I have read many of the "what reel" questions in this forum and have found this question to be one that is not easily answered. Mostly because of lack of information an the askers part. With that in mind, I will attempt to give you as much information as possible and go from there.

I have been fly fishing for about 4 years with a TFO 5-6wt NXT Combo. I recently purchased a TFO Professional Series 5wt Rod and have been using the cast aluminum NXT 1 Reel from my combo for both rods. I fish exclusively on still water ponds and lakes in East Texas. Mainly for Panfish. However, lately I have been wanting to target larger fish, such as Bass and Catfish, and needed a rod that was more suitable for purposefully targeting these species. I fish from the bank, so I needed something powerful enough to reach the areas I cant get close enough to.

I knew I wanted to stick with TFO. First of all because I have been really pleased with their product. Second, They're local(ish). Their offices are about an hour away from me. And third, they have a no fault warranty on their rods. (I broke my first TFO rod trying to run back to my car during a sudden rain storm. I walked in, handed them the rod, and they gave me a new rod and a couple of hats for the road. No questions asked!)

After reading the intarwebs for a couple of weeks and having a few phone conversations with TFO, I decided on a TFO TiCR X 8wt 9' 4pc rod. Now I am searching for the right reel. I will be fishing topwater some, but also plan to use weighted line as it gets hotter and the fish go deeper. What would you suggest? My budget is $250.

Are you including the line into the cost of the reel? Will you ever want to target some of the saltier fish or dare I say, carps?

The $250 budget is set aside for the reel only. I dont see myself fishing salt and have never fly fished for carp.

http://www.rossreels.com/products/fly-fishing-reels/vexsis/vexsis-fly-reels.cfm

Pretty spiffy.

Stick with TFO. The 375LA has been likened to other $600 reels and is considered "bombproof" by many who use them. It's next on my list of purchases. I'll keep searching for my favorite review of the reel but it should be at or near the top of your list.

Check out this accolade for nearly your exact combination:
TiCrx plus 375 Go down to may13th

And this
review

Odatria,

I think you will receive a lot of answers reflecting many fly fishers' personal preferences; I know I have mine, and I fish with the same rod about which you are inquiring.

Some things to keep in mind that you might find beneficial are:
Large Arbor & Large Spool Reel, not mid-arbor and definitely not small arbor nor large arbor reel with mid spool (Example: Ross CLA reels are large arbor/medium spool). Larger arbors 1) have the room to offer a heartier drag system, and while drag isn't really used that much in 5#s>, your drag can be important for those bigger, weightier fish. 2) Your hand will not tire as fast reeling in, especially if you're reeling line in and the fish takes line out and you reel line back in, etc. 3) I believe the line comes off a large arbor spool more easily/quickly than a mid and small spool.

Reel weight should not be more than 7 - 7.2 ounces. Heavier, and the balance becomes cumbersome, especially after you've spent a good part of your day on the water.

What type of backing do you want to use? If Dacron use 20#, your spool should be able to comfortably hold 200 yards; if Gel-spun use 30# and your spool should be able to hold about 220 yards. I personally avoid the bright colored backing, because too many times it has faded on to the line, whether Dacron or Gel-spun.

For your price range, Lamson Guru 3 and Guru 3.5, Lamson Konic 3.5, Orvis Hydros IV, Orvis Batenkill Large Arbor IV, Sage 2080, and Sage 1880 are good places to begin your search. Go out and cast the reels on your rod and see how you like the feel of each.

Have fun experimenting!

There are lots of reel choices out there. TFO has some good reels.

I have one of the TFO 375LA reels and as mentioned, it is a very nice reel, especially for the price.

But it sounds like you will be using it in freshwater, so I'd suggest taking a hard look at TFO's Prism reel. It is a large arbor reel with a cork drag for less than $100. These are nice reels and you'd have room in your budget for a extra spool or even a second reel. That way you can have one spool or reel with a floating line and one for a sinking line.

http://www.templeforkflyrods.com/products/reels.html

Have fun shopping,
Rex

Wow! Thanks for the input guys! I'll do some research on the reels you suggested and let you know what I decide. RexW, is the Prism Reel quality?

Yes, the Prism is a good reel. It is a cast aluminum reel as opposed to being machined from a solid piece of metal. Casting is less expensive to manufacture than machining.

Another difference in reel expense is the finish. Most of the higher end reels like the TFO LA reels will have an anodized finish which is more durable and corrosion resistant. Corrosion resistance is more important to consider for reels that will be used in saltwater a lot.

The Prism has a good cork disk drag system.

Maybe George will come along soon. He has several years of experience fishing the TFO Prism reels.

Rex

I second the prism quality as well. I have 2.

I strongly agree with Rex and SC - the TFO Prism is an excellent affordable freshwater reel with an excellent drag system.
For the salt, the LA 375 is an excellent choice, as well as the 340 - I almost got to test the LA 375 a couple of weeks ago casting to a few "snooty" tarpon ...

Stop wasting your time and buy the Nautilus FWX. Best reel for the money IMO. The FWX 7/8 only weights 4.1 oz. Comes with $100 line credit as well. Only problem is that they've been so popular that most stores have had trouble keeping them in stock.
http://www.stillwaterflyshop.com/estore/details/25868

The freshwater around North Texas is... mineral rich. In fact, the water that comes out of my faucets is so hard you could cut diamonds with it. This will, in time, impact the performance of your reels especially if you don't clean them routinely and rigorously.

This means two things: one, clean your reels routinely and rigorously. Two, consider a reel with an anodized finish. You won't need it if you clean your reels rigorously and routinely, but it might be something you'd like to have.