IMHO, the Tioga is a far, far better reel than the Okuma Sierra. The
Tioga's finish is hard anodized, the Tioga is a machined reel, it is
saltwater proof (note one of the postings about the Okuma bearings rusting.
Okuma usess one-way bearings, which are the heart and soul of its internal
workings. Once those are shot, the reel is done.), the drag is superior,
and the Tioga has a lifetime warranty. When the Okuma first came out, I
recall looking at the demo/shelf model at Outdoor Emporium, and the one-way
bearings were not working properly. Translate: the reel doesn't work.
It's a major bummer to travel a long distance to your destination to have
your reel go ka-put on you. Been there, done that years ago with two Daiwa
fly reels(Hardy copy)
Don't get me wrong, for $30 the Okuma is a lot of reel. I own Islander,
Ross, Orvis, Hardy, and STH reels, and I own an Okuma, and it's a great
budget reel. But, it is not nearly the quality of or as durable as the
Teton, but it is a reel I recommend to those who don't expect their drags to
get big workouts, who maybe fish a few times per year, and/or are looking
for 'loaner' reel.
I fished Saturday on the Stilly with another List member. For the last two
years he has been using an Argus reel, a machined reel that Outdoor Emporium
sells for $59.95. Remember, the Okuma is not machined, and therefore much
softer. He uses it in the salt and in lakes. This Fall alone this guy has
caught well over a 100 coho, up to 14 pounds (that one was on Thursday, out
in the salt) using that reel, with not a whimper from the reel. No rust on
the bearings either (it uses a different clutch/engagement system than the
Okuma). For those of you on a budget, this is a heck of reel.
Tough to beat machined reels. I know, I know, some of you indicate your
budget won't allow it. Maybe the reel can go on your Christmas or birthday
list, and maybe you can get other to chip in partially towards it. As Dan
Blanton says "Get the best reel you can, and get the crying over with once."
Richard
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2001 12:30 PM
Subject: RE: Okuma reel ?
> Keith, I couldn't agree with you more.
>
> A story that underscores this thought is when I first got my 4/5 reel, I
took it into my favorite small fly shop and asked them if they had heard of
the reel. They said that they hadn't and started to play with it a bit.
They were very impressed with it, to the point of calling the owner over to
look at it.
>
> We compared it to their cheapest Tioga reel that retailed for $110. The
Tioga had a lot more slap back in it until the drag kicked in then the
Okuma. Yet to this day they still don't carry the Okuma line even though
they admitted it was a better reel for the money.
>
> I will give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they didn't want to
go through the cost/hassle of becomming a distributor for another brand but
still I find the behavior interesting.
>
> Again, the reels are perfect but it performs every bit as good as my SA
System 2. Which reel would I trust for a really big fish like a Salmon, the
SA 2 of course. But while fishing for trout up to 8 pounds or so, the Okuma
is perfect.
>
> Mike W
> Keith wrote:
>
> <<I think this is the typical situation of different strokes for different
> folks. Some wouldn't be caught dead with a reel that cost less than $200
or
> $300 no matter how good it is. I have a couple of fishing buddies who
hear
> me comment on the Okuma reels but neither of them even cares to try mine
for
> a few minutes because they think the cost is too low. Others, myself
> included, are primarily concerned about finding a good reel that is a good
> value. I've used a lot of different less-than-$100 reels and so far none
> have come close to the value of the Okumas. Are the $200+ reels better?
In
> most cases, yes. Are they worth it? That depends on who you're talking
to.
>
> Keith>>
>
>
>
