[KYAngler]

Has anyone fished an Albright Bugati Fly Reel? I'm stuck between ordering one of these or an Okuma Sierra for my 3wt rod.

Would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks-

[ezamora]

that bugati looks like a LOT of reels out there based on the same body with slightly different cutouts but different names branded on them. i'm sure it would work, i've never seen or heard of that model. is this your first or second fly reel? it looks cool but so do so many. one telling difference is the weight. at 5.5 oz for the small 3/4 size, it seems very heavy. what kind of fishing will you do and what kind of reels do you have or have experience with at this point? at this price point i'm assuming you're not looking for the higher quality machined reels.

back when i first started a few years ago, i got caught up in the large arbor looking reels and went with an okuma integrity. mistake. it was HEAVY (7oz for the 5/6) and though it looked cool, the drag was touchy and it just didn't work out for me. so much for "looks".

the okuma sierra isn't much lighter at 5.3oz. okuma is a good company. when the foot of my integrity cracked off, they sent me a new one at no charge. the newish okuma SLV seems to be finding some fans and is much lighter than the others.

have you looked at the okuma magnitude in the standard arbor? i found it at $79 at 3.7oz. if you fish a 3wt like i do (stream trout and panfish), the drag isn't that big of a deal. a scientific angler system 1 click drag model 456 could work too at $59. also check out the pflueger supreme (in gold) model number 1834 for $50 (hook and hackle). 3.2oz... and if you wanted to save some real dough, this forum's online shop has the cortland mosquito at $26.95.

i'm really going off here without more information as to your needs. sorry about that. tell us what you'll fish for, how and what your budget is like.

eric
fresno, ca.

[KYAngler]

Some great suggestions. I'm not familiar with the Okumas, either, but they are nicely priced. The Bugati is only $48 now on the Albright site which makes it even more attractive. But I'll check out the others you mentioned, too.

Not having a fly fishing store closer than a few hours makes me dependent on the reviews I read so thanks for your time.

[dorian.ducker]

I own a Bugati for a 5 wt. rod of mine and I like it. I like the size of the arbor, the drag is plenty strong and seems to be tough. The tolerances are also pretty tight for such a budget reel. I also like the way it looks. It has a silent retrieve which I also prefer.

I have had no problems with it and would suggest it for a low end reel.