Best Modern Fly Reel Under $500

[Brooktrout3333]

I’m need to pair a reel for a new rod being built my Tom Morgan Rodsmiths - 8.5 ft, 5 Wt, graphite . I’m leaning towards a Galvin Toque T5. I mainly fish Eastern / Blue Ridge streams and rivers .. small to midsize. Mostly dries, and occasional streamer and hopper/ dropper. Any thoughts.. or suggestions for a reel under $500?
Thanks in Advance!

[PYochim]

That rod is deserving of a nice reel. Are you looking for a clicker or a disc drag? If you're looking for a clicker the VR Design are very nice as are the Hardy Marquis LWT5. The VR Design can be purchased through Nate Stansfield at Freestone Vintage Tackle. TMR carries some Hardy reels from time to time. The new Orvis CFO looks pretty nice as well. Rodmaker Cris Carpenter offers a very nice spring/pawl reel also. All reels I have mentioned are within your price range and some may leave you enough $$$ for a nice line.

[Brooktrout3333]

Good question , Click or disc drag.. I have been using old school Orvis English made CFO clinkers for thirty - forty years.. on freshwater . And I do like them , also they’ve held up well. The only disc I have is on a saltwater outfit a Orvis Mirage for my 9 weight . I like it as well. I guess the trend for fresh water reels is going disc drags as well, so I thought it worth getting some opinions .

[ibookje]

I see in NZ many folks using the Waterworks Speedster S, an ultra large arbor reel

[Brooktrout3333]

Thanks ,I’ll look up the waterworks .

[tiptop]

Lots of choices and it depends on your preferences and to some degree on the size of the fish you'll be catching. You can certainly play and land big fish on a click/pawl reel but having a more functional drag for large fish is a real help. If you want a new reel with a good drag, I'm a big fan of the Galvan T series and own a T-5 and two T-4s. For the rod you mention I would recommend the T-4 which will also hold a WF5. The T-5 is larger and heavier and IMO, is better suited for a 6wt line and/or 9ft rod. If you'll be fishing for small to medium sized fish, a click/pawl reel is more than adequate. I like the Hardy LRH for a 5wt line and would be outstanding on your TMR rod. But there are many click/pawl reels that are very nice and available like new used. The Orvis Battenkill BBS II or Orvis CFO III come to mind. Good luck!

[PYochim]

You may want to look at Ross and Abel as well. TMR has them for sale on their website.

[ffftroutbum]

3 or so years ago, I switched over mostly large arbor reels. Originally, it was because I was using artificial silk lines and thought the lines would dry faster on the heavily ported spools. I soon got hooked on their line pickup abilities. However, one of my criteria for selection was that the LA reel had to be as light as my Hardys and CFOs. A lot of the LA reels are fairly heavy. The reels that met that criteria was the Sage Spectrum LT, Orvis Mirage LT, Ross Evolution LTX, and the Lamson models. Hardy has since developed some lighter LA reels. I also wanted to try disk drag reels as many had drags that did not need servicing. I usually spent a few mornings each year cleaning and greasing reels. I ended buying several of the Sages and Lamson Speedsters. At the time Lamson was replacing the Speedster and they were being heavily discounted. I remember I bought one Speedster from Sierra for $109. Hard to beat that. I have grown very accustomed to LA reels and I am not sure I will go back. Although I still use my CFOs and Perfects from time to time. LA reels are pretty nice to have on some of the larger rivers I fish. I don’t think they reel have much of a advantage on smaller streams though. Have fun with your purchase.

[Brooktrout3333]

Thanks guys all great information! I didn’t know the Galvan T4 would handle my 5 weight needs.. and the Sage, Larson, Hardy and Ross are great suggestions and I’ll take a look at them as well…. Thanks again !

[tabrods406]

Have you looked at Bozeman Reels? the RS Series, for the size you're looking for, is $495.00 and well worth the money. Or for $600.00 you can go full on classic S-handle and click pawl. Made in Bozeman, same as Tom Morgan Rods and would be a great matchup.

Tom

[SpringCreek]

Although I don't use them often, I have a couple Nautilus reels that have performed quite well over time. I've done everything with them from steelhead fishing to fishing for small brook trout, and they have never let me down. They have sealed disc drags and are very light as well. You might consider the XM for your rod, I don't think you would be disappointed.

On another note, personally if I were going to pair a reel with this rod I probably would go in a bit different direction. I would be tempted to pair it with a Ross Gunnison G2, or maybe a G1 with very little backing. They are real workhorses of a reel, and while they are not made any longer, are still available in the resale market.

Jim

[Brooktrout3333]

Bozeman Reels never heard of them, but interested to learn more about them.I’ve heard good thing about Nautilus reels as well … thanks !!

[fishugo]

Always find it way amazing that someone chooses a rod made by people’s hands in the great tradition of American angling, then immediately tries to find some imported corporate blob for a reel. There are numerous dedicated artisans in USA making reels especially for bamboo enthusiasts.
Most celebrated classic tackle venues carry bench made reels at affordable prices.

[tabrods406]

Here you go - Bozeman Reel Co., https://www.bozemanreel.com.

You can ask TMR guys what they think of these reels.

Tom

[Vaughanwilson3022]

New or used Tibor.

[Brooktrout3333]

My plan is to purchase a reel that’s made in America. Still leaning forward Galvan Torque and Nautilus X .. the Bozeman Reels look great, and I love the thought of a all Bozeman make outfit, but didn’t perform well compared to others in the shootouts. Tibor looks to be excellent as well , will take a look at it as well.

[Brooktrout3333]

Tom Morgan Rodsmiths are promoting Abel, Hardy and Ross as the reel solution for their rods … no mention of their neighbors Bozeman Reels … weird.

[AlexP]

The Bozeman Reels look great, and I love the thought of a all Bozeman make outfit, but didn’t perform well compared to others in the shootouts.

I was curious about this statement and, assuming you were referring to the Yellowstone Angler shootout from 2016, I checked it out.

https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear- ... -shootout/

I think this shop does a great job with these shootouts and really enjoyed them especially when I was fishing graphite. Anyway, reading the entire review for each reel that appeals to me is key. In the case of Bozeman Reels, the categories that push its "grade" down are categories that are not key to me as others, and therefore, it scores higher than other reels within the shootout in my mind.

I don't have a Bozeman reel, but would consider buying one. As for your statement that Tom Morgan Rodsmiths does not promote the Bozeman reels, usually those promotions have an economic incentive in a shop at the TMRs level.

Tight Lines

[PYochim]

All good advice. Now that we have you thoroughly confused I am going to add a few thoughts.

First, the US made reels that I am familiar with (Ross, Abel, Tibor, Bauer, Nautilus, Hatch etc.) are all good reels. The differences are subtle. Second the function of a drag on a trout reel is to give the fish a little resistance while protecting tippet. It is not to "stop a freight train" as some like to say.

When will your rod be ready?

[Brooktrout3333]

Good insight into the shootout scores for Bozeman Reels. I also agree PYochim on the function of a drag system.