & line will make learning fly fishing so much easier & fun.
The $50 fly rod in that package deal probably suffers from all the problems lower-end production rods are afflicted with. To name a few, they are:
1.) The rod doesn't have the proper size line guides on it & they aren't in the proper locations on the rod to shoot line easily. Large tackle manufacturers do this to save money & keep prices low. By eliminating a certain amount of guides used & not using many different sizes of guides they save a lot of money when making hundreds, or thousands, of rods.
2.) The rod has poorly made, cheap components on it - plastic reel seats, rubber winding checks, poor guide wraps, etc. Low quality components will not stand up to heavy use, nor do they (in most cases) balance the rod properly. This is not to mention that they look terrible, too.
3.) In many cases these "package deal" rods are too stiff, or fast-action, for folks learning how to cast & fly fish. Someone just starting out doesn't want or need a fast rod. You need to feel the rod loading when you're learning how to cast. You also need to see & feel how the rod bends. A more moderate action rod is best for this & what I think the beginner should have. (This was not a problem on most older production rods).
When you consider all of the above problems with those rods, you'd be better off making your fist rod a used one of better quality. Many of the older production rods of better quality are available at very reasonable prices - some for less than $50 (look HERE, for example).
Of course the best way to go for your first fly rod is to have one made for you by a rod maker. No, there's nothing pompous or crazy about having your first rod made for you. It doesn't have to be expensive at all, either. The benefit is that the quality of the rod will far surpass the price. Plus your rod will serve you well & you'll know that you're getting a good rod to learn with. It will be a rod even the most experienced anglers would enjoy using, so you know you'll never outgrow it. Of course if you've bought this custom rod for, say, a son, daughter, or grandchild & they don't stick with fly fishing then you'll have a really nice extra rod for yourself. Ultimately it will be money well spent. A good custom rod can be had for as little as $250 (Prudential Rods, for example).
Like I said, you get what you pay for. If you want to spend $50 for a poorly made fly fishing outfit & see a look of disappointment on your students face as they struggle to cast a line while watching a broken fly box floating down the stream, than go ahead & buy the "package deal". If you want a good quality fly rod at a great price than consider a better used rod, or a custom made rod.....or just contact me with your questions. I'll be happy to help you find the best rod for any beginning fly angler.