Fly Fisherman's Tackle Checklist: Fly Reels

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In conventional fishing, the reel is an integral part of the casting process. In fly fishing, the reel doesn’t play any role in casting, but it’s still a critical piece of equipment. It needs to be sized and balanced correctly for the rod weight. A reel that is too large is heavy and awkward. A reel that is too small makes the rod tip feel heavier because there is no counterbalance. Manufacturers size their reels to certain line/rod weights, so get a reel that matches your rod.

Trout reels run from $50 up to $750. Low-priced reels are cast: Molten aluminum is poured into molds to form the reel spool and reel housing. More expensive reels are machined from blocks of aircraft-grade aluminum using a high-tech CNC machine.

Machined reels have much more exacting tolerances—each piece fits together more closely—and machined pieces are made from harder, more durable aluminum and can withstand more abuse. The best reels are anodized, an electrolytic process that hardens the reel surface by increasing the depth of the oxide layer on the surface of the aluminum alloy. Anodized reels are more corrosion-resistant and durable.

Arbor size. The arbor is the spindle or shaft at the center of the reel. Some reels are advertised as large-arbor reels but hopefully what the manufacturer means is that the reel circumference, width, and the arbor are all larger to help pick up line faster, and to store the line in looser coils. If you merely increase the arbor size and leave the reel diameter and width the same, you don’t have a functional large-arbor reel, you have merely reduced the reel capacity.

Drag type. All reels have drag—the mechanical function that controls and slows the line as it comes off the reel. A smooth drag also helps protect fine tippets and small flies when you fight large trout.

The simplest drag mechanism is click-and-pawl. It has been used in fly reels for more than 100 years, and it’s actually the best drag in lightweight reels for finesse rods designed for small waters and delicate fishing because of its light weight and compact space requirements. The Ross Colorado ($375) is a fine example of this type of drag system, and you can see the exposed clicker mechanism when it’s working.

Disk drags work more like the brakes on a car, where a pad rubs against a smooth surface to create friction. The more surface you have, the smoother the drag is, and the more resistance you can apply. The surfaces can be metal, cork, Rulon, Teflon, carbon fiber, and several other types of materials.

Some disk drags are sealed. In reels like the Abel SDS and SDF series or Ross Evolution, the friction components are contained inside a drum where they are protected from salt, sand, water, and grit. The Abel Rove uses an unsealed drag system where a cork pad on the frame is tightened against the smooth surface of the spool. If grit does get between the cork pad and the spool, it’s simple to take the reel apart and clean it.

Disk drags are smoother than click-and-pawl drags, have a wider drag range, and can apply more resistance. They are required for any fishing where the fish are strong and you need a mechanical advantage to wear the fish out. These reels are more complex and more expensive than click-and-pawl reels, but they are worth it when your dream fish is on the line.

Whatever gear you choose, remember that while good tackle is often a pleasure, it doesn’t make you a better fly fisher. Your observational and analytical skills, experience, casting ability, and ultimately your understanding of the natural underwater world and your presentations are the keys to catching fish. That, and a little luck and good weather.

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Ross Purnell is the editor and publisher of Fly Fisherman.

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