Best ultralight spinning reel

Got a shimano spinninng reel when I was 10 years old fished it every day after school almost 3 seasons a year until I started driving. Fished it all through college fresh and salt. And I caught a pickerel today on it with my daughter. haven’t oiled it once and if i flick the handle it rotates forever. If you go above $50 on a shimano reel and don’t get sand in it you can prob leave it to your kids.
 
wildtrout2 said:
Not everyone is a purist. ;)
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No, but the intent is a fly fishing website. Sure this post is no harm but allow 50 more and soon we will be answering questions on the best way to repair an engine block muddying up the whole thing.

Go with an old Mitchell. Best spin reels ever.
 
Mods do your jobs , this thread never should have been posted.
 
I have several Shimano Stradic spinning reels and they are well made. Never had any problems whatsoever and used them hard in all kinds of weather. I rarely fish my spinning rods anymore except for bass. On a side note I do think I am a better fly fisherman because I started at a young age as a spin fisherman. Learning to cast and dead drift a worm with no weight makes you conscious of a lot of subtle things. I see plenty of people who are masterful casters with a fly rod but don't catch many fish.
 
Kyle said:
if your looking for a spinning reel. you cant go wrong with shimano.

which brings me to my next thought. i wonder why shimano never got into the fly reel business. they would make money.
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They do make fly reels, however a lot of what Shimano makes which includes their Made in Japan top of the line offerings in many reels aren't available in the US for any number of reasons.

They are a very successful company who peddles a LOT of conventional reels so they must know what they are doing...
 
wildtrout2 said:
The mods do a great job on this site. If you're not happy with the way they run things, go elsewhere.
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1+

A new member with 13 posts, passing judgement on another new member with 7 posts just looking for help... :rolleyes:

Gotta to love the holier than thou attitude of some fly schmucks. No wonder so many conventional anglers think we are a-holes.
 
Be aware that the moderators read every thread. Not all of us at once but a least every other day one of us do. If something off topic is posted, we may each or any of us think it is OK. Nastiness will be moderated much more quickly and strictly.
 
“Gotta to love the holier than thou attitude of some fly schmucks. No wonder so many conventional anglers think we are a-holes.”

They do??? 😊
 
Not sure which Mitchell reels you guys are suggesting? The Garcia Mitchells of the 70's and 80's are what I remember. Those old reels are nowhere near what you get with a modern spinning reel. The bail springs would get weak and need replaced over time and even the 308 was clunky and heavy. Water would get inside them and cause problems. The drags were not smooth. I have my old ones for the sake of nostalgia but wouldn't use or suggest them to others.
 
It's possible you would know and I would not.
I cannot recommend what I do not know, I have not used a spin reel in so long they might have been the best at the time?

That's probably it.
It is a fly fishing website after all.
 
sixfootfenwick said:
It's possible you would know and I would not.
I cannot recommend what I do not know, I have not used a spin reel in so long they might have been the best at the time?

That's probably it.
It is a fly fishing website after all.
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Yes. They were the top of the line back then.
 
caddisflyer said:
Water would get inside them and cause problems. The drags were not smooth.
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In modern UL spin reels, IMO these are the biggest two issues that going from the entry line stuff to the mid grade products solves, regardless of brand.

The cheap (under $50ish) reels aren’t sealed well and if you drop them in the water, water gets inside and they start to bind up on you. They become difficult to fish with for the rest of the day, and when you get home you have to fully take them apart, dry them, and re-grease them. I still have a couple “backups” that are like this and have yet to be fully removed from my lineup. Getting into the $60-$100 range seems to universally solve this issue. And the drags are generally smooth and work well once you get above the entry line stuff.

Are the $200 reels even better? Yes. They’re smoother on the retrieve and have smoother, more precise, drags. But there’s no glaring flaws in the $60-$100 range products like there are in the el cheapo’s to justify the upgrade.
 
If you want to keep the spend down, or you need to set up multiple rods, a really good budget light reel is the Daiwa Strikeforce 2000. They are on the web for under $17, shipped. Ratio is 5.3:1, which is just fast enough. If you use them around saltwater, the bail springs will eventually go, but they're easy to fix. I have three of these reels, I've caught big stripers and blues and small wild trout (and everything in between) on them. Stay away from the smaller Strikeforce 1000. Good luck, I personally enjoy both fly and spin fishing, depends upon the circumstances.
 
I think this discussion is great! For one, it has stuck to the topic, strictly one of reels. Nobody had gone off on a tangent about related gear, techniques, etc. Additionally, it further shines light on the diversity of fishing expertise and experience within the Board. Lastly, it has encouraged some other Board members, who perhaps don’t feel confident to contribute at times, to speak up. That’s a good thing.
 
Swattie87 said:
In modern UL spin reels, IMO these are the biggest two issues that going from the entry line stuff to the mid grade products solves, regardless of brand.

The cheap (under $50ish) reels aren’t sealed well and if you drop them in the water, water gets inside and they start to bind up on you. They become difficult to fish with for the rest of the day, and when you get home you have to fully take them apart, dry them, and re-grease them. I still have a couple “backups” that are like this and have yet to be fully removed from my lineup. Getting into the $60-$100 range seems to universally solve this issue. And the drags are generally smooth and work well once you get above the entry line stuff.

Are the $200 reels even better? Yes. They’re smoother on the retrieve and have smoother, more precise, drags. But there’s no glaring flaws in the $60-$100 range products like there are in the el cheapo’s to justify the upgrade.
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I tend to agree. I have a number of mid grade Diawas on our bass rods. They are good but occasionally we have some issues with the gears. The Stradics have had zero problems.
 
Shimano Vanford or Stradic carbon if you can find one used.
 
caddisflyer said:
Not sure which Mitchell reels you guys are suggesting? The Garcia Mitchells of the 70's and 80's are what I remember. Those old reels are nowhere near what you get with a modern spinning reel. The bail springs would get weak and need replaced over time and even the 308 was clunky and heavy. Water would get inside them and cause problems. The drags were not smooth. I have my old ones for the sake of nostalgia but wouldn't use or suggest them to others.
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I have three Mitchell's I use REGULARLY: a 1970's Garcia-Mitchell 408, a 1970's Garcia-Mitchell 300 and a 1946ish Mitchell (pre 300/pre Garcia) Version 2 or 3 Half Bail.

IF the OP was into nostalgia and for his stated intended quarry, "panfish," I really can't see any reason an old Garcia-Mitchell 308 or 408 wouldn't be fine. I also have a 1960's Orvis 50A I use for trout & panfish regularly and I have no issues with that either.

In the meantime the last time I used it, the bail wire pulled free on one end of the bail arm on my Stradic... ;)
 
Bamboozle said:
I have three Mitchell's I use REGULARLY: a 1970's Garcia-Mitchell 408, a 1970's Garcia-Mitchell 300 and a 1946ish Mitchell (pre 300/pre Garcia) Version 2 or 3 Half Bail.

IF the OP was into nostalgia and for his stated intended quarry, "panfish," I really can't see any reason an old Garcia-Mitchell 308 or 408 wouldn't be fine. I also have a 1960's Orvis 50A I use for trout & panfish regularly and I have no issues with that either.

In the meantime the last time I used it, the bail wire pulled free on one end of the bail arm on my Stradic... ;)
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I never had any issue with my 308 either.
I imagine it would still work too.
 
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