Hello folks. I am new to the forum as a poster. I have been lurking for the last few weeks and it has been quite the resource for me! Thanks to all.
I have a question regarding what reel you guys might recommend. I have been researching reels for my first fly rod which I am building from a Dan Craft Sig 5 blank. It is a 905-4 (and has been a delightful project). I have landed on the Teton Tioga line as a lot of bang for the buck. My question is this:
Would you guys go with the size 4 or 6 Tioga reel for this 9’ 5 wt. rod?
I will mostly be chasing bass and pan fish here in Texas. This reel is probably mostly an eye candy purchase, as I will in all likelihood strip most of the fish in, but I still want it! (And there ARE big bass that would occassionally go to the reel. I had a buddy lose a big bass last trip because of a drag problem on his reel.) Would a size 4 look too small on the 9’ rod? Or would the size 6 just be unneccessary weight? I’m sort of thinking that my next rod will be a lighter weight rod. That also has me wondering about the size 4, thinking I could buy spare spools and use the same reel on the 3 wt. I think I might build next. I don’t want that to be my deciding factor though. I am buying this reel for my 5 wt, and I want to get the best one for that rod. I don’t want to under or oversize this reel for what MIGHT happen later.
Unfortunately there are no fly shops within 100 miles of me so it is not a matter of just going and looking.
You should get around 75 yds of backing on the Tioga 4 with a WF-5-F line on it, and it will look fine. I’ve used both sizes on a 5wt and prefer the Tioga 4. Or you could go with the Tioga 6LA (about the same amount of backing as the Tioga 4, more weight) - depends on what balances on your rod better - 4.6 oz versus 5.5 oz(LA6). The Tioga 4 will give you the option of using it on your 3wt with something like 125 yds of backing. Hope I’ve helped you rather than confused you!..Ed
I have a Tioga 4 on my 4wt Scott. Before I picked up a reel for my 6 wt bamboo, I used the Tioga 4 & it wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the Tioga 4. They are truly great reels…and a tremendous “buy”!
Mike
You can call me Mike & you can call me Mikey…Just remember that this site’s about sharing!
I have the Tioga 6 on my St. Croix Imperial 5wt. Balance is good and there are no problems casting ( except for my limited skill! ). The #6 is only slightly larger and heavier than the #4. It might be better to go with the #6 in case you want to go up a weight or two in the future. All you’d need is an extra spool.
Tyler;
Don’t let all the red faces discourage you. We’re really a nice bunch here, as long as you wipe you feet before entering. A recent change has forced us old dogs to learn new trick’s.
I’m with flymaker2 on the issue of rod balance. A top heavy rod can be very tiring.
Don’t forget the Michigan Fish-In August 14th to the 20th. The Holy Water’s of the Au Sable await you!!
The Teton 5 is interesting, but I am having trouble with the thought of paying about $50 for 0.5 of an ounce. The Teton 5 specs are almost identical to the Tioga 4. It seems that there are just more weight-saving holes in the Teton. Is there something I’m missing on that?
tyler,
The Tiogas that I have are not as smooth as the Tetons. There is more difference in them than just a few holes. That being said, the Tioga is still a good reel, just not as good as the Teton. Oops! Forgot about the angry face again.
Steve
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went”-Will Rogers
[This message has been edited by biot midge (edited 08 July 2006).]
I own 2 Tiogas both a 4 and a 6. The 6 is a large arbor. I use them both. Great reels. But I particularly like the 6 LA. It balances well with my 8.5 ft 5 wt that I use the most and I just like the LA design. You can’t go wrong with either. I think they are just the best reel going for the price. I have a Ross cimmarron that was my favorite for a while but the Tioga in my opinion is just a better, smoother reel. and it was cheaper to boot.
I went with the 4RA, finally being won over by lower overall weight, and the thought that my next rod with be ligther instead of heavier.
I suppose if I find it doesn’t balance well, I can recover most of my expenses on eBay. This being my first rod though, I bet’ll I be ignorant of good balance and happy as a clam with it no matter what.
(And there ARE big bass that would occassionally go to the reel. I had a buddy lose a big bass last trip because of a drag problem on his reel.) Would a size 4 look too small on the 9’ rod? Or would the size 6 just be unneccessary weight? I’m sort of thinking that my next rod will be a lighter weight rod. That also has me wondering about the size 4, thinking I could buy spare spools and use the same reel on the 3 wt. I think I might build next. I don’t want that to be my deciding factor though. I am buying this reel for my 5 wt, and I want to get the best one for that rod. I don’t want to under or oversize this reel for what MIGHT happen later.