what reel will pair best with my rod

[c_nesbella]

i am looking to upgrade my reel. i am thinking of going with a galvan rush. i will be pairing it with an 8.5` winston vapor 5 weight. im just wondering what model would pair best an r-4 or r-5? i like a bigger reel so more than likely will go with an r-5 any input would be appreciated.

 

[turkey]

Those Galvans are nice reels. Either one would work for you. I don't know how picky you are about rod/reel balance. The nice thing is that if you ever want to fish a 6wt, the R-5 would be perfect on that as well.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah. Since it's a 5 wt, I assume you're not chasing huge fish here.

So frankly, for 99% of my fishing, I view a reel as little more than a place to hold my line. It's primary concerns are:

1. Look good

2. Balance the rod well.

3. Don't break.

I'll only discuss #2. Test it. Put reel on rod, string line through (that part's important), find balance point. Should be near the front of cork. A little beyond or back isn't a big deal, but within a few inches of the end of the cork. If it's way out the rod, the reel is too light. If its near the base of the handle, it's too heavy.

Since you don't have the reel to test with, test it with some reels you already have. If none are just right, then note which are too heavy, too light, etc. Then tear off all the line and backing, and weigh them empty. Wife's kitchen scale works . You'll get an idea of the weight you need. Now look for new reel with that weight.

Most modern reels work pretty good on 9 ft graphite sticks. I only run into problems with boo and/or exceptionally long or short rods.

 

[RichK]

There are SOOO many good reels on the market. The Galvan Rush looks nice, but so does the new Hardy Ultralite series: large arbor with a more narrow spool width to help with stacking line.
I've been buying USA made reels for a while, but since your Vapor
was made overseas, theHardy wouldn't be a problem. I do own some large arbor reels with wide spool widths, and the Hardy would seem to take care of feeding line back onto the spool nicely.
Some of the larger abor reels are just ridiculously wide....

 

[gutcutter]

RichK wrote:
Some of the larger abor reels are just ridiculously wide....

they have to be wide to accommodate the same length of line per spool diameter.

modern reels are (in general) so light that a "4wt reel" or a "5wt reel" really means nothing.
as pcray was getting at, purchase the reel (no matter how large the arbor and diameter of it) based on weight. otherwise, you will have an outfit that feels like crap and you won't be happy.

i own several galvan reels (although not the rush) and can attest to their craftsmanship. i don't know about their customer service or warranty though - because i have never had a problem with their products. i can't say that for more than a few reel manufacturers (including hardy)

 

[gutcutter]

pcray1231 wrote:
Since you don't have the reel to test with, test it with some reels you already have. If none are just right, then note which are too heavy, too light, etc. Then tear off all the line and backing, and weigh them empty. Wife's kitchen scale works . You'll get an idea of the weight you need. Now look for new reel with that weight.

good advice, but if you don't have a wife (or she doesn't have a decent scale) then you could simply look up your existing reel's weight and the weight of a reel that you like through an internet search and pick an appropriately sized new reel based on that weight.

 

[RichK]

I don't have a problem winding line on wide spools, but my wife does. When she uses a wide spool/large arbor reel, it's usually one size larger than needed, and has less backing. An Abel Creek
solves that problem as well (I've been on an Abel kick lately), but
you don't get a disc drag.

Honestly, I'd take the two bills that the Galvan will cost, and upgrade the rod to a Winston Passport. Get any old line holder for $50: Okuma SLV or Sierra, etc. That's not the question you asked, but that's the answer I'm sticking with. ;-)

 

[gfen]

gutcutter wrote:
modern reels are (in general) so light that a "4wt reel" or a "5wt reel" really means nothing.
as pcray was getting at, purchase the reel (no matter how large the arbor and diameter of it) based on weight. otherwise, you will have an outfit that feels like crap and you won't be happy.

Not only that, but a good way to do it with comparing the weight.

FWIW, opinions on balance will vary. I think I prefer heavier, butt-heavy balance, so a "5wt reel" might feel better on my 4wt rods.

 

[krayfish]

What's your price range? I have a Galvan OB and it's very nice. I also have Ross Evolutions and a Lamson Velocity which are equally as nice. You can find the OB reel being discontinued and at a good price if you look around enough. The Lamson Guru is also nice and a bit cheaper.

 

[c_nesbella]

thanks for all the input from everyone. i have compared the weights based on company specs for my current reel and the r-5 is nearly identical to my current reel. i already own an slv 5/6 decent reel just it bent very easily when dropped ruined my whole day was able to be fixed but dont want another ruined day. i spend 150 - 200 days on the water and need something that will hold up. i hit some bruisers when fishing occasionally so a good drag is important. the galvans have good reviews so i think im going to go with the r-5 thanks for the input