Choosing a quality mid level reel

If you can't palm a fresh steelie on a clicker in the Salmon River (running 1250 cfs), your a bad fisherman. Blah, blah. To each their own. My personal position is to get the best you can afford. Any of the higher priced gear (waders, reels or rods) have been great 'investments'. Never a malfunction and hold value in the event I would ever sell or trade them. If you go cheap on your gear and it breaks, , don't come on here griping about the lack of quality in your purchase.

Swattie, "even on the mighty D" was a bit excessive. I'm assuming you have never hooked a 22" wild fish, in heavy water on 5x from a boat. The fish bolts up river while the boat continues down river. A good reel with a smooth / strong drag can be the difference between landing the fish or tying on a new rig. For 90% of fishing in this area, a $10 throw away reel will work fine. Never seen a 5" brookie or a 11" stockie spool anyone in a creek that's 15' wide.

Bottom line.... go cheap, don't complain if it breaks.
 
krayfish wrote:
I'm assuming you have never hooked a 22" wild fish, in heavy water on 5x from a boat.
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Correct. But if the situation is handled properly by the angler, including adjusting the drag as needed, I would suspect that any of my $60 or less reels could handle that situation. And I still think an 18" Smallie in big water (which I have hooked and caught) meets, or exceeds the reel testing capacity of a 20-22" wild Trout.

Suppose the fish gets you out of position like you describe and the 5x breaks off...is that automatically the reel's fault? I understand how a smooth drag is beneficial here, but any decent drag system (set properly) should be able to start giving line in those conditions.

Does a more expensive reel mean a more reliable reel? Maybe, but not necessarily...would depend on the individual reels and the drag setups I guess. Again, I've never lost a fish to a broken reel or drag mechanism...when/if I do I'll maybe rethink my position.


 
Either have I, Swattie. Every fish I've ever lost, including the pigs, have been because of user error. I've caught some hefty smallies in big water in a boat, both of us headed the opposite direction. Landed some, lost some. The ones I lost, I lost 'cause I'm a moron.

Truth be told, though, if I could afford a really nice, upper end (not Cheeky!) reel, I'd buy one. Until then, I just gotta make what I can afford work!
 
krayfish wrote:
If you can't palm a fresh steelie on a clicker in the Salmon River (running 1250 cfs), your a bad fisherman. Blah, blah. To each their own. My personal position is to get the best you can afford. Any of the higher priced gear (waders, reels or rods) have been great 'investments'. Never a malfunction and hold value in the event I would ever sell or trade them. If you go cheap on your gear and it breaks, , don't come on here griping about the lack of quality in your purchase.

Swattie, "even on the mighty D" was a bit excessive. I'm assuming you have never hooked a 22" wild fish, in heavy water on 5x from a boat. The fish bolts up river while the boat continues down river. A good reel with a smooth / strong drag can be the difference between landing the fish or tying on a new rig. For 90% of fishing in this area, a $10 throw away reel will work fine. Never seen a 5" brookie or a 11" stockie spool anyone in a creek that's 15' wide.

Bottom line.... go cheap, don't complain if it breaks.
Click to expand...

+1 and Swattie you missed the biggest point, from a boat. If you are handling the oars and trying to keep yourself from spinning in circles or running into a boulder, then flipping the Pontoon or damaging the drift boat and losing gear, a clicker is just not worthwhile. The OP wanted opinions for Pa streams not named the Delaware, Lehigh, Yough though. My Galvan is probably my biggest fly fishing purchase and I will never regret it.
 
Only American made machined reels from now on for me. I have had cast reels fail completely when dinged on rocks, and have had drags fail on cheaper machined reels.

The bottom line is that I have realized that these items are a buy it for life investment. I have stopped buying cheap, disposable gear, and my life has improved due to it. I now can afford less, but it lasts longer and is immensely more enjoyable. One 200 dollar reel for life vs 4 60 dollar disposable ones. It's not even close imo.

Buy whatcha want, but the cheaply made Chinese garbage is just that.

If I ever have grandkids, I'd like them to use my fishing stuff. I doubt the okumas and cabelas reels I always used would last. The stuff I buy now will outlive me, and I'm supporting American craftsmen.
 
jayL wrote:
Only American made machined reels from now on for me. I have had cast reels fail completely when dinged on rocks, and have had drags fail on cheaper machined reels.

The bottom line is that I have realized that these items are a buy it for life investment. I have stopped buying cheap, disposable gear, and my life has improved due to it. I now can afford less, but it lasts longer and is immensely more enjoyable. One 200 dollar reel for life vs 4 60 dollar disposable ones. It's not even close imo.

Buy whatcha want, but the cheaply made Chinese garbage is just that.
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And you don't want that $60 reel to fail on you while you are fishing.
 
A cabelas prestige plus failed on the largest Penns brown I ever caught. It's a miracle I landed the fish.

Garbage served me well for years, but I've graduated to better gear. If you can afford it, imo, you are doing yourself a disservice to fish with crap. But I'm the kinda guy that moves across the country to fish, so maybe its different for me.
 
Unless you are into steelheading ,where is it in Pa. you are catching the fish that stress your reels?
a 20" fish is a two pounder.
dame Juliana Berners would have had no problem landing them on a wooden winch and greenheart rod.
 
Penns creek.

A 60 dollar Chinese reel with an attempted drag breaks way easier than a 25 dollar Chinese clicker with no moving parts. This is a point that you appear to be missing.
 
not missing anything-very enjoyable topic.My point being-99 % of the fish caught in keystone waters don't need to be played off reel.
 
The only feeling I get from this thread, though, is that if you want to do it right, you gotta have loads of cash. I don't like the idea that fly fishing is a rich man's sport.

My biggest regret is not blowing wads of cash on fly fishing equipment BEFORE I got married and had kids!
 
This is why I have no interest in family at this point in life. The fishing is too good.

And I don't have loads of cash. I am fortunate, but far from ahead.

The money I spend on fishing is money spent on toys. It is disposable. I choose to keep it in America, and I choose to help keep an American employed with my discretionary spending. I have realized that I'd rather do without than send it to China.
 
and Sas- better stay married cuz you know who gets the fishing equipment you do have.lol
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
The only feeling I get from this thread, though, is that if you want to do it right, you gotta have loads of cash. I don't like the idea that fly fishing is a rich man's sport.

My biggest regret is not blowing wads of cash on fly fishing equipment BEFORE I got married and had kids!
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I would slightly disagree with Jayl (and I don't do that often). Whereas I agree that better equipment is worth the investment, I don't think you need to spend $200 for a reel that will last a LONG time. I have all Orvis Battenkills and I am not easy on them and they have never failed me and have years of life left.

How's the fishing out west buddy?
 
200 was a rhetorical number, as was 60. Just made them up to make a point. I consider a machined battenkill to be a buy it for life item.

Fishing is good to great. Life is good.
 
jayL wrote:
This is why I have no interest in family at this point in life. The fishing is too good.

And I don't have loads of cash. I am fortunate, but far from ahead.

The money I spend on fishing is money spent on toys. It is disposable. I choose to keep it in America, and I choose to help keep an American employed with my discretionary spending. I have realized that I'd rather do without than send it to China.
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Well, I can't disagree about buying American. I do try to do that when there are things worth purchasing. Jayl, PM me the reels you prefer unless you want to throw it out there.
 
jayL wrote:
200 was a rhetorical number, as was 60. Just made them up to make a point. I consider a machined battenkill to be a buy it for life item.

Fishing is good to great. Life is good.
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Good to hear, it is beautiful country out there. Don't know if you saw my posts from Southern California. Not Montana by any stretch but very sweet fishing, albeit for small fish.
 
Ha Pete, I'm keeping the wife and kids. I love FFing, but I REALLY love my family!

I suspect the only gear that will survive for them to inherit is the gear that I inherited. My Phillipson, the Fenwick, the Heddon and Medalist reels.
 
pete41 wrote:
Unless you are into steelheading ,where is it in Pa. you are catching the fish that stress your reels?
a 20" fish is a two pounder.
dame Juliana Berners would have had no problem landing them on a wooden winch and greenheart rod.
Click to expand...

My Galvan is on my 4wt which I use for the Lehigh, Delaware, Penns, Little J and many other streams. All of those mentioned hold fish bigger then two pounds. I am not saying I am catching them, but there is a threat they are there. Also, you have to take into consideration the flows of these bigger streams. I also fish my 4wt on smaller streams that do not have the bigger fish, but I am not going to change up reels on my rod just because the threat of a bigger fish is not there.
 
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