Thread: New fly fisher - reel advice

Just starting out fly fishing - I have a rod and reel and am slowly getting my head around it all. The reel I have is very noisy when using it which I assume is a function of the drag or whatever but I find it quite annoying when having a nice quiet day on the river it makes a racket. Assume they all do it to some degree but I’m after some advice on a reel that is somewhat quieter.
Have looked online and the options are fairly endless and get quite expensive. I’m on a budget so not looking to break the bank but wondering if anyone had any recommendations.
Redington cross water is pretty well priced and have seen some flylab acid reels quite cheap second hand.

Thanks in advance


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Sounds unusual, I bought a cheap primal combo to get into it which has served me well , my next move is to get a better quality rod and actual fly line. From what I've seen the reel isn't as important as say saltwater fishing.

Is it the ratchet that is making noise? If so, it can be disengaged. Depending on the design of the reel, this may incapacitate the drag as well. That's not a big issue for freshwater fly fishing in my opinion.

Originally Posted by MB

Is it the ratchet that is making noise? If so, it can be disengaged. Depending on the design of the reel, this may incapacitate the drag as well. That's not a big issue for freshwater fly fishing in my opinion.

Oh ok - might open it up and have a look. Seems to work ok just noisy. Haven’t caught any fish on it yet but I’m fairly certain it’s not the reels fault


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Originally Posted by HOO

Haven’t caught any fish on it yet but I’m fairly certain it’s not the reels fault

I bought an AliExpress cheapie and it has proven to be much better than I thought it would be, for $60 plus GST. It is basically silent when retrieving and when line is stripped while the drag is engaged. Machining and anodising are also really good, although the colour is not everyone's cup of tea.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNtl7b1

Originally Posted by HOO

Oh ok - might open it up and have a look. Seems to work ok just noisy. Haven’t caught any fish on it yet but I’m fairly certain it’s not the reels fault


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I only started last year and just bought a package primal online, works mint though the user is a bit shit and makes a fair amount of groaning noises when casting poorly! which is most of the time

Originally Posted by BK10

I only started last year and just bought a package primal online, works mint though the user is a bit shit and makes a fair amount of groaning noises when casting poorly! which is most of the time

Sounds familiar - I take my spin rod for those times when the frustration gets a bit high


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Reels, don’t need to be flash or expensive for fly fishing. It’s a device for holding fly line & preventing tangles. Having said that you can pick up some great deals on 2nd hand “expensive” reels on TradeMe, just be patient. The quality of fly line is really important, make sure you invest in good quality line. Rio Gold is a good place to start.

Originally Posted by HOO

Sounds familiar - I take my spin rod for those times when the frustration gets a bit high


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Yep I do exactly the same

Your reel may well be the older type with a "click-pawl" type drag system. Put a photo up. I still have a Scientific Anglers System II fly reel, and I love using it. Simple and works well for smaller trout in downland streams. I also have cheapie more modern disc drag type reels because that's what they all tend to sell these days. I only really feel the need for a disc drag for salt water fly fishing.

Originally Posted by RV1

Your reel may well be the older type with a "click-pawl" type drag system. Put a photo up. I still have a Scientific Anglers System II fly reel, and I love using it. Simple and works well for smaller trout in downland streams. I also have cheapie more modern disc drag type reels because that's what they all tend to sell these days. I only really feel the need for a disc drag for salt water fly fishing.

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Agree with comments so far. Although there is a huge potential to spend stupid money on a fly rod, even a pretty basic one will still serve you well enough. An average or junk flyline you can't fish any better than it is though. That's where I'm happy enough to put some extra coin in. The reel is just there to hold the line. As long as the drag isn't going to jam up, then it'll do the job. Some of those cheap ones off ali are absolutely fine, or try find a 2nd hand one if you can't get the ratchet off of your current one.

Just looking at the cost of fly line - more than I expected.
How long can you expect one to last?


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Unsure on how long you get, I do know that treating or cleaning it helps a fair bit though.