Fly Reels

Just to think that when fly fishing started a reel was never thought of and it was firms such as Hardy and Orvis that are the true forerunners of today's modern designs.

Modern fly reels have been designed to do almost whatever the modern angler desires from fishing tiny streams and fast flowing salmon rivers to catching huge tarpon and saltwater species. You should decide the specification that you require and the price range that you can afford before you go out and have a good look. There are a lot of different reels out there so it helps if you only look in your particular price range.

As a beginner you will only need a floating line to start but as you progress you may end up with three of four different sink rate lines. You will need to buy spare spools to put the lines on, so check the price of spools before you decide on the reel.

Let's have a look at buying a reel for a 7# weight outfit. We already know it should be able to hold the line and adequate backing so here are some considerations.

Single action fly reels have a 1:1 retrieve ratio so one complete turn of the handle is one turn of the spool.

Multiplying reels have a greater ratio due to the gearing system. This allows the angler to reel in much quicker

Automatic reels automatically retrieve the line by the use of a trigger system
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Drag or pawl system reels are traditional and are suitable for most fishing except the specimen or saltwater species.

Disc drag reels act like the brake on a car in as such as a pad applies pressure to a disk and slows the spool down.

Wide arbor reels lay the line on the spool more evenly and help to eliminate any memory problems.

My personal suggestion would be a standard single action wide arbor fly reel for trout fishing but a good quality wide arbor disk drag reel for bonefishing and saltwater species.

 

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