I am interested in knowing what FAOL members consider as ESSENTIAL components or characteristics of a decent saltwater reel. I plan to do a little bonefishing, but I need a new reel. I don’t want to waste my money. There are so many reel components and materials that I find myself confused. Manufactures display many claims such as the following:
acorbin01,
It?s best to keep it simple.
Cork disk drags have been around the longest and for good reason. They are simple and they work.
One thing you did not mention is backing capacity. I would suggest 150 to 200 yards of 30 pound Saltwater Micron for a Bonefish reel. It?s coated with Teflon and lasts almost forever. I say 30 Lb instead of 20 Lb because that is usually the breaking strength of your flyline. It will also give you more abrasion resistance.
The three big names for reels in my book are Abel, Tibor or Nautilus. Any one of which would be a great reel for the salt and would last you the rest of your life.
You may, or may not, be awaiting my views on this. I tend to demand certain features in a salt water reel. First and ‘the’ most important feature, I will not even ‘use’ a reel without it, is a constant drag clutch. That is one where there is ‘zero’ movement of the spool when the line ‘first’ starts to go out. I will not tolerate any slight rotation. That ‘free-spooling’ will break tippets when the slack line in my left hand goes out and the fly line becomes tight. ‘On the reel’ so to speak. Next is the ‘start-up’ inertia. As close to zero as possible. After those, and of course, saltwater-proof etc, emotions take over. Looks and sounds.
JC, you said zero movement of the spool when the line goes tight so it doesn’t break your tippet. Does that mean that the spool is always engaged to the drag whenever the spool turns in the direction of letting line off the reel? I think I understand what you are stating but am not sure.
It sounds like he is saying that the spool is constantly engaged, resisting rotation in either direction, until the line is affected buy the fish or the angler.