Has anyone noticed the price of fly reels? Most of you know that I fish with the G-Loomis free spool reels, which cost between $150.00 and $ 200.00. That is the most I have paid for a fly reel and probably will never pay more than that price. In fact, at my age, I don't intend to buy another fly reel ever.
With that said, the three main components that entail fly fishing for me are the fly rod, fly reel, and fly line. The least expensive of the three for me would be my fly reel. One can spend big bucks on a fly reel, but in reality, all it will do is keep your line spooled and provide a decent drag to fight a large fish. In fact, the click and paw fly reels don't have drag. Both my Battenkill reels are the click-and-pawl version, which I like especially when fishing for trout on the tailrace and bluegill on the lake. But what if you want an inexpensive, small arbor reel that features a smooth dial drag setting?
Enter the Avid fly reel by Maxcatch; at 50 bucks, this reel is a bargain for fly fishermen who don't want to hear the click, click sound of the paw and click version reel. My son Jason purchased this reel at the beginning of this year, and he and I have been using it. I use it sometimes when he is out of state working, and he uses it when he fishes with me when he is home. The reel is super light and measures 2 3/4 inches in diameter with the width of the spool 1 1/4". He has paired it with his Redington 2 wt. 7 1/2 ft. fly rod. To experience the ultimate in light-action fly fishing, this combo will deliver. In fact, I like the combo so well that I have started using it over my click and paw Battenkill combo.
