Thoughts on Budget Reels?

There is something about a well crafted reel that is just different.  I think the best example I have is when fish is just ripping out drag.  The higher end reels is smooth.  Rod stays nice and parabolic while a fish runs.  The cheaper reels tend to jerk, start and stop, rod tip going crazy.  I think you lose a lot more fish when its like that. 

Having said that, I can palm a reel better than any lower end drag system in my opinion.  Unless you plan to pursue oversized fish on a 5wt, you can get by with an inexpensive reel, lighten the drag on it, and palm it.  If you need maximum pressure applied, immediately while a fish runs and are using super light line, I personally don't think you need a high end 5wt reel. 

But Rudy, they're so pre-etty and ele-gant and love-ly!  Practically scrumptious.  They're sooo-oo undeniably beautiful that I must have one just to display on my mantle.

I've not been idle since I first asked this question, and with the help of Google and a few beers, I have a much better (technical) understanding of what you get when you pay $1,000 for an uber-reel - but there isn't enough bandwidth, or beer, in town to understand why the Hardy Zane costs $10,000.

I learned that a number of truly budget-friendly reels are manufactured and assembled with very good tolerances between their frames and spools, and that was what worried me the most.  With my very first reel, a 6wt floating line could (and often did) slip through the gap between the spool and the frame, and if that's ever happened to you, you know what that does to the main line.

I've looked at the Okuma reels at Bi-mart, and the SLV might fit me, but to be honest, I've owned Okuma lure-slinging reels, and every one has had one nuisance or another that bugged the bejeebers out of me, so I've become leery of Okuma reels.  That said, I have never heard a complaint about an Okuma fly reel, so I'm keeping my mind as open as my Okuma phobia allows.

I've started watching the auctions and searching through the used- and new-old-stock shops.  I'm not turning my back on the Okuma SLV, but while I think I have time to be patient, I'm looking for a gonga deal.

Oh yeah!  The best quote I've stumbled across was "The whole 'A River Runs Through It' spike is over and the time for over-priced hardware is ending."

Well, thank God!

Thanks again.

P.S.  I gave all those Okuma reels and that first fly reel to my brother.  I think he and I are pretty close to even for everything he did when we were kids.

But Rudy, they're so pre-etty and ele-gant and love-ly!  Practically scrumptious.  They're sooo-oo undeniably beautiful that I must have one just to display on my mantle.

I've not been idle since I first asked this question, and with the help of Google and a few beers, I have a much better (technical) understanding of what you get when you pay $1,000 for an uber-reel - but there isn't enough bandwidth, or beer, in town to understand why the Hardy Zane costs $10,000.

I learned that a number of truly budget-friendly reels are manufactured and assembled with very good tolerances between their frames and spools, and that was what worried me the most.  With my very first reel, a 6wt floating line could (and often did) slip through the gap between the spool and the frame, and if that's ever happened to you, you know what that does to the main line.

I've looked at the Okuma reels at Bi-mart, and the SLV might fit me, but to be honest, I've owned Okuma lure-slinging reels, and every one has had one nuisance or another that bugged the bejeebers out of me, so I've become leery of Okuma reels.  That said, I have never heard a complaint about an Okuma fly reel, so I'm keeping my mind as open as my Okuma phobia allows.

I've started watching the auctions and searching through the used- and new-old-stock shops.  I'm not turning my back on the Okuma SLV, but while I think I have time to be patient, I'm looking for a gonga deal.

Oh yeah!  The best quote I've stumbled across was "The whole 'A River Runs Through It' spike is over and the time for over-priced hardware is ending."

Well, thank God!

Thanks again.

P.S.  I gave all those Okuma reels and that first fly reel to my brother.  I think he and I are pretty close to even for everything he did when we were kids.

Lol I agree!!!  Don't get me wrong a well built piece of fishing machinery is worth 100 Viagra pills.

Okay, I'm going to bite on this one......

......and, I'll admit up front, I'm totally biased. I own a fly shop.

When I first started out fly fishing in high school I owned several Okuma Sierra reels. They were fine for trout fishing. But they didn't last long. I probably blew through 4 or 5 Sierras. The spools were fragile, I've had the spindle on the reel bend, click drag parts have fallen out, etc. You get what you pay for, but for a small investment it gets you in the game. And for me starting out, it was perfect to get me in the game. I actually now remember that my first fly reel ever was a Daiwa. It was heavier than a brick but it was indestructible.

So here's the deal with industry pricing. Brands like Okuma and Allen make their stuff in Asia, use cheap parts, cheap labor (or worse), and then on top of it, cut out retailers and sell it direct or have absolutely horrific distribution practices and no or little warranty support.

Why does a Hardy reel cost $10k? I have no idea. At some point you start hitting reels that are valuable to collectors and people with enormous disposable incomes and the price can get high and do I dare say, unjustifiable. And honestly, I don't know how those fit into my argument here. Take it for what it is worth.

So what's the difference between a Lamson and one of the other reels mentions? A whole lot in my opinion. Most Lamson reels are made in Idaho, have a sealed conical drag, and have a lifetime warranty. And when you buy a Lamson what are you doing? You're supporting a company that has awesome employees (I know several of them), and these employees are paid a living wage, and supporting USA based manufacturing and USA based jobs.
In this day and age we don't always have the option to pick where our goods come from. It seems that more and more they just come from China, Korea, Vietnam, etc. I like knowing that I'm supporting US based businesses.....especially since I've personally gotten to know some of the people that work in these places.

Additionally, if you buy a Lamson from an independently owned fly shop like mine, you'll pay the same price you would at Cabelas, Bass Pro, etc. But the added benefit is that you supported a small business that will bend over backwards to provide you the best customer service. You supported a business that in turn will put more dollars into the local economy than a box store like Cabelas which is headquartered in Wisconsin. You will get expert advice on where to fly fish, etc. And we'll properly spool up your reel with backing and fly line. And, unlike both Cabelas and Bass Pro, we know which direction the fly line is supposed to go (we have to fix this all the time for people!).

So perhaps I'm making the case more for supporting specialty retailers than the big box store but I think with this topic it goes hand in hand. The quality brands, for the most part, limit their distribution to brick and mortar retailers.....and many of them limit their distribution to only specialty retailers. For example, you'll never see a Scott Fly Rod at a box store.

I have owned a lot of reels over the years. Some would be considered high end (Hatch, Nautilus, Bauer, etc), while others are considered mid price (Lamson, etc). So maybe for me, being an industry "insider" it's different. Because I know the guys at Hatch. And I know Kristen at Nautilus. I know John and Barbara Bauer. And these people are great. They are truly wonderful people. I want them to be successful. And they want me to be successful. And they work their tail off to make sure I have the best product to sell and work really hard to sell their product and support them.

If I've been unconvincing up until now I'll make two last points, to try to keep this short.
- All reels will eventually have issues. When it has issues, I'll send your reel to the manufacturer for you for warranty service and if you need a reel to borrow I will loan you a reel, free of charge until your reel returns. I do it with rods as well. And because I stand behind my product I will not loan you a $25 reel. Chances are, I'll put a Lamson in your hands, or better. I do this with rods as well.
- I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a wife of 15 years. I own a home. I make payments on a mini-van. There's possibly a chance that I spend my hard earned money with your place of business. And I pay taxes. And I raise money for fishery conservation. And I teach people how to fish, cast a fly rod, and tie flies. I'm a guide and provide people with memorable experiences. I provide the newspaper with their fishing report. I help perpetuate the sport of fly fishing.......and if you buy a $99 Lamson from my shop, or a $55 Redington, or a $500 Hatch, I appreciate every dollar spent. At the end of the day I am only satisfied if you are pleased with your purchase and are stoked to go fish. And I hope to see you back in the shop to give a fishing report, or to talk about how the gear we helped you select was absolutely perfect for what you're doing, or just to hear how stoked you are on fishing, and how we can help you with the next fish you want to catch.

Guys, thanks for hearing me out. Sorry the post went so long.

Lol I agree!!!  Don't get me wrong a well built piece of fishing machinery is worth 100 Viagra pills.

Yeah, that's how they affect me, too.

- Kevin

Okay, I'm going to bite on this one......

......and, I'll admit up front, I'm totally biased. I own a fly shop.

<snip><snip>

Guys, thanks for hearing me out. Sorry the post went so long.

I wouldn't apologize for being an "insider" nor feel that you're biased because you  own a fly shop - and certainly not because of how many words you typed.  There's not a word in your reply that I didn't understand and embrace, and there are even a few important considerations that you left out, like how much more durable a reel is when machined from bar stock compared to reels that are cast from the same material, and how either of those are much more durable than a stamp-formed reel.

Those aren't unimportant advantages, and I do understand that everything you mentioned, plus a whole lot more, are what we get with a $500 reel, or a $1,000 reel - or a $10K reel (although that last reel had better be able to serve me coffee in the morning).

And believe me, I shop small, locally-owned shops and stores whenever I can - even driving twice as far to get to them.  Nothing beats the experience of hanging around a small business.

But I originally asked this question because the closest specialty shop that I know of is a full day's drive (and an overnight stay) from where I live, and I wanted suggestions about what gear I should look at once I made the trip.

I wasn't hunting for big-box stores, but that doesn't mean that those suggestions have no value to me.  That's where the kind of gear I can afford is being sold.

As an outsider, I think that there's no good reason for manufacturers to concentrate on very high-dollar works of art just that allow a handful of folks who can justify those prices to harass a few fish.  Most newcomers - and I'm just slipping out of that category - can't get started in the sport because the price of admission seems staggering.

Folks just starting out, and folks who also have to feed families and pay mortgages, and those who are struggling to pay school tuition simply cannot afford the current offerings from American companies.  We're not trying to get into the sport on the cheap, we're just trying to catch a fish with a fly rod, and I, for one, won't let the sad fact that I'm not comfortably upper- or even middle- middle-class stop me from fly fishing.

I fish with disposable Asian junk because I want to fish and that's what I can afford.  I want American-made stuff, but I can't afford it.

My first fly reel - the one that liked to snack on my main line?  It was a Ross.  And no, Ross did not stand behind that reel; it was one of their $100 reels and was probably made in China, not Colorado.

That off my chest, I'm patiently sorting through used reels for sale trying to find an affordably-priced, used, American-made reel.  Even those don't come cheap.

Thank you for giving me an insider's point of view.  I found the information valuable, and I appreciate the time you used telling it to me.

Going used is a good idea. I've seen that anglers with quality equipment usually take better care of their stuff and you can get a good reel at a great price.

If you're digging the Lamson reels, check out the new Remix and Liquid. They start at $99. We're selling tons of them.

We used to sell Ross and when they got bought by 3M and then sold to Orvis and then sold to the Mayfly group we dropped our account. The Ross Worldwide stuff was hit or miss. Some of it was actually pretty good for the price and the other stuff was garbage.

Check out the Redington Surge. It's about $60 and you could probably throw it down the street and it won't break....

Okay, I'm going to bite on this one......

......and, I'll admit up front, I'm totally biased. I own a fly shop.


...snip snip...

 
- I have a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a wife of 15 years. I own a home. I make payments on a mini-van. There's possibly a chance that I spend my hard earned money with your place of business. And I pay taxes. And I raise money for fishery conservation. And I teach people how to fish, cast a fly rod, and tie flies. I'm a guide and provide people with memorable experiences. I provide the newspaper with their fishing report. I help perpetuate the sport of fly fishing.......and if you buy a $99 Lamson from my shop, or a $55 Redington, or a $500 Hatch, I appreciate every dollar spent. At the end of the day I am only satisfied if you are pleased with your purchase and are stoked to go fish. And I hope to see you back in the shop to give a fishing report, or to talk about how the gear we helped you select was absolutely perfect for what you're doing, or just to hear how stoked you are on fishing, and how we can help you with the next fish you want to catch.

Guys, thanks for hearing me out. Sorry the post went so long.

Damn, makes me want to buy a flyrod thingy from you and start fly fishing...if nothing else I'll definitely stop by your shop soon.

Damn, makes me want to buy a flyrod thingy from you and start fly fishing...if nothing else I'll definitely stop by your shop soon.

+1.  And flyfishingblake, thank you for some excellent suggestions.  I "listened" and learned something.