Choosing the Right Fly Reel: A Guide to Quality & Value

It is not exactly easy to come across a good quality fly reel these days for less than $300 however if you use these tips  you will discover how to get a great reel for your investment and see it stand up to the test of time.

 When first looking to invest your hard earned scratch into a fly reel getting it wrong could be quite costly so never invest blindly. Do a little research before you go around the sports store and make sure you get it right the first time instead of bringing home little more than a pile of rubbish.

  Don't let words such as forged, machined or anodized make you anxious or excited to invest your coin the fact is machining is involved in the manufacturing of almost all metal products and the drop forge ain't exactly new technology.  anodizing is the only note worthy characteristic of the three to mention. This is when a  manufacturer thickens the oxide layer on the reels surface through a electrolytic passivation process providing corrosion and wear resistance as well as adding any of a wide range of colors thus making the process more appealing and marketable than simple narrow spectrum metal plating.

Another helpful tip will be a quick run down on bearings. The industry often only advertises the number of balls and this is a misleading short coming. Race depth  as well as bearing size and the diameter of the balls  are all just as important as the total number inside.

 A bearing has an life span of sorts depending on the load applied over time so it is a guarantee at some point it will need replacing. A  tip here is to order two extra bearings at the time of purchase. The parts will be accessible as your reel is still new and they are cheap usually under $5 + shipping.

A tip to prolong the life of your bearings is to periodically remove the seal and force out the old grease until only the new fresh grease remains then carefully replace the seal. On the off chance dirt has made it's way into your bearing wash it with oil then carefully remove it completely and re-grease. If your reel has open bearings this needs to be done more often to repel water and keep the steel balls from rusting as not to cause a mess of oxidized gunk inside of your spool.

When your finally in the store browsing through potential candidates beware of really good deals such as half off or clearance. While it may seem tempting always think why if it is such a good deal is it still unsold and most times a look toward the arbor size will revile the truth. Be especially careful with reels that come previously spooled with float line it is almost always a trick to hide the arbor.

That in it self tells us something about just how much money some of these guys are making when someone uses a $40 to $60 float line to sell a smaller arbor or lower quality reel.

 Bigger arbor sizes between 3.5 and 4.5 inches are best in my opinion for salmon. When a big jack turns back toward you and starts to move you'll quickly regret saving money by going with a smaller setup.

 After you have waded any bull and chosen a reel you like the color, bearings and arbor size of you have to check the drag. Drag is very simple there is two types disk and spring. The old style spring and paw system does work however with multi disc drag systems putting the breaks on fish like the finest automobile there is only one option for this angler and it's disk all the way.

So finally you have weighed your options and made your investment. Perhaps you are in for $300 to $500 at this point and it would be a shame to see your reel deteriorate quickly. To avoid this simply keep your reel clean and dry. Submersing a fly reel into the water is no smarter than drowning your wallet. Quickly the grease is compromised while your bearings begin to break down and not to mention that a grain of sand can possibly destroy any reel on the market once lodged between the spool and frame.

My last tip to ensure a lasting investment is to keep your reel secure during transport. Never toss it in the back of the truck to bounce around while driving back roads. Constant banging will put slop in the working parts inviting sand and dirt again putting your reel at risk.

Use these tips to discover how to get the most out of your investment for the years to come and remember to always keep your eye on the fly...FishinDan