Entry level backpacking fly rod

Look at a tenkara setup if you haven't already. No reel, just a rod, line, and fly. A very light and affordable option that removes a lot of the fuss factor with traditional western fly fishing. Plenty of resources on this site or tenkara-bum.com to get you started. Roughly $200-$300 will get you set up with everything you need to start, no problem.

It really depends on where you plan to fish. If mostly in lakes – then spin rod may be best, western flyfishing rod second and tenkara third. However, if you are going to fish streams and rivers primarily – then definitely look into tenkara. There are some good, inexpensive rods out there and ready to fish kits are also offered by most tenkara shops.

For entry level, consider tenkara or a lighter Western rod. Tenkara simplifies things a lot, so it's easier to pick up and do better. Western rods (with reels) are a little more challenging to learn the mechanics, but they are more versatile and allow you to do more after you've learned some.

Tenkara Bum is an excellent resource if you want to go that route, and I'd just follow Chris' recommendations as I'm less versed in the tenkara world.

If you're interested in Western fly fishing, I'd encourage you to look at St. Croix and Redington. Both are quality companies that have a reputation for giving you more than what you would from their competitors at the same price point. For the Sierras, I'd guess (having never fished there, but having read a fair bit about the conditions) that a 4 weight in the 8 to 8.5 foot range (really, you could go as high as 9) would work well. It would also be good for some of the excellent (though not this year) small stream fishing that is available in your area. The St. Croix Rio Santo outfit and the Redington Topo combo look good to me for about $200-220 to get started. I've never fished either rod, but I own higher end models from both companies and am very happy with them.

I bought a Fountainhead Caddis tenkara before a Sierras trip and planned to use it. On the drive out from the east coast, on a whim I bought a 4 wt Wind River outfit from Cabelas. I think it was on sale for something like $70. I was and probably still am a pretty green novice at fly fishing so I didn't want to spend a bundle. On the drive to the trailhead I stopped and fished at some roadside creeks and rivers and decided that I liked the 4 wt better than the tenkara. The weight of the full outfit was about 4 oz. for the tenkara, and 8 oz, for the 4 wt. I found the 4 wt more fun and decided it was worth the extra 4 oz. Despite being cheap I found the outfit to be pleasant enough to use. In the Sierras I found that most folks fished the lakes and more often than not were being skunked. I found that the smaller creeks often yielded a fish on almost every cast as long as it was reasonably presented. The fish were small, hungry, and not the least bit picky. I found it odd that I seemed to be the only one fishing the tiny creeks and there were tons of folks fishing in the lakes. BTW, when I say tiny… Some were just a little trickle a foot wide and still had trout in them. I usually didn't fish in creeks that tiny but most creeks that I did fish in ranged from 6-20' wide.

I'd recommend a tenkara rod for any and all situations you'll encounter while backpacking. Maybe even a Keiryu rod (slightly stiffer) like the Suntech Suikei series. Or you can get something like the nissin pocket mini that packs down to about 9 inches long and telescopes to about 9 feet. Weighs a few ounces. No need for a reel when fishing unless you're catching salmon or fishing from 40 feet away or more.

Another option… Temple Forks Lefty Kreh Signature Series II rods quality rods at value pricing, under $125 if you are fishing large, deep lakes, esp in the wind, go longer, like 9 ft. [this is an example where western is more versatile than tenkara] i bought my son the 7.5' 3 wt and it's a blast to fish! he has landed bass over 4 lbs on it.

Check out these rods from Wild Water in Rochester NY…a number of sizes and weights and they now have a Tenkara set up as well. http://www.wildwaterflyfishing.com/ax-series/ They even have a nice full kit to get started… http://www.wildwaterflyfishing.com/complete-3-4-fly-fishing-starter-package-9-fly-rod/