Trout Fly Reels

What this list covers

The rule for this page is plain: a reel is included if the line weight range it is rated for reaches into the usual trout range of 3 to 6. That brings in reels that cover only part of the range, such as 1/3 and 2/3 models at the light end and 5/7 at the heavy end, so you will see some reels that are really for smaller or bigger rods than a typical trout outfit. The Line weight ruler in the table shows where each one sits.

The most common ratings in the data are 5/6 (44 reels), 3/4 (23) and 4/5 (19). The 4 to 6 spans and the 3 to 5 spans follow, then the lighter 2/3 and 2 to 4 models. If you want the full picture for every line weight, the fly reels page has the whole set.

How to read the table

Every value carries a small mark underneath:

• Maker means the value comes from the manufacturer's own product page.
• Claimed marks a maker's own claim with no independent lab or standard named.
• Listing means the value comes only from the Amazon listing, so treat it as the seller's statement.
• — means we could not confirm it. We do not guess.

On this list you will see a lot of listing marks on line weight, particularly on the lower end of the market, where the weight is in the Amazon title and the maker has no product page we can match. That is fine for a first pass, and it is a good reason to open the product page before you buy.

The columns:

• Line weight. The ruler shows the range, and the numbers say which rods it fits.
• Arbor. Large, ultra large, mid or standard. More below.
• Drag. Click and pawl, disc (carbon, cork or unspecified), conical or automatic. Where the maker says the drag is sealed, you see it here.
• Reel weight. In ounces. Of the 105 reels with a stated weight, the lightest sit around 2.7 ounces and the heaviest near 11 ounces.
• Water. Freshwater, all-water, or a dash. Few trout reels state it.
• Warranty. Varies a lot, covered below.

Under each model name, "More specs" shows material, construction, diameter, backing capacity and retrieve side.

Weight comes before almost everything

A fly reel on a trout rod is mostly a counterweight and a place for the line to live. You rarely need it to fight anything. That makes the weight column more useful than the drag column for most trout anglers.

A reel that is too light for the rod can leave the outfit tip-heavy, and one that is too heavy tires your wrist over a long day. Mad River Fly Company says to match the reel to the rod so the outfit balances. My rule of thumb is a 2.5 to 4 ounce reel for a light 2 or 3 weight rod, and 4 to 6 ounces for a 5 or 6 weight.

From the data, the lightest reels are the Galvan Brookie B 2-3 (2.72 oz), the Lamson Purist II (2.7 oz), the Redington Zero 2/3 (2.7 oz) and the Hardy Lightweight Flyweight 2/3 (2.9 oz). These are maker figures. Near the other end, reels with big sealed drags such as the Greys Tital 3/4 (6.28 oz, maker) weigh more because they carry more hardware. You decide whether you want that hardware.

Drag: how much do you need

For a 12 inch trout, almost none (a 12 inch trout pulls like a 12 inch trout, whatever the reel's marketing says). For a 20 inch fish in a big river, a bit more. Here is what the table offers.

Click and pawl. 27 reels. A simple clicker with a light, fixed resistance, found mostly on small and traditional reels. The click and pawl page lists them and explains the design. Hardy and Shakespeare list a maximum of 0.5 lb on theirs.

Disc drag. 95 reels list some form of disc: carbon (42), cork (10) or an unspecified disc (43). A disc lets you set the tension with a knob. That is the common choice when you might hook a larger fish, or want the freedom to dial in the same resistance every time. Where a maker publishes it, "More specs" shows the maximum drag in pounds: Greys lists 2 lb for the Fin, 1.5 lb for the Pace, 6 lb for the Tital and 8 lb for the Tail, all maker figures.

Conical drag. 12 reels, all of them Lamson, use a conical drag. The maker's page is the place to read about how it works.

Sealed. 33 reels list a sealed drag. For trout it is not a requirement, but it keeps silt and grit out if you wade deep or drop the reel in the river. A sealed drag is also what you want if the same reel will see salt one day. That is the saltwater fly reel list.

Automatic. Three reels, covered on the automatic fly reel page. Those are for slack-line pickup, not for fighting fish.

My own rule of thumb is that a smooth, simple drag you can trust is worth more than a big number you never use. The numbers on a spec sheet tell you how hard a reel can pull and nothing about how it starts. Buyer reviews on the Amazon page are the only place to look for that.

Arbor and diameter

A large arbor reel has a wide core, so line comes off in looser coils and each turn takes in more line. In this table, 101 reels list a large arbor, 15 an ultra large one, 12 a mid arbor and one a standard arbor, with 33 unconfirmed. Mid-arbor reels are older in style: the Redington Classic Trout 2/3/4 and 4/5/6, the Daiwa Rochhommore A and the Maxcatch AVID are examples. They hold a good amount of backing for their size.

Check the diameter under "More specs." It affects how a reel sits against your forearm on a light rod, and how much backing fits. A 3 inch reel is compact, a 3.5 inch is mid-sized, and 4 inches and up starts to look like a different animal.

Special cases: Euro nymph and trout Spey reels

A few reels in the list are built around a particular technique, and their names say so.

• Euro nymph reels. The Galvan G.E.N. 3.7 (Galvan Euro Nymph) is rated 2 to 5 weight with an ultra large arbor, a carbon disc drag, a 3.7 inch diameter and a 5.22 ounce weight, and its maker lists backing for a nymph line plus 100 yards of 20 lb micron backing. The Redington Tilt Euro Nymph 2-5 lists a large arbor, a carbon disc drag, a 4 inch diameter and 5.7 ounces. The Maxcatch AVID PRO Nymph 3/5 carries Nymph in its name, though our data holds little else for it. If that is your style, read what is Euro nymphing first, since the rod and line matter more than the reel.
• Trout Spey. The Sage Trout Spey 1/2/3 lists a large arbor, a sealed carbon disc drag, 5.75 ounces and a 3.688 inch diameter, with its backing line described by a Skagit trout line plus 150 yards of 20 lb. It is meant for a two-handed trout rod, covered in our Spey fly rods page.

Warranty

Warranty is where trout reels from different makers separate.

• Hardy states five years for the original owner, with registration within 60 days and a service fee for failures that are not manufacturing defects.
• Lamson states a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner, covering defects in material or workmanship.
• Ross states a limited lifetime warranty, original owner, authorized-dealer purchase, repair or replacement only.
• Galvan states a lifetime warranty for the original owner, with parts and workmanship under normal use.
• Redington states a lifetime warranty on the Zero and Tilt reels and an original-owner warranty against defects on the Classic Trout reels.
• Sage states an original-owner warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
• Greys states 12 months, and Echo one year for manufacturing defects.
• Many of the lower-cost brands show a dash in our data.

Read the exact wording. Lifetime, limited, original owner and register-within are four different promises, and they all assume you kept the receipt.

How to choose

1. Start from the rod. Read the line weight on the blank. A 5 weight rod needs a reel rated for 5, which includes 4/5, 5/6 and 4/5/6 reels. Our fly reel size guide and what weight fly rod for trout cover the choice.
2. Pick the water. Small creeks reward a light reel and a simple drag. Big rivers and stillwaters, where a trout can run, reward a disc drag and some backing.
3. Check weight and balance. Compare the reel weight with the rod. A reel from the lighter end of the range suits a light rod, and the 5 to 6 ounce reels suit a 9 foot 5 weight.
4. Read the warranty. It is part of what you are buying.
5. Think about the line. If you want to fish today, a preloaded reel solves a problem. If you want a particular line, buy a bare reel and see how to spool a fly reel.

If you have not bought a rod yet, a fly rod combo puts rod, reel and usually line in one box, and our guides on fly fishing for trout cover the rest.

Brands in the table

Lamson, Ross and Hardy each have 14 reels, followed by Redington, Galvan, Aventik and Maxcatch with 11 each, Greys and Sage with 10 each, and Echo and Okuma with 6 each. Smaller sets come from Shakespeare, Kylebooker, Hatch, Snowbee, Daiwa, MAVRK and others. Go to the maker pages for Lamson, Ross, Hardy, Redington, Galvan, Aventik, Maxcatch, Greys, Sage, Echo and Okuma, or browse the brand catalog.

Care in brief

Trout reels need little. Rinse off silt, let the reel dry before it goes in a pouch, and back the drag off before storage. Mid Current's maintenance guide notes that a cork drag left cranked down can lose its tension, and that sealed disc drags are best serviced by the maker. Your manual has the specifics for your model.