Fly Reels : A Buyers Guide to Fly Reels

The Gallatin River in Montana

Fly reels do more than just hold line. Repeat - fly fishing reels do more than just hold line. If there is anything you must remember when hunting around for a fly reel to attach to your fly rod, always remember that a fly reel does much more than hold the fly line.

OK. Enough said. If you're shopping around for a fly reel, chances are you'll be very tempted to save a few bucks by getting a cheap fly reel - especially if you just bought a very expensive fly rod. This, not surprisingly, is something you really want to avoid. Having a high quality fly rod may be great for casting, line control and showing off. However, once you hook a sizeable fish, the importance of the fly rod becomes vastly overshadowed by the quality of the fly reel that you have attached to it. The reason is because it is the fly fishing reel that is responsible for letting out the fly line in a smooth, tangle free manner.

Our Buyers Guide to Fly Fishing Reels explores the following topics that will help you learn more about fly reels and how to get the right one to meet your fly fishing needs. If you know nothing about fly reels, it is recommended that you follow these pages in order!

Types of Fly Reels - Article explores the differences between single action fly reels, multiplying fly reels and automatic fly reels.

Fly Reel Drag Systems - Article explores and compares disc-drag fly reels to spring-and-pawl fly reels.

Other Fly Fishing Reel Factors - Article provides information about fly line weight, saltwater fly reel considerations, adding extra spools, retrieves and more.

Reasons to Avoid Cheap Fly Reels - Some horror stories to help you avoid buying the cheapest fly fishing reel you can find!

Summary of Fly Reels - Article sums up all the information about fly reels for quick and easy decision making.

Orvis CFO® Spring-and-Pawl Fly Reels

If you plan on doing lots of fly fishing, especially for larger fish species, getting a good quality fly fishing reel is vital! A good quality fly reel will last a very long time and won't fail when you least want it to - like when a trophy trout is on the other end of the fly line. So, the moral of the story is this - save yourself from the frustration of lost trophy fish and needless aggravation by getting a good quality fly reel when you get a good fly rod. A good quality fly reel will pay for itself many times over in the forms of fish in the net at the end of the day.

Well, what exactly then, is a good quality fly reel? That is a good question, and one that will be explored thoroughly in this section. Our Buyers Guide to Fly Reels covers what fly reels are made out of, the different type of drag system as well as what to look for - and avoid - when shopping around for a fly fishing reel.

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