Saltwater reel advice sought...

[The Patriot]

I know this is not relevant to Northwest CT rivers, or trout fishing, but.....

I am in the market for a new saltwater flyreel. I have a Redington AL11/12, which has served me well for 4 years. However, I failed to clean it well after fishing the Cape last July :oops: , and it needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for repair.

The reel turns, and the drag works, but it feels and sounds...... crunchy.... :(

And I can't get the spool off the frame. It appears to be rusted/"welded" together from corrosion. I have tried various penetrating oils to no avail.

So, what I am going to do is buy a new reel, transfer my line from my Redington to the new reel, send the reel back to Redington, and when it comes back, spool it up with a full clear intermediate sinking line.

I looked at some reels yesterday, and was wondering if anyone knew anything about any of them.

The first one is a Tioga for $195. Looks like a very nice reel, but it's a bit more than I had wanted to spend.

The other three I saw were about $100. A Tica, a Cortland, and another model from Redington. They also have a Lamson for $195 that I am considering, but again, pricey.

I am leaning towards the Tica for $95, because it is more affordable and has been out for a year. The Cortland and the Redington are brand new. My overall impression of Cortland is rather mediocre, and I've heard bad things about Redington reels, even though I like the one I have, and other than me abusing it :oops: , as I said it has served me well.


Discuss! :wink: :lol:

[Troutfitter]

Redington is a whole new company nowadays.... Sage bought the company two years ago and has retooled the reels, they claim that the new reels will hold up to saltwater use. Unfortunately the model you are inquiring about... the SV-III is brand new and won't have a track record to follow. It would seem to be a bargain at $100. The Tica is actually $80.00 at our store and has been good for us for the year's time we have been selling them. The Tioga and the Lamson Radius reels are both great reels for saltwater and are well worth the extra money.

[The Patriot]

Thanks Grady, I appreciate your reply. I may be in to pick up that Tica. It may be enough for now, and will save me $120 over the Lamson or Tioga. If it doesn't work out I can always upgrade it later.

I'm sure you figured out by now that that was me in your store Friday, the anal retentive fly monger. :oops: :wink: :lol:

While your input is appreciated and very objective I'm still curious to see if I can get any info from anyone who doesn't have a dog in the fight. :wink: :D

[Smoked Trout]

3weight,
I hate to push you into a more expensive reel than you’re in the market for, but I like the Lamson. I have had good luck with mine and their sealed conical drag is one of the best in the business IMO. Have fun shopping!

[kalXP]

while i understand your reticence to pull the trigger on a reel twice as expensive as another one, in my opinion if you enjoy fishing you are far better off buying it once and buying it right. in the long run the pricer equipment is more expensive for one reason and one reason only, it is made with better components. buy it once and you will have it for a lifetime. while i do not own a lamson or a tioga, i have ponied up the extra money for a couple of tibor reels and in my opinion the money was well spent. not only would i never forget to wash down something i dropped big $$$ for, but someday, hopefully, i will be passing it down to my son or daughter.

[Farmy Joe]

I second the Lamson Radius. Mine took a dunking last year in West Haven and never rusted shut at all. Well I reckon I did remember the clean behind the gears... :oops: :P Guess all I have to do is catch a bass on it now. :D

[GHow]

Hello 3wt and the rest of you fellow fly flingers,
This is my first post to the forum and thought I would extend a little gem of a deal that I just picked up. I bought this J.A. Forbes Tarpon model to fit up with a 9 wt IM6 (fighting butt) rod that I made a last year. The reel matches up beautifully. http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=36613

[Farmy Joe]

Hello 3wt and the rest of you fellow fly flingers,
This is my first post to the forum and thought I would extend a little gem of a deal that I just picked up. I bought this J.A. Forbes Tarpon model to fit up with a 9 wt IM6 (fighting butt) rod that I made a last year. The reel matches up beautifully. http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=36613
So red, huh?

[GHow]

Cranberry to be exact. Looks good on the dark green blank. I wish they had extra spools :?

[filetnrelease]

I'll have to agree...

the Lamson Radius is probably the least expensive reel that you should buy for saltwater...

quality and drag are MUCH more important in the saltwater than in the Farmington, where you'll describe your catch in lbs, instead of inches.
when you have that fish of a lifetime on( Huge Striper or Albie or Bone, you better have a smooth drag..

But with any equipment that you use in the salt, rinse it off with fresh water as soon as you can.

Radius 3.5 for 8/9wt...$189
Radius4 for 10/11wt...$219

[flyrodder]

Anybody have any experience with Fly Logic reels? Their upper end reels retail for about $350 and there are quite a few of them on ebay for as low as $100. It seems like a good deal to get a $350 reel for $100, but is it too good to be true? I have heard of Fly Logic before but I have no first hand knowledge of their products.

[flygirl]

Wow, after reading this thread about rusty reels I have to admit I ran over to my Redington 7/8 & checked it over for rust. I do make a habit of rinsing off my gear after fishing the salt but I haven't used it this year yet.
As far as Fly Logic goes , my friend has a 5/6 that has given her no problems & it's the reel she uses the most. It's actually quite nice.

[The Patriot]

I ended up settling on the Tioga by Teton. Very nice piece. I'm pleased.

We'll see how it does on the Cape in July. That'll be the acid test! :wink: :D

[Catch 22]

You will be happy with the Tioga. I've had one for over 10 years with no problem. Until last year, when a friend of mine accidentally stepped on it while it was in the rod holder on his boat, breaking the foot off the reel by the screws. I mailed it to Teton, asking them just to tap the holes and put in larger screws. They sent me a brand new reel instead. Now that's service!

Jeff