Which reel?

[EMRJPV]

I just picked up an Orvis 9ft 9wt fly rod and need to match up a good reel with it. I want it to be balanced and all so which reel would you recommend?? I dont have 2-3 hundred to spend. I was looking at the sage 1600 and I like the reel Nikon posted.

[Too Busy]

nikonjedi's Okuma is a sweet reel, expecially for less than $100. I've got an Okuma Cascade graphite large arbor reel. They're only about $30 on Ebay. Good thing about graphite is it takes a lot of abuse and still looks new.

[bk1]

When it comes to fly fishing, i've always heard 1. put your money in the rod first, line second, and reel last. However, a nice light reel is certainly sweet to have. That said, i don't think you can go wrong with Orvis, loomis, ross, okuma, or sage.

[BigEHokie]

I own a Ross CLA and it's fantastic. Made in the USA and a great warranty.

[Too Busy]

I don't spend a lot of money on reels with one exception; I went nuts a while back and bought a Lamson.

The collection at my house right now is
3 Martin 61's all < $10
no name graphite $10
Martin mountain brook 5/6 $30
2 Cortland rimflys $30 -$35 each
Pflueger Medalist $30
LL Bean ??? $30
Okuma Cascade $30
Lamson - I'm not sayin

All have caught some good sided fish. anything from a 5# brown trout on a 3 wt w/ 2# tippet with the rimfly to a 5# LMB on the Martin 61, to the red in the shore stalker pic on the Martin mountain brook.

Expensive reels are over rated UNLESS you target something that makes lightning fast long runs.
My $.02 only

[nikonjedi]

I agree with Too Busy... the only time you need a reely good reel or drag is if you are trageting BIG redfish, tarpon, bones or going big like 10-12wts off shore.... I have a VERY nice Nautilis that is super overkill but I got it for a steal and I reely like it... my Okuma SLV and Sierra 8/9 are my next favs and I also have a few Martin Caddis Creeks, rod and reel combo for $15, a couple scientific anglers all for about $30 and a shakespeare alumimum anchor that works and is bulletproof and they are all great reels... the sad thing about fly fishing is people THINK you have to spend tons of money to get good gear... you only have to spend what you want...

[vakayakangler]

I have mostly Orvis Battenkill Barstock Reels, but then I got nearly all of them in concert with the fly rods so they were either FREE with the rods in a package "special purchase" or on sale. I find them on the discount table and Tina bought a couple on ebay. I did buy the little CFO for full price but it's so sweet... and I do have a couple Gloomis reels as well.

I agree that in some areas folks spend much more than they need too, when simple solutions work and cost lots less, and I take a lot of crap for buying from Orvis, but we have found that buying the way we do (Sales and package purchases) it all works out in the end and we get top quality and EXCELLENT customer service.

On a fly fishing trip to Gatlinburg to fish the Great Smokey Mountain National Forest, Tina's waders began to leak. She called our "guy" at Orivis Richmond on her cell, he told her where the nearest Orvis was IN Gatlinburg and said he would call ahead. We walked in, the lady there had a pair of waders waiting, and we were back out the door and back on the streams.

Broke a favorite fly rod into small pieces when I missed a hookset and HOOKED a stump... took it in and they handed me a new 4 piece 5wt Power Matrix... no questions, no whining just quality service and 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.