Fly Fishing
Reels
How To
Buy A Fly Reel
by
Eugene Macri
The Fly fishing reel has gotten better and better.
Even less expensive reels now have a decent drag. The
only problem I have is weight. Some of the reels are just
too light to balance properly with a rod and cause a
myriad of problems. What happens is that it causes the
fly angler's wrist (especially true in neophytes) to break and
their casting becomes inconsistent.
Sage 1600 Series Fly Reel
There's no easy way to buy a fly reel because everyone is
different. I like reels that hold enough backing and
line. Be wary of the how much line and backing the reels
say they hold because you might be surprised at what
happens. This is due to different backing and fly line
diameters and the over estimate by reel manufacturers of what
they could hold.
The backing is insurance just in case you hook a big one and
it also allows the line less knots and tangles on the reel as
well as it comes out less kinked. Large arbor reels which
spread the line out better are new choice among many fly
fisherman.
OKUMA INTEGRITY LARGE ARBOR FLY REELS
How much should you spend? That's up to you but in the $75
to $125 range will get you a reel that would have cost at
least twice as much a few years ago. In fact, many are
better made than before. Don't be afraid to check reels by
Pfleuger, Martin, Okuma and others. They are unbelievable
for the money.
Make sure your reels' seat will fit your fly rod
because on some models this reel seat is too thick to
fit certain rods. What should the reel be made
of? Well that's also an interesting dilema because many
reels made of composites are just as good as "bar stock"
products of higher prices.
Once again the main themes are balance and how the line
comes off the reel. If you are fishing for and landing
larger fish then of course look for a reel that has a super
powerful drag. However, most decent trout fly
fishing reels have a good drag system today.
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