Automatic Fly Rod Reel

[junkman]

Was looking to buy one of those cheep automatic fly rod reels like the ones you see on Ebay but I have never used one. Thought I would ask those that have more intelligence on these matters than myself. Would one of those older Shakespeare's or similar reels work fine for a novas fly fisherman? All I have is a cheep 9ft. 5/6 wt. rod that currently has a little finger click zebco on it, but thought I would like to take e trip down to Taneycomo. Any suggestions appreciated.

[Idylwilde]

Please think again! the trouble that is involved in that kind of outfit would over shadow any fun you would ever have while trying to fish with it. Weak spring, grit, line wear, Spring breaking, clutch slipping, re-winding. I could go on & on. The key word you used is cheap! That's just my opinion and with that and $2.00 you can get a cup of coffee,

[junkman]

Sounds like it is going to be a hand wind then. Less maintenance and break downs sounds like. Like i say never used one. I have used the hand crank ones but just thought the automatic looked like a time saver.

[Kelroy]

You can get a brand-new Pfleuger automatic for around $40. It is made on the old Shakespeare 'vertical spool' pattern.

I have used automatics for forty years now, and have never had a major problem with one. However, I am quite meticulous about maintenance issues on these reels, so please don't think you are going to buy some crusty old relic out of somebody's garage and take it straight to the water without problems. Any older reel should be stripped and cleaned first. If you've ever worked on the recoil-start spring on a lawnmower or chainsaw, then you kinda know what to expect in there. If you like to tinker on stuff, go for it.

Just remember, as you may find out here soon- fly-fishing puritans consider automatics a form of blasphemy. As a fly-fishing heretic, I enjoy my freedom of reel-igion. K

[3wt]

As Sheridan Anderson put it in The Curtis Creek Manifesto- "Drop one in a sandy creek and learn something about applied mechanics."

[Trout Commander]

Just remember, as you may find out here soon- fly-fishing puritans consider automatics a form of blasphemy. As a fly-fishing heretic, I enjoy my freedom of reel-igion. K

I am not a purist by any means, but I do like to have while fishing and to me an auto reel would be pretty boring.

I've also often wondered if you wouldn't see more break offs using one?

[Arofishing]

There are some reels in the $50 price range I'd get before an automatic. I have experience with both, and did have a potentially terrible hiccup with an older automatic reel on my bro in law's setup. For whatever reason it stopped reeling in right in the middle of fishing, it also wasn't the most reliable before that. I didn't have a fish so it was no big deal and I eventually got the tension back somehow. I should also note that this reel was not well maintained and looked to be 10+ years old.

I'd also echo the sentiment that fishing with an automatic is "boring" - at least more boring than the challenge of keeping your line tight and reeling in by hand. But 90% of the fish I catch I could just bring in with my control hand anyway, so you may find that you don't use the reel that much anyway.

You might check the Bass Pro Outlet Center, they have plenty of manual reels there in the $15-40 range as I recall, less than a month ago. More than 5 of them.

[junkman]

I had a hand crank one time that i used for bass and perch. I had bought it to get a little practice in on one but it got stole out of my truck so I never bought another. But yes I sometimes became frustrated trying to keep the line tight, but I see it was not only me. Didn't know I could be accused of being a heretic for bringing the question up though, so sorry for doing that. Didn't know it was a controversial subject.

[Trout Commander]

I had a hand crank one time that i used for bass and perch. I had bought it to get a little practice in on one but it got stole out of my truck so I never bought another. But yes I sometimes became frustrated trying to keep the line tight, but I see it was not only me. Didn't know I could be accused of being a heretic for bringing the question up though, so sorry for doing that. Didn't know it was a controversial subject.

With most warm water species you can "reel" them in by just stripping line through the guides with your off hand while not letting any slide back through with the "trigger finger" of your rod hand. It is easier to keep the line tight when you can strip in a couple feet of line or more as opposed to reeling in 4-6" per revolution of the reel.

[Buzz]

What you DON'T want to happen, while fishing with an automatic, is to accidentally hit the rewind trigger and lose the biggest fish you've ever had on. Been there, done that. Soon after I made a run to Bass Pro and bought a good fly reel with a decent drag. Problem solved. That antique automatic reel is now setting with my other old and antique reels. I've since moved up a grade or 2 in reels, but I still don't spend too much.