Most fly fishermen agree that buying
an expensive fly fishing reel is a "real" waste of money. Why?
Well nine times out of ten you will never use the reel to actually
fight the fish. Now don't get me wrong, it really depends on
the size fish you are aiming for. For any fish under say three
pounds the method that will be used to fight the fish is to strip
the line in without actually using the reel. But, and there's
always a but, if you will be tackling larger species, a good
expensive reel that has a nice drag system will be necessary to
fight the fish.
That being said, if you are or will
be fishing for smaller species the reel is just a place to store the
line. Does that mean you should buy the least expensive
flyfishing reel you can find? No! Unless you are a
beginner and you really aren't sure if you will take up fly fishing
for a long time. Even so, for a beginner a very
inexpensive reel would work just fine until you really get the hang
of fly fishing and want to upgrade to a nicer outfit that will last
the rest of your fly fishing days. Be advised though that a
"cheap" rod will eventually give out, so don't count on it
to be around for a life time.
I recommend setting a price point for
the reel you are looking to buy then take a look online to find out
which manufacturers will fit your price range. Something to
look for when shopping for flyfishing reels is whether or not the
manufacturer has a warranty. Some reels are not covered at all
whereas others have lifetime warranties. Be sure to read fly
reel reviews to get a feel of its durability and ease of use from
people that have actually used the reel you are thinking of
buying.
