Gear » Fly Reels

In this most recent video in the How to Fly Fish series over at Orvis, Tom Rosenbauer walks us through why we need reels with a smooth drag. For most trout fishing, reels are nothing more than fancy line holders, but there are occasions when you need a solid drag. You can watch the video here.

In the latest edition of the popular "Ask the Experts" column over at Orvis, a collection of guides talk about how to set drag before you get fishing. You can read the story here.

Sage has announced the release of a new family of saltwater reels dubbed the Enforcer. These reels have significantly beefed-up drag compared to the Spectrum Max, and builds on the success of the company's Thermo big game reels. You can learn more about the reels here.

Cheeky has launched a new reel series called the Sighter. These reels are full-cage frame designs, making them both light and ideally suited for using light, thin lines. Sighter reels feature Cheeky's standard Rev Carbon drag, and retail for under $200. Sighter reels are available in sizes to fit just about any fishing situation. You can learn more about...

Hardy Fly Fishing just announced the release of the Fortuna Regent reel, designed specifically for saltwater use. It sports up to 22 pounds of drag, which anglers can dial in with a single 360-degree rotation of the drag knob. Hardy says this will enable anglers to "fight big fish without missing a beat." The drag is a "multi-pad, carbon fiber" system...

I recently had the chance to spend some one-on-one time with the Weekend Warrior Starter Pack from Ventures Fly Co. This starter pack has everything you need to get started in fly fishing (except waders or boots) and it's one of the most impressive beginner fly fishing combos I've ever seen. You can read all my thoughts about it here.

Scott Sadil, the Angling Editor over at Gray's Sporting Journal, put this story together on how to effectively "recycle" your fishing buddy's old gear. It's a fun read that has me wondering just what a few of my friends have stashed away. You can read it here.

The folks over at Nautilus Reels sent out this press release on Wednesday, March 23, 2022: Nautilus Reels is pleased to announce that they recently relocated their headquarters to a new factory in Miami, Florida. Additionally, to keep up with high demand for their reels and get them to dealers sooner, Nautilus will forgo attending the 2022 International Fly...

Sage just announced the release of a new saltwater-focused fly reel - the THERMO. It's built for huge fish on massive water, available only in weights 10-12 and 12-16. This is truly a big-game reel built for big-time fishing moments. A press release on the new reel is below. You can view more about the reel here. It’s disorienting—there is no land, only...

I recently had the chance to fish and review one of Hardy's newest products - their Ultradisc Cassette reel. The reel is a pretty impressive piece of gear, with plenty of power to put the brakes on the biggest of trout. You can read the review in full here.