I need a new reel.

[FishMoken]

So I pulled out my 7wt reel, just to find out that I had bent the frame. I tried to bend it back but with it being a cast reel it just cracked the frame. Good news is I can still reel it. I think it will give me some time till I can make up my mind for a new reel. What do you guys use? Also what do you like or dislike about it? Is it worth it to get a full CNC machined reel?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[On the fly]

Kinda a loaded question. I use exclusively bar stock aluminum fly reels, I just like the way they feel, and I like their strengh especially being kicked around in my yak. They can be stronger and tend not to be so easily damaged like some cast models. The other part is the guts of the reel. It may be a strong bar stock but have poor quality drag or other issues. Also cost -vs- use becomes a factor. I sell a lot of Lamson liquid cast reels to salmon fisherpersons that go up to New York once maybe twice a year. They want a good drag system but at a reasonable cost, 7/8 - 3.5 about $110. It uses the same conical drag their upper end reels use. If you are interested at looking and going through different reels PM me and I will let you know when I work next at bass pro flyshop, only part time, and you can get a hands on feel for different reels and their specific designs.

Just my 2 cents

Harry

[Cluelessandfly]

Hi FishMoken, Sorry to hear the bad news...It's always a horrible feeling when you damage a reel or rod. I'm a huge fan of Cheeky reels. I feel like they offer good value for their build. They are not cheap, but they fish well, have nice rag and have stood up well from bass to striper. I have the boost 325 paired with my 3wt brookie rod, but use it for panfish and bass as well. Stronger drag and comparable to my old SA System II 6wt trout reel. I also have the Mojo 425 9/10wt for my salt species. drag is nice, but have yet to hook into stripes larger than 25".

I also have the Allen Kraken in 7wt. This reel is more traditional in look, but also fishes great.

The things I'd look for in a new reel is a nice sealed drag system, light weight, and large arbor for anything 6wt and up IMO. My understanding , and I'm sure Harry, can correct me or add to it, is that most reels on the market in the $100+ range tend to be pretty damn good.

I know a few guys with Redington Behemoths which may be sub 100. I've heard nice things about it.

Hope that helps.

Gregg

[Mark]

FishMoken,

I have many reels but my favorites are two Scientific Angler Ampere reels. One is for 5 wt. line and one is for 6 wt. line.

Here's the 6 wt. reel:

SA Reel.jpg

I like the machined look and I like its lightness. Each balances well on the rod I use it on. Each has a sealed drag system and each is readied for salt water. However those latter two issues rarely come into play with the fish I catch and where I fish.

None of the fish I target in my kayak run much. A schoolie or barely legal striper pulls very little drag. And don't forget, you have 8.5 to 9 feet of highly flexible graphite rod to help control a larger fish you may encounter. Freshwater bass and pickerel typically burrow down in the water after you hook them. They don't run. For panfish you need no drag at all, just clamp down on the line and let the flex of the rod do its job. Even the 16 to low 20 inch saltwater specks I've caught in FL rarely pull drag. And down there I use an 8 wt. rod.

So I think it really depends on what you're targeting. Harry will guide you well in your purchase. I could very well get by with cheaper reels based on my typical catches. But I think Gregg is right, once you pass the $100 threshold you will have to catch a rare fish to surpass the quality of your reel. If you have the cash, it's nice to have a quality reel just in case you hook that fish of a lifetime. And besides that, it will last a very long time.

Good luck,

[FishMoken]

Thanks everyone, my reel was a sage 1680. I just ordered a cheap plastic 8wt reel to get me by till I can make time to get down to the fly shop. Most of my fishing is for bass, rarely will they get to pull any drag. I have found a couple of spots that have some very large carp I’d really like to target and having a smooth drag would be great for that. I was really looking at the Lamson line because of there sealed drags. I’m not opposed to cast reels as I had my sage for 5+ years no issues. Just was wondering if upgrading would really be worth it. The weight never really bothered me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[On the fly]

Hi FishMoken, Sorry to hear the bad news...It's always a horrible feeling when you damage a reel or rod. I'm a huge fan of Cheeky reels. I feel like they offer good value for their build. They are not cheap, but they fish well, have nice rag and have stood up well from bass to striper. I have the boost 325 paired with my 3wt brookie rod, but use it for panfish and bass as well. Stronger drag and comparable to my old SA System II 6wt trout reel. I also have the Mojo 425 9/10wt for my salt species. drag is nice, but have yet to hook into stripes larger than 25".

I also have the Allen Kraken in 7wt. This reel is more traditional in look, but also fishes great.

The things I'd look for in a new reel is a nice sealed drag system, light weight, and large arbor for anything 6wt and up IMO. My understanding , and I'm sure Harry, can correct me or add to it, is that most reels on the market in the $100+ range tend to be pretty damn good.

I know a few guys with Redington Behemoths which may be sub 100. I've heard nice things about it.

Hope that helps.

Gregg

I agree and we just started carrying Cheeky which on the reviews I have read have been very good. They seem to be a decent reel.

[FishMoken]

So Harry I ended up headed out to bass pro today to pick up a reel because they had the spring trade in event going on. I ended up getting the bass pro kingfisher reel. For the price after the trade in and the sale price it was hard to beat. Sealed drag...I think this one will work out just fine. Carl at the fly shop got me all set up with backing and line. I might look into upgrading to a higher end reel later on down the road. The team in the fly shop were really good. Here is a pic of the new setup.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[On the fly]

Great deal with the sale and trade in. It is a bar stock reel and have seen no complaints about the reels that we have sold. And we sell many of the kingfisher.

Harry

[roroundo]

The Ross Cimarron is a nice classic reel that has a good drag. They are supposedly going to be discontinued soon. I have a #3 that I use occasionaly on my glass rods. More drag than needed for trout in my opinion.
If I were getting a new Babb rod, I would get an Islander IR3 or the back for this year , Able TR/2. Both are high quality reels with a fantastic click/pawl drag

Cheers, https://diceus.com/10-software-devel...our-attention/