I'm moving up to the Ozarks of Missouri next month and fly fishing is pretty big in the area with all of the rivers. I've always wanted to get into fly fishing and part of the reason for the move is to get outdoors so this seems like the perfect opportunity. Does anyone have suggestions on equipment for a beginner? I don't want to break the bank right off the bat, so preferably looking at something to learn on before getting better equipment

I'm also a beginner and I got the Orvis Encounter and like it a lot. It basically comes ready to fish minus the fly. If you go to an Orvis store be ready because they will try very hard to talk you up to the next model.

Several people have recommended this to me:
https://www.waterworks-lamson.com/product/liquid/

Whatever you do, prioritize the rod way ahead of the reel.

Order of importance: 1. rod 2. line 3. reel

Get something cheap on Craigslist for your first reel, I wouldn't spend more than $30-40. Once you've decided if you want to stick with fly fishing, then you can save up and buy a nice reel.

Orvis had their Access fly lines marked down to like $20 recently, but a new decent quality line will run you $40-60. If you're budget was $200, I'd spend $150 on the rod and then buy the best you can find with your remaining budget.

That's good to know because I would have thought otherwise

Should add that I paid ~$160 for rod/reel/line for the Encounter. At that price none of it is made in the US obviously and I don't expect to hand this down to the next generation but it should easily get me to the point where I need to decide if I'm ready to invest in something more expensive. It was also important to me to get free casting lessons from the shop and they host guided trips out of our local store so that was an advantage for me over online.

There are a few folks that provide lessons in the area, so I will definitely take advantage of those. Definitely going to be a great new life in the middle of nowhere

One more thing I enjoy as a beginner is there is the Orvis fly fishing podcast which is good if you need to kill time on a commute and want to learn. I promise I dont work for Orvis, but I guess one reccomendation would be to get plugged into a local fly shop when you get where you are going. Orvis is the only one near me so that is the route I went but any local shop should would work. There are tons of of online guides on YouTube but local reccomendations will help you a ton.

I must add I'm a little jealous, the Ozarks are beautiful and will be a great place to hone your craft.

Really appreciate the advice. I'm just super excited about the move. I've been in Florida far too long and I'm tired of the college kids and the cost of living and the small yard. The house we have under contract sits on four acres, backs up to a national forest and at the end of the driveway there are two stock ponds. Within walking distance I can be on a river fly fishing. It's going to be an amazing life

The only purpose a reel serves in trout fishing is to hold line. Unless you're fishing for reds or muskie or something that's really going to fight and you need to rely on a drag system, there's no necessity in spending much money on a reel. Otherwise, you should be able to hand strip line in to land basically any trout.

If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, I saw recently that they added a 12 part series that Orvis produced in like 2012 that is all about the basics of fly fishing. It's worth a watch, in addition to the Orvis 101 casting class.

Were you at the 101 class this past weekend?

And, once you get there, do not go to a motel with a strange FBI agent.

Unless that is your thing.