Reels, well picking one out doesn’t seem as difficult as getting a rod for what you want to do. One thing you will want to do, and for some mixed reasons, is to make sure the reel you choose comes with a spare spool. Doesn’t matter if it a fly or spinning reel, having the extra spool makes it easier to switch rods, or in some cases of a fly reel, to change lines. Lines are for tomorrow’s topic, and changing lines will make more sense after reading that.
Starting off with spinning reels, you want to choose a reel that will take 140 or 160 yards of 6 lb monofilament. Why so much mono? For one, we are talking 6 lb test, and with that light of a line you will be playing the fish. The second reason is that you can load up 8 lb mono on the spare spool and use that for a crankbait/spoon rod. You do not have to use mono, and in some cases a superline can be more productive in conjunction with a fluorocarbon leader.
A couple of other reasons for choosing a spinning reel with that much line capacity is just the physical size of the reel. On the longer rods used for spinning gear and catching steelies, normally the weight of a reel that size will balance out well with the rod. More importantly will be something that can handle the load. If all holds true with the quality of the reel, the slightly larger size will handle the run of a fish without getting burned up.
If you are looking to pick up a new reel for this, or just want to see what will work with the equipment you already have, consider these from different manufacturers. Penn makes an excellent reel in the SS 1300, it might look like an old design, but the reason it hasn’t changed is that drag will hold up to anything. A Daiwa in the 60 to $120 range, in sizes 2000 or 2500 are good choices. You just have to make sure in this case that the Daiwa comes with a spare spool. These same characteristics can be said of reel from Shimano, although their reels in this price range do come with a spare spool. If you are old school, and want to go with an Abu Garcia, both the 502 and 302 would be the reels you want to use. The 502 is an all aluminum body and is a bit more rugged. I use an older model, the Tournament 2000 and it has held up over time.
What the newest trend in fly reels, the large arbor. Although not necessary, these reels with the larger circumference do have their advantages. Some folks don’t realize that the gear ratio’s on a fly reels are basically 1:1. What the larger spool gives you, is lots of room to build up backing under the fly line, in this case the thicker the base the better. When a spool is properly filled to the recommended top pt, it increases your rate of retrieving the line. The key here is to pick up a spare spool the same time you purchase your reel. As I said earlier, there is a reason for this I will get into more tomorrow, but for now this is the simple explanation. There are two types of fly line, and each really does have its time and place.
You want a reel that will match the weight of the rod you are getting. An example would be the 7wt rod matching up with a 7wt reel. Although a little bit of a taboo when dealing with the fly fishing enthusiast, you do have some wiggle room here. You can run a 6 wt or 8 wt line on a 7wt reel. General rule is one weight above, or one weight below what the reel is rated for.
Picking out a fly reel is going to be up to you and what is recommended by the sales person helping you out. I gave some basics, but there are more details involved when choosing a reel. Something I didn’t mention yesterday was this, get ready for some sticker shock if this is your first venture into fly fishing. Although there are lots of choices that fall under these prices, a good, not a great rod and reel, can cost you about $400 dollars, each. Most places should be able to get you set up for $150, with a good dependable outfit.
Tomorrow: Line choices