I'm totally new to fly fishing & would like to know what rod will be best for general river fishing, will be mainly on the river dane with occasional trips to the bollin, gowy & chirk fisheries.
What I need to know is what size rod & is the snowbee diamond any good

Welcome to the forum and our glorious sport but stand by for the answers they will be many and varied, my advise for what its worth is listen to all then pay for a lesson and let that instructor guide you to a rod suitable to your newly acquired style. A more important question perhaps should be, what instructor?

Mick

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As far as instruction is concerned I thought I would try congleton fly fishers as they say on their website that members offer tuition, however will learning on a lake diifer much to rivers?

I've fly fished the Dane on several occasions and whilst it depends on where you will be fishing, at Swettenham I've found a 8.5ft 4/5 or 9ft 5wt ideal. Higher up I'd go for a 7ft 2/3. If you want to use the same rod on the Gowy Bollin & Chirk I'd err on the smaller size. I've never fished the Bollin but isn't it a bit overgrown? The Dane has some very good fly water.
I can't speak to the Snowbee Diamond in these sizes and weights but the 10 ft 3/4 wt is very good value for money.

GD

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The part of the dane I will be fishing will be a 3 mile stretch at holmes chapel & a small stretch in congleton

Can I ask which club that is? I think given the combination of waters for just one rod and providing you're not intending to fish still waters in the close season (the Dane has a very good head of Grayling in places). I'd go for an 8ft 4/5 I think.
GD

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I can,t comment on the river however the snowbee diamond is a great rod regardless of price a 5/6 would be a good wieght and 8to 10 ft depending on the river and your casting ability. good luck Alan

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The club is bay malton angling club, I have only done general course fishing & want to make use of the waters they have available plus fly fishing really appeals to me

Advice given re obtaining some qualified instruction before considering purchasing kit is spot on.

The Pirate.

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Hi wrighty1,

Two important questions:

What budget do you have put aside for a new pursuit like ff?

Is ff a sport you think you'll be indulging quite a bit of your time to in the future?

To invest time and money in casting instruction as a novice is great advice, but if your budget for ff equipment is less than a full days instruction with a qualified instructor - your a bit snookered.

But to answer your original question - for 'a typical' sized classic river in Ireland or the UK a 4/5 wt, 9 foot would be a good starting point, as this rod will serve a multitude of purposes and techniques on a river/stream - from nymphing, wetfly, dryfly or czech nymphing. If you intend to explore rivers around the country or abroad a 4 piece (with tube) is ideal for luggage or for the boot of the car. It is worth investing in a 'middle of the range rod' as you advance further the rod will serve you well at all levels of skill. If you indeed become very experienced down the track it can always serve as a well loved back up rod to your more fancy specialized new rods...

The Redington Redfly 2 - 5wt, Greys GRXI+ 5wt or the Wynwood Aura 5wt - would be a reliable starting point with 4 piece, tube and nice rod build for the respective prices.

One key point - whatever rod you choose wether the action is fast-tip or mid-tip it is really important to balance the rod perfectly with the right reel and line choice to make casting an all day enjoyable experience... maybe PP can help you with this aspect.

Again if your budget could cover casting instruction this should be your first port of call as others have said.

Goodluck.