brewingup Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 What should I get? 4-5 wt. Gonna spend up to 200$ I'm not a product guru and couldn't even list more than 2 reel makers, but I want a good quality reel that I'll keep for years. Quote
Guest bigbadbrent Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 simply put, for 200 bucks. Tioga. They're a bit heavier then most, but they're built to last, and you can get one for around 150...i know troutfitters carries them Quote
toolman Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 I would recommend the pfleuger trion's or president series, available at Wholesale sports. A better quality reel than the Tioga's, IMO and I have fished with both brands of reel. Quote
KnotLikely Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 I second the Tioga. Russell's, and I think Fish Tales also carry them. Quote
albannachxcuileag Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 Have a look at a UK maker - Bloke Reels - I have the KPXX V6 and it is an amazing piece of machinery, only down side are the spare spools are £70+ each! - Mick sometimes puts them up on Ebay - that is where I got mine for £62 inc a spare spool. The rods are good too as I have an XL50 9' #6 that has become my main rod these days. Quote
Guest bigbadbrent Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 i've never seen a tioga, with a good size dent on the reel that made it unreelable..while i have seen that on a trion...reason enough for me Quote
esleech Posted October 3, 2007 Posted October 3, 2007 i've never seen a tioga, with a good size dent on the reel that made it unreelable..while i have seen that on a trion...reason enough for me How did the dent happen? I would have to see them both take the same beating under the same set of circumstances, to form an opinion. What? Don't do labs at university? Quote
birchy Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 <a href="http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-Pflueger-Trion-1934-fly-fishing-reel-3-4_W0QQitemZ140164176673QQihZ004QQcategoryZ23818QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZView Item" target="_blank"> eBAY TRION 3/4 REEL </a> Everyone keeps sayin: "NOW is the time to buy on EBay". Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 I have a tioga and i find its junky. This is one man's opinion. Quote
Din Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Just bought a orvis large arbour battenkill off their website. they have a sale on right now. got it for 130 w/ free backing. Quote
Guest bigbadbrent Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 How did the dent happen? I would have to see them both take the same beating under the same set of circumstances, to form an opinion. What? Don't do labs at university? buddy dropped it on gravel the second day he got it...folded one half of it into itself..luckily his leatherman fixed it to workableness for the day Quote
Glenbow Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Pfleuger Trion or Summit. Both excellent reels. Trion is a mid-arbor and the Summit is a large arbor. The summit is very new and may not be available everywhere. BTW, Trion, Summit & Orvis Battenkill are all made of the same alloy aluminum, so I wouldn't call one more durable than the other (with regard to these 3 examples). PM me for more info on a new line of reels. Quote
H2O Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 I've got the Teton Tioga Magnum for my 8wt and another Tioga for a short 3wt. Agree they are both kinda heavy but have been durable so far and have an excellent drag. Haven't fished with the Trion's but have had a few Battenkills. Can't go wrong there either. Like someone said there is a sale on the Battenkill large arbours direct from Orvis. Great deal when factoring in the value of the CDN dollar. I think when you're buying a reel at that price range it comes down to which reel you like the looks of best. Quote
dino Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 I've had both the Pflueger Trion and Teton Tioga and find them really heavy. Yes they are good reels for the money, but in the 4/5 weight classes I tend to search for something ~4oz to 5oz. The Pfluegers are not a sealed drag and sometimes the one way bearing can skip when a fish is pulling line, usually a lack of lube. Easy fix. It's really all in what you want to spend. If you have a good rod and want to keep your rig light, look into the Lamsons...Ross...I seen some good deals on these recently. These Orvis LA's sound alright. With the value of the Canadian dollar, I wouldn't think twice about ordering from the States. My 2 Cents Dean Quote
NormanMcLean Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 I have a Lamson and think it's a very good light-weight reel. Does anyone have any thoughts on Islander or Loop reels? Quote
dino Posted October 5, 2007 Posted October 5, 2007 I have a Lamson and think it's a very good light-weight reel. Does anyone have any thoughts on Islander or Loop reels? I have a Danielsson that I like(formally Loop). As for the Islanders, I'm sure they are great reels, just a touch on the heavy side for the lighter single hand rods IMO. Quote
birchy Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 Took a look at the Pflueger Trion today at Russell's. Agreed. Very sweet reel! Quote
PlayDoh Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 I've only had one fly reel, so my opinion is near worthless and should be taken lightly. I've seen reels that are $200 and up and they certainly look nice and are made with cnc's from whole stock high quality metals/alloys, yet I honestly don't see the need. I mean if you have the money, why not I suppose, I just can't see how a expensive reel would do anything a cheap one would if both are taken care of. My reel is a Reddington stillwater, and part of a combo and it works fine. I don't think any of the reels you'd use out here would have any ratio other then 1:1, and since its going to rest on the occasional rock/dirt/ground in or out of the water I think I'd rather be able to replace a generic reel 3-10 times rather then have one that could get just as damaged anyways. Like I said, I don't know much about fly fishing yet, but my $50 or less reel landed my fish just fine, and I honestly cant see any room for improvement. Its not heavy enough to need a lighter one, and the drag works fine. My bait cast reel is a different story, yet I don't need a name brand or fancy metals either. I have a nice Quantum that has a nice one hand cast mechanism, and I think 7 ball bearings. Its quiet and smooth, but I can have 100' of line out at times and drag in 30lbs Jack with it. Still it only cost me $60 at Crappy tire. I don't want to offend anyone, or refute the quality of some of these reels. Maybe in a year or so I'll have a different opinion, but for now I just don't see the benefit, other then quieter and lighter which is not a reason to spend hundreds of dollars on IMO. Honestly, I could see one being able to fly fish without a reel at all, although it would become a 'spaghetti incident' quickly I'm sure. I would probably drowned in 3' of water cause I managed to completely wrap myself in line, since I almost do it now. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, since its probably not a new idea, or something I have valuable info on. Quote
Guest bigbadbrent Posted October 9, 2007 Posted October 9, 2007 the best comparison for reels is a timex and a rollex...they both tell time... Honestly, until you're doing steelheading, trout fishing has no need for a reel worth more then 200 bucks, period...reels should be the last priority in what your money is going to, especially if you're just trout fishing..i have many 50-100 dollar reels, that catch more fish then some of my friends 700 dollar islanders..save your money, buy a better rod, or flies you can put as much pressure as you need by palming, and 75% of the fish you'll ever see, you wont need to even touch the reel. Lining fish is more fun anyway (in my mind)..if the fish puts me to my reel, then yes i'll use it, but i wont pick up all my slack, for the hell of using my reel Quote
loviatt Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 Buy a GOOD LINE and use the remaining part of the 200 bucks to get the best reel that you can. For most fish, a large arbor (insert popular brand/alloy here) is probably overkill, and as long as you don't beat the crap out of your stuff. One of my best reels was an old cabellas reel that has an offset drag, and I still like it better than newer redingtons/pfleugers that I own. Just my 2 cents though. Quote
lonefisher Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 I will re echo those sentiment...... more money on reels = a shinier reel...... still if you want to spend money on a nice fancy reel.... go for it why not it won't hurt you and it may even come in handy on a few bodies of water in this province..... I guess some of the bullshead fish are reel screamers and I know some of the bow river bullets will take you for a ride. But like brent said you get a hot fish apply palm lightly on the spinning spool and bobs your uncle..... One of my favorite reels is my cheapest one it likely has a retail value of less then 10 bucks and screams like a banshee when a fish takes off on you..... but everyone within 500m knows you just hooked something. I would spend a smaller amount on the reel buy an xtra spool or 2. Or a couple of really decent lines..... The line is more likely to make a noticeable difference to you...... but the shiny reel will bring in all the chicks so..... its kinda a tradeoff Quote
PlayDoh Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 but the shiny reel will bring in all the chicks so..... its kinda a tradeoff I have to disagree, my reel is black and cheap, yet I can't keep the Beavers away. Quote
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