ducksterman, there is no point if one reel simply holds less backing than the other. In order to enjoy all the benefits of a "true" large arbor reel, the outside diameter of the spool must be significantly larger.

For example, compare the Orvis Battenkill Bar Stock III reel to the Orvis Battenkill large Arbor III reel. Both reels are designed to hold 5-6 wt. lines, yet the Battenkill Bar Stock reel has a standard-sized spool that only measures 3" in diameter, which is typical of a trout-sized reel. The Battenkill Large Arbor III reel, in contrast, has a spool with an outside diameter of 3 3/4" -- it is that increase in the outside diameter of the spool that provides the cited advantage in line retrieval rates.

-- Mike