In part 1 of our Fly Fishing 101 series we looked at choosing a fly rod, now in part 2 we will look at how to choose the correct reel to go with your fly rod.
The most important point when choosing a fly reel is to choose a reel that can hold the correct amount of fly line and backing to match the weight of rod that you have chosen. If for example you have purchased a 6 weight fly rod, you need to match this with a reel that will hold a 6 weight line. Fly reels come in many different models and most will accommodate 2 or more different line weights and these will be labelled on the reel so for a 6 weight rod, a 5/6 weight fly reel would be correct.
Fly reels come in multiple different styles and designs and can very in price from very cheap to costing 100’s of £. Choice of reel will largely depend on the venues that you plan to fish and what species and size fish you are likely to encounter. Below we will cover some of the more common fly fishing scenarios and what would be the most appropriate reels to use.
Small Rivers and Streams.
For the most part when fishing rivers and small streams for trout and grayling you can expect to be mostly catching smaller fish, in this situation the reels main purpose will be to hold the fly line as most fish will be played by hand. Rods used for this kind of environment tend to range from 2 – 5 wt and matching these with a light reel to keep overall weight down can be a great benefit to using a heavier reel. The super-lightweight River & Stream reels are an ideal choice for using in this situation, the adjustable click and pawl drag system will comfortably handle the occasional larger fish that runs onto the reel whilst still protecting delicate tippets..jpg)
Small Stillwater’s and Reservoirs.
This is where choosing a suitable reel can get a little trickier as a huge variety of waters and fishing styles fall under this category. Reel choice can depend on how often you will be playing fish on the reel, what size fish you are likely to encounter and also how many different fly lines you are going to carry. Rods used for still water fishing normally range between 4 – 8 wt so reels used are generally larger and hold more line and backing than those used for rivers. We always recommend using a reel with a large arbor design as this allows line to be retrieved more quickly and also reduces line memory when stored.
For still waters where you normally only carry one or two different lines and expect to catch a lot of small to medium sized trout and most fish can be played by hand you don’t necessarily need an expensive reel with an expensive drag system. A reel such as the Flow reels would be an ideal choice for these venues, being both light weight and durable, they still feature a smooth semi sealed drag and a large line capacity which makes them more than capable of handling the occasional larger fish you may hook into.
For larger and deep waters like reservoirs it is very common to carry 3 or more different fly lines for a days fishing, for this a cassette type reel like the Truefly SLA MKII is strongly recommended. The benefits of a cassette type reel are the interchangeable spools that allow for quick line changes, are very light and are a lot cheaper than regular spare spools making it cheaper and easier for carrying multiple lines.
For waters where larger fish are expected on a regular basis and you are likely to be playing a lot of big fish on the reel (such as big fish stalking venues or targeting other species like carp), investing in a reel with smooth and strong multi washer drag system is a must. These reels will be more expensive than the previous choices but will last a lot longer as with the strain put on the reel the performance will be exceptional. The RS2 fly reel is the perfect choice for this.
Predator and Saltwater Fly Fishing.
This is where choosing the correct reel very important as much larger and stronger fish can be expected. Two very important things to consider when choosing a reel for saltwater or predator fly fishing are firstly; the large line capacity that will be needed for fishing heavier lines and potential long runs that can be expected from your target species and secondly; the need for a strong and sealed disc drag system that gives you plenty of stopping power to turn a large fish around.
For fly fishing for predators such as pike where heavier 9 and 10 weigh rods are often used, The PDR fly reels are our reel of choice and these are also ideal for heavier saltwater work. With a drag force of 4kg and a large backing capacity, the heavier models of the RS2 fly reels will easily handle lighter saltwater work.
So there we have it, although choosing a fly reel may seem daunting at first due to the sheer number of options, don't let this get you down and just follow the key points above and you should be good to go in choosing a fly reel.
