Lost my 6 wt fly reel, any suggestions on a new one?

[brownieguy]

So I managed to lose my 6wt fly reel and now I'm looking into a new one. so heres the question...what should I go with for my new reel? what are your experiences with different reels/brands and what direction would you go? Any suggestions or input is much appreciated.
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[flyfishingfool]

I have an Okumas SLV on my 6 weight and on my 8 weight. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. They are light weight, the drag works great, and the price is hard to beat. They are also pretty durable. You can change the spool very quickly and easily. I fish pretty close to every day and use my 6 or 8 weight 90% of the time. I mostly fish for carp with the 8 wt and they run the drag like crazy. The drag still works the same as the first day I bought it. My 6 wt reel has taken its fair share of good runs as well and still works awesome. One of my favorite things about the reel is that it is a large arbor and takes a lot of line with each reel. It is helpful when fighting bigger fish that you play on the reel. I have never purchased any really expensive reels before so I can't say how it compares to them. However, all of the reviews that I have read say that it is very comparable to reels 2x or even 3x its price. I know the saying "You get what you pay for" usually rings true but with this reel you get a lot more than most other reels in the same price range.

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[drowning_flys]

Sorry for your loss howd it happen [frown]

I have a dam quick in a 3 and 6 weight and i love them good solid reel and not too costly and good drag plus a large arbor. the upper end cortland stuff isnt to bad either

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DAM-Quick-Finess...4aaa37fb6a





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[cpierce]

I too have an Okuma SLV. It has worked great for an inexpensive reel.

DF, that looks like a nice reel. It also looks like D. A. M. was recently bought by Okuma. They must have thought they were nice also!

Also quite a few people on the Utah forum have been buying Allen Reels. http://www.allenflyfishing.com/products/...eries-reel Colorful and they seem to like them.
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[cpierce]

I forgot to mention the Southeast ID Fly Tying Expo on Apr 20 and 21. If you can wait that long, sometimes there are good deals to be had on equipment.

I know that Justin from Allen Fly Fishing was at the Utah one and had some good sales prices. http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gfo...ead#unread

I don't know if he will be at the ID one or not. You might try contacting him.
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[flygoddess]

I don't know if he will be at the Idaho or not but his prices, service and selection is awesome.





There is also black
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[Metalheadgene]

Lamson Guru is top notch plus I believe they are made right here in Idaho?
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[brownieguy]

In Nampa i believe. has anyone had an Allen for more than a year and how has it held up?
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[flygoddess]

2 on most mine and 4 on the black ones. I got an email from Evan last year saying he had new upgrades for the reels. I had no ideawhy as nothing was wrong with mine and I use them 4 to 6 days a week and fish them hard. They will freeze up on stillwater in Jan. but so did my Loop, my Orvis, my Tioga...in other words no more than other reels.

I sent all the reels in and within a week got them back. As I said I didn't notice anything wrong in the first place, but he took time and money out of his pocket to make sure.
They have taken care of any issues I have heard.

I have been fishing some smokin fish as of late. Big and river current and the Red reel has handled everything they are dishin' out. Never thought a drag that important...till now...LOL

I will be at the Expo next Sat. and I will have them with me if you wantto check them out first.
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[brownieguy]

ok I'm planning on being there saturday morning so I'll come watch you tie for a bit then bug you when you're done!
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[flygoddess]

Take me fishing!!!! LOL
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[MatchT]

I agree the Expo would be a great place to check out reels.
I own the Lamson Konic...the cheapest model of the lamson line up. It has the same drag system as the upper end models. I really like this reel. Local fly shops sell them and can provide you with service if you have issues with them. I heard/read that Lamson provides excellent customer service when it comes to warranty. I do agree that newer reels out there are much more visually appealing such as the allen reels.

I do think that Lamson is Idaho....so is Rio fly lines...great products and a way to support Idaho/USA.


Match
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[flygoddess]

So are Bucks Bags and Outcast...Doooh![laugh][laugh]

Here is a nice write up of the Konic


Lamson Konic Reel
I just purchased the Lamson Konic 2 reel. The first impression was that of the reels finish. It looks like bead blasted stainless steel although It isn't.
I decided to compar it directly against the Lamson Litespeed to determine if they maintained their quality and here is what I saw.
The finish is definitely different than the glossy Litespeed. It is an attractive reel none the less. The dull gray finish takes away from the tight lines of anodized aluminium. It seems to be more rugged and should hold up longer than the finish on the Litespeed.
The fit matches that of the more expesive Litespeed. I found no issues with the fit. The spool fit is tight and the clearances are uniform.
The drag is advertised to be the same as Lamsons other reels. I did not completely disassemble the drag but it appears that the Konic has the same roller clutch and drag material as the Litespeed. The only difference that appeared to me was that the Litespeed has an internal bearing that supports the spool shaft where is the Konic had a bronze bushing. I did not dig out the bushing to prove this but I could read the bearing numbers on the Litespeed and found no numbers on the Konic and it appeared to be a bushing instead of a bearing. The other difference in drag is that the Konic could not go as light as the Litespeed. This may be a function of wear but right now I cannot back of the drag as much as I can on the Litespeed. The drag does back out enough for what will be required of the reel but I just wanted to note the differences in reels.
I have to say for the price the Konic is definitely worth its money. In fact I think it is a great deal. You get super quality and a great drag for 1/2 the price of a comparable reel. I recommend this reel to anyone who needs a new one.

Lampson Konic Reel
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[flygoddess]

Lamson Konic is cast aluminum where Allen are machined like the Guru.
Konic is made in Korea but assembled in Boise.
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[Brownliner]

I strongly recommend Sage's 1800 series reels. For $139, you get a nice large arbor reel with a sealed graphite drag that will handle just about anything you throw at it. IMO, it's the best reel in that price range. I have two of them (three spools), plus a 2000 series for salt water.

I concur with the other members re: Allen Fly Fishing. I have one of their original Alpha reels and it is great.
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[drowning_flys]

They were bought out by them I guessing thats why you see them at clearance prices. I believe okuma parts will interchange with them also
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[flygoddess]

I talked to Justin and anyone in traveling area, they are going to send me some of Allen's Rods and I already have the reels. If you want to meet at the Shilo Saturday the 21st I am done tying at noon. Come demo these things, get the hands on feel.
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