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.

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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.

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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

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:D

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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

Just pulled it apart and you can take the ratchet part out or rather move it to the side but it means the reel flows free which I can’t see being helpful - do fly reels generally have an adjustable drag like a spin reel?
Apologies for all the simple questions but fly fishing seems to be over complicated if you keep looking online. I’m fairly certain it isn’t as convoluted as the YouTube videos tend to make it


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You don't need a mechanical drag, you can use the palm of your hand.

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Originally Posted by MB

You don't need a mechanical drag, you can use the palm of your hand.

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Nope. The drag is pretty important. Possibly the reel is in reverse as many can allow the handedness (not sure that's a real word) set the right way around. Some of the cheap reels do just sound shit. Being graphite will only makemit sound more shit. Palming a reel is a good way to manage a fish but drag just helps keep everything tidy. Shakespeare were a good English brand but I think they went downhill.

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Originally Posted by kiwijames

Nope. The drag is pretty important. Possibly the reel is in reverse as many can allow the handedness (not sure that's a real word) set the right way around. Some of the cheap reels do just sound shit. Being graphite will only makemit sound more shit. Palming a reel is a good way to manage a fish but drag just helps keep everything tidy. Shakespeare were a good English brand but I think they went downhill.

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Don't think I even saw a fly reel with a drag in my early years. My current fly reel doesn't have a drag. It's a Loop, albeit very old. As someone else said, it's just a line storage device. If I was chasing kingfish or GTs, I'd want a bloody good drag, otherwise, not bothered. Are modern fly reels so smooth that you risk an overrun?

welcome to the house of pain ( wallet that is ) that is fly fishing-- reel just holds line -- you do not need a good drag your palm of hand will do that - do get good quality line - if you get serious you may need several set ups depending on river lake etc the house of pain in the quest for the trout

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

welcome to the house of pain ( wallet that is ) that is fly fishing-- reel just holds line -- you do not need a good drag your palm of hand will do that - do get good quality line - if you get serious you may need several set ups depending on river lake etc the house of pain in the quest for the trout

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I mainly fish the middle reaches of the Wairau in Marlborough as it is 1km from my doorstep - it seems to be a pretty mixed river as far as lots of open braided areas but also nice sneaky side creeks that are slow and shallow with nice pools - I see a lot of fish and have mixed results with spinning and have been close to getting some fish to take my flies in the slower side creeks. Just looking to up my game a bit. I’m really close to some pretty amazing rivers - pelorus, branch, leatham, rai, goulter and Nelson lakes areas so just wanting to get a set up that kind of covers my bases. Still trying to get my head around what all the numbers mean weight wise for all the lines, rods, reels etc like I said I’m pretty new to it all. I’d rather not have too many setups due to the wallet pain - the wife is already wondering why I have to keep spending money on lures I’ve already bought - doesn’t quite get why I keep losing them. But the kids are starting to show an interest so I’d rather get a bit better before I start showing them how not to catch fish


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https://www.manictackleproject.com/c.../lamson-guru-s

Quality. Bullet proof.

The only time I use the drag on my fly reel is so I can strip lots of line off the reel quickly without it over spooling. For playing a fish, just the palm of your hand.
A good quality line can compensate a bit for a cheap rod. One that glides nicely through the guides, has a well balanced profile and doesn't have line memory which will (a) slow down the line shooting through the guides and (b) be really annoying on the water.
A good quality rod can't make a cheap line perform though.
I learnt quickly to not skimp on buying a cheap flyline. You'll just end up wanting to chuck it and get something decent. Giving it a clean (there's a few good products to use, but just a clean damp cloth to wipe it through is good), not leaving it on the reel with nylon leader wound tightly on top of it, not left in the sun at home or in the car etc. A good line should last years.

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

welcome to the house of pain ( wallet that is ) that is fly fishing-- reel just holds line -- you do not need a good drag your palm of hand will do that - do get good quality line - if you get serious you may need several set ups ...

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Wot 'Barry the hunter' said.

As it happens, I'm preparing for the winter season and I thought 'why not have a different set up for each rod?'

In the past I've had two spools for each reel, 1 floating line and 1 sinking line. A 5/6 rod, a 7 rod, a 9 rod and a 10 rod.

So 8 spools, 4 reels and 4 rods. I end spending more time, swapping rods and reels and flies on the shore, than fishing...

So this year it's going to be:

5/6 rod, floating line, with dry fly and nymph dropper, for small waters.

7 rod, floating line, for all other dry fly work, also with nymph dropper.

9 rod, sinking line, wet fly and heavy nymph, for most rivers.

10 rod, sinking line , wet fly and heavy nymph, for Tongariro.


this means I can keep these rods fully rigged, but as they're all two piece, broken down, to fit in the car but with the flies on the line still in the guides.


Arrive at fishing spot, choose rod, re-assemble, fish....

My limited experience is that for day-to-day freshwater fishing, the rod and line (backing to tippet) are critical, and that is where you should spend your money and be very picky. The reel is less important and it serves mostly to balance the rod, then to manage the line. Saltwater and huge fish are a different story.

Also, fast action may be a benefit, but don't discount medium action rods - especially as a beginner... they can be sweet to fish with.

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Originally Posted by HOO

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

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Yes, cost of fly lines these days are nuts. I own and happily use a couple of Barrio fly lines. Made in the UK. I'm not a good enough fly caster to be able to notice the difference between that and my more expensive line. Works for me.

https://flylineshop.com/barrio-fly-lines.html

What is a fast/medium action? And the rod numbers I am guessing higher number for heavier fish?


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Some very cheap options out there that work just fine.trademe is your friend. The OLD Olympic 440 reels were great in Thier day and still going strong now.not the lightest,or smallest but by hoki they are reliable. I actually prefer a bit of weight in a reel.

Went for a fish this morning and couldn’t find my leader so used standard nylon hoping that would work but it stood out like dogs balls on the water so I guess that’s a no go
Got the spinner out instead and while I was setting it up a young stag came trotting past! Had some interest from some fish and half hooked one on a small black and gold toby.
Saw some big fish in the side creeks. Definitely an interesting morning out there


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Originally Posted by HOO

Went for a fish this morning and couldn’t find my leader so used standard nylon hoping that would work but it stood out like dogs balls on the water so I guess that’s a no go
Got the spinner out instead and while I was setting it up a young stag came trotting past! Had some interest from some fish and half hooked one on a small black and gold toby.
Saw some big fish in the side creeks. Definitely an interesting morning out there

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Sounds great. Trout fishing is pretty crap up here. It's too warm, we need some largemouth bass.

half way there you know where they sleep - you know you could speed up the process if you invested going out for the day with a really good guide - play dumb and really pick his brains - you may be able to find a friendly fly fisherman on here and petrol and beers and a day of learning ( bacon and egg pie for lunch ) - but your river not their favourite spots most likely - one day with a good guide equal to likely a year of thrashing a river for little gain - just choice of rod line leaders and flys you are well ahead

I just talked a bit to my sister about this thread. She is big time into her fishing and is sponsored fly rods through G Loomis (Shimano) so runs some pretty top end rods, NRX+, Asquith, etc and she seemed to agree with the general consensus here that your rod and your line are where your money should go. Flylab Exo was her reccomendation for a good no nonsense reel that is still good quality and won't cost you the earth.

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Originally Posted by HOO

What is a fast/medium action? And the rod numbers I am guessing higher number for heavier fish?


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The action refers to the stiffness of a rod. A med-slow action will load slower. Typically not many options now in modern rods are anything less than med-stiff. Your casting style will determine your action need. Typically a faster action will give faster line speed so you can cast into the wind easier or push out longer casts. Some guys with very smooth casting can work with anything but it's from lots of experience. The weight of a rod refers to the line it will be designed to cast. The lighter the line the shorter it is typically designed to be cast. A small creek with still water needs a lighter rod to give good presentation typically. The Tongariro or large rivers have a lot of noise and action so a bigger rod (heavier) will assist with getting a line further out into fishable water. The line should be matched to the rod.
An alaround NZ setup would be something like a 9'0" four piece rod with a WF6 floating line. Good setups come around family easy at decent prices. I think the Primal gear rates as good bang for buck.