Reel Difference?

[david anthony]

My question concerns reels.  After showing a friend of mine my new rod & reel package he said he liked the rod but wasn’t too impressed with the reel.  I have a feeling some of his opinion is based in the fact that it’s polycarbonate.

Besides better wear and tear what does a more expensive reel get you that a less expensive reel cannot provide?  Obviously since I’m an advanced beginner I’ve just been concentrating on my fly casting technique and think the rod is vastly more important than the reel, but what makes an expensive reel worth it?  Thanks for your thoughts.

[Zach Matthews]

David –

This article should answer almost all of your questions:

http://www.itinerantangler.com/podcasts/2007/08/article_brake_jobs.html

Zach

[Simon Chu]

Apart from the brakes, engineering and craftmanship, David, theres the finish and for many purchasers the pride of ownership value. Some reels come with history and others might be handbuilt and production is limited.
Price won’t always be a reflection of design or even braking power but desireability.

I believe once you use a reel with a decent drag, particuarly in the salt, the benefits of drag and good design will show themselves.

Like Zach’s article I would always try to buy the best reel I can afford and and these are not neccessarily the most expensive.

[greg mitchell]

I’m far from an expert but I have been fly fishing for many years and I also own a lot of reels  ;D so I’m going to throw in my .02

You can certainly get by with a cheaper reel. Many work very well. But when you step up in price you generally get better fit and finish, durability, and a better drag. At least up to a certain point.

I think most would agree the best reels are machined aluminum. The good ones ($100 and up) are darned near bulletproof. I’ve got a teton tioga that I’ve dropped multiple times onto rocks and concrete and all it does is scratch it a bit. Try that with most cast reels or polycarbonate reels and they tend to break or bend (I’ve done it).

Drag: Zach wrote a very nice article on fly reel drag systems. I fish mainly for trout but even for trout on my local tailwater a good drag has enabled me to land fish I don’t think would be possible with a lesser drag. Whenever I hook a bigger fish on 7X or even a decent fish when the river is up and flowing hard – a smooth, adjustable, and reasonably powerful drag is worth it’s weight in gold.

Just my opinion but quality reels start at about $100 and go up from there. There are several in the 100 to $200 range that should last a lifetime and perform as well as the most expensive reels out there.

Greg

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