Fly Reel for a 9wt/10wt

[MikeG]

I got a St. Croix Legend Elite 9ft. 9wt rod and a 10wt rod. I need a reel for both of them. I have a TFO Large Arbor reel 375 on a 8wt rod I use for salmon fishing. It is a great reel love the drag, it can stop a semi truck. But it is a bit heavy.

Anyone have any suggestions for a good reels less than $300 a piece? Something that is light and has a good drag system.

I will be pike/muskie fishing with these rods.

 

[Jimmie]

I'm too inexperienced at FF to give you an educated review but after finding this thread on NAFF I got one of these. Mainly for bang for the buck for a spare set-up. Looks and feels great.
http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/f60/finest-reels-you-can-ill-afford-not-buy-2713.html

 

[Ard]

I bought a Lamson Velocity 3.5 for a new seven weight rod. For heavy weight fish I use an Orvis Odyssey IV it is real heavy but holds 300 yards of 36lb. micron backing and a DT 9wt..

The drag is outstanding and I ignore the weight. Probably not what you want but those Lamson's come in a 4.0 which is 4.25" diameter I think. It'll hold some line and the drag seems good. If you want one under 300 better check the Bay (eBay) for one. That's where I bought the 3.5 for $195.

Good Luck

 

[Offshore]

I have the Danielsson 8Eleven... the one they don't advertise and that is teamed up with my 8/9 and 9/10 weight rods... all I can say is, it suits me and my fly fishing for pike!

More info and pictures can be found in my blog...

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Mike,

Your requirement for a $300, light weight, big fish reel is not easy to accomplish. Here are a few to consider.

Frank

The Nautilus Feather Weight+ is a good choice but you will have to use Gel Spun backing to use a 9wt line. It is not big enough for a 10wt. Price is $350.

Nautilus Feather Weight+

The Orvis Battenkill Big Game will hold a 9wt line and plenty of backing. Price is $250.

Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor Big Game Reel

The Galvan T10 is a very good reel but is more money. Price $450

Galvan T10

The Teton 8-10 is a very good reel for the price. Teton is closed right now but they are looking for a buyer. If you call the factory you might get a good deal. Other dealers still have them in stock. The problem is there may not be any factory support.

Teton 8-10

 

[Pocono]

Let me recommend Lamson's Litespeed series.

I use a Litespeed 3.5 on my Sage Xi-2 9 wt. and it gets the job done every time. I use a Litespeed 4.0 on my Sage 10 wt. and, although a little heavier, the balance of the reel on the rod is nice. Drag on both the 3.5 and the 4.0 is strong enough to consistently stop barracuda while trolling; so that says something for their drag system! The hard alox finish on the reels has been "accidently" tested by me several times and, so far, the finish remains perfectly intact.

And I think that they're in your price range.

 

[MikeG]

I probably should mention that I am going to use 10wt line on the 9wt rod. The main reason I want it under $300 is that I need to buy two reels. I want something good but rather not spend a fortunate getting it.

 

[Rip Tide]

I use the Scientific Angler System 2 reels
I have three.
They're time tested, made in England, with a solid drag and run about $175 +/-
Good service too.
Last year I needed a part to replace one lost during annual heavy cleaning
They not only sent it to me free of charge, but also sent me an extra for the next time
:icon_mrgr

 

[Pocono]

I probably should mention that I am going to use 10wt line on the 9wt rod. The main reason I want it under $300 is that I need to buy two reels. I want something good but rather not spend a fortunate getting it.

MikeG,

I may be missing something here, but if you're going to use a 10 wt. line on your 9 wt. rod, and you're going to use a 10 wt. line on your 10 wt. rod, then why do you needs two reels? Couldn't you just switch one reel with the 10 wt. line from you 9 wt. rod to your 10 wt. rod; since you're not apt to be fishing both rods simultaneously(?)

 

[MikeG]

MikeG,

I may be missing something here, but if you're going to use a 10 wt. line on your 9 wt. rod, and you're going to use a 10 wt. line on your 10 wt. rod, then why do you needs two reels? Couldn't you just switch one reel with the 10 wt. line from you 9 wt. rod to your 10 wt. rod; since you're not apt to be fishing both rods simultaneously(?)

Well considering when I am up in Canada pike/muskie fishing with my gf, we both cannot use two different rods and using the same reel. Expect us to switch back and forth with the reel in the middle of casts????

 

[Pocono]

Well considering when I am up in Canada pike/muskie fishing with my gf, we both cannot use two different rods and using the same reel. Expect us to switch back and forth with the reel in the middle of casts????

Nope. I guess I missed the part about you and your gf fishing at the same time. In that case, you're right, you do need 2 reels. I think that the Lamson Litespeed reels will come in at or close to your budget if you're interested in trying them.