Recommendations for decent, inexpensive reels for backup rods

[Kms]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I stumbled across someone letting go a new Lamson Remix 7 3-pack for slightly more than two Okumas, and I jumped on it.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Can anyone recommend decent, durable 5wt reels for ~$50 or less for my backup rods? After my Orvis Clearwater rod broke, I went to Sierra for backup gear. I bought a pair of TFO 5wt 8’6” Signature IIs and two packs of 5wt SA Mastery Trout line for $170 total, but balked at spending $180 more for a pair 5wt Lamson Liquids.

Does anyone have any feedback on those? The Okuma Sierra and SLVb, and the Redington Crosswater IV seem like contenders. Are there any others I should consider? Thanks in advance!

One thing to remember is that fly reels are SUUUPER simple compared to any other reel, spinning, spincasting or baitcasting. There isn't much to them. THey don't do much. I think of the use I got out of my $35 Trion, little spinning reel that I used for stream smallies over the past, gee, 15+ years. A bail, gears, drag, spool oscillation, drag.... all with no problems. I' haven't used any fly reel to this extent of stripping & reeling.
Except for this: every time you pull off line, you use the drag of a fly reel, so probably the fly reel gets more use on its drag, but it's very light. I have a cheapy click/pawl LL Bean reel I got for a 3 wt. Can't imagine what would go wrong unless I jump on it or grind sand into it.
Syl

 

[Kms]

One thing to remember is that fly reels are SUUUPER simple compared to any other reel, spinning, spincasting or baitcasting. There isn't much to them. THey don't do much. I think of the use I got out of my $35 Trion, little spinning reel that I used for stream smallies over the past, gee, 15+ years. A bail, gears, drag, spool oscillation, drag.... all with no problems. I' haven't used any fly reel to this extent of stripping & reeling.
Except for this: every time you pull off line, you use the drag of a fly reel, so probably the fly reel gets more use on its drag, but it's very light. I have a cheapy click/pawl LL Bean reel I got for a 3 wt. Can't imagine what would go wrong unless I jump on it or grind sand into it.
Syl

Agreed. I wouldn’t have bothered to replace the cheapo Quarrow reel, but if you look at this picture, it’s clear that the little spring loaded clicker is made of harder metal than the gear it’s hitting, and so has been cutting a groove through the gear, spraying tiny bits of shrapnel. Brilliant design, that.

 

[Prospector]

Unless you catch 20+ inch fish on a consistent basis, you really just need a reel that functions as a “line holder”. My trout reels are very cheap. I strip in all the trout I catch all season long and that’s about 450 this year so far. Save your money for something more important.

Steelhead and other lake run fish require $150-$250 reels that have a great drag system. Trout don’t.