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Choosing
a saltwater Fly Fishing Reel :
When buying a fly reel for the first time, it is probably
not worth spending a huge amount of money straight away. Time
will tell you what your preferences are and what type of reel
works best for you and then you can go for your dream reel.
However, in the meantime spending less doesn't mean accepting
poor quality. Firstly, consider what weight
of line you require. This will tell you what size
of reel you are looking for. Are you likely to be targeting
sizeable and hard working fish? If so, you will need to pay
attention to the reel's disc
drag system. Check out the material
from which the reel is manufactured and also the weight
of the reel. Just
like standard sea fishing, there are two main types
of reel to choose from.
| WEIGHT
OF LINE choose
your line weight based on the size and species
you are targeting and then match the reel to your
chosen line.
The line weight of the reel and rod should
also match otherwise you can easily harm your
casting ability and accuracy. ie. a 9 weight
reel matches a 9 weight rod and you should therefore
use 9 weight line. In saltwater fly fishing,
the usual line weights are between 8 to 15 although
between 9 and 11 is a good place to start. You
will also need to allow for a good length of
backing line - about 100m of 20lb line is fine.
The speed in which youe line sinks is a consideration
when hunting for deeper fish such as Pollack
where you'll need a fast sinking line to get
down amongst the fish as quickly as possible.
If you're are searching for Bass then this is
not so important as they are often surface feeding.
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SIZE
OF REEL
The larger the reel, the more line it will store
which is useful when you are tackling a hard working
fish which could run off with yards and yards
of backing line.
A large arbour reel (the arbour is the centre
of the spool), gives a faster retrieval rate.
Keeping constant line pressure is very important
in fly fishing, so this will help you to take
up the slack quickly when a fish tires or runs
towards you. A larger arbour also means that your
line is not wrapped quite so tightly around the
reel whilst in storage and so memory is reduced.
However, a large reel is going to be heavier,
more awkward to manage and it could also unbalance
your rod. You will need to find the right compromise
between size and weight. |
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DISC
DRAG SYSTEM is
of great importance when fishing for large or
hard fighting species.
The system is essentially a pad which acts like
a brake on the line by applying a constant and
steady level of pressure set by the drag adjustment
function on the reel. It provides you with extra
control and smooth line release whilst fighting
a powerful fish. The ideal is that the drag system
is in a sealed compartment and thus keeps out
the saltwater to avoid corrosion. However, this
feature is usually only on the more expensive
reels and is a 'would like to have' rather than
an essential feature of your reel. |
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MATERIAL
Fly
reels are usually manufactured in aluminium, graphite
or alloy. Graphite is recommended for a first
reel as it is usually cheaper than alloy and lighter
than aluminium.
Aluminium
reels are the cheapest of all but are also the
heaviest reels and require an anodised finish
to keep corrosion at bay. Graphite is lighter,
corrosion resistant but also more expensive.
Alloy reels are the toughest and usually lighter
than most thus giving you an increased performance
potential but are therefore usually the most
expensive. They are unfortunately, not corrosion
resistant and require high maintenance to keep
saltwater out.
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| WEIGHT
The lighter the better. With fly fishing, the
constant cast and retrieve is very wearing and
heavy tackle will cause you to tire quickly. |
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REEL
TYPES
There are two main types of fly fishing reel.
The single action reel (fixed spool) and the multiplier
reel.
The single action reel has the handle attached
directly to the spool and one revolution of the
handle equals one revolution of the spool. The
multiplier reel however, sees the handle attached
to a gearing system which allows for faster line
retrieval by increasing the number of turns of
the spool so that there is more than one revolution
of the spool for each revolution of the handle.
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