I agree with Shaky Wadr. Boo rods tend to be tip heavy and if your tackle set up is not properly balanced, casting can be very fatiguing. i suggest that you beg, steal or borrow a variety of reels and test try them all. I encountered a similar problem with my 8' 6wt boo rod and I found it best balaced with an old lage diameter Pflueger Medalist reel that I have customized using One-Pfoot parts.