after reading about, i have read more than once that the fly reel is more of a line holding device as it's function is not to cast and many people play/land fish pulling line in by hand and not playing a fish via reel and clutch as they would a conventional reel or baitcaster..

so with that is it worth buying expensive reels ? i know a more expensive reel will be mechanically better and better materials etc but as i see it the fly reel has an easy life ..

rods, as above the expensive ones will use better material and have better actions etc than say a cheapo rod . I saw a u tube vid of a woman called Wullf casting a fly line by hand .. she said the line is probably more important than the rod or reel ..

what are peoples thoughts .. I know there will be die hards that swear the very best of everything is essential which i don't believe anyway in lots of things .. i talk worldwide using morse code on very cheap homemade equipment yet others may spend £5000 on a radio to do the same thing .. for me the antenna is the important factor

so what's the most important thing and does it need to be quality to work ?

billy

I am also of the opinion that the line is the most important part of the tackle setup. When it comes to rods, quality definatly seems to have a better balance, particularly when you get to the lighter rods from 3wt and lighter. I once felt a 2wt Sage TXL that was home made, and the builder had used too much heavy epoxy on the securing of the guides, and the result was remarkably different to the factory build due to the extra weight of the epoxy. It made the rod feel completely different asnd less responsive. As far as the reel goes, I thik it's horses for courses, but quality reels are nice, and I don't see anything wrong in spending good money on a pursuit that brings so much pleasure and happiness.

dah dit dah dit - dah dah dit dah


The reel does only hold the line, most of the time, so one tends to take it for granted. You don't need to spend hundreds, just enough to ensure that it feels good for you and works when its required to - both of those 'qualifiers' can only be answered by you Is it light enough, wide enough , smooth enough, have a drag system to suit the style of fishing and ergonomically operate in a way that suits your fishing style - Because you will take it for granted, it's pitfalls will only become apparent when it is needed, by which time it will be too late.

So the answer regarding reels is both yes, and no.


The rod..... Well the lady of whom you speak is Joan Wolff 'she said the line is probably more important than the rod or reel' - That piece of youtube footage is taken from a more comprehensive film that she made called 'The Dynamics of Fly Casting' taken by many to be a leading piece of media in the instruction of fly casting. It cannot be taken in isolation and Joan herself demonstrates casting with a Hazel stick. The action and weight of the rod are down to your personal choice, you may be suited to one rod and not another, a bit like shoes - you try them before you buy them and sometimes you find they give you blisters. So a £20 rod may do all of it that you ask and satisfy yopu for the rest of your life, or you may search and search until you spend £700 - or vice versa.... On the other hand you may meet the middle ground with a rod that suits your ability and style. To be honest the scale of rods is infinitely variable as is the style of each individual caster.

So again the answer to your question is both yes, and no.




73's

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Time is a stream I go fishing in.

73 now you got me thinking

good replies .. Don't get me wrong i'm not slagging anyone or disputing people buying things they like ..

i have a good spinning/pike reel that cost a few quid that stands up to the job , i also bought a cheapo as a standby , on using it the gears sheared .. so i can understand the need for tough quality materials on such things..

but my normal course reels are £10 jobs and iv had them a few years , my spinning rod, waggler etc are all around the £15-20 mark and had them years.. line and end tackle usually are better quality ..

With the rod it's a case of diminishing returns.you spend £40 and get a reliable rod that's probably got v-little feel.spend £80 and you'll get a reliable rod thats got slightly better fitting and is a bit lighter with a faster response..spend £ 250 and you get some more of the last rod again with slight improvements.Spend £500 and you probably get a named rod.with a good g'tee.no tip bounce and fast response times.spend any more and you'll be hard pushed to notice any difference.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Personally I think that the hook/fly is the most important piece of kit. As it is your connection to the fish. As you work away from the fish then things become of lesser importance. The reality is that the line and especially the rod and reel whilst being very tactile objects and nice things to look at arent as important as the humble hook....


Andy

I bought a quality reel a number of years ago - and I'm glad I did. Since then I discovered a passion for saltwater flats fishing - however, I did not have to change my reel as I'd bought well first time out. I'm still using the same reel on reservoirs and the flats many years later.

As a general answer to the subject heading I'd probably say no. A good angler with basic gear will (nearly) always catch more than a poor angler with expensive gear (the "nearly" caveat is allowing for luck!). Really cheap bottom end stuff can be pretty cr@p as with most things, but a notch up from that there is some very good budget gear around, and up a notch again, some extremely good mid price gear. High end gear is more of an indulgence (nothing wrong with that) than a necessity. As that video clip implied, I think one think new fly anglers perhaps don't appreciate is the benefit of a decent line, especially if they have come from coarse/sea/spinning, where the line is just a means of landing fish, rather than part of the casting set-up. A lot of fly lines which come with beginners kits are poor and probably the first thing which needs replacing.

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When I'm having a really bad day I prefer to do it in style.

Quite right Hans, and why not, you might not catch anymore, but you feel better.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.