What is the best five weight reel between or under $150 and $200??? I am looking at a G Loomis Venture reel or something similar… any other options???
Thanks
Dear RL,
You have literally dozens of choices in that price range. I like the Ross Cimarron, but I’ve heard good things about the Orvis Battenkill Bar Stock and Mid-Arbor reels too. There are many more to choose from. You can often find very clean used reels at good prices on E-bay as well.
Best Wishes,
Avalon 
As Avalon stated, there are probably a dozen or so excellent reels in that price range and each will have someone that thinks that their favorite is the best. I have three Galvan reels and really like them, especially in that size range. I suggest that you look at as many as you can and then select the one that YOU like the best.
Jim Smith.
I have the Orvis Battenkill Bar Stock and like it a lot, but have no basis for comparing it with others in that price range. I won’t be surprised if you end up choosing between the reels that are recommended to you more on appearance than performance.
Or you could get a Pfleuger(sp?) Medalist. New or old, they should only run you $20 or so. Hell, at that price, you could get 7 of them and still be under budget!
Regards,
Joe Martin
Salem, OR
Abel
I have a BBS2 and my son has a barstock 1 and a 2 and we have not had any regrets at all.Ours are English made and I do not know anything about the Chinese reels although they are supposed to be the exact same.Orvis does have a good reputation for standing behind thier products.
In that price range you have many options. First though you need to decide if you want a Large Arbor, Mid Arbor or standard reel. For all around use and a great high quality reel for $120-$130 bucks the Battenkill Mid Arbor will be very hard to beat and it has a Warranty agains just about anything. Very strong, nice and high quality. You could spend more but i don’t think your getting any more reel untill you start looking in the $250+ range. I personally love the battenkill Large Arbor reel but that’s my pref! I also have a Battenkill Bar Stock and it’s great too. There are many good reels for that price though. Redington, Ross, Sith, Orvis, Cortland and so forth. I have owned a bunch of reeks and swear by the Battenkills… Lots of Bang for the Buck I say!
Kind of like asking “whats the best car under $25k?” There are lots of very good choices and few bad ones.
I have a Ross Cimarron for 10 years and second one for 8 they function as well today has when new. I have three Orvis Battenkills for about a dozen years that they too still function great. The Battenkill Barstock has the same drag in a machined frame for about $20 more. The Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor and the Ross CLA and Flywater are also great reels. Same for Teton, Teton Tioga, Redington CD, Pflueger Trion, Redington SV, Cortland Endurance, Scientific Anglers System 2L. An that Loomis Venture is pretty nice too. I’m partial to Ross, Orvis, and Teton myself due my personal experience reels from those companies.
would you be interested in a Ross Gunnison 1
or a Lamson Velocity 1.5?
I have extra spools available for either or both as well.
the Lamson’s excellent
the Ross has scratches.
Later,
Peter
contact: later_Peter@yahoo.com
I have a Loomis venture reel that has worked well for me and I fished this week with Glen and Aaron Weaver who have been fishing theirs for six years now (and they do a lot of fishing) without problems. I think they are one of the better reel values available.
Later Peter,
I’m interested in your velocity if it’s the new style with the open back. E-mail me if it is. Thanks
A budget of $150 to $200 is realistic, and it gives you some fine options.
The Galvan 3.0 Standard is a very nicely made reel for $190 currently. It is machined from barstock and possesses a smooth drag and affordable extra spools. Nice drag knob, attractive design, and comfortable handle. Oh, made in USA and lifetime warranty, too.
In that range, the Orvis BBS or Mid-Arbor will also give you terrific value and performance from an established company. The BBS gets alot of attention, and you could get a reel and an extra spool within your budget. The Mid-Arbor gets less attention, and though I’ve only handled one, I was impressed for the price. Both are nice reels. You’ll probably get lots of recs for the BBS, and it is a fine value.
I am not aware of an Abel offering in this price range, unless you find a discontinued TR. Very fine reel.
I don’t want to offend anyone, but I think you could definitely do better than a Loomis Venture for your budget.
There are occasional great deals on “gently-used” reels on this site’s “For Sale” forum and others. Always good to check.
If Later Peter doesn’t have what you are looking for, I have some new Lamson Velocity reels for sale in the classifieds section. They are usually just out of the $200 range, but I have them listed for $160 (the v1.5) and $170 (the v2). They are great reels - I’ll doubt you’ll find anyone who would disagree. Take care,
Eric
Hi,
I use a BFR Dragonfly 355 for my 5 weight and a larger version for my 8/9 weight. I liked them so much, I got my wife a 355 for her 5 weight as well. I just looked them up and the first web site with a price put them at about 35.00 UK pounds, which would be in your price range. The cartridge can be removed, so you can change between floating and sinking lines easy enough (just pop out the spool with one line and put in the other spool). Spools can be bought separately as well, if you want a variety of lines. Much less weight to carry around than a collection of reels!
Also, one of the local magazines here rated them as the best “value for money” reel. I highly recommend them.
- Jeff
One other general thing to keep in mind: for the $150-$200 range you really should make sure to get something that is machined from high grade aluminum. Cast aluminum or composite bodies makes for much cheaper reels (both in cost and in quality) and they can last a long time, but sooner or later they will break and/or corrode. There are enough good reels in that price range that you shouldn’t have to settle for an inferior material.
Eric
I have a GLoomis Adventure 5, and the Orvis Batenkill Mid-Arbor. I like the Orvis a little better, and it is probably worth the extra $30. The build quality is definitely better than the Loomis. I agree with oldfrat that you will probably pick according to what you like in the appearance of the reel. The performance of most reels in your price range are probably close to one another. Go with the one that appeals to you!
I’ve got the Galvan Standard 3.0 on my 5 weight. It’s right around your price range and I absolutely love it. It’s quite light and beautifully machined. The drag is the smoothest I’ve ever used and I’ve used quite a few reels. And it’s made right here in the U.S.A. too! Mine is Green, but they come in other colors too if green isn’t your thing.
-Darryl