saltwater reel

[KayakFishingCls]

I hope I can put a little light on the subject for you. If you are going to get into saltwater fly fishing, purchase a saltwater fly reel. You can fish saltwater with any reel but it won't last long. Tibor makes the very best and are around $700. You wont ever buy another reel the rest of your life. I am a flats fly fishing guide and have gone through many reels solving the issue. Today there are many lesser priced, machined aluminum reels on the market in the $250 price range and they are not bad for small game. The problem is you don't know when you are going to catch a big fish. When you do, what will be left of a cheap reel is a paper weight and nice conversation piece. Saltwater fish slam the fly and haul ass. That is why the 'startup' on a reel is important. Many reels have backlash in them and that will break your leader. There are a few kinds of drag systems. I like the cork disc. It holds up to 200 lb tarpon and that's good enough for me. Finish has been covered in other replies. Machined aerospace aluminum is the material of choice. It is deemed 'aerospace' for a reason so take advantage of it. I use only Large Arbor reels. I put Big reels on all of my fly rods. They hold more backing and this allows my fly line to be reeled in a larger dia. Take a look at Tibor Reels and I am sure you will be glad you did.
Capt. Pat
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