Buyers Guide: Choosing a Fly Real

Like most fly fishing equipment, you get what you pay for in a fly reel. But the question is how much do you need. Most trout fishermen rarely require a very high-tech reel. The majority of the time, we are using the reel for line storage. Anodized coatings, machined components, sealed bearings, and precision balanced reels are not necessary for the average trout angler. The most important thing is that the reel does not over-spin.

Spring & Pawl vs Disc Drag

There are basically two types of fly reels - spring and pawl and disc drag. Spring and pawl is an old technology and not nearly as adjustable as a disc drag. A disc drag can be finely tuned to specific settings to match different tippets.

The More You Pay…

The more you pay for the reel the more durable it will be. Not only are higher end reels more precisely machined, they are also built with superior materials. Expensive reels usually weigh less, which helps balance your rod and ease casting strain on your arm.

The Demands of Saltwater

Saltwater anglers require high-end reels to combat the corrosive environment and the speedster fish. The necessary, high-end features are evident in the price point between trout reels and saltwater reels. Trout reels range from under $100 to around $500 for the top of the line. On the other hand, saltwater reels start at over $200 and quickly breach $1000 in price.