Reel choices.

[brownbass]

I am planning to upgrade my reels. I currently have A Liquid on my 6 weight Douglas DHF, a Guru on my 4 weight Sage Pulse and a Redington on the 5 weight Sage Accel. The Guru and the Redington where bought on closeout from STP. I am considering the Galvin Rush Light or the Lamson Speedster. Price is something of an issue and both reels fit in my budget. I may check out Allan but they have pushed the price limitations. I like the sealed drags as we have a lot of sand in our rivers. Any other suggestions.

 

[redspringer]

I'm a big fan of the Lamson Speedster....have a 5/6 that gets a lot of use year round. You also might consider looking at the Hatch Finatic....you can find them on close out now at several fly shops. I just bought the 4Plus large arbor and it's quickly becoming my favorite reel.

 

[brownbass]

I'm a big fan of the Lamson Speedster....have a 5/6 that gets a lot of use year round. You also might consider looking at the Hatch Finatic....you can find them on close out now at several fly shops. I just bought the 4Plus large arbor and it's quickly becoming my favorite reel.

The Hatch is one I have seen but haven't found one yet. I am just now getting ready to start getting serious so I better step on it if I want a Hatch. Also thinking Sage reels are on closeout and would save money for another fly rod.

Bill

 

[flytie09]

What's your budget and reel type preference. Disc vs c&p.

ft09

 

[dmwphoto]

what makes you unhappy with the reels you've? particularly the Guru?

 

[brownbass]

what makes you unhappy with the reels you've? particularly the Guru?

I am not really unhappy with the Guru at all I was more thinking out loud when I typed it out. My Guru has been a good dependable reel. My only complaint would be spool size and the gap between the spool and frame.

Bill

---------- Post added at 07:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------

What's your budget and reel type preference. Disc vs c&p.

ft09

I prefer the stacked Rulon or carbon disc sealed drags I fish in rivers with a lot of sand in them. I am considering the Nautilus and the Lamson Speedster. I know the Lamson isn't stacked but I do have experience with them. So that would be the three hundred dollar range.

Bill

 

[eastfly66]

You might want to take a serious look at Aspen Reels:

Large Arbor Reels | Aspen Reels

There is a detailed review here somewhere. If I need another reel , they are my first stop.

 

[pnc]

What's your budget and reel type preference. Disc vs c&p.

ft09

4, 5, & 6w reels. Budget for one or all ? What type of fishing are reels intended for ? 5 might not make big difference. 6w , need to know for what.

........ pc

 

[argail]

The Hatch is one I have seen but haven't found one yet. I am just now getting ready to start getting serious so I better step on it if I want a Hatch. Also thinking Sage reels are on closeout and would save money for another fly rod.

Bill

check here: Hatch - Fly Reels

 

[sweetandsalt]

Hatch at a discontinuation deep discount would be a great bargain, there are very few if any better reels. Best reel at retail with a sealed, stacked multi-element drag module for $300? Allen Atlas. My contempt for the too wide and shallow, flexible Lamson products is well known if not necessarily shared by all. They are light in weight though but in that light category Nautilus X is a big winner.

 

[dillon]

I looked at the Gen2 hatch in the flyshop the other day. The discounted fanatics are tempting, but the new gun metal gray plus 4 was beautifully cool looking and would look striking on any 5 wt. trout rod. My One would like a new mate.

Something to note about hatch reels is the spools from the monsoon to the gen2 are interchangeable.

 

[sweetandsalt]

My 30 year old Abel BG Pt.5 has seen duty on numerous rods, in recent seasons on my 9'/#5 NRX. Earlier this season though it lost its match-up to a 1st. gen., also black Hatch 4+ Finatic. I must say, without taking anything away form my well-used classic draw-bar reel, the Finatic was a joy to fish...tight, smoothly precise, fly reel elegance...and the new one is improved upon in several ways.

I'm aware I'm pushing the cost envelop up a ways but between new Hatch Finatic and also new Ross Evo R just about every other fly reel maker has to be wondering how they can compare to such near perfection. Well, Nautilus is doing reel design their own way and Abel's SDF is perfection.

 

[brownbass]

4, 5, & 6w reels. Budget for one or all ? What type of fishing are reels intended for ? 5 might not make big difference. 6w , need to know for what.

........ pc

Trout, On a five weight and a six possibly. I was considering one reel and an extra spool or two for the six. Which I don't really fish as much as I thought I would when I acquired it. May be selling that and the Lamson Liquid and spool for an equipment upgrade.

Bill

 

[pnc]

Trout, On a five weight and a six possibly. I was considering one reel and an extra spool or two for the six. Which I don't really fish as much as I thought I would when I acquired it. May be selling that and the Lamson Liquid and spool for an equipment upgrade.

Bill

Idea it was trout or freshwater from rod weights. Wanted to make sure 6 wasn't for bonefish trip.
Are backing capacities a concern ? Or is fly line enough ? I prefer small reels for freshwater. Have odd ball collection of such.
If price is concern look into Piscifun reels.

........ pc

 

[brownbass]

Idea it was trout or freshwater from rod weights. Wanted to make sure 6 wasn't for bonefish trip.
Are backing capacities a concern ? Or is fly line enough ? I prefer small reels for freshwater. Have odd ball collection of such.
If price is concern look into Piscifun reels.

........ pc

No, No Bonefish in my future. Unfortunately. Backing, I like the idea of 100 yards of backing if for no other reason than it increases the diameter of the reel for the line to lay on. So do I need it, no, but I want it. I will be fishing where there is the possibility of larger fish. Tailwaters and rivers mostly in Missouri. hope to get out to Colorado and the Yellowstone area. S&S suggested the Allen Atlas, I have added that reel and the Galvan Rush Lt to the list. After some research, I am leaning towards the Nautilus.

Bill

 

[eastfly66]

Some pretty decent prices here....

Bearsden has Sage 4200 series at 40% off

 

[sweetandsalt]

S&S suggested the Allen Atlas, I have added that reel and the Galvan Rush Lt to the list. After some research, I am leaning towards the Nautilus.

I've written many times I let the rod choose the reel. My light weight deeper flexing Douglas Upstream 8'8"/#4 insists on a medium size spring and pawl reel and does not care about arbor size, its baking on a small arbor is arbor enough. My nearly same size 8 1/2'#5 X is an altogether different performance category for different habitats. It wants a reel light in weight, infinitely incremental but effective disc drag with a larger arbor. Balancing weigh dictated a 1st rate reel with that combination of features, Nautilus's Xm.

So, choosing between 5.5 oz. Atlas 2 (which I have on my 9'/#5 SKY) and 4.1 oz. Nautilus Xm (as I fish on the shorter lighter Sage X), both for a 5-weioght rod, I selected by tuned, neutral to gravity, balancing weight...both are right on.

So I select a reel that matches a particular rod in performance, capacity, weight, quality and personality. Yes it must also be a reel design and build I like but its brand and style, even price are secondary. Each rod I regularly fish has its own dedicated reel, new or from my "collection".

 

[brownbass]

I finally decided on the Nautilus X, Xm. I like the styling and the weight as It sits on the rod. I am currently leaning heavily towards the Hardy Zepherus 5 weight if things go right though I am still trying rods. I made sure I could return the reel, unused of course. If I decide on a different rod for some reason. I looked at the Hatch but missed out on the 5 at a decent price and I could go for the Galvan Rush Lite. The Galvan is heavier than the Nautilus reel and could balance out a heavier rod. Thoughts on this are welcome and expected.

Bill

 

[callihan_44]

I had 2 nautilus xm's and they were VERY well built, I also have a galvan rush r-5 that I may slap on a 6 weight rod eventually... it's pretty solid

Ive gotten into C&P reels, namely the ross colorado and really have enjoyed them all summer long...My only complaint might be is the weight, maybe too light weight? IDK i guess im used to heavier reels . For me controlling the drag with my hand adds a new layer of enjoyment of bringing in the catch and the sound of the reel when a fish takes a run is amazing

 

[sweetandsalt]

Ive gotten into C&P reels, namely the ross colorado and really have enjoyed them all summer long...

A small language peeve, such reels feature a "spring and pawl" mechanism that results in a check with a "click" sound. And it is true that without an adjustable "drag" simply an over-run "check" the angler is more directly engaged in the handling of a fish striving to escape. Spring and Pawl reels like Hardy's and CFOs where all I fished for decades even for Atlantic salmon but I ultimately realized that given identical skill levels, a fly fisher employing a reel with an infinitely fine tunable drag system landed his quarry some % quicker, benefiting the safe release of a fish. Still, today with my small stream, small trout 8'/#4 I still enjoy an old, well worn CFO IV.

---------- Post added at 07:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:28 AM ----------

I am currently leaning heavily towards the Hardy Zepherus 5 weight if things go right though I am still trying rods.

There are so many fine 9'/#5's it is a daunting task to compare them all. The Zephrus is a fine rod series built using top material in a high-tech S. Korean shop whose rods I have tendency to like. I would cross test cast it to a Douglas SKY built of very similar materials in the same shop if possible. Though both of these rods are relatively light in weight, I think the Xm may well be too light to balance them well. A Hatch 4+ or Galvan Torque might be better.