NEED A NEW REEL FOR THOSE BIG FISH THIS SUMMER? When most of us started fly fishing we were told that a fly reel is "just a place to store line." In those early days of our passion, we spent most of our fly fishing dollars on the best rod and line we could afford. The reel was an after thought. These choices worked well for small trout and bluegill.

But for those who step up to big fish, things can get a bit more complicated. For many it is big spring creek or tailwater trout that keep breaking us off, even after we got them on the reel. Why? When you go after bigger fish, be it tarpon in salt water, northern pike in warmwater, steelhead in big rivers or tailwater trout, your reel has to be more than just a line holder. The first problem we run into with an inexpensive reel is the quality of the drag system. Remember, drag is intended to slow down or tire a hard running or strong fish, while giving way very smoothly and just enough to protect the weakest point in your terminal tackle, the tippet. For leader-shy fish in insect rich tailwaters, we face a well-conditioned five pound trout in fast current with a 7X tippet. Even with a 2X or 3X tippet for a steelhead, after nicks and scratches on logs and rocks, is likely to break when the pressure is on. So to minimize break-off, when the hooked fish really takes off, the optimal drag is smooth as silk, with minimal start-up resistance. But.. this kind of ideal drag tends to cost more money.

And there is more to a big fish reel. Another factor (to some maybe the most important) is reel weight. Everything else being equal, the lighter the reel (and the rod) the better. If you are going to make long distance casts all day, a few ounces can make a difference. A heavy reel is just like wearing too-heavy hiking boots on a long trail. Now-a-days, with wonderful alloys, a large reel can weigh as light as a smaller reel of lower price and poorer engineering. Also, on a bigger rod a heavier reel is more acceptable. Here the goal is to have the reel weight balance the weight of the rod. This balance is because the weight of the rod is mostly forward of your hand, while the weight of the reel is behind. A longer (or heavier) rod (because of the lever-fulcrum effect) will offset a heavier reel. So if you hold the rod properly, the reel does not tip the rod back, or vice versa. The only sure way to determine rod-reel balance is to try them together and see how they feel.

A final factor is reel diameter. Diameter influences how much line your reel holds and how fast you can retrieve the line. With a deeper reel, you can carry more backing for those far-running, hard fighting fish, certainly a consideration. However, a factor that is also worth considering is the size of the arbor (inner core of the spool). The size of the arbor determines how fast you can bring in line. It takes about 400 turns of the average reel to bring in 100 yards of backing. With some of the new large arbor (or loop) reels, this is reduced by as much as 25%. With a big fish coming right at you, some feel this difference is significant. But, there is a trade-off here as well; faster retrieve reels carry less backing.

So if you buy a new reel for big fish this season, take a look at all the critical factors: Weight, drag, line capacity and line retrieval rate. The selection is very impressive and you will find that these high performance reels are more than a place to store your line.

This article was provided by the Federation of Fly Fishers. Visit their site for more articles and information about fly fishing. The Federation of Fly Fishers is a unique non-profit organization concerned with sport fishing and fisheries.