Most of us cannot afford to begin fly-fishing with top-of-the-line equipment. The price range of a quality fly reel can vary from $100 to $800, and some are ridiculously priced over $1,000. Some of the most important questions to consider when choosing value for your money are:
1. What are you planning to fish for? Trout or big game? Reels, like fly lines, are designated by a weight system. For trout fishing rivers and lakes, a 3/4 or 4/5 weight reel will be small, light and well balanced for the 4- or 5-weight rod that you will be using. When you fish for salmon and steelhead on the west coast rivers you'll need an 8/9 or even a 10/12 weight reel to balance your 9 to 12-weight rod for these bruisers.
2. Where are you going to fish? Fresh, salt water or both? If you fish salt water, even the most expensive reels will be ruined if they are not anodized to prevent corrosion. After a salt water trip you should wash and rinse your reels and their gears in fresh water, then air-dry them thoroughly.
3. What about balance? All reels, after they are loaded with backing and fly line, should balance at the head of the handle grip, where they will perform and cast in the best power-to-hand ratio.
4. What drag systems are available? Fly reels use either a hand-palm drag, common in less expensive reels, or a disc-drag system that is prevalent on more costly reels, a must have for big game fish. Using hand-palm drag, a large fish can spool you quickly and will often tangle your line in the process. With disc-drag, fish can be played off the reel and controlled more easily.
5. Large arbour or small? Large arbour reels pack the fly line more loosely than small arbour reels, resulting in less coils and better control of your line if it has been on the spool for the winter. It usually takes 15 minutes of casting to get the kinks out of your small spools, or maybe a big fish.....I like large arbour spools!
6. How can I tell if the reel is high quality for what I am spending? Fly reels are made from polymer composites (less expensive reels) or aluminum alloy that are die-cast or machined. Machined reels are by far the best, offering light-weight technology and precise engineering craftsmanship.
7. Do I need spare spools? Yes you do, to hold various lines: floating, intermediate and sinking that you will need to fish water at various depths. Spare spools are about the price of the complete reel. Alternatively, you can spare the cost of extra spools and use a versa-tip designed floating line that accepts a full range of floating and sinking tips which are connected loop-to-loop to a main line. The system is expensive, but you only need one line and one spool.
My thought for choosing a good fly reel: buy the best you can afford; you will have your reel for your lifetime, and history to pass to your grandchildren.
