Fly Reels, What should you buy?

I have long believed that the prices of fly reels are getting totally out of hand. I have been Fly fishing for 15+ years and I still use a inexpensive reel.

In the past few days I have been involved in a few heated discussions on this subject on some of the forums I frequent. Some people think that as a fly fisher you need to use a $3-$400 reel, I totally disagree!

As Flyfishers How do we fish? We cast the line and strip the line in by hand. Once we hook up to a fish we fight the fish with the line we have stripped in. Only when the fish is of the LARGE variety do we ever use the reel as it is intended for the drag system. I have caught many small fish and many of the large variety and seldom do I use the reel. I have caught Trout to 6 pounds without the use of the reel and Salmon to 15 pounds in the same way.

This is obviously my personal choice and I cannot justify spending $300 on a reel. I much rather put the extra money into a better float tube or pontoon boat.

The only thing I look for in a reel is the drag system, for those odd occasions when you do hook a fish that will need the use of the reel you will need a good drag system. Try to make sure you buy one with a disk style drag not the click pawl type.

Again Just my opinion, but if you are willing to learn how to fight the fish without the use of the reel you will find that the reel becomes a line storage device and not much else. I have also found that I have much more control fighting a fish without the reel. Even if the fish does get onto the reel, once it has slowed and is not taking line from the reel I automatically start to strip the fish in again, I do not start using the reel. Do you think you could keep up with a 5 pound Trout if it decides to turn your way and run at the Boat, No chance from a reel, but if you strip it in you can.

I have in my Fly fishing life only splurged once on a reel and it was $200  (G-Loomis adventure series) all my other reels are in the $30-$60 range and I have never lost a fish because of the reel.

Just some food for thought.