Definitely opening a can of worms here but….

I’ve been hunting a long time for a decent trout reel.
Can’t find one. Ok I found two but they were damned expensive.
Here’s the rub, literally.

In under a minute, I passed a finger along every one of the reels displayed in the Glasgow angling centre. (other angling shops have been tried)
Almost every reel, bar one had a razor, sharp or right angled edge to the rim.
Now, I reckon a reel has a primary function. To hold line and hold it lovingly.

An angling friend had always complained of cracked lines but I’ve never had a problem. I always maintained it was his crappy reels. Mine had a lovely little cage on the rim with rounded chrome guides. Had it since I was a lad and it must have been cheap.
He says otherwise, blaming it on trampling lines.
However I Mexican hat dance on my lines frequently so I don’t agree.
I was forced recently to buy a new reel and finally bit the bullet on an open cage reel from a famous name. I wasn’t happy with the rim edge, but it was the best of an affordable lot.

Result - four new lines purchased within the season - all badly cracked.
Now I know this is a result of stripping line across the edge of the rim.
It was suggested I should stop doing this and change my technique.
Eh… naw!

So other than a Hardy Bougle (Agate ring)and a Vosseler I found which was OK…
Can anyone explain why alleged pinnacles of reel engineering, have such a crappy build to the rim….. to sell more lines eh?
Can anyone recommend a reel with a rounded cage or lovely rolled edge to the rim - I’ve never found one.

Cheers

Sounds to me like a problem that can be solved:If you know some one with a lathe
should not be too difficult to turn the edges off the part giving you trouble!
But really, try to buy the old Leeda “Rimfly “series of reels,very cheap and reliable,
dont know if they are still sold,i would be surprised if they were not available.
best of luck: jimmy 10.

The Orvis reels are not as bad as most IME. The Clearwater range are very smooth around the edges.

Bob Morgan - 02 November 2010 05:48 PM

The Orvis reels are not as bad as most IME. The Clearwater range are very smooth around the edges.

you right Orvis are good i’ve used one for a season and then decided to sell it as i wanted a larger spool size i used to have a rimfly an it was a lovely reel, im now on greys tackle an find it brilliant i havent had a single problem with it.
I replace my lines every season i know its not nessescary but i feel better knowing there is no chance of a crack from last year turning to a snap off this year.
It can happen an god forbid it should happen when playing a fish…...

Find a reel you feel comfy with an go from there….......
Regards Tom.

Hi,  I use a old Hardy L.R.H Lightweight and a Hardy Ultralite. Floating lines last me around a season, but then they get fished hard, not only trout but chub and barbel. I think its more likely that the lines crack with the stress of casting and catching fish. When my lines start cracking it’s always the tip, and that’s not really the part which is pulled over a sharp reel edge.

Of the floating lines which I’ve used, an Orvis Wonderline has lasted longer than my usual Cortland lines, it also feels softer than the Cortland lines. Maybe the manufacturing method which determines how long a line lasts.

Regards David

Best reel I’ve found is the Vivarelli. No sharp edges, nice roller over which line runs & its semi-automatic action zips up spare line whilst playing fish so no line tangles in vegetation of gets trodden on whilst bank fishing.
Dave Southall

Hi, if you don’t fish competition, get the wychwood reels, really nice to use, easy adjustable drag but a pain to change spools

Hi
As others have said the Orvis reels are good the Battenkill is a good reel, if you can get the older style ” click and pawl ” i have 5 over different sizes 3/4 5/6 7/8 and find them to be 100%. they always come up on ebay , but normaly go for around

dave southall - 27 December 2010 03:38 PM

Best reel I’ve found is the Vivarelli. No sharp edges, nice roller over which line runs & its semi-automatic action zips up spare line whilst playing fish so no line tangles in vegetation of gets trodden on whilst bank fishing.
Dave Southall

Interesting the Vivarelli cropped up!

I remember an article a few years back, someone was using one and it’s stuck in the back of my mind as “hmm interesting”. It keeps nagging away every now and then.
Recently when deep wading I’ve been thinking “Line tray or Vivarelli….”

Have you had any issues with the mechanism at all?

Neither I nor a couple of friends who’ve been using Vivarellis for a good number of years have had any problems with the mechanisms, despite having heared that the springs sometimes break. I can’t fault them.
Dave

I got a new reeel, an airflo, broke withing a few months, a bit of the rim fell off and it had a sore sharp end, I also had a greys rod from gac, got recommended by someone i knew, the cork split after two outings, modern tackle can be rubbish at times

troutfisher - 15 December 2010 06:46 PM

they get fished hard, not only trout but chub and barbel

Troutfisher I would be fascinated to hear more of your barbel fly fishing activities. Flies, techniques, if poss?
Chub are great, so are dace, if you are in lower reaches of a river, or no trout around.

Hi, if you got the February issue of FF & FT you’ll see I think Chris Jardine has a wee section on decent coarse fish flies.

Hi Vambo,
Yeah…join the club regarding good, modern, reasonably priced QUALITY reels!!
I recently bought a Grey’s reel, it’s Ok, does the job of spooling the line but that’s just about it. After a few outings the rachet/check pawl seems a bit hit and miss and I’ve had to smooth the line guard to stop damage to the line, although the drag is still ok.. it’s got no soul, no real character, no real care and attention to detail in manufacture!
My favourite of about 20 years now is the Michell 7730. It has a ring line guard similar the the Hardy Bougle (not agate as far as I know-although it is very smooth and hard), is very light (Graphite) and strong.
It’s a really hardy reel; being stepped on, thrown accidently on rocks and suffered inadvertant abuse time and time again.
It still works as when first new, but I have maintained it - pulled it apart, cleaned and oiled it season after season. There is absolutely no discernable wear on the line guide ring.
Being so light it has the distinct advantage of being flotable!
At Bewl out on a boat fishing with my wife one day, I put it down in the boat briefly to untangle my wife’s leader….yup you guessed it…. the fly was taken and over the side went my prize Orvis rod and Michell reel. I just sat there open mouthed. My wife said “Well don’t just sit there gawping, start the motor and go after it!” I did and eventually caught up with the 3lb Rainbow that had towed my rod and reel out and along the edge of the margins. Rod and reel were rocking in the light ripple, floating quite horizontally very well and seemed none the worse!
I really wish that these good, value, quality reels (and there were many between the 60’s to 90’s)were still manufactured and available, I’m sure many chaps would buy them. But I think the good value quality reels that were around have been superceded by “the latest technology”, “space-age materials”, super-duper “large/wide arbours”  etc or some such advertising blurb to generate sales.
The other really good reels I have is a Stealth CAS2,Okuma 280S, two Okuma 280NES and an Abu Diplomat 156 (my wifes favourite reel)- all of which I bought when working abroad. I have others but they are of the ‘also ran’ variety, maybe one day they’ll go to the tip.
See the photos of my old faithful Michell 7730

The question to ask is why do fly reel manufacturers put a crossbar opposite the reel seat? In this position the line has to be stripped like across a blade!

The only reel manufacturer to put the crossbars clear of the stripping point that comes to mind is Vosseler, who’s reels are not that readily available.

The crossbar can be radiused with a round file but should you have to treat an expensive reel in such a way to make it fit for purpose?

Another grouse of mine is why the drag knob has to be on the opposite side of the reel to the reel handle? Just think about the ergonomics of winding the reel and wanting to increase the drag! Bauer make such a reel in the USA but UK makers are not bothered.

The last Rimfly reels were well made. That is why I bought 6 of the last ones before BFR were closed down and sold to the Chinese.