OK, I do understand all of the pros and cons of automatic reels, since it was the first reel paired to the first rod I ever owned at around 12 years old. My question was on the best quality automatic reel available. But I like the discusson.
Yes, it can be a tip breaker, either with a loop-wrap or the fly hitting the top on retrieve. Retrieving a line is different than playing a fish. Playing a large fish is different from a small fish. Casting and retrieving are a matter of preference and fishing conditions. Mine had a spring release wheel (little one in the center) to allow more line to be spooled off of the reel after the spring had reached full tension (or wind-up), and a spring tension wheel (the large one) to add more turns to the mainspring. With these two I could manage long distance fights and bring them in close. Practice was needed to become proficient with line management, and hundreds of bluegills provided that practice. As I mentioned in my post, I'm not switching over to be an automatic reel flyfisher. I need an automatic reel for a certain circumstance where a big trout is a very good possibility. In this circumstance, it's a 'high-to-low-stick' method in very fast water and the fly has to be bouncing on the bottom. Using any fly line just will not work, as the water sweeps the fly downstream before the fly ever gets even close to the bottom. The auto reel is loaded with mono only because there is no fly 'casting' per say. The water is 10' deep (and close) so the long rod (leader length) plus some slack line is needed to reach the bottom quickly ahead of the 'rapids'. As the fly/weight bounce the bottom through the rapids, the fly is presented 'tight-line' to the big trout just below the rapids, where they hold. If the fly is not on the bottom through the rapids, you don't get hit (by the biggest ones). Simple as that. Spin-fishermen have the advantage in this situation, since the line has no drag, but they have to go through the rapids open-bail and hand-managing the line, and they miss many takes. Also, line can be stripped from the auto-reel to allow the fly to stay on the bottom for a while downstream (while maintaining good contact), and takes here are common, just the fish aren't as big. The method works for dead-drifting stones, eggs, scuds, etc., but also for streamers, which can be manuevered through the pocket water to find the lairs. So I'm just looking for a good-quality reel that won't fall apart on me just because I use it. DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: Anthony Spezio To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 9:46 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Automatic fly reels Our brains are out to lunch. Tony --- On Thu, 8/19/10, Allan Fish <[email protected]> wrote: From: Allan Fish <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [VFB] Automatic fly reels To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, August 19, 2010, 10:44 AM > The line speeds up enough to form a loop that wraps on the tip of the rod and "snap" the tip off. Ahhhhh. I had forgotten that. It's been %0 years or more since I've used one. a. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com
