The Proper Way to Set Fly Reel Drag

In this week’s Ask the Expert column, Carl McNeil, Jim Bartschi, Dave Kumlien and Matt Supinski all respond to a reader question about the proper way to set the drag on a fly reel

. As Phil Monahan summarizes: “The role that your reel’s drag plays in any fishing situation varies widely: you don’t need drag at all for many trout streams, and you can’t live without it when fishing for large saltwater species.”