Simplified: Fly Reels
Fly fishing reels can seem way more complicated than they actually are. Sealed drags, arbor sizes, click and pawls- before long it feels like you need an engineering degree just to pick a reel.
In reality, most anglers only need to understand a handful of basics. A good fly reel should hold your line, balance your setup, and help fight fish when necessary. Beyond that, a lot of it comes down to preference, budget, and how much you enjoy shiny fly fishing gear.
So what do we need to know about fly fishing reels? Let’s dive in:
Simplified: Fly Reels
Fly reels are much simpler than they seem. Their main jobs are holding your fly line and backing, balancing the rod, and helping fight fish when they pull line. The most important things to consider are matching the reel size to your rod/line, choosing a reliable drag system, and deciding whether you need features like a sealed drag for saltwater fishing. Most anglers do not need the fanciest reel on the shelf- a dependable reel from a reputable brand will handle the vast majority of situations just fine.
What Does a Fly Reel Actually Do?
A fly reel has a few important jobs, but despite all the fancy marketing, it’s actually pretty simple.
First and foremost, the fly reel holds your fly line and backing- that’s its most essential responsibility. Without it, we’d just have a pile of line sitting in the water or around our feet. The reel stores everything nice and neatly and allows us to bring in or let out line.
The reel also provides resistance when we’re hooked up and fish pull. This becomes more important with larger, faster fish that go on long runs. Depending on what you’re fishing for, you can get away without using the reel at all but if you hook into a biggun’ or a fast fish, you’ll rely on the reel much more heavily.
The fly reel also helps balance the rod in your hand. Properly matched reels make casing more comfortable and efficient, which can add up after a long day on the water.
At the end of the day, the reel doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It needs to hold the line, balance the setup, and help fight fish when necessary- that’s about it!
That said, there are a few considerations when looking at fly reels- let’s take a look:
Reel Sizes
Just like rods and lines, fly reels come in different sizes to match your style of fishing. Most reels hold a range of fly lines, providing some flexibility depending on your needs.
In general, we should match the reel size to our fly line size. This will ensure that the spool gets filled nice and full. So if you have a 5 weight line, a 5 weight reel (or any range within that) will get the job done. Most reels list compatible line sizes right on the spool or on the box, making it easy to know what we need to use.
As far as which size to use, that will depend on what line are using and what type of fish you are targeting.
1-3wt
The smallest reels are generally meant for the smallest fish and flies. Think small trout and panfish in tiny streams and ponds.
Reels in this range generally don’t have much of a drag system, or any at all. Small fish aren’t usually strong enough to pull a ton of line, so a drag system isn’t always necessary with these reels.
3-5wt
The 3-5 wt range is great for trout or small bass. This reel will be able to handle most of your needs if you typically fish for trout of any kind or prefer a “sporty” feel for larger fish like bass.
For all the beginners out there, a reel that can handle anything in the 3-5 wt class will likely be your first reel and one that will be useful for any of your freshwater needs.
6-8wt
As we get into the 6-8 weight range, we start thinking about larger fish and larger flies. Trophy trout, bass (both largemouth and smallmouth), carp, and even some lighter-duty saltwater fish. These fish will likely require longer casts and larger flies, so we need a reel that will be able to handle larger lines.
9-12wt
This is the big boy range. These lines are used for large flies and large fish- think saltwater, pike, and musky. These reels are meant to handle lines that throw big, bushy, wind resistant flies thrown at large fish. If you typically fish for bass or trout, you probably won’t need this reel. But if you target fish in the salt or large freshwater predators, you’ll need this reel in your lineup.
It’s also good to know that these reels are generally the priciest- especially if they’re meant for the salt. If you’re using this size reel, you’re probably chasing large, fast fish that go on long runs and require a strong, smooth drag. That comes with a higher price tag, but is worth it if you’re catching giants!
Arbor Size
The arbor is the central spindle of the fly reel where the line and backing are spun around. It’s essentially the middle part of the spool where everything rotates around.
Fly reels come in a couple different arbor sizes, one of which is far more common than the other nowadays.
Large Arbor
By far the most popular option, large arbor reels offer significant advantages. With a wider diameter, large arbor reels pick up line much faster and reduce the amount of memory/coil in your fly line.
This is pretty much the industry standard. You’ll even see some extra large arbors on the shelves for even faster retrieves.
From my experience, this doesn’t make a huge difference. In reality the large arbor absolutely makes a difference, I’m just saying it’s not something you immediately notice when reeling in your slack.
Either way, if you buy a modern reel, it’s most likely going to have a large arbor and you don’t have to worry about it.
Standard Arbor
Less common, standard arbors have a narrower diameter center and are generally smaller than larger arbor reels. These still work perfectly fine, you just might need a few extra turns of the reel to bring up your slack.
Drag System
The drag system is your reel’s ability to apply resistance when a fish (or your stripping hand) pulls line off the reel. This is a critical element of your fly reel and has a significant impact on your ability to fight fish, especially larger fish that go on long runs.
That said, most modern quality reels have plenty of drag to get the job done. The best drags do come into play in saltwater or fishing for speedy freshwater fish like steelhead. But in general, you don’t necessarily always need the highest end drag systems to fight fish. Heck, you don’t even need drag for some fish like small trout or panfish!
Don’t skimp on extremely cheap reels (I’ve learned this the hard way) as these are prone to “slipping” or breaking after a little use. Pretty much any drag system from reputable brands work great and the fanciest drag systems provide a little extra “smoothness” and fighting power, but come at a high cost. Most likely you’ll be just fine with a reel from a modern brand that won’t break the bank.
There are a few more elements to consider with drag systems, let’s take a look:
Disc Drag
Disc drag is a system of stacked discs (hence the name) that stack materials on top of each other similar to a car’s breaking mechanism. These help provide solid stopping power and can be adjusted to provide the ideal amount of tension depending on your situation. Most reels you buy today use this drag system and are pretty much industry standard.
The quality of your disc drag system will impact the power and smoothness of the reel, but as we mentioned, you don’t necessarily need the top of the line if you’re a casual angler fishing for small fish in your local pond, stream, or river.
Sealed vs Non-Sealed
Sealed drag systems are surrounded in a water-tight case that prevents water, dirt, and most importantly salt from entering. This is pretty important if you are fishing in the saltwater and don’t want your reels to get rusted.
Non-sealed drags do not have this case and allow water and other materials to enter the drag system. They’re usually cheaper and a little bit more common at the fly shop. These work perfectly well in freshwater and you don’t need to think too much about your reel getting ruined.
If you fish the salt (especially on foot), it’s pretty important to get a sealed drag. If you are not on top of cleaning your reels after each use, over time salt will begin to corrode the metal and will eventually rust out.
Many people claim their reels work fine as long as you are diligent about thorough rinsing after each and every use. Personally, I like the assurance of sealed drags and even though I rinse my reels after every trip in the salt, the confidence that the drag system won’t wear away does give me extra confidence.
Click and Pawl
Click and Pawl reels do not have any drag system at all. Essentially, you use your hand to cup the reel if a fish goes on a run to help stop it.
These reels add another “sporty” element to your game. Many small reels in the 1-3 weight range are click and pawls, as the size of fish you’re targeting generally don’t go on long runs or require any stopping power. They’re also generally cheaper than disc drag reels and you’re essentially paying for a reel that simply holds your line.
It may sound like they’re worthless without a drag system, but click and pawl reels are fun. I like them for smaller fish and will occasionally use them for mid-size bass if I’m looking for an added challenge to the day.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, fly reels are much simpler than fly fishing sometimes makes them out to be. Match the reel to your rod and the type of fish you’re targeting, make sure the drag is reliable, and you’ll be in good shape.
You don’t need the most expensive reel in the fly shop to catch fish. A solid, dependable reel with a good fly line and time on the water will take you a where you want to be.