Reel stuff...

[Johnny]

Was kind of curious about fly reels, from what I've read ther basicly a spool to hold line out of your way & thats about it, but some are rather pricey & makes me wunder why if ther not that important.

Been look'n around for something used & found a Orvis battenkill for $60 (new price supposedly $100+), seller bragged it to be one of the sweetest reels he'd ever had, it was in mint shape complete with box & had never been used, owuld ya'll consider this a bargin or is a hundred dollar reel worth it ??

What brand or reel would you consider to be a durable, dependable & moderately priced reel for a beginner ??

Just curious & thanks.

[Mark Stine]

I just bought one at Basspro on clearance for $74 note they come in different sizes the one I got is a III which is designed for lines of 5 wt to 7 wt.. I will use this one on my 4 wt rod. I have size IV on my 8 wt rod and love it.  Fly reels have a functional drag and the battenkill's is pretty good. Normally the drag doesn't come into play when I fish though so any old real that feels balanced on your rod will do. However,  If  I found a used battenkill near mint I would try to get it for $50 then i'd probably pay the $60 LOL. another good thing is spare spools are readily available if you say want a quick swap from a floating to sink tip line.

[jim cosgrove]

johnny-older reels have i major flaw in my book.small arbors.the line wraps in much tighter coils around the small arbor or center of the spool the line is tied to.a large arbor reel coils the line in much bigger coils and reels up the slack line at least twice as fast.i think you can get a decent one especially for panfish for 40 or less new.

[Johnny]

Thanks gents, was poke'n around on "fleabay" last night & its a buyers market, so many to choose from & very affordable, need to handel a few at a big box outdoor store & get an idea of what I want then buy it for cheap online, dont have to cash flow to drop a hundred on a reel anyway.

[jim cosgrove]

ya definitely dont have to.all fly fishing comes down to is getting the bug in front of the fish.some people do it like ballet.i probably look like a fool waving a stick wildly.but i catch fish and enjoy all of it,the tying the fishing the discussion

[Johnny]

I agree, to me its a recreational thing, just in daily life thers more than enuff stress so I like to keep my fish'n as simple & hassle free as posable, never could make myself spend over $40 for a spining reel because I dont see how spending more could make me a better fisherman.

I guess its all in what you want, do it in cadilac style or old Ford truck style.

[jim cosgrove]

my son buys only high end stuff.he works hard and takes care of his gear.me i destroy stuff so i buy the cheapest good quality stuff.i like your ford truck comparison.

[jim cosgrove]

johnny-was just on ebay-typed in large arbor fly reel,put a price limit of 40.00 on the left.lots of reels.just make sure they ship form usa.the foreign ones can take weeks to arrive.i am sure you will find what you need.