Best reel?

Andy R · Mar 4, 2014

More of an opinion piece really, I'm not after advice, following on from the `best seatrout rod` thread, wondered what peoples opinions are on reels?

Over the years I've gone from dragonfly 375s, to sierra XDA #7/9, to a combination of hardy gem #8/9 mark 1 and vision GT #7/9s, to now a total fleet of GTs with the gems moved up to switch, seatrout and single handed salmon duties.

So now I have four Vision GTs, which have good capacity, large arbour, cage less design, one of which is black ( the night version) and three a bronze colour.....I won't be changing anytime soon as I've six spare spools- so ALL my seatrout lines are catered for......I just take the three I'm most likely to use down to the river dependent on height, otherwise I'd get a hernia

T7 · Mar 4, 2014

Vision koma. Cheap and reliable with a good drag. Just changed to the cassette version to allow for my ever increasing number of lines.

I have the GT in salmon size and it's excellent also got a daiwa Lochmor LA, orvis mach and Lamson LS for the salt

jj1 · Mar 5, 2014

Im still using my scierra edp's, their quite bombproof tbh. Ive had many more expensive reels, but most have packed up under night fishing conditions when grit has got in them or ive dropped them etc!. Im hearing good things about the skb overdrive and cassette reels atm.
jon

Aled · Mar 6, 2014

Well jj i can top you there, i still use my LC 100, they have had a hammering, but still going strong since 1990, cant see any reason to change em to be honest!
Tight lines
Aled
Ps note to self maybe i should move into the 21st century......

jj1 · Mar 6, 2014

Hahaha, i switched from the original bfr dragonflies (only to be couth!) To the scierras but the dragonflies served me well for 15+ years, i gave them to my mate and hes been using them since and has no probs what gro ever,.
jon

jj1 · Mar 6, 2014

Hahaha, i switched from the original bfr dragonflies (only to be couth!) To the scierras but the dragonflies served me well for 15+ years, i gave them to my mate and hes been using them since and has no probs what so ever,.
jon

Aled · Mar 7, 2014

Dad had the dragonfly, he also had a gearfly.
I've still got a rimfly which has got one of em Di7 on it, i hardly fish the stillwaters now so it doesnt get used much these days!
At the time those leeda reels were good pieces of kit, they were affordable for a young student, and as we both know they were pretty bomb proof! (just jinxed myself now)
Tight lines
Aled

T7 · Mar 7, 2014

I've still got a couple of rimflys and dragonflies. The only reason I don't really use them is because I prefer a large arbor reel these days - those small arbour ones really coil up lines!

jj1 · Mar 7, 2014

I used to the 120's, put about 5 miles of backing on them and they where basically la's

Imperial/bfr/leeda led the way in affordable reel designs for decades, they even made orvis's reels there in their plymouth factory. Didnt orvis end up owning them before production was moved to china?
jon

sewinfly · Mar 7, 2014

Have been using my Hardy Viscount Disc L.A. 7/8 wt now for a number of years now since they came out and have been great.Maybe not a true L.A. reel but have landed some lovely fish on them.
To be honest I keep them clean and look after them.

But a reel I use a lot now is the Wychwood Truefly SLA not many people write about these but it's been a fantastic reel for sewin and salmon and when bought there is 3 spools in total with the reel and spools at a tenner for two good value.Had a good few years service from the reel.

Sewinfly....................

Andy R · Mar 7, 2014

Some of the older hardy reels were great, I like gems for their bomb proof ness.....but a mate had the ultra lite large arbour ( really a mid arbor) #7/8 and loved them for seatrout. Nice looking, light, good capacity, strong as they had a decent cage to them, the silver colour made them easy to see at night ( to find base camp on some of the long tywi shingle banked pools).

Unfortunately he had some bad luck, ran one over with the car after a particularly long night session on the tywi, and left the other attached to a 10`6`` altmor #7/9 on a pool on the llandeilo water five years ago....unfortunately once in the morning it was discovered missing, it had been collected by another.....never to return.

T7 · Mar 7, 2014

jj1 said:
I used to the 120's, put about 5 miles of backing on them and they where basically la's
Imperial/bfr/leeda led the way in affordable reel designs for decades, they even made orvis's reels there in their plymouth factory. Didnt orvis end up owning them before production was moved to china?
jon

I reckon the koma kassette has to be one of the best value these days. £45 for the reel and 2 extra spools in a carry case, that must be the equivalent of £25 in the old days for a dragonfly if you include inflation etc. £5 for a spare spool as well!

Andy R · Mar 7, 2014

Aled said:
Well jj i can top you there, i still use my LC 100, they have had a hammering, but still going strong since 1990, cant see any reason to change em to be honest!
Tight lines
Aled
Ps note to self maybe i should move into the 21st century......

I used to have the LC80s but traded them for the dragonfly 395s- which had a disc drag ( I've always been a tackle tart) you mentioning them reminded me about mine, the first cassette reel if I remember, but only a click check/ basic drag. Properly functional though.....and spools were cheap, all the better for a skint student.

bluecharm · Mar 8, 2014

Lamson - all models. But you need to have a mate in the US .................

T7 · Mar 9, 2014

bluecharm said:
Lamson - all models. But you need to have a mate in the US .................

Have a look at sierra trading post mate. Just got a Litespeed 3.5X for £165 including taxes, postage etc!

bluecharm · Mar 11, 2014

You got a good deal there T7. Just had a look and there are indeed some great discounts.
I got mine when there were nearly $2 to the £ - hit the Pro Bass Shop sales and it was unbeatable !
They are cracking reels ..........

stu · Mar 12, 2014

Lets face it, reels dont help you catch more fish (but I guess bad ones could casue you to lose some).
But a nicely engineered reel is a joy to use. I've been using a Lamson Litespeed for a couple of years and love it.

liphook · Mar 12, 2014

Liked the Vision Komas then I found SKBs which are great value. Also like the original Battenkill LAs (the ones made in England) and Lamson ULAs

Lamson lovers have you seen the Trident Fly Fishing site in the USA? 'Blems' aka slight seconds are a bargain, particularly spools

T7 · Mar 13, 2014

liphook said:
Liked the Vision Komas then I found SKBs which are great value. Also like the original Battenkill LAs (the ones made in England) and Lamson ULAs

Lamson lovers have you seen the Trident Fly Fishing site in the USA? 'Blems' aka slight seconds are a bargain, particularly spools

Thanks for the tip LH, will take a look...

Best reel?

Andy R

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T7

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jj1

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Aled

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jj1

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jj1

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Aled

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T7

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jj1

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sewinfly

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Andy R

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T7

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Andy R

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bluecharm

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bluecharm

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stu

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liphook

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