Reel-E-Good Winder

by J Castwell

There is a bit of excitement for me when I get to put a new fly line on one of my reels. Probably it is fun for you too. In fact, it is nice to just 'mess around' with fly fishing gear. But, new fly lines are the most fun, at least for me. Over way too many years I have held a fly spool on a pencil between my knees and wound line off or on that way, we all have done that. A few years ago I got a wooden line winder and that did help a lot. I worked for some time at fly shops and got used to the 'winding machines' you have all seen there. Big motorized things that zip line on or off in a flash. Most fly shops have a manual version of these, lower, but get the job done.

No more! I have my own now! And I like it. This is the Reel-E-Good Winder made by:

Hanggee-Koehler Corporation
20332 Clark Street
Woodland Hills, California 91367
Phone (818) 340-6253
Fax (818) 340-6262.

You can get yours from them, or your local fly shop. I suggest you at least investigate it. One thing I like is you can get just the 'sections you need to do exactly what you need done. It is 'modular.' Sure, I have the whole thing, but I figured I needed it; rationalization is wonderful isn't it? The Salt Lake tackle show is where I first found out about it. The folks came by our booth and in the chat the subject of their Reel-E-Good-Winder came up. At their booth they explained all of the features and it 'sounded' great. But, I did not want to do a product review on it until I had a chance to really use it for a few months.

The truth is, I have already recommended it to one of the guys on the Gatti Team USA who lives on the east coast. He does a lot of different kinds of fly-fishing and changes lines often. No, he has not purchased one yet, but, I am sure he will.

With this device I can clean and change lines at will and have a nice time doing it, it has allowed me to take better care of my lines (they said I would) and enjoy doing it, with little time expended.

You do not see me doing many 'product reviews.' But, when I find something that works for me, I will be glad to pass it along to you. Any draw-backs on the product? Only if you highly value money. It is not cheap, but, I feel it is a very good value. This is not a cheap toy - it's solid.

The base unit is $39.95, the combo attachment is $29.95, and the line counter is $89.95. You can get all, or any sections at any time. I especially enjoy the line counter. For the first time I know how much backing I really have on my reels, just a good feeling I guess. ~ JC