Just got myself a new rod. 9foot 6 7/8 weight. Very happy with it. Reel next! What are the most important things to look for in your opinions? I have used a friends Greys GRXI+ and thought that worked very well for me. But there are loads to choose from! All info appreciated. Thanks in advance, Tim.

Basically it is simply a thing that holds line. A large abour, fat bit in the middle, helps the line to forget being penned up for yonks. Only really matters if you consistantly throw out a full line i.e. the lot in one cast regularly. Then of course it doesn't matter anyway.

A good drag system is also sought after but seldom used. My drag system is my left hand and I'm certain many use the same.

After that make sure it, the reel, can hold your line and an amount of backing material. Once again few ever see the backing ever again.

Expensive reels are sold purely because of their aesthetic charm. They don't do the job better, costly modern reels are simply swank.

I still have my first Rimfly, an excellent reel and also have amongst others a new 2 7/8 Hardy Perfect-swank? No...perfect.

If the line fits that's it.

Remember to take into account the cost of spools!

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Tight Lines.
Brian.

Some would say that a reel is merely a line holder, while others would say that it is an essential element of the tackle setup. I am the latter. My opinion, is that the line and reel, are more important than the rod. Good line, held well, will give you many advantages.
I assume you are referring to a trout reel, well, trout are not fish that will give you steaming runs, causing the reel to burn up in your hand, therefore, rather focus on lightweight, than drag capability. A good smooth click and pawl drag system is all you will need to prevent an overwind from a big trout, and the rest is up to your own skill and ability, but dont confuse a simple line holder, with a quality reel. It's like someone saying that the purpose of the car, is to get you from A to B, yet people still buy Range Rovers...it's not what it does, but how it does it.

withdrawn etc

Yes, you will get vastly differing opinions on this topic. There are some highly competent and respected anglers who use the cheapest equipment, and still outfish all the guys with the bling, and then you get the bling junkies, who honestly believe that expensive kit makes you fish better. This is of course untrue, but if expensive quality equipment makes you feel better, and enjoy your fishing more, them that's good. I for one really appreciate finely crafted precision tools, and have chosen to go that route. For me, cheap reels just don't cut it, and I can give dozens of technical reasons why, but each reason will have a logical counter argument. At the end of the day, it's my personal preference, and opinion, and my (perhaps untrue) belief, that I enjoy my fishing more, with the best kit I can find.

A large-harbour reel with a good line capacity, including backing. A smooth clutch, although you'll rarely have need of it and one that's light in weight.

Basically it's just a convenient gadget for holding your line, so don't go overboard with the price, expensive reels are for posers. I carry two rods so I like two reels and don't care about how many"free" spools are on offer.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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I totally agree, if it floats your boat then so be it. But a reel is simply a reel.
Anyway reels are about to be banned-government cut backs and all that. All lines will from next April need to be carried in your pocket. The plan is to feed the business end out of your left pocket, across your chest and down your right sleeve. It will the meet the rod in a straight line and off you go. Reely.

It is like anything else in any other hobby. A minimal investment gets you minimal return. A little bit more investment gets a lot of return. Then a lot more investment only gets a little more return. It is also called 'bang for your buck'. That is where I've tended to operate in my equipment.

For me, and trout fishing, a reel is a line holder but I also will put the fish on the reel if at all possible. In that case, I need a smooth drag (clutch). I want good quality construction and solid materials. Of course it has to be the right size, fit, and feel for the rod or rods I'm using it on.

In the US, the $150 price point was a good place to be for reels. You could get well made, machined aluminum that was smooth. I have reels that are cheaper, and I have reels that are more expensive. Will a cheap graphite reel work? Sure. I landed a carp of 35#+ on a ligt 5 wt rod with a cheap, graphite St Croix clicker reel. It was a lot of work and I almost lost it a few times. If you're mindful of palming the reel for drag, it is fine. I fished a centerpin a lot at the time so I was already in the habit.

You can invest as much or as little as you want in a reel. You just need to weight the benefit of investing more. Sometimes all you are getting is aessthetics and 'nice-ness', not additional function.

Thanks,
Rick

Yes you are tright. I have tried the "no reel, line in pocket" approach, and it works. I can go one better, and advocate the "tenkara" approack, where fly line isn't used, and thats a load of fun as well.
The argument about expensive tackle only really applies if you put you fly fishiong enjoyment into financial terms. At this stage of my life, I can count on one hand, the things that bring me as much pleasure and quality of life as my fly fishing, so I am not about to put limitations onto a pleasure that money simply cant buy, simply for the sake of a few bucks. I really don't care how much my reels, rods etc. cost, as I would rather buy one high end outfit every two years, than 10 cheap outfits in the same space of time.
There is something special for me, in using a finely crafted, top end instrument that i know I will treasure for the rest of my life. The fish don't have a clue what equipment we use, so it really makes no difference to the fishing, it'sd all in the mind, and what you wan't out of the game vs. what you are prepared to put in.
After all these years, I still get that little "flutter", in my stomach, everytime I set up my equipment to go fishing for a day...and very few things in life can still do that for a person over 50.