Reel Recommendations

[millsboy79]

I recently had a great day on the river and it made me realize that my reel is not great. (I knew that before but Saturday I saw it in person)

My main issue was that the drag was pretty sticky. As I improve at fly fishing I would like to have a set up that will handle what I throw at it.

I caught some good sized white fish and even with them it seemed like the reel would be holding back then all let go at once. Or I would constantly be fiddling with the drag to try and get it right.

Hoping to get some make / model recommendations for a good all around reel. Nothing crazy expensive.

Usually there are those brands that are great quality for the price, for example my rod is a TFO. Great rod but not an expensive st Croix or sage.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[rasta]

Go to Springbrook and check out the reels they have o display...I've been running one of the bvk prototypes for years...paid 80$ great sealed drag

[scel]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I recently had a great day on the river and it made me realize that my reel is not great. (I knew that before but Saturday I saw it in person)

My main issue was that the drag was pretty sticky. As I improve at fly fishing I would like to have a set up that will handle what I throw at it.

I caught some good sized white fish and even with them it seemed like the reel would be holding back then all let go at once. Or I would constantly be fiddling with the drag to try and get it right.

Hoping to get some make / model recommendations for a good all around reel. Nothing crazy expensive.

Usually there are those brands that are great quality for the price, for example my rod is a TFO. Great rod but not an expensive st Croix or sage.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Lamson.
Even the cheapest Lamson has a drag system matching high-end reels.
Lamson.

[Moe]

Interesting that this topic has come up. I'm looking at the Cabela brand reels and they look really decent with great reviews and even better prices. Can anyone comment on the Cabela brand?

[mikeym]

i second the Lamson's. great reels great drag system great construction. can't go wrong with a Lamson

[Okotokian]

I bought two Sage 3250's this year and am very impressed. Light, all machined aero grade anodized aluminum, smooth sealed disk drag, huge easy to adjust drag wheel that is easily resettable and numbered 1 to 10. Paid about $270 each. I don't know what more one would need.

[Fenix_84]

The cabelas brand isn't bad, many of the reels are made by lamson and i believe they have the lamson drag system.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...el/1159134.uts

The WLx series earns its elite position by exhibiting the same exacting machined tolerances, lightweight design and reliability Lamson has built a reputation on delivering.

The proven-reliable sealed drag consists of stacked, smooth-braking Rulon® discs with a two-stage compression drag spring that accommodates a wide range of drag pressures.

There are so many good reels out there, as long as its from a reputable name it will be more than fine.

[yetiseeker]

[QUOTE=Okotokian;3348437]I bought two Sage 3250's this year and am very impressed. Light, all machined aero grade anodized aluminum, smooth sealed disk drag, huge easy to adjust drag wheel that is easily resettable and numbered 1 to 10. Paid about $270 each. I don't know what more one would need.

Sage x 2. I bought the 4250 reel a few years back. This past summer, I had a mid-grade fly reel blow up on me while attempting to land a fish. Lost what I think was about a 5 lb-er.

Went straight to the Fishin Hole and bought another Sage 4250.

I'll never again by a lower end reel. Spend soo many hours chasing to hook into the big one - then have my equipment fail!

[jgib01]

Originally Posted by mikeym

i second the Lamson's. great reels great drag system great construction. can't go wrong with a Lamson

X3 for Lamson. Love my Konics!

[scel]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I recently had a great day on the river and it made me realize that my reel is not great. (I knew that before but Saturday I saw it in person)

My main issue was that the drag was pretty sticky. As I improve at fly fishing I would like to have a set up that will handle what I throw at it.

I caught some good sized white fish and even with them it seemed like the reel would be holding back then all let go at once. Or I would constantly be fiddling with the drag to try and get it right.

Hoping to get some make / model recommendations for a good all around reel. Nothing crazy expensive.

Usually there are those brands that are great quality for the price, for example my rod is a TFO. Great rod but not an expensive st Croix or sage.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Seriously, go get a Lamson Liquid. It is just over $100 with the same drag system as their top-of-the-line. Never buy another reel again.

[jgib01]

Originally Posted by scel

Seriously, go get a Lamson Liquid. It is just over $100 with the same drag system as their top-of-the-line. Never buy another reel again.

Yup! If I was in the market, I'd be leaning very heavily to the Liquid or Remix based on my very positive experience as a novice with the Konics. Yes, the frequency of actually relying on said reel is the minority. I don't fish the Bow, but have actually gotten a few more fish to the reel this year... appreciate the Lamson drag system under those circumstances.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by scel

Seriously, go get a Lamson Liquid. It is just over $100 with the same drag system as their top-of-the-line. Never buy another reel again.

I agree the above mentioned reel (include Remix) is great "bank for the buck".
However, "Never buy another reel again" is asking a lot.
Its in our nature to buy, buy, buy.
If what you say was true we wouldn't have our collection of rods/reels/lines, etc., etc., etc.

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by scel

Seriously, go get a Lamson Liquid. It is just over $100 with the same drag system as their top-of-the-line. Never buy another reel again.

Where would be the best place to find one to check it out?

[scel]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

Where would be the best place to find one to check it out?

I know Country Pleasures sells Lamson.

[Mr Flyguy]

Having fly fished for both salmon and steelhead on the coast, and trout in the Bow River and the Missouri River, having a reel with a smooth, easily adjustable drag can be important.

In really clear water or where the fish are wary, one might have to go to very light leader and palming can result in a lot of breakoffs...been there on the Missouri.

Recommendations from me are not easy since I don't have any particular brand loyalty. On the coast I enjoyed using the old Hardy Marquis for steelhead, and guess what, palming worked fine 'cause most to the time leaders did not need to be flimsy. On the Bow and the few times I get to the coast, now I use my SA System 2 reels, but they have been discontinued so maybe look at the Lamsons.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I recently had a great day on the river and it made me realize that my reel is not great. (I knew that before but Saturday I saw it in person)

My main issue was that the drag was pretty sticky. As I improve at fly fishing I would like to have a set up that will handle what I throw at it.

I caught some good sized white fish and even with them it seemed like the reel would be holding back then all let go at once. Or I would constantly be fiddling with the drag to try and get it right.

Hoping to get some make / model recommendations for a good all around reel. Nothing crazy expensive.

Usually there are those brands that are great quality for the price, for example my rod is a TFO. Great rod but not an expensive st Croix or sage.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

After re-reading your post I thought of something you might consider.

It may be that you have too much backing on your reel and occasionally be "stacking" your fly line on one side or the other of your spool, thus causing binding against the frame of your reel. Depending on how badly it had stacked up, this could cause the "holding back and then letting go all at once. It could also cause jerkiness or "stuttering" when reeling in or stripping line out.
Just a thought.

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

After re-reading your post I thought of something you might consider.

It may be that you have too much backing on your reel and occasionally be "stacking" your fly line on one side or the other of your spool, thus causing binding against the frame of your reel. Depending on how badly it had stacked up, this could cause the "holding back and then letting go all at once. It could also cause jerkiness or "stuttering" when reeling in or stripping line out.
Just a thought.

I know exactly what you mean and this WAS the case on a previous outing and have since removed some backing and respooled my line. This day I had the fish on and she had already made a run so there was no line bound up. I was down to the boring beige line so I had over 40ft of fly line in the water. Guess I am just used to spin fishing with a nice smooth drag and letting the reel do its job.

I am currently using a Dragonfly Chilcotin reel. I like the larger arbour since my previous reel was an Okuma Sierra. Even if I have to palm it the size makes it superior in my mind.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I know exactly what you mean and this WAS the case on a previous outing and have since removed some backing and respooled my line. This day I had the fish on and she had already made a run so there was no line bound up. I was down to the boring beige line so I had over 40ft of fly line in the water. Guess I am just used to spin fishing with a nice smooth drag and letting the reel do its job.

I am currently using a Dragonfly Chilcotin reel. I like the larger arbour since my previous reel was an Okuma Sierra. Even if I have to palm it the size makes it superior in my mind.

If I had a reel with the problems you've described, I would take it back to where I got it or contact the manufacturer and see what they have to say. I don't think even the most inexpensive reels should have the problems you've described. You may have one that is defective.

But I'm still not sold on the need for super turbo nitro nuclear drag systems for trout reels. Although all of my reels have them. wink, wink.

[millsboy79]

So lets say "hypothetically" I had a chance at a great reel but is is not the size for the exact line I am currently using (which is a 6wt) what is the major issues with using a larger or smaller reel?

Thinking logically I would think that a smaller rated reel like a 4wt you would not be able to put as much backing on it, and something larger like an 8wt might be heavier and could throw off the balance of your rod ... does that sound about right?

That being said is there any REAL issue with using different sized reels?

[Engels]

Just got a lamson liquid 3 pack from bass pro. I got a reel and two spare spools for a great price. I have yet to use it but testing the drag it feels fantastic. Hopefully I can sneak out Before the season ends to giver a go.

[jgib01]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

So lets say "hypothetically" I had a chance at a great reel but is is not the size for the exact line I am currently using (which is a 6wt) what is the major issues with using a larger or smaller reel?

Thinking logically I would think that a smaller rated reel like a 4wt you would not be able to put as much backing on it, and something larger like an 8wt might be heavier and could throw off the balance of your rod ... does that sound about right?

That being said is there any REAL issue with using different sized reels?

I'd say you have it right. The biggest issues would be balance to your rod, and line capacity. With a smaller reel, you probably would have a minor factor of being less able to quickly spank a lot of line with a big fish running at you, but that's probably moot for fishing these parts... not quite enough climate change yet to bring tarpon into our waters

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

Thinking logically I would think that a smaller rated reel like a 4wt you would not be able to put as much backing on it, and something larger like an 8wt might be heavier and could throw off the balance of your rod ... does that sound about right?

I think you have that right. Those would be my main concerns. The smaller reel would also likely give you a slower retrieve rate than you could achieve with the correct sized reel. I'm not sure whether the drag would make any difference.... whether you would have a problem landing that bonefish with your 4wt reel . I'd use an off-sized reel in a pinch if I needed to, but I wouldn't purposely buy an unmatched one. But if someone gives you one for free and you are on a budget, give it a try. Can't hurt.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I am currently using a Dragonfly Chilcotin reel. .

HA!!!!!!!!!! I laugh because that's the exact reel I bought from Flys Etc. when I picked up my 6wt TFO BVK last year. I used the reel once, with no problems, and then decided to replace it with a Sage 3200 when I bought another 3200 for my 5wt. rod. I felt a little guilty about replacing a reel that I had had no problems with simply because I wanted "better" (obviously not a "wife approved" purchase). First world problem, eh? Sad. So I'm HAPPY to hear you had problems with yours. LOL I rationalize that my Chilcotin is now my back-up reel should anything happen to either of my Sages.

[professori]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I am currently using a Dragonfly Chilcotin reel. I like the larger arbour since my previous reel was an Okuma Sierra. Even if I have to palm it the size makes it superior in my mind.

I wish you had started with this information in the original post. The Okuma Sierra is a monumental piece of crap. I blew one out in a single outing and have never purchased another. There are many inexpensive to moderately priced reels out there with solid drag systems. I have 1/2 dozen Dragonfly and BFR reels that were priced below $70 that perform as well as my Sages. It really doesn't matter that much as most fish I land are handled by line stripping not with the reel. A fish only should get played on the reel if it manages to put itself there, and and then only until you can get the line back in your hand. Just my 2 cents.

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by professori

I wish you had started with this information in the original post. The Okuma Sierra is a monumental piece of crap. I blew one out in a single outing and have never purchased another. There are many inexpensive to moderately priced reels out there with solid drag systems. I have 1/2 dozen Dragonfly and BFR reels that were priced below $70 that perform as well as my Sages. It really doesn't matter that much as most fish I land are handled by line stripping not with the reel. A fish only should get played on the reel if it manages to put itself there, and and then only until you can get the line back in your hand. Just my 2 cents.

It was the Dragonfly that failed and I already got a replacement for it.

I know I'm new to the fly fishing game but why would you want to strip in 40' of line that you can get tangled in instead of simply using the reel that is there designed to gather your line.

[Scott N]

Not to de-rail, but has anyone had any experience with Galvan reels?

[professori]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

It was the Dragonfly that failed and I already got a replacement for it.

I know I'm new to the fly fishing game but why would you want to strip in 40' of line that you can get tangled in instead of simply using the reel that is there designed to gather your line.

It is faster than trying to reel it in with a fish heading towards you, it is ready to cast once the fish is released (or dispatched) but most importantly, I can feel the fish and control the amount of pressure on it with a simple pinch of my fingers (and provide better control than any drag i set on the reel). Drag on a fly reel is so much different than drag on a spinning reel or level wind. With either of those two, the drag will allow a fish to take line, while you are reeling in. Not so with a fly reel and this is no small issue. Having the line in hand allows me to instantly adjust the drag from light to heavy, to free.

p.s. Unlike geared reels, the reel is designed to hold your line, not to gather it.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

It was the Dragonfly that failed and I already got a replacement for it.

I know I'm new to the fly fishing game but why would you want to strip in 40' of line that you can get tangled in instead of simply using the reel that is there designed to gather your line.

Because then you don't have to strip it all back out to cast again. Sometimes I reel in, sometimes I don't. I'm in no rush to get a 6" fish onto the reel and drag. LOL

I agree with some others that you often don't need a reel, or much of reel, for many smaller fish (and some larger). I just like to have something with a nice drag as a backup. I mean, if you are buying a reel anyway, why not have a nice drag. If you can't or don't want to spend the extra money, understood. This really is one of those YMMV issues. Eye of the beholder. If Millsboy wants a nice reel, Millsboy should have one.

You also don't need anything more than a Savage Axis to kill an elk, yet those Sako's and Weatherby's keep flying off the shelves.

[millsboy79]

I actually came into a nice reel. Think it's a size larger than "ideal" but my rod is still well balanced and the quality is in a different league than my old one.

I tried it out today and It was AWESOME.
Looking forward to hooking into my next "big one" no more using my ****ty reel as an excuse.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

I actually came into a nice reel. Think it's a size larger than "ideal" but my rod is still well balanced and the quality is in a different league than my old one.

I tried it out today and It was AWESOME.
Looking forward to hooking into my next "big one" no more using my ****ty reel as an excuse.

Please tell us what your new reel is. You didn't describe it and usually you have a lot to say.