Reel Question

I suggest you buy an inexpensive reel, not a cheap one. My basement is filled with cheap reels that don't work now and never really worked well when new.

I do agree, for 90% of PA trout fishing, an inexpensive reel like maybe a click and pawl that balances well on your rod is all you need. Stay away from the ones made from a lot of plastic parts or even plastic bodies and spools. Machined aluminum is best, but there are some decent cast aluminum ones out there.
 
Take my post for what it's worth. "Does it matter what you use?". To me, it sure does. I see way to many people out there that play the fish to complete and utter exhaustion. Is it lack of fish fighting ability, ignorance or tippet that is too light? What do I use? 4x & 5x. Tricos or midges will get 6x if the fish are smaller. Dcap, it's not my first rodeo. In my eyes 99% of the game is fooling the fish. Playing them is only sketchy when it's a giant. As soon as I hook one, my leader is as tight as a banjo string. That fish will be netted in under 2 minutes or I'll break it off trying to quickly land it. I just think use of 7x, 8x etc is not necessary and can only end up in exhausted / dead trout. I was at the Tully one morning and think there was a guy fishing #28 on 12x. 50% of fish he broke off and the remainder were set free / floated away belly up. You want me to condone that? I can't.
 
I was up in the Upper D the past few days and would say having a decent reel can come in handy. I connected with a handful of hogs and unfortunately they didn't go on many runs...or they ran at me or just started doing immediate cart wheels, which made them difficult to land. In my last few hours of the trip I had a nice bank sipper put the reel to the test and then into the net...I still mainly use an old mid grade Redington reel.
Steelhead, esp NY tribs, can blow up a cheap reel.
Tarpon have to be one of hardest on a reel, not that I know much about this from personal experience. I have an old video done by Stu Apte, an OG tarpon legend, he keeps his drag at only 2-3 lbs then pulls out a white glove while the fish is on its first run so he can cup the reel to add drag...so that puts it in prospective. I don't see myself doing this anytime soon, but I might have on old golf glove somewhere :-?
 
Reels play a part in the balance and weight of the flyrod. Cheap can sometimes work against you. Make sure it is slightly butt heavy when full. If it is tip heavy because the reel is to light - it will wear out your arm faster than the fish will.
 
I use a 2 weight flyrod and 7X tippet for fishing size 24 tricos on several limestoners. I don't fight them to the point of exhaustion. I honestly don't think I take any more time fighting the fish than I do with 6X. The key is knowing HOW to fight the fish. Some people will fight a trout to exhaustion no matter what tippet size they are using.
 
I don't know, that fish on your avatar looks pretty exhausted.
 
It's just an educated guess, but I'm thinking that fish in his avatar was from a mountain stream and probably landed in 10 seconds or something. If it is exhausted, it's from examining closely and taking many pictures, which I will exuse him from, since it's a freakin tiger!!!!! If I caught a wild tiger, yeah, I think I'd go all out on the gawking and picture side of things. Don't worry, it wasn't going to reproduce anyway!
 
It's not eexhausted, it's sleeping. Tiger trout frequently suffer from narcolepsy to to crossbreeding. Lol. +1 to WTT. If you are good at fighting a fish, it can be manhandled...even on 6x. The probe is not many people are good at ending the battle quickly.
 
I think you should buy the best reels you can afford. Reels plural.

It's nice to have good stuff that lasts and fish with it. I guess most if us leave the house with at least two reels, one as a back up or alternative method or venue - nothing worse than your only days fishing being busted by low or high water or jammed reel.

I think what you should spend depends on how often you fish, the type of fishing and how serious you are about catching.

I have 13 reels and 18 spools for six line weights (including Spey) all which get used regularly during the year. So I have to consider form, function and overall cost.

If you only fish small streams buy four reels at your total outlay 2 weights, each with a spare to cover all eventualities imho.

So yeah if you can afford a hardy or an orvis reel setup go for it. If you can't, don't.

Me, I've settled for the $150-$180 price point in makes, some purchased on ebay or speypages. It's where I can afford to have that many reels and spools and still cover all bases for trout, Salmon, bass, and striper fishing that I want to do each year.

Cheers.
 
Hey Phil,

I thought you used a Maryyat fly reel up on the D. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
 
pcray1231 wrote:
It's just an educated guess, but I'm thinking that fish in his avatar was from a mountain stream and probably landed in 10 seconds or something. If it is exhausted, it's from examining closely and taking many pictures, which I will exuse him from, since it's a freakin tiger!!!!! If I caught a wild tiger, yeah, I think I'd go all out on the gawking and picture side of things. Don't worry, it wasn't going to reproduce anyway!
Click to expand...
Actually, that wild tiger was caught during the summer in an unstocked limestoner. I landed it with my Sage SLT 8'6" 4 weight with 5X tippet on a size 12 Harry Steeves crystal butt cricket I tied myself. Landed it pretty quickly, snapped several photos and put him back in the water, no worse for the wear. BTW the fish is not exhausted it's smiling because he is about to become a star! :cool:
 
You can get away with a handline for starfish. There is not much more pleasant to me than gettin them on the reel quickly and then hear that drag sing , even if it's just a few notes.
 
The main thing I like about new and expensive tech is that it creates CURRENT jobs, both on the shop floor and in the marketing department. The runner-up reason is it reduces competition in the snipe hunting forest.

Men have long had a love affair with the newest offerings in tech from audio electronics to fly rods and reels. I see no reason to try to argue against that. It's recreation, so it's all about want not need, and by definition discretionary spending money.

Similarly, I understand people buy cable TV subscriptions for upwards of $100 per month for reasons completely foreign to me. Now there's a real head scratcher unless you need an electronic babysitter.

 
krayfish wrote:
Hey Phil,

I thought you used a Maryyat fly reel up on the D. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Click to expand...

Sadly I don't think the drag on the Marryat even got any use...it was on the nymph rod and all the fish rode out the riff with me...now that rod/reel are in the bottom of that pool
 
foxfire wrote:
Why invest in an expensive fly reel? I fish mostly small to mid sized streams and find that the reel is merely a repository for the fly line. Feathering the line with my fingers functions as the drag. Now I can see how big waters/big fish would require or benefit from a functional drag, but I just don't get the difference between a $300.00+ versus a $50.00 reel when using smaller weighted lines - other than maybe size and reel weight? Please educate me!!
Click to expand...

Form with function?
Aesthetics?
Durability?
Workmanship?
Warranty?
Pride of ownership?
Love of the gear associate with the sport?
Disposable income?
 
All valid points jdaddy! I mainly was referring too why - mechanically.
 
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