Thread: auto fly reels / garbage

I've bought 2 cheapy reels.

Auto reels are in that cat.

And that's why I only use Orvis reels now.

My reply was my personal feeling; why not just wear a stripping basket? I am 74, and fly fished all my life also, have many rods and reels, mostly Hardy, and in many many places world wide and I'm still not sure I would use a auto reel, anyway I'v never on my trips seen anyone using one. How would u use a auto reel on a spey rod? Also large fish should always be played off the reel, I'm not sure this is possible with a auto? I am sorry if I offended anyone, I did not want to seem curt in my reply.

You would not use a automatic reel on a spey rod nor would you use a reel from a spey rod on a 2 wt. rod. When I was fishing in the early 50's every kid had a fly rod and all had a auto fly reel. If you wanted to borrow a fly rod to go on a fishing trip someone would loan you a rod but it would have a SA reel on it. We fished in small canyon creeks on the Big Horn mountains out side of Kaycee Wy. just past the Hole In The Wall. It was a long hard climb into and out of that canyon but the fishing was what people today only dream about. It was almost impossible to fish more than 30' of line out. Most of us had at least 8 1/2 ft to 9 1/2 ft rods and they were heavy.. The auto reel balanced them perfectly. You could fish the head of the bigger holes and if you got a small one you just pulled the lever and let the reel pull him in. But if you got the big one 3-5 pound you would hit the trigger and take up the slack all the time letting out line with the off hand and as soon as the slack was gone you let the fish play against the reel. That spring in the reel would let out line on a down stream run and keep the slack out on a up stream run. The only time I ever lost a fish was when I held the line, as long as I let the reel do the work I never had the problem. If I were fishing for bream and fly rod today it would be with the auto reel or could return to the days of my youth. If I had to pass the 30ft cast all the time then that would be another matter and out would come the SA. It depends on how you use the equipment and what you are used to.

About the only time I use an auto reel is on a long fly rod with a crappie jig on the end of light monofilament line. I can stick the rod through the bushes, wiggle it enough to let the jig weight pull out the line I feed it, then when the crappie hits it, I can pull the lever to take up the slack. I have had the same problems during regular fishing with the autos that you mention, but save my reels for the brim.....

"Auto fly reels have no place in flyfishing."

is that your opinion or the consensus of all? from the late 30s until the late 60s my father used one and the guy absolutely enjoyed fishing. the never sought nor thought to have the best, it was more the experience, the outdoors, and the fun. if he would have known about this "rule", he may have quit fishing long before i was born.

my opinion...use what you enjoy, what creates good memories.......and the heck with everyone else.

btw, those using hardy reels may not fish the same haunts as panfishermen, nor wear the same clothes, or even dine in the same arenas. simplicity is much better than complicated ways. again, this is fishing.......there are so many more things that are more serious in this world.

Originally Posted by jigtosser

You would not use a automatic reel on a spey rod nor would you use a reel from a spey rod on a 2 wt. rod. When I was fishing in the early 50's every kid had a fly rod and all had a auto fly reel. If you wanted to borrow a fly rod to go on a fishing trip someone would loan you a rod but it would have a SA reel on it. We fished in small canyon creeks on the Big Horn mountains out side of Kaycee Wy. just past the Hole In The Wall. It was a long hard climb into and out of that canyon but the fishing was what people today only dream about. It was almost impossible to fish more than 30' of line out. Most of us had at least 8 1/2 ft to 9 1/2 ft rods and they were heavy.. The auto reel balanced them perfectly. You could fish the head of the bigger holes and if you got a small one you just pulled the lever and let the reel pull him in. But if you got the big one 3-5 pound you would hit the trigger and take up the slack all the time letting out line with the off hand and as soon as the slack was gone you let the fish play against the reel. That spring in the reel would let out line on a down stream run and keep the slack out on a up stream run. The only time I ever lost a fish was when I held the line, as long as I let the reel do the work I never had the problem. If I were fishing for bream and fly rod today it would be with the auto reel or could return to the days of my youth. If I had to pass the 30ft cast all the time then that would be another matter and out would come the SA. It depends on how you use the equipment and what you are used to.

I've been fly fishing more than 40years. I just took out my new 2 hand spey rod (13', 5 - 6wt)) and hooked up an old perrine automatic fly reel with 5wt double taper and was one hand fly fishing all day. It was great... I was getting our more line with 4 or 5 false casts than I ever did with my 9'. It was a little heavy (because the rod is). My automatic only weights a few ounces more than my fancy spey reel...

I fish from the road down 10 - 20 feet to the river in brushy areas. It would be impossible with a manual reel. With the auto when I get close to the brush I just pull the trigger and I can pull up 15yds of line so fast it makes your head spin. I'm a run and gun fisherman. I can cover a few hundred yards of water in 10 minutes unless I'm getting action and working a fish.

Different strokes for different folks..

Originally Posted by crappyslayer

I just took out my new 2 hand spey rod (13', 5 - 6wt)) and hooked up an old perrine automatic fly reel with 5wt double taper and was one hand fly fishing all day. It was great... I was getting our more line with 4 or 5 false casts than I ever did with my 9'.

So, you're not spey casting? You're just doing regular fly casting?

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

So, you're not spey casting? You're just doing regular fly casting?

I'm using the 13' spey rod like a regular old fly rod and it works great... I've done a few roll casts with it too, but only a couple.