FS Digest

I'm getting back to the hobby after 20 years. I have a 6 pc 7'6" rod, and fish Colorado high mountain streams- nothing more than 20 feet across with a lot of trees on the banks. I'm looking for a reel, backing, and line combo. I'm thinking double taper or level for the line. I'm looking for best bang for the buck- a $300 Ross reel is out, but I want something better than my $12 Cabela's plastic one. Swappable cassettes is very much preferred, though I only need one for now. TIA!

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by skoot66

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Orvis Battenkill. Best bang for your buck IMO. Won't break the bank and will last you the rest of your life. Is your 7' 6 a 3 or a 2? The battenkill 1 will fit right on there. And yes, you can get an extra spool for it.

MtFlyTyer74 Loc: NW Montana

Howdy....you didn't say what the line weight rating is on your rod, but I'm assuming it a 3 or 4 weight. As Spirit says, the Orvis Battenkill I is a fine reel...if you'd like to limit your investment a bit -- I recommend a Redington Zero in a weight to match your rod. That reel does not have an adjustable drag, rather a robust "clicker" that sings beautifully ;-) They can be had in the 60 to 75 dollar range, and the Redington warranty can't be beat...
it reads: "Redington’s lifetime warranty is a lifetime, original owner warranty that covers repair or replacement for any manufacturer defect of your Redington rod or reel". Double taper line of the correct weight would do nicely...and as a bonus -- it's reversible when the first half wears out...I'd pair that setup with 30 to 50 yards of backing -- and that would be one excellent small stream, Colorado high country set up. Enjoy tight lines!

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Also - have you considered Tenkara? For small streams like you're talking about - that's why it was developed over 200 years ago. In Japan. Those folks know a thing or two about fishing.

FixorFish Loc: SW Oregon

I would suggest the Pflueger QRS Supreme if you are looking for a reasonably priced "cassette" reel. I have the 5/6-7/8 size, $150 at Sportsman's Warehouse. Three interchangeable extra spools, included. They make a 3/4-5/6 size, as well. The larger arbor diameter is sweet for retrieval and the drag is quite good. The reel balances exceptionally on a vast number of my rods, from a 4wt up.

I hate to diss another's choice, but MtFlytyer 's suggestion for a "double taper" would not be my line choice, I would go WF.
A few months back, I thought I wanted a DT, so I did some extensive research on them.
All but one,......and having read the specs on so many, I forget which, sorry,........ has a "taper" of only 7'-9' ! By the time you have enough line out to do any cast at all... you are USING LEVEL LINE for the next 74 feet !
Why bother ? No help or advantage whatsoever, imo..... except, of course, you can end-for-end switch. That will double your ability to wonder "why did I buy this line"... twice !
Just sayin', and perhaps, I am missing some minor/major point to it (DT), that I am unaware of.
I guess it would be a good "trolling" fly line, idk.