Reel for my new Sage One 4 wt

[rdrdrfan]

So I think I have it narrowed down to either a Lamson Litespeed II or a Hardy DD. I'm not locked in on those two they just seem to have solid reviews for somewhat reasonably priced reels. Thoughts? I'm open to other suggestions as I'm a newb and am just getting cranked up. No decent local shop so I'm relegated to learning online.

Thanks in advance for the opinions, suggestions and help.

 

[rubberguy]

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/f...kle-etc/296510-release-our-trout-ii-reel.html

posted on this forum. allen's new TROUT II reel. another member has a sage and the green reel matches really well. very good pricing also!

 

[ultralightidaho]

I have a lamson speedster on my One 4wt and I love it. Awesomely simple design.

 

[troutbanger20]

Tibor light reels are awesome looking plus silent drag for a relatively medium to high price but you'll have it forever

 

[sweetandsalt]

My current trout reel preferences are the Hardy DD and Nautilus FWX. I don't care fore the too wide aspect ratio of the popular Lamsons so if I were to consider one of their models it would only be the new Speedster. Still not in the same class as the first two.

 

[rdrdrfan]

Okay I'm a bit of a gear collector with anything I dive into. Fly fishing is proving to be absolutely no different! Since my last post I've picked up a couple more rods and am thinking about another. The primary reason for this is to try out several rods on a trip I'm taking in a couple of months. So with that said, I have an update with more questions.

My primary fishing will be northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado on a mix of public and private waters. I'm gearing up for myself as well as my father-in-law for this particular trip. So at this point this is a list of the equipment that I currently have purchased:

4wt Rods:
Sage One 486-4
Winston VSL 486-4

5wt Rods:
Redington CT 865-4
TFO BVK 05 90 4 (Considering this purchase at the moment)

Reels:
Lamson Guru 1.5
Hardy 4000 DD (Considering this purchase at the moment)

So my questions are as follows:

Based on what I've got and what I'm looking at, what would you recommend for two more reels (or three if you don't think the Hardy DD is a good choice)?

Do any of you have these particular rods and what do you have paired with them? Are you happy with the choice you made or would you go a different route?

If you were looking to spend $300 or less on a reel for the Sage One 4wt what would it be?

I apologize for the long and likely uneducated/ignorant posts. I'm new to the game and would rather buy once right but if there is a quality reel that you guys have paired with the mid or lower level rods that you are happy with then I'd love to hear about it.

 

[chased]

I would take a look at some Abel reels within your budget. I used to have a Lamson Litespeed 2, but ended up selling it and got an Abel. I dropped the Lamson I had one time, and it bent the spool. I was able to bend it back, but it never ran smoothly again, maybe my reel was just a fluke but I don't want to chance it again. It seems like my Abel's are built like tanks while still retaining a silky smooth drag, good looks, and super tight tolerances. I don't have any experience with the Hardy you mention, but I'd bet that it would be hard to go wrong with it.

-Chase

 

[ja501]

I second the Abel suggestion. When I was beginning to acquire rods and reels, the owner of the fly shop I frequent showed me the Abel line and offered a suggestion. Instead of buying two or three different $300 reels for the various weight rods I have, buy an abel and add spools to fit your reel. That way you always have an amazing reel on whatever rod you fish.
I now have the Super 3n in 4wt large arbor on my winston. I have the option to use different spools to go from 3-6wt. With the price of spools in black being around $200, it made sense and I love my reel. I hope that helps.

 

[rdrdrfan]

Okay so I will apologize for bumping my own thread. I have what amounts to a minor update and would ask for your opinion. So I had decided to at least grab a Hardy 4000 dd for my TFO BVK 5wt. I started shopping around and found what appeared to be a good deal with a flyshop online ($250 rigged with Rio Gold line and backing). From what I can tell the flyshop has a good reputation. When I called the guy to place my order he starts trying to talk me out of the Hardy 4000 dd. He told me that they bent a frame while putting line on one and he doesn't think it is a strong reel. Is it possible that this was just a fluke or that they screwed up? I've heard nothing but great reviews on this reel.

With all of that said, he recommended several other reels and I would like your take on them to pair with my Sage One 486-4:

Ross Evolution LT
Galvan Torque
Lamson Litespeed

He didn't bring up the Nautilus FWX but it is on the list based on reviews I've seen. I just can't justify the extra cash for an Abel Super 3n when making all of the other purchases to get started.

 

[sweetandsalt]

"bent a frame while putting line on" the Hardy but is recommending the Lamson? I would look for a different fly shop and preferably one you can go to in person and develop a relationship with. Further, if your BVK#5 is similar to my #6 it will prefer a 1/2 size heavy floating line like RIO Grande rather than the superior tapered Gold. My early production Ultralite DD has seen lots of use including drift boat abuse and looks and performs like new...it was the "Best in Show" new trout reel at the FTD Show 3 years ago.

 

[FrankB2]

Outrageous Fly Shop Claims:
There's a well-known fly shop in Pennsylvania (they have shops in a few locations), and the manager of one loves Lamson reels. He was trashing Ross Reels one day, telling me that the springs on the Evolution's pawls are susceptible to jamming with just "one piece of sand." Well, there aren't any springs on the pawls of an Evolution reel, and I laughed at him and left. In defense of the owner, other staff members in his other stores are much more honest about products.

I wind backing onto reels by hand. Seeing spool of backing the size of oil drums being used to put backing on little aluminum spools makes me nervous.

 

[golfnfish]

JMO but I would check out a Galvan Torque. I have 3 and couldn't be happier with them. I would also look at the Bauer and Abel reels. All three are made in the US if that makes any difference to you. I use the discontinued Abel BG Pt.5 on my five weight bamboo rods but the Abel reels might be a little heavy for the Sage One rod.