Has to be some Fly Fishermen or women on here. I've never done it but have always wanted to. Been watchin a lot of You Tube videos and learning. I'm about to pull the trigger on a complete outfit but was wondering if there is much difference between a 5wt. or 6wt. rod as far as the learning curve and castability. Will be fishing mostly for trout but live fairly close to Erie steelhead so am considering heavier rod.

A 9ft 5wt is probably the most popular trout rod around. It also works well for panfish and can handle some light bass work. It is a bit light for any serious steelhead fishing though.

If I were you I would purchase the 5wt and start with trout fishing. As you gain experience you can then look for a heavier rod and give steelhead a shot.

Depends on where you fish. Here in DR MN where we have a couple hundred miles of trout streams i wouldn't use any thing heavier then a 4wt...9ft is my preference. A 5at might be nice out west in the winds. Check out my site at Healing Rivers.com. If you get into it, there is nothing better then bambo!!

If you're very likely to stay with it and expand, go with the odd number weights. 5 for trout and small bass. 7 for steelhead and fishing bigger heavy streamers for bass. 9 or 10 for salmon. And 3wt for brookies and panfish.

I'd opt for a shorter 5wt if you're going to fish tighter streams for trout. 10' on the 7wt, usually bigger water and more room. Of course if you're really budgeted I'd go with 6wt and make it work for just about everything except salmon. I wouldn't spend a lot on a reel for trout but for steelhead get the best drag you can afford.

Thanks everyone! I knew I could rely on the T-man gang! Think I'll go with the 9' 5wt.

Go anywhere catch any thing, there really is not much difference between 5&6wt. The first 30' of a five weighs ~140grains compared to 160grains for the 30' of the six weight. The 6wt may have a slight advantage with bass bugs or in the wind. 9' 5wt as mentioned is likely the most popular.
My choice would be different, nothing over 8' and for 5wt I'd want 7'-7'6" .
I also tend to advise starting with low cost gear rather than top o the line stuff, lots and lots of variables for you to learn before you can even guess what style you like or if you want to keep ploughing money into a hobby addiction.
feel free to pm, my advise free and worth every penny

A 5wt would be good for pelletheads in our streams.
I wouldn't use one for steelhead until you learn more on fighting fish with a fly rod. I use my 3 weight for steelhead for a challenge sometimes. Most times I'm using a 7 or 9 wt because I fish New York a bunch, and the chances of hooking into a salmon are pretty good.

I use a 9' 5 and 6 wt far more than any other rods I own. The 5wt is a four pc that stays in my truck all the time. If I'm fishing the Allegheny river or one of the steelhead streams it's usually my 6 wt. I have a couple shorter(7'6" or 8' 4 wts) on some smaller stream if I know I won't be moving to one of the bigger streams/rivers.

My favorite rod is a St Croix IV 9' 6 wt followed by a 9' 5wt Sage 4 pc. And I like big streams and rivers with lots of big rocks.

Be careful

I tried it once, but the repetitive whipping action of the cast slings my night crawlers right off.
Makes about as much sense as trying to hit a golf ball where you want it to go with a golf club.

As noted, I find A 4at with most trout to be the most enjoyable. Here, a 5 at is over kill.

Anglers Roost has some decent bamboo rods for the money until you can afford a hand made one. Sage used to be my go to brand and I still use them on occasion

Used to be a bass fisherman until my brother talked me into going to Arkansas with him fly fishing for trout.
Bought a cheap fiberglass rod and he let me borrow a reel. Came home and sold all my bass fishing gear. Started tying flies and building rods - have never looked back. That was in 1985.
I have 2 favorites I built for myself. A 9' 5wt and a 7' 3wt. Use the 5 wt on larger rivers, but really love the 3wt for smaller streams and fishing dries when a hatch is on. Also use it for panfishing - bluegill and crappie.

My advice on bamboo - stay away from them. I've built and fished with them. They're heavy and take on a "set" (droop) that cannot be corrected. Plus they are way over priced. A graphite rod is all I'll ever fish with.
Sage is a great choice but are also pricey...

If got an old fly rod with a new reel that was my dads.I just bought the line I needed for it at Cabelas last week.Its a 5 weight.Bought a few small flies too.Plan to try it out on panfish mostly.

Shawneemaan what brand of rod blank do you recommend , thinking of building some rods myself

To start out, I wouldn't spend too much on a blank like a Winston, Sage or Powell until you get the hang of things.
Kinda like Simms waders - they are $$$. I'll use something else - all I want to do is keep dry!! LOL!

I still like Pacific Bay and St. Croix - with St Croix being my favorite.
Cabelas used to sell some good blanks, but they don't handle them any more.
I'm sending you a PM with web addresses of two suppliers I've used.

Anything else, just ask - glad to help!!

Up here...there are Bass fisherman.....and there are Trout fisherman....you either one or the other...just for the record ,when I catch the non target bass....iam not a happy camper..

Thanks shawneeman

I'm just a novice with a fly rod but when I get to visit my sister in Montana and mooch the use of her 9 ft 6 wt Sage I almost kind of feel like I know what I'm doing.