The Importance of the Fly Reel

[Guest rwolfe]

What are your opinions on the importance of the fly reel. How often do you guys/gals use it to bring in a fish. I've heard people say that it's nothing more than something to store your line on. I'm in the market for a new reel and have found that the price range is incredible. Any thoughts or recommendations?

[showmetrout]

After hooking a trout, especially a large one, I try to get all the loose line wound back into the reel as soon as possible, then you can use the drag on the reel to control the tension on the fish. To keep a fish from breaking you off you have 3 things to control the fish. 1) tippet strength 2) the bending of the rod itself 3) feeding the fish line. If you use your finger to keep tension on the line during runs...then too little tension let's the fish run with out tiring....too much & he breaks your line. Using the drag on the reel takes the human equation out of the picture. If the drag is set a little too light you can always palm the reel to add a little more tension. Putting the loose line back on the reel also keeps it out of your way and the fish & line won't get tangled when you try to land the fish.

So make sure you get a reel w/ a good drag.

Cheers,

& happy lunker hunting !

[bikehikefish]

When fishing the trout parks or rivers like the Current and Meramec, it is rare that I have a fish "on the reel". The excess line usually lies loose in the water as I play the fish and strip the line in with my left hand.

Taneycomo is a little different, with its possibility of hooking large trout. When I have a large one on, I let it run until all the slack is gone and I play it on the reel. But even then, the drag is set very light and I "palm" the spool to control the tension. I still don't wind the line in, I like to strip it in and let the excess lie at my feet.

So, in short, for me the drag does very little, so I don't invest in reels that have the better drag systems.

To each his own, decide for yourself if a drag is important for your style of fishing.

[jdavis]

I agree that with a big fish you want to eliminate the variables. Playing these fish on the reel allows you to get rid of loose line and use the drag. So if you fish Taney and are targeting big fish, a reel with a good drag is usefull in a handfull of situations, but don't over pay for it. The Orvis Battenkill sells for around $100 and has an adjustable drag. For the amount of time you use your reel it will certainly fit the bill. In my opinion your outfit should be similarly priced. If you have an enrty or mid level rod, there is no reason to put a fancy reel on it. However, if you have stepped up to a high dollar Sage or something similar it would be nice to complete the outfit and have a balanced reel.

While we are on the subject... I am looking to upgrade my outfit and am looking for a new 5wt. Without getting into the $500 and up range, what line of rods is worth taking a look at? Does anyone have a G.L. Loomis?

[Greg]

I think I'm probably in the minority in that I play almost all the trout I catch off the reel. I just get a kick out of it - the sound and the feel of playing the fish off the reel. I agree that in MO you could get by very well with a cheap reel. But I do think when you catch a 19" plus trout at taneycomo that your chances of landing it are better if you have a good reel. I own a variety of reels but my favorite is the Ross Cimmaron. It has a very smooth drag and a lifetime warranty. I have 2 (in 2 different sizes). It is about $150. But some of my cheaper reels: Pflueger medalist supreme, cabela's prestige, and several Bass Pro reels all work pretty well.

For a good mid-priced rod you might look at the Sage Fli. I have one: 8.5 ft 5 wt and really like it.

Greg

[Wayne SW/MO]

They're not very important, until you really need them. I would rather have a palm drag then a poor friction drag however. While I have a few ATH, Orvis, Ross etc with all the bells and whistles, for our waters a smooth reel that could be palmed when one hooks that rare lunker would work well.

[Bill Butts]

What are your opinions on the importance of the fly reel. How often do you guys/gals use it to bring in a fish. I've heard people say that it's nothing more than something to store your line on. I'm in the market for a new reel and have found that the price range is incredible. Any thoughts or recommendations?

rwolfe,

You're getting some good input from the other forum responses.

Here are a few other things to consider:

Besides helping you play a fish by having a good drag system, the right fly reel (regardless of price) should hold the amount of backing and fly line your fishing requires, and just as importantly it should physically balance your rod properly. What does that mean? Once all your line/backing is loaded on the reel, mount it on your rod and then balance the outfit on your index finger at the very front of the rod handle (on the cork). The rod should either balance or be a little heavy to the reel-end of the rod. Why? This counterbalance totally effects the feel and performance of the rod as you cast. If the rod was tip-heavy you would fatigue from casting much quicker. The proper term for this is "swing weight". A rod with a lighter swing weight feels lighter in your hand. Proper reel weight balance is a very under-emphasized fact that many fly shops don't fully explain to customers.

I suggest you take your rod to the retailer when you look at reels, in order to determine if it will balance properly. If it balances your rod without all the line/backing on the reel it will be just great once it is loaded.

Also, with respect to making a decision on a reel, there are many choices in all price ranges as others have stated. One of the most important issues to think about is how long the manufacturer will have parts and extra spools available. Some companies, mostly private label marketers, seem to change their models more frequently. Name brand makers like Ross, Lamson, Abel, Bauer, STH, Galvan and others will usually have parts and spools available much longer even if the model is discontinued.

You will find a wide variety of prices available in the Ross line, from very reasonable to the upper-mid range.

It would be hard to make a bad decision with any of their reels with respect to quality for the price.

Good luck in your decision process.

Hope this is helpful.

Bill Butts

[Bill Butts]

While we are on the subject... I am looking to upgrade my outfit and am looking for a new 5wt. Without getting into the $500 and up range, what line of rods is worth taking a look at? Does anyone have a G.L. Loomis?

There are getting to be more and more really nice rods in the mid $ range.

I would suggest you consider either the Sage Fli or Winston new Vapor, both sweet feeling rods, for under $300.

But, I would also suggest you look seriously at the new Sage VT2 series, at $400, before you make a decision.

Hope this is helpful to you.

Bill Butts

[porochi]

St. Croix Legend Ultra is a great rod, and priced at $300, can find for under that once in awhile. They're not as fast as Sage; medium fast I'd call em. Am very happy with mine (3 wt) and I landed a 5 lb rainbow at taney on it earlier this year. Thought for sure it was gonna break, it was bent so severely, but it held up.

(Oh, and I released the trout by the way)

Don't recommend using a 3 wt at taney much, especially if they're running water, once a big trout gets into that current, it get BIGGER! You need something with a bit more backbone than a 3 wt when that happens...

[OnTheFly]

The importance of a fly reel for trout greatly depends on your style of fishing. One of my old fishing buddies, who has passed out of this life God rest his soul, viewed the fly reel a devise that gathered and held line and then there is me who use it the reel to help protect 6x – 8 x tippets. So like I said it GREATLY depends on your fishing style.