Fly Rods & Combos
Redington Crosswater Review
The best fly line in any budget outfit, attached to a competent rod with the shortest warranty on our list.
Verdict: buy this for the line. The Crosswater ships with RIO Mainstream, a real production trout line, and on a budget outfit the line matters more than the rod. The compromise is a one-year limited warranty, which is the shortest on our list and tells you what Redington expects.
The short list
| # | Pick | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redington Crosswater Fly Rod Outfit9'0" · 5 wt · 4-pcBest Value | The lowest price that still comes with a real branded line | 8.2 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit8'6" or 9'0" · 5 wt · 4-pcRunner-Up | The step up — softer action, five-year warranty | 8.5 | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | Maxcatch Extreme Fly Fishing Combo Kit9'0" · 5 wt · 4-pcBest Under $150 | Cheaper again, with a house line and a fast action | 7.2 | Check price on Amazon |
1. Best Value
Redington Crosswater Fly Rod Outfit
The best line-for-the-money in a starter outfit: a RIO Mainstream line on a competent 9-foot 5-weight, with the warranty as the obvious compromise.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Rod | 9'0", 5 wt, 4-piece graphite |
| Action | Medium-fast |
| Reel | Crosswater, carbon disc drag |
| Line | RIO Mainstream WF5F |
| Reel seat | Anodized aluminum |
| Handle | Cork |
| Assembly aid | Alignment dots on the blank |
| Case | Zippered travel case |
| Warranty | 1 year, limited |
| Weights available | 4-9 wt freshwater |
On a beginner outfit the fly line matters more than the rod, and almost nobody tells beginners that. The line is what you are actually casting — the rod only transfers energy into it. A cheap, stiff, poorly tapered line will make a good rod feel terrible, and most sub-$150 kits save money exactly there. Redington does not: the Crosswater ships with RIO Mainstream, a real production trout line.
The rod is a medium-fast 9-foot 5-weight with an anodized aluminum reel seat, a cork handle and alignment dots on the blank so the four sections line up without squinting. Medium-fast is slightly less forgiving than the Encounter's moderate action — you will feel the loop break down if you rush the stroke — but it is far from a stiff rod, and it has more reach when you need to pick line up off the water.
The reel has a carbon disc drag and does its job for trout. The honest limitation of the whole package is the one-year warranty. If you are the sort of person who closes a car door on a rod tip, factor that in.
What we like
- RIO Mainstream line is a genuinely good line, not a filler line — this is the single biggest reason to pick this kit over a cheaper one
- Alignment dots make assembling a 4-piece rod obvious instead of a guessing game
- Anodized aluminum reel seat rather than plastic at this price
- Widely stocked, so it is easy to actually buy
What you give up
- 1-year warranty is the shortest of any pick here
- Medium-fast action asks slightly more of your casting timing than the Encounter's moderate action
- No leader included — budget for a 9ft 4X or 5X tapered leader
| Criterion | Score / 10 |
|---|---|
| Castability | 8 |
| Ready to fish | 8 |
| Build quality | 7 |
| Warranty | 4 |
| Value | 10 |
| Overall | 8.2 |
2. Runner-Up
Orvis Encounter Fly Rod Outfit
The cheapest Orvis outfit that still arrives genuinely ready to fish — and the moderate action makes it easier to learn on than the Clearwater, not harder.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Rod | 8'6" and 9'0" in 5 wt; 9'0" in 6 wt and 8 wt |
| Pieces | 4-piece graphite |
| Action | Moderate (Orvis classification) |
| Reel | Encounter large arbor, size II on the 5 and 6 wt |
| Line | Scientific Anglers weight-forward floating, plus backing |
| Leader | 4X tapered leader on the 5 wt |
| Case | Rod and reel case included |
| Warranty | 5-year rod guarantee; lifetime defect guarantee on the reel |
The Encounter is where Orvis puts its entry outfit, and the interesting thing is that it is not simply a worse Clearwater. Orvis classifies the rod's action as moderate, one step softer than the Clearwater, and a softer rod is genuinely easier to learn to cast: it bends more under less line, so you can feel the rod load. Beginners who cannot feel a rod load tend to compensate by throwing harder, which is the single most common reason a new caster's loop falls apart.
The 8'6" 5-weight is worth noticing. Most beginner outfits exist only at 9 feet, which is right for open rivers and wrong for a creek with alders over it. If your water is small, the shorter Encounter is a better rod than the 9-foot Clearwater, at a lower price.
The compromise is the warranty and the reel. Five years on the rod instead of twenty-five, and an Encounter reel rather than the sealed-drag Clearwater II. Neither matters much for trout — you are not going to put a 5-weight reel's drag under real load very often — but it is the honest difference between the two.
What we like
- Moderate action is the most forgiving thing you can hand a beginner
- An 8'6" option exists, which is the right length for brushy small streams
- Scientific Anglers line out of the box rather than an unbranded house line
- Same ready-to-fish completeness as the Clearwater, for less
What you give up
- 5-year rod guarantee rather than the Clearwater's 25-year
- Reel is a step down in drag and finish from the Clearwater II
| Criterion | Score / 10 |
|---|---|
| Castability | 9 |
| Ready to fish | 9 |
| Build quality | 7 |
| Warranty | 7 |
| Value | 9 |
| Overall | 8.5 |
3. Best Under $150
Maxcatch Extreme Fly Fishing Combo Kit
The cheapest way to own an aluminum-reel outfit, with a fast action that works against the person most likely to buy it.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Rod | 9'0", 5 wt, 4-piece |
| Action | Fast |
| Blank | IM7 24T plus 30T carbon fiber |
| Reel | Large arbor aluminum, pre-loaded with line, backing and leader |
| Flies | 12 hand-tied flies in a waterproof box |
| Also included | Neoprene reel cover, retractor, line nipper, cap, travel case |
| Weights available | 3-10 wt |
The Maxcatch Extreme exists to be the lowest number on the page, and it does that without the usual plastic reel: you get a large-arbor aluminum reel, pre-loaded with line, backing and a leader, plus twelve hand-tied flies in a waterproof box, a neoprene reel cover, a retractor, a nipper, a cap and a travel case. For a first outfit, the completeness is real.
The rod is a 9-foot 5-weight, 4-piece, built on IM7 24T plus 30T carbon, and Maxcatch describes the action as fast. We would steer a self-taught beginner away from a fast action on principle. A fast rod needs a crisp stop and a well-timed pause; a slower rod tells you when it is loaded by bending. If you are learning from videos on a lawn, you want the rod that talks back.
Where it does make sense: as a second rod, a travel rod you would not cry over, or a first rod for someone with casting experience in another discipline who already understands loading a blank.
What we like
- Aluminum large-arbor reel, not a plastic one, at the bottom of the price range
- Arrives with line, backing AND leader already on the reel
- Twelve flies and a waterproof box included
What you give up
- Fast action is the wrong action for learning — it punishes a rushed casting stroke
- Heavier in the hand than the Echo Base or Orvis rods
- House-brand line; expect to replace it before you replace the rod
| Criterion | Score / 10 |
|---|---|
| Castability | 6 |
| Ready to fish | 9 |
| Build quality | 6 |
| Warranty | 5 |
| Value | 9 |
| Overall | 7.2 |
Why the line is the headline
A fly rod does not cast a fly — it casts a line, and the fly follows. So on a cheap setup the line is the component that determines whether casting feels possible, and it is exactly where sub-$150 kits save money. A stiff, poorly tapered house line coils hard, does not shoot through the guides and lands heavily, and the beginner experiencing that concludes their casting is bad rather than their line.
Redington does not cut there. RIO Mainstream is one of the two companies that define the trout-line category selling a genuine production line, and its presence is the main reason this outfit casts better than its price. Best fly lines for beginners explains what a good line does.
Full specification
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rod | 9'0", 5 wt, 4-piece graphite |
| Action | Medium-fast |
| Reel | Crosswater, carbon disc drag |
| Line | RIO Mainstream WF5F |
| Reel seat | Anodized aluminum |
| Handle | Cork |
| Assembly aid | Alignment dots on the blank |
| Case | Zippered travel case |
| Warranty | 1 year, limited |
| Weights available | 4-9 wt freshwater |
Two details on that list are better than they need to be at this price. An anodized aluminum reel seat rather than plastic will not pit or crack. And alignment dots on each blank section turn assembling a four-piece rod from a squinting exercise into a glance — a small thing that a beginner notices every single trip.
The rod, honestly
Medium-fast, which is slightly less forgiving than the Orvis Encounter's moderate action. You will feel the loop break down if you rush the stroke. It is far from a stiff rod, though, and it has more reach for picking line up off the water than a softer blank — which on a river with conflicting currents is useful.
For a self-taught beginner we would still rank the Encounter's moderate action above it on castability, and the ranking in our combos roundup reflects that. For a converting spin angler the gap is larger, because a power stroke is exactly what a medium-fast rod punishes — see fly fishing versus spin fishing.
The one-year warranty
This is the real compromise and it deserves a plain statement. One year is the shortest warranty on any combo we recommend, against five years for the Encounter, twenty-five for the Clearwater, and lifetime for Echo and TFO.
Given how fly rods actually break — car doors, screen doors, feet — a graphite rod that gets stood on in year two is a replacement rather than a repair. If you are hard on gear, that is worth factoring into what the outfit really costs you over three seasons.
Also note: Redington does not list a leader with this outfit. Budget for a 9-foot 4X or 5X tapered leader — it costs very little, but it is the difference between fishing and not fishing on day one. Best tapered leaders.
What we could not assess
- Long-term durability of the blank, the reel or the drag. We have read the warranty terms, not fished it for seasons.
- RIO Mainstream's published taper detail is thinner than Scientific Anglers publishes for the Frequency Trout, so we cannot compare head lengths or grain weights directly.
- Current retail price. Listings we saw on 6 October 2026 spanned roughly $75 to $190 depending on retailer and configuration, and Redington's own outfit range has been restructured recently — check the live price and exactly which outfit you are buying.
- How the Crosswater reel's drag holds up to wading grit. It is a carbon disc drag; whether it is capped or sealed is not clearly published.
Alternatives
- [Orvis Encounter](/fly-rods/orvis-encounter-combo-review) — softer action, five-year warranty, 8'6" option, more money.
- [Maxcatch Extreme](/fly-rods/maxcatch-fly-rod-review) — cheaper, aluminum reel, flies included, fast action and a house line.
- [Wild Water Deluxe kit](/fly-rods/wild-water-starter-package-review) — includes flies, tools and a hard case, with a 5/6 weight rod.
Questions people actually ask
Is the Redington Crosswater good for beginners?
Yes, and specifically because of the fly line: it ships with RIO Mainstream, a real production trout line, which at this price almost nothing else does. The rod is a competent medium-fast 9-foot 5-weight with an anodized aluminum reel seat and alignment dots. The compromise is a one-year limited warranty.
What line comes with the Redington Crosswater?
RIO Mainstream WF5F on the 5-weight outfit — a weight-forward floating trout line from one of the two companies that define the category. That is the single best reason to choose this outfit over a cheaper one, because on a budget setup the line determines how the whole thing casts far more than the rod does.
Does the Redington Crosswater come with a leader?
Redington's published outfit contents list the rod, the Crosswater reel, RIO Mainstream line and a zippered travel case, and do not list a leader. Budget for a 9-foot 4X or 5X tapered leader alongside it. It costs very little, but without one you cannot attach a fly.
What is the Redington Crosswater warranty?
One year, limited. That is the shortest on any combo we recommend and it is the outfit's main compromise. For comparison, Orvis gives the Encounter five years and the Clearwater twenty-five, and both Echo and TFO offer lifetime coverage on their entry rods.
Is the Redington Crosswater still available?
Yes. When we checked on 6 October 2026 it was listed as a current product across multiple retailers in freshwater weights 4 through 9, alongside Redington's Path and Vice outfits. Note that Redington's outfit range and pricing have been restructured recently, so confirm which configuration you are buying.
Where these figures come from
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