Your favorite <$30 reel

[samanich]

What is your favorite reel that you spent less than $30 on (and someone giving it to you doesn't count!)?

Mine is easy. I really like my Pflueger Medalist 1494. It seems to balance perfectly on a 5 or 6 weight rod, has a simple but effective drag system, and has that great classic look. Plus, it only cost me $15. This was the first reel I bought when I was trying to get into fly fishing as inexpensively as possible and is the only piece of gear I don't feel like I wasted money on. The rod, line, and flies all turned out to be junk, but I'll be holding on to this reel.

 

[timmah]

Okuma Sierra in a 5/6. I snagged it with a spare spool of ebay for $20. I use it on my Corltand rod after I decided that the Cortland reel was junk.

Loved the reel enough I put one on my son's rod (though I paid $33 for that one without the spare spool)

 

[trs]

Ocean City 66 used on my Redington CT 3 wt, the best 12 dollars I ever spent on eBay, a classic piece of functional American hardware that has stood the test of time. A few bucks, an hour of cleaning, yields a lifetime of happiness, we will not see their likes again.

 

[Rip Tide]

I have 9 Medalists and the most expensive one was $28. New.
The 1492 in the front and 1495 behind it were thrown in as part of a package with a bunch of fiberglass rods
8 rods, 3 reels, $90

 

[mikechell]

For light weight rods (my 5'6" 3 weight and 7' 4 weight) I love my
"White River Fly Shop Intruder Fly Reel" priced right at $30.00.

For everything else, I prefer automatic reels. I usually find those at swap meets and pawn shops for 10 to 20 bucks. I've got a couple spare one now, so I won't need to buy one for years.

 

[kentuckysteve]

I also have a couple medalists that are great reels and both were under $20.Have them on a couple Wright McGill rods that were also both under $20.Picked up the ocean city 66 for $10 and a montgomery ward sport king auto reel for under $20.Gotta love the yard sales.

 

[dennyk]

Mine was the Pflueger Medalist and the South Bend Finalist, both well under $30. Great reels! Geeze, now my workhorses are my Hatch reels, $30 doesn't cover the tax!

Denny

 

[bigjim5589]

I have several of the discontinued Cortland Rimfly reels that have been great, and spare spools for some! I'm sure I didn't pay more than $25 for any of them. Otherwise, for reels that are still being produced, the Okuma Sierra reels I have are a good choice for the price.

These are reels that I use on my 6 wt & lighter rods.

 

[sab_0010]

An old Martin Mohawk automatic is probably the only sub $30 fly reel I have. I don't think I have ever used it but it looks cool.

 

[ia_trouter]

Cabela's Wind River is a good cheap reel. Okuma's are even better functionally, but I don't care for the appearance.

 

[photoguy]

+1 for the Pflueger Medalist. Mine is the 1494 1/2 I think and I bought it in the early 70's. I can't imagine that I paid more than $30. And while I don't use it that often, when I have, it has served me well.

There's also something very satisfying about the solid feel and sound.

 

[sweetandsalt]

I received this made in America Medalist for free (no need to wonder why)

 

[sweetandsalt]

Here is a new one available today for under $20 but the one of my youth was purchased for cents not dollars.

 

[photoguy]

Here is a new one available today for under $20 but the one of my youth was purchased for cents not dollars.

View attachment 12345

Ha! I grew up with those, flounder fishing from a boat. Though mine were brown and always had a very distinctive smell.

 

[fredaevans]

I have 9 Medalists and the most expensive one was $28. New.
The 1492 in the front and 1495 behind it were thrown in as part of a package with a bunch of fiberglass rods
8 rods, 3 reels, $90

View attachment 12316

Not much in the way of 'up-grading' from the original(s); things are as close to 'bullet proof' as you can get.

 

[samanich]

I have 9 Medalists and the most expensive one was $28. New.
The 1492 in the front and 1495 behind it were thrown in as part of a package with a bunch of fiberglass rods
8 rods, 3 reels, $90

View attachment 12316

Wow, that's an armada of Medalists. I'm thinking of picking up another 1494 so I can have a second spool. I love reels where it's more economical to pick up an entire spare reel rather than a spare spool!

 

[JoJer]

I own 3 or 4 Okuma Sierras- a couple of 4/5s and a couple of 5-6s. So, a couple of spare spools lines all my rods: 3, 4, two fives, and a 6. The 5s and 6 have several different lines each. The oldest (15years?) is showing its' wear in the fit of the spool to the frame. The gap is getting big enough that flyline fits in and gets stuck.
My 8 wt is on a Cabela's reel I bought in the bargain cave. It was lined with junk, but the spare spool was bought right there in the cave, too.
My son and I both had Medalists (that were screwed together, not riveted) and they were in my vest when it was stolen out of my canoe, in my drive way. I don't think I could go back to the noise of a click pawl reel again. I had a Daiwa I got cheap at a sports store goin outta biz sale. The first time I fished it the noise was distracting.

 

[skunkedalot]

just added my 8th Medalist to the herd.
6 1494's
1 1594R
1 1498

Why?
the reels are bulletproof. You have to TRY to destroy one
they are versatile- you can load (depending on backing) everything from 1 to 7 weight line.
they just look perfect and classic on an old Fenwick glass rod. they belong.
they are inexpensive - never paid more than $25 for mine and you can often find them for a lot less at a tag sale etc.
my oldest is 40 plus years old and is still clicking.
i am an old fart.......

 

[biker1usa]

I don't have it anymore, but when I first started fly fishing in 1975 I bought a Berkley fly reel for $9.99, rod for $11.99 and line for 5 bucks. I actually wish I still had them just for their memory. I think that set up made me learn to fly fish better as it was about as wispy as a small branch from a year or less old tree. Nevertheless I have much better equipment now.

 

[JoJer]

It's not that hard to disable a medalist or any other full cage reel. A drop, trip or fall that dings the cage is all she wrote for my first one.