Expensive reels. Am I missing something?

S
SDK
So I have a beautiful custom made 7/8 weight 10' rod that I traded an OFF member for. I had it professionally re-wrapped, and now want to use it to chuck flies for Bass and some Steelhead.

I understand the value of a good fly rod, but the expensive reels don't seem as important. I'm looking at a nice Okuma integrity that has a large arbor, disc drag and the ability to change spools. The more expensive reels seem to have these same features, then a bunch of ornaments, titanium bits and blah blah that don't seem to do anything but shave a few ounces off of the reel. I'm not a small guy, and fatigue from a reel weighing an extra ounce means nothing to me.

Is there anything that I'm missing as a beginner that would justify spending hundreds of dollars on what basically is a line holder? The Okuma goes for about $60...
 
Irishrover
Irishrover
SDK said:
So I have a beautiful custom made 7/8 weight 10' rod that I traded an OFF member for. I had it professionally re-wrapped, and now want to use it to chuck flies for Bass and some Steelhead.

I understand the value of a good fly rod, but the expensive reels don't seem as important. I'm looking at a nice Okuma integrity that has a large arbor, disc drag and the ability to change spools. The more expensive reels seem to have these same features, then a bunch of ornaments, titanium bits and blah blah that don't seem to do anything but shave a few ounces off of the reel. I'm not a small guy, and fatigue from a reel weighing an extra ounce means nothing to me.

Is there anything that I'm missing as a beginner that would justify spending hundreds of dollars on what basically is a line holder? The Okuma goes for about $60...

No need to spend a lot of loot on a reel. I've used a Pflueger Medalist 1595-1/2 on my seven weight for years. It cost around $30.00 and $12.00 for a spare spool for my sinking line. On my five weight I have a Pflueger Medalist 1495 1/2 cost about $25.00. They work just fine for me. I believe the money should go into the rod and the line and a bottle of Red Breast Irish whiskey!
 
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D
Dichrofisher
The important things being; Line capacity correct for the size of line and rod, does it come with an extra spool(nice for sinking line). One thing that I hate about my spendy reel is that you can't turn the clicker off and it drives me nuts when stripping line to cast. Large arbors seem to be nice for retrieving since they can strip faster. I liked my fleuger but it seemed to freeze eazily in really cold stuff.
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
Dichrofisher said:
The important things being; Line capacity correct for the size of line and rod, does it come with an extra spool(nice for sinking line). One thing that I hate about my spendy reel is that you can't turn the clicker off and it drives me nuts when stripping line to cast. Large arbors seem to be nice for retrieving since they can strip faster. I liked my fleuger but it seemed to freeze eazily in really cold stuff.

Oh man I hate clickers... Nothing better to ruin the tranquility of a nice creek or lake than a bbbzzzzeeerrrr...... bbbzzzeeerrrrrrr..... bbbzzzeeerrrrrrr.....:rolleyes:

As far as reels.. just make sure it has an adjustable disk drag, one side of the spool is exposed to your palm (for extra braking) and an extra spool. I have been using the same 5# Lamson I have had since I was 13. Works great. Beat up, but works great.
 
S
SDK
Thanks for the replies guys. It seems like the Okuma is going to cover all of the bases.

Irishrover- Jeez man, you'd fit right in on the Irish side of my family :cool:

If it's all the same to you, I'll grab some Killians Red or a pint of Guinness. That Red Breast is like drain cleaner :lol:
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
I use the Red Breast to take the tarnish off of my silver gravey boat.:rolleyes::lol: Yup, a gravey boat!:cool:
 
H
halibuthitman
your target

your target

I would buy a large capacity reel, myself I would get two spools and fish 7 for my steelhead and an 8, for my bass ( slow it down for the big bugs )
and I loooooooove the sound of my clicker.... must be all the harp I have downed, to chase shots of jamesons!!! Happy st pats Irish rover!
 
Irishrover
Irishrover
"I loooooooove the sound of my clicker.... must be all the harp I have downed, to chase shots of jamesons!!! Happy st pats Irish rover!"

Thanks. I had a wee bit of that Jamesons on Tuesday. Was great after a wet day on the river. Now the tarnish remover/drain cleaner would be John Powers Irish Whiskey ruff stuff.:D
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
Speaking of Jamison's.... Two years ago I was in California to clean out my Grandfather's storage unit and guess what I found? Well obviously it was a bottle of Jamison's. The kicker?

It was over 20 years old and unopened! You might think a person would conserve and savor a find like that.

Well that person sure as hell isn't me!!!!!! It was a good couple nights I can assure you! It was like water.... :yay::yay:
 
H
halibuthitman
Linage

Linage

Yep, almost full blooded lowland Scots over here... Drunks, and dryfly fishermen!! Man I love mcdonalds shamrock shakes!!:lol:
 
H
halibuthitman
wow!!

wow!!

GraphiteZen said:
Speaking of Jamison's.... Two years ago I was in California to clean out my Grandfather's storage unit and guess what I found? Well obviously it was a bottle of Jamison's. The kicker?

It was over 20 years old and unopened! You might think a person would conserve and savor a find like that.

Well that person sure as hell isn't me!!!!!! It was a good couple nights I can assure you! It was like water.... :yay::yay:
I would have given you a nice classic sage sfl 686 for that!!! same age too!
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
Don't tell me it was worth something, I drank it right out of the bottle! :D:D:D
 
H
halibuthitman
good job!

good job!

GraphiteZen said:
Don't tell me it was worth something, I drank it right out of the bottle! :D:D:D
no, you honoured it, thats the best a good wiskey can hope for, A good warrior prays for a good death... but a great warrior go searching for his!
( did you share it with good company? )
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
halibuthitman said:
Yep, almost full blooded lowland Scots over here... Drunks, and dryfly fishermen!! Man I love mcdonalds shamrock shakes!!:lol:

Ah, yes... Drunks and dry flies! Haha, this reminds me of Christmas on my dads side. Literally, a nice bottle of custom, basement distilled Scotch, and 2 dozen rickety dry bugs. Our family history in the U.S. is less than 60 years old. So the home 'still was not weird I guess!
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
halibuthitman said:
no, you honoured it, thats the best a good wiskey can hope for, A good warrior prays for a good death... but a great warrior go searching for his!
( did you share it with good company? )

Hmmm that's a good question... I had a good time, but I doubt I shared! :lol::lol: It was one of those moments when you see it, and within a second you're rubbing your hands together saying "Well, looks like it's time to get wasted!" haha..
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
I should also add that those were the good ol' days. Since passed. :D
 
H
halibuthitman
fo sho!!

fo sho!!

ya know we dry fly guys have to drink so we don't end up shooting the guy in the eddi bauer explorer that took up the only parking spot on the whole madison river!! ( at least the one you don't have to pay for ) and don't tell my dad but sometimes I get drunk and claim to be a canadian, and I don't care what anyone says, after 3 shots a black ant is a dryfly!!!
 
H
halibuthitman
good old days?

good old days?

GraphiteZen said:
I should also add that those were the good ol' days. Since passed. :D

These are the good old days my friend, in ten years from now you will long for them.....;)
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
What better fly to fish when your drinking than one that fell off the bank when the wind blew too hard!!
 
H
halibuthitman
and the lesson is...

and the lesson is...

So, the grasshopper had the last laught! nice work ant, the lazy hopper wins.... until july, and the bighorn river, but thats a miller highlife or kokanee show, no fancy booze there.
 

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