Reels for short, lightweight bamboo rods

[NewUtahCaneAngler]

Here, I show two Orvis Deluxe rods with total grip/seat length of 7 1/4" and grip of 3 7/8". The top rod is wearing a St. George Junior, while the bottom is wearing a CFO II.



Here is a 50's era Hardy 2 7/8" Uniqua on an Orvis Seven Four. Looks good, but the reel is too heavy.



And the same Uniqua on my modified Orvis Rocky Mountain - great balance visually and mechanically!



Looks a little large, but balances well.

[cdmoore]

Love the early CFO Ii on rods 7 feet and under. Junior, too. Same diameter. Thanks for the post.

[Cross Creek]

For small, light rods, I have CFO 1, II, and 123, Hardy JLH UL 234 and, for a “modern” reel, the quietly magnificent Galvan Brookie in its smallest size (0-1 iirc)—it will hold up to a truncated wf4 or half DT4 if you don’t need loads of backing. Hardy Flyweights and Featherweights are good too, but I haven’t had one for several years, so I can’t claim them as favorites.

Edit: I forgot the smallest (2 3/4 in) Hardy Duchess—a gem of a reel for short, light rods.

[ARTHURK]

I don’t own many very short lightweight rods but I do love 7’9” to 8ft ‘Far and Fine’ rods… recently crowning my Fairy collection with a rare 2wt Brandin 802-2-Galen Mercer Special. It was fun fishing this ‘Art of the Possible’ wand with Payne Fairy, FET Mahogany Fairies and Hawes featherweights.



Below are a selection of classic small reels I am pairing the rods with…


Lots of fun!

Cheers
Arthur

[NewUtahCaneAngler]

I love the look of the raised pillar bimetal reels. Perhaps a long lost uncle of whom I'm not aware will leave me his in his will.

[RSalar]

5 foot, 1 3/4 ounce, 3 weight — it’s hard to find a reel small enough!

[Flyman615]

Here's a 2 5/8" diameter circa 1920s Dingley "St. George-style" reel-complete with red agate line guard-on my 6 1/2 ft. Orvis DeLuxe. I now have a WF-4-F loaded on the reel with about 25 yards of backing.


Scott Z.

[Greg Reynolds]

It's a great pairing Scott...

[Flykuni3]

My experiment has paid off. I've had this tiny Nottingham (2 1/8") for years. It was a display piece, and conversation piece too, smallest I've seen and most friends said same. I decided to try it on my 6' Payne 95, and it's found a home. I cleaned and lubed the reel, inserted a paper shim (a washer and a small spring didn't do the job as they were too big) to give it some drag (it spins freely and needed help). I fished it last week and caught small rainbows on a very small creek in So Cal. The outfit balances perfectly, and since I use this rod for the smallest and tightest of waters -- and tiniest of troutskies -- it's a mated pair forever. IOW, it most certainly is not a general purpose fly fishing outfit.

I've used a small St. Geo and CFO l with this particular rod, but I like the woody boy.





I'm using only about 20' of a DT3, since that's all I need for the small waters. With a 6' leader I have plenty of line to reach out.


The balance is just right.

https://i.postimg.cc/x8TpVN2L/IMG_8564.jpg

Second fish on the outfit, first was 3.5". They are the droughty local rainbow of Southern California, somehow surviving low water and high temps (done for a study on this canyon, otherwise I'm not fishing this place.)

[ReelPatina]

Darrell,

It is nice to see one of the old wooden reels actually being fished as you said generally you see them as display pieces. You do have a nice small specimen in the 2 1/8” size . I also like your “mated pair forever” comment. For anyone to say that a reel is eternally paired with a particular rod, especially a small Payne, really shows how much they must revere the reel!

[Kenneth]

Pretty cool, Darrell. I sometimes see these little wooden reels at weekend thrift markets, maybe I'll just pick one up, if the price is right.

BTW, were you at the Indian Wells semifinal match between Nadal and Alcaraz? Saw someone in the crowd that looked a whole lot like you ️.

Kenneth

[Flykuni3]

Not me, don’t like tennis.

[Kenneth]

OK, I'd thought of you due to the Californian connection. Now, back to the regular programming.

Kenneth

[bamboo]

Pflueger Medalist 1492 & Orvis 6 1/2 ft. Battenkill


bamboo....mike

[NewUtahCaneAngler]

I've recently reacquired or acquired some rods and reels that fit my initial criteria, so here are a few more pairings

Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Orvis CFO II


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Hardy Featherweight


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Orvis CFO III screw back


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Orvis CFO 123 (Hardy)


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with LE Orvis CFO III


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Hardy 2 7/8" Uniqua


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Hardy Golden JLH Ultralite #5


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Hardy Golden Featherweight


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Hardy The Duchess 2 3/4"


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Hardy St. George Junior reissue


Orvis Battenkill 7' 3 3/8oz with Young made Orvis Battenkill Flyweight


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with Young made Orvis Battenkill Flyweight


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with Orvis CFO 123


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with Orvis CFO II


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with Hardy Featherweight


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with LE Orvis CFO III


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with Hardy Golden Featherweight


Orvis 7' Madison MCL Seven-Three with Hardy St. George Junior reissue

[NewUtahCaneAngler]

Here is an Orvis Special Seven Four wearing:

Hardy Golden Featherweight


Orvis LE CFO III


Orvis CFO II


Hardy Featherweight


Orvis CFO III screw back


Orvis CFO 123


Young made Orvis Flyweight


And an Orvis 6 1/2' Madison MCL with Superfine grip

wearing the Young made Orvis Flyweight


Orvis CFO 123


Orvis CFO III


Orvis CFO II


Hardy Featherweight


Orvis LE CFO III


Hardy Unique 2 7/8"


Hardy Golden Featherweight


Hardy Golden JLH Ultralite

[Brian K. Shaffer]

This post deserves the highest honors.

Well done my good friend.

What a masterpiece.

[kevinhaney1]

I like the small rubber-plated reels, e.g. Montague and Pflueger...



And of course the smaller Hary Perfects are a joy to use as well...



Kevin

[jim royston]

I like this for that purpose

[rstdarter]

That is a beautiful little reel. What is it?