Good info here on rods. I really really appreciate the Trident shootout below. Its real. Anderesens (Yellowstone angler) isn't accurate and somewhat polluted personally, yet still good info. When I buy rods, I go and cast a bunch of them. There are certainly rods that are forgiving to the user who isn't a great caster yet. That will result in more fish for you for sure. The old Sage XP comes to mind, any dude could pick it up and feel like a stud caster. Very cool, blew my mind years ago when I finally went to buy a high end rod. Perhaps the VXP is similar? That deal above is certainly worth considering. Reels are not big deal typically for a 5wt, though that Lamson reel contains the same conical drag in it that their 600$ reel has if I recall. Great reel for the money. When I buy a trout rod, I do a boat load of research, cast buddies rods, do side-by-side casting and then find something I absolutely love. To heck with the reel. you can upgrade that later. You can find deals on the RIGHT line (important) as well. That's why I sink my money into the rod. If this is you really stepping into your first "real" rod, I'd find a premium rod for cheap. I just bought a premium new rod that retails for 850$, a legendary Winston rod and a old classic...each was less than 350$ shipped. CraigsList and Ebay are the place to go for good prices. Craigslist people will ship easily in my experience. Take a hard look at Hardy Zenith 5wt FYI. If you are mainly fishing medium to small waters, I'd buy a sweet Winston Biit, or if you have the patience to figure it out...a Biix 5wt is one of my favorites of all, but not for everyone. I LOVE mine, though they aren't big water rods. I go 6wt for that anyways.
http://www.tridentflyfishing.com/bl...vis-hardy-scott-sage-best-fly-rod-review-test
https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/g...ardy-wraith-sagemod-sage-bolt-loop-optistream
I couldn't disagree more. Both Trident and Yellowstone Anglers sell rods and, of course, are going to be biased towards the rods they sell. Watch the Trident guys cast, and then watch the Yellowstone Anglers folks cast. The Yellowstone Anglers are much better casters. If I were to "trust" or rely upon recommendations, it would be that of the Yellowstone Anglers. A big part of that is because my casting style is more similar to that of the testers.
Also, consider the fishing environment of each. The Yellowstone Angler foks fish where a stout rod is necessary for the conditions. The first guide I used to fish the Madison and the Yellowstone area used to refer to Winston rods as "Wimpstons".
I've owned an XP 590-4. I sold it because it was really a 6 weight and was not a very accurate rod for in close casting. Want to rifle a long cast or handle heavy flies, it's a good rod for that. It was and is a stiff butty rod. The Z Axis came out to replace the XP, and it was/is a much better all-around trout rod than the XP. Better in close, much more a true 5 weight, but would still cast at least as long as the XP. I also own a Zenith 590. I also owned a Helios. I've owned or own SP's, DS2's, RPL's, RPL+'s, TFO Professional and TiCr and TiCr-X's, Orvis Helios and T3's and others, Loomis IMX and GLX's, St Croix Legends, various Redingtons, Scott S series rods, Fenwicks, etc. They are all good, but in a perfect world a person needs to find the rod that best fits their casting style and fishing environment.
The rod reviews of both Yellowstone Angler and Trident provide good starting points, though personally I much prefer those of the Yellowstone Angler.
Out of my stash of sticks (my buddies call my house "Richard's House of Graphite"), my classic GLX and my Z Axis are my favorite all-around 5 weights, though I do really enjoy my Zenith and my SP and ...