Fly Fishing Reels

While the first mention of fly fishing dates back to the second century, it didn’t start to become popular until near the end of the fifteenth century when articles and books started being published on the subject. In the nineteenth century the British fell in love with fly fishing and formed fly fishing “clubs.” It was during this time that fly fishing developed a reputation for being an elitist sport and was the only acceptable form of fishing for the well-to-do (unlike in America where fly fishing was a sport for the masses).

There is a variety of gear involved in fly fishing including the incredibly important fly fishing rod for casting, line control and the landing of fish; the fly line which is responsible for how successful a fly fishing trip becomes; the fly fishing kit, which helps to teach beginners how to tie flies in simple patterns; clothing including waders, boots and the fishing vest (which is really more of a wearable storage compartment) and, of course, the very important fly fishing reels.

Fly fishing reels are for more than holding the fishing line. There are a lot of fly fishing reels available in a variety of types and prices. Your first instinct might be to just grab the cheapest fishing reel on the shelf and attach it to your fly fishing rod. Unfortunately, this is not a good idea at all. It important to find fly fishing reels that are of very high quality. This is because the fly fishing reels are responsible for keeping the fly line untangled and smooth.

Fly reels have three major types. There is the automatic fly reel, the multiplying fly reel and the single action fly reel.

The automatic fly reel is exactly what it sounds like—automatic. Instead of cranking a lever to retrieve the fly line, the fly fisherperson pushes a button that will release a spring. The release of the spring allows the fly line to be rewound. Automatic fly reels are heavy and aren’t durable. They just don’t have the versatility that a manual fly reel has.

The multiplying fly reel contains a variety of gears that are operated by one total rotation of the handle on the fly reel. This type of fly reel brings the fly line back much faster than the other fly reels that are available. The only problem with this kind of fly reel is that it is more fragile than other reels and the retrieval process often gets convoluted.

The single action fly reel happens to be the most popular of all the fly fishing reels. A single action reel has a one to one retrieve ration which means a single turn of the reel’s handle equals a single turn of the spool inside the real once. These are the simplest fly reels on the market and they don’t have a lot of parts, so they are a lot more durable than the other types of fly fishing reels.