What’s a good fly reel?
Fly reels come in a dazzling array of styles, colors and price points. So what makes a good fly reel?
Basically, you need a reel to hold a fly line that matches your rod and you need enough backing to meet your fishing demands. That’s priority one. If we just stopped there, then any old reel would do, but we have some other important considerations.
Balance
It is nice to have a rod and reel that balance. In other words, when you grip the handle, the weight of the reel matches the shaft of the rod. An $800 fly rod tends to be lighter than an $89 fly rod. The $89 rod will match fine with an inexpensive resin body reel. The $800 rod will be better suited to a light weight machined aluminum reel.
Drag System
My first fly reel was a Scientific Anglers System One. It had a click and pawl brake. Basically it had very little brake at all. I caught tons of salmon and big trout on that reel. I also bruised and battered my hands countless times while learning to carefully palm the rim as the handle spun. It was pretty awesome to step up to a fly reel with a good disc drag and just hold on to the rod while a fish was running.
Most of the reels chosen by anglers today feature some sort of disc drag with a wide range of tension adjustment. The goal of a drag is to provide smooth braking power. If your reel starts doing the herky jerk while a fish is running, he might keep going as you reel in a broken line. An inexpensive reel has the braking equivalent to that of a cheap bicycle, while a top end reel brakes like a NASCAR. If you are fishing for small fish with minimal braking needs, that can be just fine. If you are planning to attempt to land a Tarpon, Marlin or a big salmonid in moving water, think NASCAR.
Spool Arbor
Most fly reels have a 1 to 1 retrieve ratio. Turn the spool once and retrieve one turn of line. While multiplier reels exist, they tend to be heavy and are not hugely popular. The size of your spool or arbor diameter will correlate to your line retrieval rate. As materials have gotten lighter, spool frames have gotten larger with larger arbors (inside circumference). Depending on backing capacity and retrieval needs, anglers can choose between standard, mid and larger arbor reel spools.
Rigidity
A fly reel made from cast metal or poly resins is not going to be as rigid as one machined from T6061 aerospace grade bar stock aluminum. Rigidity can be important for longevity of a reel and for withstanding the strain of large fish and heavy drag settings.
Any Reel Won’t Do
Durability and Finish
Reels are designed with three basic mediums. Inexpensive reels are made of plastics and resins. Lower priced reels are typically made of cast metals. Premium reels are machined from aluminum pucks.
Inexpensive reels are tinted within the resins. Cast reels are dipped in a colored coating. Premium reels typically feature hard anodized finishes.
Looks
Do you want your reel to look like an antique? Classic designs are available. Do you want a modern, light weight, fully machined reel with a completely sealed disc drag? Lots of great choices there. Do you want your reel in a custom color? No problem. Do you want to show off the pattern and colors of your favorite fish? You can get that. How about custom logos or signatures. Yep. Premium reel companies offer an array of customizations.
Timex vs. Rolex
Can you put an $800 fly reel on an $89 fly rod? Certainly. Can you put a $35 reel on an $800 fly rod? Sure. Seems kind of silly though. Usually, people match a similar level of performance and price point between rod and reel. Think in terms of putting high performance tires on a sports car or off road vehicle.
If you are fishing a small creek with a 2 or 3 weight, all you will need is a reel that holds your line. You can decide if you want that reel to be a Timex or a Rolex. If you are looking for a good trout reel, than a smooth drag with little start up inertia is really nice for protecting fine tippets. You can find quality reels for between $100 and $300. If you are planning to fish for Salmon and Steelhead or in Saltwater, than it is definitely worth considering the higher end reel choices. Your best choice is a reel with a top notch drag and a rigid frame.
6X and a tiny dry fly landed this Missouri River Rainbow. A smooth drag was helpful.
As with any piece of tackle, choose the best that you can afford and then get out there and use it. Stop into the fly shop and touch and feel the options. Better yet, bring in your fly rod and we can match it up with the perfect reel choice for your budget and fishing needs.