Automatic fly reels

[ncboman]

I use an automatic flyreel, preferring Perrine over others.

Most often I have a paddle in my left hand and the flyrod in my right, sculling down the creeks and probing the shoreline with a popper. I get a good working amount of line out and control my distance to shore with the paddle. I find the automatic reel perfect for this type fishing as I often never take the paddle from the water until the fish is ready to be boated.

You can look down your nose at me if ya want. :p

I use to fish Town Lake in Austin. There were a handful of old snoots there that thought my taste in reels was disgraceful. A couple of them even told me as much. :D

Any flyrodders here use automatics?

ncboman

[dave-t.]

I used my grandads auto fly reel when I was a kid. It was a novelty and I really didn't know much about them.

I will say that I hardly ever use the reel on my rod. I strip out the line in the boat and never reel it back up until we're done or I'm severely tangled. Some folks fight fish on the reel, but I never liked it. I've been told I do it all wrong. :rolleyes:

[Smokey]

I have two automatic fly reels that still work well. Both belonged to my grandfather. One has the date 1943 scratched in it and I don't remember the other date. I haven't used those reels in many years. Actually when trout fishing I rarely use the reel after I hook the trout. Those PA trout streams are usually not very big and I pull my line in by hand.

[Bushman]

I used to use them loaded with mono on my fly rod when I tried jigging for walleyes. That worked okay for the small fish, but the big northerns would run and wind up the spring and the drag was not what it should have been. Fun, but those big fish were having their way with me and that rod and reel combination.

[Chuck S]

It was none other than AJ McLane that gave kudos to a couple of the fly reels on the market in one of his excellent books on fly fishing. One, a Shakespere 1835 I believe and the other I can't recall. I have one of those Shakespeares and love it for certain kinds of fishing. Fishing from a small boat, confined space, etc and fishing where weeds, brairs will tangle your fly line if you let it drag, ie small ponds and streams. Let the all knowing, "french maitre de" fly anglers turn their noses up all they want but do what works best. I call them "French maitre de" anglers since they look at you just as the high end French restaurant Maitre de would if you aren't dressed right, or if you order in English.
When working in a great fly shop in Spokane a few years back that's what my boss called a lot of Fly Shop owners/employees that looked down their noses at common folks who aren't looking for the latest, greatest and most expensive fly equipment.