Trout bum here, I'd like to add a few things.
1. Don't shy away from $80 Amazon rods. I've been using a Maxcatch 4wt as my primary fly rod for the last several seasons, and it's been an absolute champ. The Okuma SLV is also a great rod. I loved the one I had (broke it, still sad about it).
2. It's easier to learn casting and handling on 5wt and 6wt, but most trout fishing, in my opinion, is better approached with 3wt and 4wt. When you get into big water (especially big rivers with some serious flow), then the 5wt and 6wt becomes more viable. I do most of my fly fishing on pocket water where a 4wt is easily enough for fish up to 16", your situation might be different.
3. Reels can be tricky to size properly if you can't put your hands on it in a store. Always go a little too big than a little too small if you can. You want to be able to put all your backing and line on and have plenty of space to avoid having the line rub against the reel as you're reeling line in or pulling it out.
4. Don't get the combo kits. DO NOT GET THE COMBO KITS. The reels are trash, the flies won't catch anything. Often the rod is ok, but the rest is destined for the garbage can.
5. Start out with regular stand-by flies. Elk hair caddis, royal orange stimulator, copper john, beaded pheasant tail nymph. These catch fish all year round, regardless of "the hatch". Learning the ins and outs of stream entomology is better saved for after the basics are mastered. The perfectly matched fly pattern won't do any good if the presentation is messy.
6. Every fly angler should have a rubber basket net and some locking hemostats. No nylon nets, no stubby needle nose pliers. Rubber basket net, locking hemostats.
Here are just a couple of the net fillers I got the on the fly this year. Just to demonstrate that brands don't catch fish, methods and approaches catch fish.
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Edit: I forgot #7, which is just a helpful tip more than anything: stay out of the damn water at all costs. Every fly angler you see who's immediately putting on the waders and heading out into the water? Watch them for awhile, and notice their catch rates are generally fairly low. Fishing from rocks and logs increases catch rate by a huge factor. That's just my two cents.
