Fly Reels

I am looking for a new fly reel for a 10 ft 4 wt TFO rod. I am a novice at fly fishing so I can use all the help possible. Give me some suggestions, please. Not want the least expensive and certainly not the top of the totem pole, upper mid range, I think.

Lamson makes some nice mid priced reels. The Remix has a machined frame and cast spool. Sierra Trading Post has some good deals on reels also. With the 10' rod I would go with at least a size 5/6 with decent weight to help balance that rod. Maybe even a 7/8 if it's pretty tip heavy

An Orvis Hydros SL is likely the best reel made for less than $300 and better than a bunch that are more.

I love my Galvan Brookie, but also fished with Redington Zero and Orvis Battenkills in the lower price spectrum for click and pawl reels. All have served me well in the 4wt class.

There have been some good suggestions on this thread. All most freshwater fly reels are is a place to store line so just find a reel in your price range that you like the looks of and be done with it. Chances are the last time you will see the backing on your reel is the day you put it on the reel.

What do you guys think of TFO reels? Thanks

One thing to consider is the drag system. Disk drag reels allow you to dial in the setting. But nothing beats the sound of a click-pawl reel when a fish makes a run. You can also palm a click-pawl for additional drag if needed. I have a couple of click-pawl reels and use them on my 4wt and 6wt rods.

I did just get a Loop Q for my 4wt and can’t wait to use it. It’s similar to their $300+ reels for only $120. About the only difference I have found is that the Q is cast and not machined aluminum.

Completely agree with this. With a 4 weight set up the reel is the least important piece of equipment. Save money on the reel and invest in a high quality fly line and fluoro leaders.

Fly reels are so simple coming from a world of low profile baitcasting reels. A good and smooth casting baitcasting reel is a treasure, but it is just a different world in fly fishing as the reel does so little, at least in most of the lighter freshwater situations. The fly reel just hangs there with the line and backing, day after day, looking pretty or not and not doing really anything. Fly reels are sort of stress free pieces of equipment. In freshwater, I hardly ever have a fish on the reel and just would rather manage the fight off the reel. It is nice to have a reel that at least balances the rod somewhere on the handle. People get into vintage reels like Hardy or Martins for the look or as collectors. That’s a lot of what seems to be the attraction of some reels, just for the look or maybe a reputation of holding value. People just don’t seem to put on $50 reels on $800 rods.

If you get into fish with the potential to run off a bunch of line, then the reel starts to grow in importance. Saltwater destroys anything metal unless it’s otherwise protected by being a special metal alloy or with anodizing or some other seal.

Some fly fishermen are extremely particular about fly reels (and everything else) and the various characteristics of each. Fly fishing has its share of perfectionists. Yellowstone, Trident and others have done repeated reel comparisons rating reels on 10 or 20 different attributes. Search out the perfect reel on one of those. Some TFO reels get rated I believe.

I guess if the fly reel did more, I’d be more excited about them. I had my favorite baitcasting reels and a good, properly functioning baitcasting reel is sort of vital to the enjoyment of the experience of fishing that way. Even in the saltwater, the only thing that really comes into play with a fly reel is the drag. The whole large arbor thing is sort of a joke or marketing ploy from my perspective. No way can anyone reel a 1:1 ratio fly reel, large arbor or not, or even a 7:1 or 8:1 ratio baitcasting reel fast enough to catch up to a fast running towards you fish. And with a fly set up, there’s always a chance to go off the reel during the fight.

The sealed disc drags I’ve used on my various saltwater fly reels are way better than they need to be and I don’t have any of the high end models. Fly reel drags, the disc ones, are much better than baitcasting reel drags. Much smoother and much more adjustable. The fly line itself provides a lot of drag on its own and much more than braid or monofilament on a baitcasting rig.

Finding and selecting a quality Baitcasting reel, very important and essential to the enjoyment of the experience. I’d put more care into selecting the fly line, leader/tippet, fly and about anything in fly fishing over the reel, just based on what actually is doing any of the real work of importance.

I'm pretty much in agreement with everyone here. For freshwater applications, especially lightweight, a fancy dandy reel is purely for looks IMO. Find something that balances the rod well - that might be the most important feature to look for. Other than that, it really is just a piece of equipment that holds your line. Might be a different story when you're talking saltwater where corrosion plays a role and drag is needed... but for freshwater, it's probably one of the least important pieces of equipment. Since you already have the rod, I'd "spend up" on a good quality fly line; I think you'll enjoy the benefits that come with that WAY more than a flashy reel.

Was asked a question about which fly reel we use and why we like it... posted a video to answer the mail. May be of interest to some.

I used to subscribe to this school of thought until this past week. I just got back from N Georgia and fished a stream that was populated by good sized fish that loved to run straight downstream. My Tibor Tailwater, set on full drag, was no match for them and I was spooled and popped multiple times. I'd had enough and decided to try and chase one. The rocky bottom and a deep pool stopped that notion in a hurry. I was using an Airflo 5wt SuperDri which is a thicker line so I had taken my backing down to around 50yds.so the line would fit on the spool.

My cousin was using my $50 Chinese back up reel, same line, with more backing and stronger drag and he was able to stop all but a couple of them. A young local fishing upstream from us who came stumbling down the river screaming "NET, NET ,NET !" caught an absolute pig. He was using a Nautilus 7/8 sized reel.

I guess the lesson learned is know the stream before you go. Had a blast though. Already planning a trip back.

I've got two different sizes of this one (3/4 and 7/8), and like them very much. The 7/8 is on my saltwater setup and has shown no corrosion as of yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0148ALJUC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=A30CA12F8URRNO&psc=1


For a 4 wt rod, I would assume you are using for freshwater only. You are not likely to fight a fish using this reel, so the biggest concern is that the drag system is smooth when it engages. You don't want a fish to start running on a light tippet and have it snap when the drag catches.