The Best Fly Reels

Thumper · 11-23-2003, 09:42 AM

OK, now, be nice to me. I have never been over here to the flyfishing board. Kinda nervous around all you experts.

This may have come up many times here, but I am interested in your views on high-end fly reels for salmon and steelhead. Most of my flyfishing is in Alaska, so I have very limited experience.

Based on catching hundreds of sockeye, chums and silvers in Alaska, my own favorite has become the Penn International series. We use several 1.5 G Penns up there. That is the only reel I have found that just keeps on ticking, fish after fish after fish. That HT-100 drag is unbelievable.

Other brands seem to have less reliability and inferior or finicky drags.

What do the experts here think?

(Slinking back now to the other boards.....

)

11-23-2003, 10:40 AM

Welcome to the darkside Jack

You can sink alot of money into high end fly reels and you don't really need to.
One of the sturdiest,most well built reel I've use is the Redington fly reels.
The have an excellent drag and are built to take alot of hard use.
If you want to spend big big $$$ on reels though the Ross line of fly reels are a good bet. Also the Lamson Velocities are well built reels.
Hope this helps

Bubzilla · 11-23-2003, 01:05 PM

Never fished with a Penn fly reel. I currently own Tibor, Billy Pate, Bauer, Redington, Orvis, and STH, and in the past I have owned Abel and others as well.

I prefer the design of Bauer to other reels, i.e., true large arbor, but their drags are not generally the beefiest. The Pate reels are nice as well--very strong drags, but awfully small arbors. Tibors are very, very fine reels. Strong, reliable, stop-a-sub drags. Available upgrades to large arbor by changing spools. Astounding durability. All of the above are very pricey, though--particularly Tibors.

I'd put all the other reels I own together in terms of price. STH has a great idea in terms of how to deal with the issue of extra spools. And, at least on some models, their drags are not that bad--although they won't take the abuse that more expensive reels will take. The Orvis reels? Well, what can you say about Orvis? You either like Orvis, or you know how to fly fish.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Actually, the Redington Large Arbor reels I own--made in conjunction with Orvis--are the best value I have ever encountered. As Stew suggests above, they really were worth their price. They are durable, their drags are strong and reliable, and, as mentioned, their price didn't cause sticker shock. They were a true value--something rare in fly fishing these days. Too bad they've been discontinued.

So, afer all that, what would I say was the best? Well, if price were no object Tibor. They are designed for serious salt water angling, and very few of us will ever throw anything close to that sort of pressure at them in fresh water. For quality and performance on a budget? Redington. I've stopped chrome chinook, in heavy water, in their tracks with them.

[ 11-23-2003, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: Bubzilla ]

11-23-2003, 03:32 PM

When Redington discontinued that line of reels you could get them online for next to nothing. I got a couple and use them with my various steelhead fly rods.
I agree with Bub about sticker shock on some of these reels...Holy Cow! Those Bauers are steep! So are the Loops :shocked: but I sure wouldn't mind having one. The Loops have a revolutionary drag design that you have to see to appreciate.

gottafish · 11-23-2003, 08:11 PM

I have a ross and a adventure 7 great reel The adventer 7 is the best deal.

gstrand · 11-24-2003, 08:13 AM

I am a fanatic of the six wheeled Loop Traditionals - There is NO drag on them, the only tension is for overrun prevention (backlash for you non-fly guys.) I palm and use the line/rod angle and position to apply pressure to the fish, and yes, I've landed fish up to 30#+ chinook without drag. The one steelhead I've taken this season with drag was on my spey rod, with a Redington AS 9/10, and it was, frankly, boooooring not being in direct touch with the fish while the reel did all of the work.

The reel design is incredible on all of the Loops, and I have been tempted by the new Evotech FW models that do have drag that could halt a submarine, but for now I'll stick to the traditionals.

See the results of Loop rods and reels in my "Fishy Pictures" section on my webpage.

http://home.earthlink.net/~piscator/

-G

That said, if I were just getting in to this little addiction, I'd go with a disco'd Redington reel. Great stuff and the prices these days are incredible. A little more money and I'd look in to the Battenkill Bar Stocks from Orvis.

tangled · 11-24-2003, 01:07 PM

I have owned the rocky mountain series from Orvis for about 7 years now - its the only orvis product I have ever owned and was more of a forced buy then anything else - the flyshop only had high end stuff and then the rocky mountain - well needless to say it has been great and one of the good things about it is that the reel is cheap (around 50) and the spools even cheaper - only 12-15 bucks each. I have a six weight that I carry a dry line steelhead spool and a trout spool that I use on the Deschutes - easy to change- I tend to like a cheaper real because of the beating mine inevitably take - the drag is decent as well - just my opinion -

Thumper · 11-24-2003, 05:10 PM

Gstrand --- I am not a fly fisherman, except as a matter of convenience when sockeye fishing or "brousing" salt flats in Alaska for cohos. I have to say that your web page is totally mesmerizing. Your photography is fantastic, utterly fantastic. The pic of your son with his "trophy" is worth all the words in the world.

Sincere thanks from a "gear guy."

gstrand · 11-25-2003, 06:36 AM

You are too kind. Thanks. Fishing is always better with family, and since it's awesome solo, it's usually incredible with his company.

This little report was our last outing.

Old Coot · 11-25-2003, 08:02 AM

For around a hundred bucks you could do a lot worse than an STH. The cast pot-metal model is relatively inexpensive, changing spools takes seconds, and spare spools are just a few dollars each. I managed to lose a part while cleaning mine, sent a drawing and 5 bucks to the company asking for a replacement. They sent back a couple each of every small part in the reel. Great service.

As for the drag, I've landed way over a hundred salmon into the low 40's range on my STH without problem. Machinist's art it's not, but functional...you bet!

gstrand · 11-25-2003, 08:09 AM

...and all STH Reels are currently half priced at the Cortland Company Store.

http://www.cortlandline.com/factorystore/

-G

Pete · 11-25-2003, 08:26 AM

I once ordered a Bogdan. At the time, it was 7 years from order to delivery. When your reel was ready, they call once. If you didn't answer live, they scratch your name and go to the next on the list. If for any reason they thought you wouldn't fish with the reel, they wouldn't sell it to you. I sure wish I'd been home when they called. I suspect it would have been a reel I'd have liked.

Riverkeeper · 11-25-2003, 08:27 AM

:shocked:

rpnsteelheadlps · 11-25-2003, 08:45 AM

http://www.rajeffsports.com/ For the price his Echo Rods and Reels are the best on the market. To include the Airflo flylines.

Bubzilla · 11-25-2003, 12:38 PM

You're in luck Pete! For the bargain basement price of only $1,850.00 you can get the salmon/steelhead model Bogdan right now on Ebay. And, even better news, you only have to wait three months for delivery. Plus, for only another $300.00 you can get the custom reel case. Big savings on that Ebay, huh?

Obviously most of us have never owned a Bogdan reel--most of us never will. I have, however, seen them in person, and have fished around guys who have had them. And no offense to anyone intended, but to me they have always represented the form over function sentiment that so often pervades fly fishing.

SSPey · 11-25-2003, 09:10 PM

be careful with Redington, cuz in saltwater you could have a Rustington

garyk · 11-25-2003, 10:43 PM

Yo Thumper!

On ebay, I recently picked up pairs of Redington Large Arbor #8, #10, #12 reels for some south-of-the-boarder trips. Each was well under $100.

Otherwise, I've used the mid-priced ROSS Gunnison series #2 and #3 for years for chum and steelhead.

In the last 15 years, the choice of quality fly reels has absolutely exploded, it's just an amazing variety out there.

Now with you asking about fly gear, I wonder if perhaps we'll be seeing a second flyrodder (or some hybrid) haunting the mouth of some Columbia tributary??

Thumper · 11-26-2003, 05:40 AM

Gary:

Funny you should ask.....Boondogging flies for summers is a blast, and less sticky too.

I've got the Vantage 101 on the new boat. Now all I need in a long trolling fly rod and I'll be as good as Scott, right?

But that casting stuff requires skill. I admire you guys and gals. It's amazing to watch Stew cast. What that tired old body can do!

[ 11-26-2003, 06:43 AM: Message edited by: Thumper ]

Steelie28 · 11-26-2003, 01:42 PM

I have to agree with Bubzilla. I once had a Bauer M4 on my 8 wt, caught my first steelie on that reel. I think Bauer has since fixed the problem, but the early models had drags that would hydroplane on you. Luckily, I had that reel stolen about 3 years ago. I have a buddy that owns a flyshop, so I tested a variety of reels that he had (new Bauers, Billy Pate, Able, Tibor, Redington, Sage, Galvin, etc). I finally bought a Tibor Everglades, and man is thing awesome. Simply the smoothest drag I have ever felt. I also like the fact that there is an outclick, which Ables don't have. They are spendy, but that drag has landed fish that I know would have broken me off if I was using another reel.

Steelie28

Carver_OR · 11-26-2003, 05:06 PM

I own some reels that are machined out of air craft material and only have one moving part, the pawl. I got involved with this company in the early 90ts helping in the design and marketing. One of the smoothest drags you'll ever feel. Need to watch them if you dip them into the water as they might over ride, so a little palming is necessary now and then, I like to palm a reel anyway. The drag is a Old Florida or Abel knock off and the workmanship is great. The feel of a machined reel to cast is like fiberglass to graphite. But it really doesn't matter to the fish.
Pat

11-26-2003, 09:30 PM

Hey Thumper it seems like you're spending more and more time over here

Well we're glad to have ya...well maybe not glad

but you're welcome over here anytime. Why don't you join us on Tuesday night?

garyk · 11-26-2003, 11:13 PM

Thumper, (if you're still daring to be here :grin: )

Since you mentioned that awesome angler by name, do you have any idea of what sort of rod/blank he's using?

I thought we might try to emulate that peculiar system now that I've got an abundance of heavy fly reels. And, for the fact that at the NSIA auction I won the new, to-be-released-in-December, Minnkota 24v, reversible head motor. Thought I might put that on the driftboat and join the 'quiet crowd' down there.

Thumper · 11-27-2003, 05:09 AM

Stew --- I'd love to attend but I am on the road that night. Next time.

Gary --- I don't know what rod he uses, but he had an Abel reel at least one day last spring. Is that a good one?

Long rod. Electric motor. Spinner prawns (sorry flyguys). Big springers in 4-6 feet of water in the flats. Be there!!! :grin:

True · 11-27-2003, 06:20 AM

I've used a Scientific Anglers System II model for quite a few years now and have NEVER had a problem with it. I would think an 8/9 or 10/11 would do you right. Very good price. I know that many say you get what you pay for but some of the price tags for the upper end reels are outrageous!

I also own a couple of the Mastery Series reels and those babies are sweeeeeeet! Just picked up a System III (11/12 wt) and am looking forward to taking it to BAJA with me hopefully this spring or summer.

True