Fly Reels : A Buyers Guide to Fly Reels

Middle Thompson Lake in Montana

Fly Reels : Quality Concerns

Like everything else in this world, quality matters when fly fishing. The reason cheap fly reels are inexpensive is because of what is inside them. Most cheap reels have the cheapest types of parts that can be found anywhere on earth. These parts break when least desirable and wear out very quickly. Remember, a fly reel has moving parts inside it. A cheap fly reel will quickly begin to wear out, often only after a year or two of moderate fishing. And it can fail miserably if you get a large fish on the end of the line. Read our horror stories about cheap fly reels to find out how these fly reels can fail.

A high quality fly reel will truly last a lifetime. A good quality fly reel, while it may not last a lifetime, will last many, many years and will provide reliable duty in the field. A very high quality fly reel will run around two hundred dollars or more. A good quality fly reel will be in the hundred-dollar range. A cheap fly reel will be less than fifty dollars. To me, at least, it makes sense to spend a little bit more now so that you don't end up having to buy another reel two years down the road or to have a fishing trip ruined by malfunctioning gear.

Another thing to keep in mind about fly reels is how resistant they are to corrosion. While this is vitally important in saltwater fishing, it is still important in freshwater fishing. A cheap fly reel has often nothing more than a thin coat of paint on it that soon wears off. Once that's gone the reel will frequently start developing rust spots, among other things. A very high quality fly reel will resist all forms of rust and corrosion.
that they can be temperamental. The complicated set of gearing and springs that allows for this faster retrieve breaks down far quicker and easier than happens on a single action fly reel. For trout fishing, these reels are not recommended. However, the faster retrieve can come in handy when fishing for large fish or in situations where it is imperative to be able to get excess fly line up into the reel as quickly as possible.

Still not convinced? Then read on!

Real Life Horror Scenarios of Cheap Fly Reels

Let's examine what can happen when you hook a large fish with a cheap fly reel. And, by cheap, I mean a poor quality fly reel. There are many good to excellent fly fishing reels available that will not break your bank account.

So, here's a couple of scenarios to consider when you become tempted to economize on your fly fishing outfit by selecting a cheap fly reel.

Scenario 1 : You hook a large fish which begins taking out line. Unfortunately, the drag system on the fly reel is less than spectacular and does not play out the fly line in a very smooth rate. Instead, it releases the line in a jerky and sometime abrupt fashion. In this situation, what is likely to happen, is that sooner or later the uneven pressure applied to the fly line by the fly reel will cause the tippet to break - costing you a very nice fish.

Scenario 2 : Once again, a large trout ends up on the other end of your fly line. A real large trout - that then begins to run downstream with the current. Unfortunately, the drag system on the fly reel doesn't set up tightly enough. Result, the trout ends up taking all the fly line off the reel, soon followed by the backing. The result? Once the backing runs out on your fly reel, one of two things will happen. Assuming the backing is attached properly, your fly rod will bend greatly for a brief second, followed momentarily by the tippet breaking due to the increased pressure. Of course, if the backing isn't attached properly, your likely to watch both the fish and the fly line disappear down the river.

Scenario 3 : You continue to get lucky. Yet another large trout has gobbled up the streamer you just tossed it and begins taking out line at an alarming rate. Too bad the drag system in the fly reel is machined out of cheap parts and put together in a shoddy way. Under the intense pressure of the line stripping out of the fly reel, the gears that constitute the drag system of the fly reel begin to break down, sounding like a horribly out of tune engine on the car. The result, of course, is a complete breakdown in the drag system of the fly reel, with the end result being the end game of scenario 2 (above).

Scenario 4 : To save money, you buy the cheapest fly reel in existence. Problem is, the fly reel overshoots the line. When you pull on the line to cast out more line, and then stop pulling to cast it out, the fly reel keeps shooting out line, making casting a real pain as the fly line begins to assemble around your feet and legs. Worse yet, just like spin rods, with all this excess line shooting out, tangles begin to develop in the fly line. So, instead of spending your time fishing on the river, you end up sitting along the bank, trying to work out the knots in your fly line.

Get the picture? A fly reel, while it seems like a very simple piece of equipment, is vitally important - especially if your fly fishing for larger fish like large trout, salmon, or salt water species. And, even if you're hunting small fish that won't be capable of stripping out line, a poor quality fly reel can lead to frustrations due to tangles in the line and even damage to the fly line.

That's the bad news. The good news is that quality fly fishing reels aren't really that much more expensive than a bad one, usually costing less than $100.

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