fishing with budget reels!

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
21

No problem.

I also recall that LLBean offers a house brand called the quest II that looked like it was worth trying. They started at $30 or so, and had extra spools available. I’ve never had a chance to play with one, though.

22

I’ll have to check that one out. I need a new reel for my 3wt and my 7wt. My Echo reel is for my 8wt but its way to big for my 7wt or it just looks funny I guess since my 7wt has a half-wells grip on it.

23

I fish an Orvis clearwater click drag reel for steelhead. No drag to speak of except palming the reel or snubbing the line. Really loud when fish take line so I usually use it when no one else is around. Works especially well in freezing temps, where I’ve had the one way roller bearings on reels with drag quit functioning.

Glenn

24

I have an HS240 reel that I bought from Global dorbeR for $30. I think they have gone up a little since I bought mine, but not a lot. I have used mine for several years with no problems.
Steve

25

Norm,
Nice reel! Here is one of my favorites:

http://www.troutlet.com/Martin-Mountain-Brook-Large-Arbor-Fly-Fishing-Reels-P194.aspx

I really want one of these from Albright:

http://www.albrightflyfish.com/index.php/fly-reel-spools/bugati-fly-reels

Someday I hope to get one.

26

Hopefully you will. I picked up one with an extra spool when they were even further discounted, and I really like it. I use it for my 5/6 weight rods and it is a nice reel even for twice the price.

27

I’ve got one of those Bugatti’s and it seems perfectly fine thus far.

I bought an Okuma SLV 5/6 and used it awhile, then put it on my daughter’s new rod and she’s currently using it. Darn fine cast reel w/ a decent drag. Cheap too.

28

I have acouple of Hobbs Creek reels and fish steelhead and muskie with them. They are more than adequete and I have complete confidence in them.

They are a good bang for the buck.

29

I have and use Okumas, Medalists and I have some LLBean house brand reels.
However there is nothing like the sound of a CP CFO as line is stripped from it when I’m alone on an otherwise quiet stream.

30

Pflueger Medalist - for 5wt…currently in temporary retirement, but in fine working order.

Okuma SLV - has only seen the water a few times with my 8wt rod, but seems like a good reel.

Albright Bugatti - I have 2…one on a 5wt, and one on an 8wt…both seem like good, solid reels. Excellent deal, especially when on sale!

Pflueger Summit (no longer made) - I have 3 of these…one each on a 5wt, 6wt, and 8wt. Excellent reels, landed a fair number of carp up to 16 lbs last season with absolutely no drag troubles. I got 'em for $10-$20 less than MSRP at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

I just got a great deal on a Wright & McGill Dragon Fly Reel. MSRP $180, I picked one up for $105 plus free backing. Very lightweight reel, can’t wait to try it on my 6wt. That’s the most I’ve ever paid for ANY reel. :rolleyes:

31

I have used Bass Pro Hobbs Creek reels for years without any failures on their part. Thousands of trout, hundreds of steelhead, and dozens of salmon, no problems at all.

I picked up a similar Cabelas reel from the Bargain Cave last fall, and stuck it on my 5wt. While in Montana last week, I slipped in the snow while climbing the bank, and the reel fell on a rock when I jettisoned the rod to save myself. Bent the spool such that the thing wouldn’t turn at all. Looked at it, looked back to the truck (300 yards through knee-deep snow to another reel), looked at it again, then shrugged, found a suitable hammer rock, and a suitable anvil rock, and with a couple taps, straightened out the edge of the spool and kept fishing. 50-odd fish since, with no problem.

Ah, the freedom of a reel for which I paid $26 (with line and backing)!

32

Bought a Pflueger 1494 DA and two additional spools in 1973; still using it/them.

33

Anyone else use an Orvis original battenkill reel? I have one that I really like. I have the 5/6 disc drag model. I think it cost $80. I know it is cast but it seems pretty tough. Has a pretty decent, smooth drag (I’ve caught several 20" + trout on it with 7x), and is reasonably light. Plus I like the sound it makes with a decent fish on.

Greg

34

I don’t have ANY reels over a hundered dollars, so I guess I qualify…Okhuma, Cablelas, Bass Pro, Redington and Albright. I guess I have to get out more, because I’m sure that I can’t possibly land a fish on a reel that costs less than a hundy…LOL

35

Is it a right or left hand wind?

36

I have bought a Flylogic, FLP 567, FL. Premium Series reel. I haven’t been able to string it up yet and fish it yet. But very pleased with the workmanship and quality for the money I spent.

Made In the USA by the way;)

Sean

37

Ducksterman: Check this thread: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?t=25975

Tim

38

Thanks, Tim, I knew of that thread and thought it was yours but wasn’t sure…and my search failed …so I just asked.

39

As a child I was forced to fish Phluegar reels and toasted a bunch of them on salmon and big trout mostly. I still have a box/graveyard here for injured Medalists and such. If they had superglue then the reels would have handled it better. But it bordered on child abuse making me catch big fish on cheap gear. :wink:

I like the Hardy made reels that come without the Hardy price… Orvis reels for quite a while and the Scientific Anglers. A System Three (to whatever size they made them) is a Marquis with a different paint job and label… and a really good reel.

We fish for salmon way too much and the cheaper reels do not do well there… So almost all my fishing these days is with high-end reels, but I well remember the sense of satisfaction in torching a reel…

Actually the biggest improvement in better reels is how they keep sand out of the bearings, IME&O.
art

40

The lineup:

Left to right:

  1. Martin Mountain Brook 5/6 Large Arbor $35
  2. Cabela’s Prestige Plus I Mid Arbor with Traditional 2wt 6’6" combo $120 Spare spool $25
  3. Orvis Rocky Mountain Large Arbor 7/8 wt with extra spool one wf8f and one wf8st given to me.
  4. Redington Red.Fly 5/6 $50

I like all of them. By the way the Cabela’s Prestige Plus reels are on sale right now for $39.99
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat20471&id=0029958317964a&navCount=4&podId=0029958&parentId=cat20471&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=9IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20471&hasJS=true
:smiley: