MICK BEWICK DISCUSSES HOW THE LARGE ARBOUR REEL, HAS AT LAST, CURRIED FAVOUR, AND LOOKS AT SOME FROM THE VAST RANGE NOW ON OFFER.

I strongly believe that in the past that one of the poorest designed pieces of fly fishing equipment - save for a few exceptions - has been the fly reel. Narrow reels with small spindles that hold very little backing and hold the fly line in tight, permanent curls have been produced by just about every reel manufacturer worldwide.

With reels such as these if a fish takes all your fly line and some backing, playing the fish 'off the reel' is a complete nightmare with every dozen turns of the handle retrieving a foot or so of line. Having to reel so furiously to retrieve such a small amount creates a jerky action which in turn imparts a shake to the fly rod, soon resulting in the loss of a lightly hooked fish. I've heard all the arguments such as "the reel is only to hold your fly line" and that some anglers have never had a fish strip a fly line from their reel (to be quite honest, it doesn't happen too often to me, either) but when it does, playing a fish on a good large-arboured reel is a pleasure, as you are the one that is in control. The coarse fishers amongst you will know what I'm talking about: it's similar to playing a hard-fighting barbel on a good centre-pin reel. Like most trout anglers, I play the fish by letting the fly line slip between the fingers, playing the fish by utilising the amount of line that has been stripped from the reel before casting, providing the fish doesn't give too much trouble and doesn't decide on a long run. This technique is normally perfectly adequate when boat fishing, and also from the bank, provided there are no snags to tangle and foul the line. However, if a trout takes the fly at the full extent of my cast, I like to play them on the reel. The added bonus of a large arbour is the low inertia start as the trout takes line. If a trout takes line from a large arbour reel very little pressure is put on the fish - so a smooth drag engages instantly, as opposed to an increase in tension and then a jerk - which can result from conventional reels leading to over-running, and even tippet breakage. It's a bit like trying to ride a bike with gears - trying to pedal on the smallest cog is harder than the largest, and the large arbour offers a high gearing ratio, even when a lot of line is out.

The Swedish company Loop Tackle Design were probably the first to design and produce nothing but large arbour reels. Now things have changed with many, many more companies getting on the band wagon. To review and show most of them would take up the whole magazine. I have chosen eight models from around £40 to £400 for you to look at. So, if you are interested in a reel that is easy on your fly line that when you strip the line from the spool it won't look like coiled spring and makes playing a fish a pleasure, read on.

---

Loop Dry Fly

From the Loop Traditional Featherweight series, like all Loop reels is of the highest quality - precision machined from aluminium bar stock and weighs 143g for line weights of 3-7 it will take a weight forward #6 plus a 100 metres of micron backing. I have owned one of these for the past three seasons and have no complaints: it is still as good as new, and remains one of the best, as (probably due to increased competition) Loop have reduced their reel prices for 2000. The cost of a Dry Fly is now £190. Loop Traditional Reels don't use a complicated drag system. Like on the coarse fishers' centre-pin reel you can use the most sensitive drag of all - your fingers on the side of the reel.

Loop Evotec 5 Eight

The 5 eight is the very latest in the Evotec series. This is a serious reel, again manufactured from the highest quality bar stock aluminium. The Evotec has a waterproof drag system which is adjusted by turning the side of the reel rather than a small knob; a half turn takes you from minimum to a maximum setting, and the drag can also be custom-set to a range that suits the angler. Take just a quick look at this reel and you can see the quality. It's ideal for bone fish or any other hard-fighting long-running fish where a smooth, top-quality drag system is needed. Not cheap at £370, but you can't get a Rolls Royce for the price of a Lada.

Vision VR 6/8

For the price, a most impressive large arbour reel. The Vision VR has the smoothest drag system, using cork against Teflon machined from aerospace grade aluminium and the glossiest of anodised finishes. At around £170 I've seen very similar reels at well over double the price. A nice finishing touch is the polished wooden handle.

Hardy Viscount LA 7/8 MK II

New for 99, the Viscount is a very reasonably priced model sporting a very heavily perforated spool and body which makes the reel fairly lightweight. It's nicely finished with a dark brown anodising, as you would expect of the House of Hardy. Taking a WF #7 line plus 100 metres of backing, the check is a little on the loud side, but I dare say some would not mind this at all! All in all a nice reel for £65.99.

Airflo Millennium

Take a look at the Vision reel and you will see the Millennium reel looks very similar - although made for different companies they are both from the same factory. Although the reel looks almost the same, the Millennium is heavier and has a different drag, but is still very smooth. I doubt if there is a reel like this for anywhere near the price at £89.99. As this comes with any Airflo fly line free with it, this represents stunning value.

Danica Fly Reel 4/6

Made from a high-tech composite materials, this lightweight reel was a best seller in '99, although made for 4-6 lines I have a 7-weight fast sink on mine. It's very popular with match anglers, probably due to the low cost spools, which are available in three colours. At around £40 with £10 for an extyra spool this is a good cheap reel.

Tioga 8 LA

This is good, reasonably priced reel that has been around for a few years, but during the last year a large arbour spool has been made available. The Tioga takes a WF8 with 120 yards of 20lb backing and is computer-machined from aerospace grade gold drawn aluminium and has a no-fail drag housed in a stainless steel spool bushing. Priced at around £95, this one comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Phos Yukon 7/8

A very good looking reel full of perforations for lightness; even the braking disc is full of small holes made from a non-glare anodised aluminium bar stock. The capacity is stated at a WF8 + 185 yards of 20lb backing. A very good reel at £187.00, but remember care must be taken to clean this reel regularly, especially after use in salt water.

---

Many of the tackle shops/mail order companies listed in this magazine will hold ranges of some of these reels; if you still can't find the specific model you are looking for, either contact FF&FT (tel/fax 01887 830526) or e-mail your question to MarkB.ffft@btinternet.com

Article taken from April 2000 issue of Fly Fishing & Fly Tying