3Wt Reel?

[Sean84]

I just purchased a new 3wt rod, my first fiberglass rod, and I am looking for some opinions on a reel. Any suggestions?

[gottalovecutts]

The classic orvis battenkill is a great mid priced reel with a nice click.....

[Taco]

Islander IRs rock in click/pawls

[Ricinus]

X2 on the Islanders.. Or a Hardy..

 

Mike

[Sean84]

well, those are the three I was looking at, 3 different price ranges as well. My main factor is going to be which balances well with the rod. I think the orvis may be the heaviest out of the three.

[Taco]

How long and heavy is the rod and where do you like your balance point?

[ÜberFly]

The Islanders will be heavier in wieght and on your wallet!! Though they are an awesome reel!!

 

well, those are the three I was looking at, 3 different price ranges as well. My main factor is going to be which balances well with the rod. I think the orvis may be the heaviest out of the three.

[Vagabond]

Might want to look at Abel Creek 2 also?I was about to pull the trigger on one last year for my 3wt,but then I found a Marquis 4 w/spare spool included for a great price and went that route instead.

[Sean84]

The Islanders will be heavier in wieght and on your wallet!! Though they are an awesome reel!!

It's 7' 2.1oz

Abel is way overpriced won't be going that route. Islander is a little on the high side but for a better reason then Abel.

I would like my balance point to be slightly more forward then the reel. Making my hand the pivot/fulcrum point would be ideal

[muha]

Galvan brookie is a real nice reel, at a normal price. Still regret not ordering one, insted i went with fwx nautilus 1/3, which is nice but can't hold a full 3wt line(had to chop off about 20ft from airlfo superdry elite and its still snug)with about 30yds of backing. Had to disassemble my reel clean it from old grease and put on better quality lubricant to get a smooth enough drag for 7x-8x tippet.

[Sean84]

 

Galvan brookie is a real nice reel, at a normal price. Still regret not ordering one, insted i went with fwx nautilus 1/3, which is nice but can't hold a full 3wt line(had to chop off about 20ft from airlfo superdry elite and its still snug)with about 30yds of backing. Had to disassemble my reel clean it from old grease and put on better quality lubricant to get a smooth enough drag for 7x-8x tippet.

When I was looking at lines it looks like airflo line is 20' longer then others. I'm going to go with the rio trout lt dt.

[Taco]

Extremely subjective but a lined IR2 should put the balance point about mid grip. Personally I prefer that point to be just forward of my index finger but I've been told I'm an anal summbitch. Typically with the sightly heavier fiberglass you can upsize the reel a tad than you would with a comparable graphite.

[Vagabond]

It's 7' 2.1oz

Abel is way overpriced won't be going that route. Islander is a little on the high side but for a better reason then Abel.

I would like my balance point to be slightly more forward then the reel. Making my hand the pivot/fulcrum point would be ideal

I suppose one could argue that a lot of high end FF gear is "overpriced"?Collecting a couple-few Islanders is definately on my to-do list,but at the time I was looking for a LA click/pawl reel suited to a 3wt,Islander had/has(?) no such offerings.I didn't find Abel to be any more pricey than similar quality "heirloom" reels that I hope to pass on to my son and hopefully his son way down the river?

....and I liked the option of customizing color to match my blank?

Talk about overpriced in that category,Sage Click with plastic guts...yuk!

And my mistake,it was AC1,not AC2 that was minutes away from ordering,but again,Hardy Marquis landed in my lap,spare spool and all for app. 1/2 the $$ that I was about to throw on the Abel....not an LA as I had hoped for,but still,'twas a no brainer,it had to come home with me.

Re:backing capacity,not really a legit concern or criteria imho with a 3wt outfit considering the target size of fish and size of streams where I would typically use it?Really don't expect to even see the backing very often,let alone get spooled?

[muha]

For a reel that is designated for certain line youd expect it to fit. To me that is a legit concern. Will anyone get spooled with a 3wt reel i dont know....do you need a $600 dolar reel to cast 20ft for 12" fish to be legit?

[Guest Jorge]

on a 3wt you could keep the line in your shirt pocket, save the cash and buy an inexpensive click/pawl

[Sean84]

on a 3wt you could keep the line in your shirt pocket, save the cash and buy an inexpensive click/pawl

I do agree with this for the most part. But better to have some extra and not need it then to need it and not have it. Plus you never know when you may be playing a nice bull on that 12" cutty you caught.

[Taco]

http://www.tackledirect.com/islanderir.html Here's an new IR1 for around $300CDN. The 1s have been discontinued.

[Taco]

on a 3wt you could keep the line in your shirt pocket, save the cash and buy an inexpensive click/pawl

I got tired of throwin' out junk "inexpensive" reels. That's why I buy used quality reels in the secondary market, they're likely to be still worth what I paid for them 10 yrs down the road.

[Roast]

Also consider the new orvis CFO click pawl. Made in the USA ( rumoured to be made by Abel). http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=9P4A

[Vagabond]

For a reel that is designated for certain line youd expect it to fit. To me that is a legit concern. Will anyone get spooled with a 3wt reel i dont know....do you need a $600 dolar reel to cast 20ft for 12" fish to be legit?

Well I dunno bout $600,seems to me iirc that the Abel AC1 was about 1/2 that price point,$50 extra for the color of choice,and the Marquis I ended up buying was 1/2 that again.

Gotta agree with the "shirt pocket" comment though.....many/most fish that I play on a 3wt won't even get on the reel....on the other hand,I'm on board with Taco,I like collecting nicer stuff these days and gear that I will only ever have to buy once.....but no argument here,for the most part the reel is for storing line and the least important component....but nice stuff is just....er.....ummmm....well.....nice?

[monger]

Do these mean bull trout ever leave the pool you catch them in? Backing on a cutty stream ....really?

[muha]

Not for the sake of 14" fish running away, but for a bit of padding to put the fly line on, that is all.

 

 

[darrinhurst]

I have the Orvis Access on a couple of my rods. Gotta say, I love the darn thing. Plenty of reel for not a lot of coin.

[gottalovecutts]

I originally had the Battenkill on my three weight, really didnt find it heavy at all. Went with a loop evotec, great drag and wonderful reel, but as mentioned preciously, a little much for cutties....

[Hawgstoppah]

Why are we assuming he'd only be in a cutty stream fishing 12" fish with a 3WT? (did I miss it and he actually said so?). Maybe he needs a good reel to let line out smoothly fishing for some easily spooked toads somewhere.