Fly reels suitable for downrigger use

J

jimbob

Active Member
When I fish for winter springs I most often fish with mini flashers and a flyrod and fly reel. I have to crank down the drag on my reels in order to keep them from gradually clicking off line due to the tension of the downrigger.

So...I am looking to upgrade to a better type of flyreel with a more dependable drag. Islander fly reels will work, of course, but they are too pricey. Does anyone have any suggestions for a flyreel that can handle downrigger use and is priced around $300 or less.

Better still if you have one and are willing to sell it, let me know. Fishing with 8 or 9 wt. flyrods and mini flashers is the only way to go for winter springs.
 
Jimbob, I'm idly curious about the line you're using. My experience (limited) and what I read about winter springs is they run about 7#-18#.

What line are you using on your reel? Would 12#-15# mono or 20# braid reduce your line drag enough to keep your drag tamed? Gamma co-poly 12# dry-tests 20# & their engineer told me it's about 17# test wet... 0.013", low drag. Or Dam SteelPower Pro 28.6# dry, 0.016" and that stuff is really tough to break-off. It's thinner than most 20# monos which run about 0.017"-0.018" (20# Maxima Chameleon 0.017"). 20# PowerPro runs about 0.008" for what should be almost zero line drag.

20# PP wouldn't hold in your clip, but if you tied a 20# mono leader to your flasher, & clipped the mono, that would work. Albright knot for the line-to-line tie.

I have a Pflueger Trion 8/9 which has a pretty good & easy-adjust drag, ball bearing, and you can easily get spare spools. I'm not sure how it would handle 100+' of line down a DR tho'. Runs $80-$120. Spools $50-$80.

(I canoe-troll a 5/6wt glass rod & cheap little fly reel with 4# & 6# mono for kokanee. It's fun, the panfry's really bend that gear nicely. I back all (2) those reels with short bits of waste mono linespool-ends to gobble up the arbour-room. Now, there's a sound reason to bid on that used mono offered in trade in one post... if you top your spool with 150yds braid.)

Good Luck!
 
Hey Cliffjumper: I never thought of the idea of "drag reduction" as a solution to the problem rather than increasing the drag capability of my reels. I have been using 20# or 25# test mono on my flyreels including the Pfleuger which you mentioned which I use. That creates significant drag. I am going to give your concept a try just to see if it works. I will test it next week and let you know.

As for the reels, the best thing that I have found so far is a little trophy mooching reel with a small diameter spool (i am guessing 3.75) with a wide arbor which looks like it might work even with mono because it has a great drag system. The reel is not a fly reel but it balances with the rod nicely. Too bad that they don't come in left hand retrieve but I can make the concession and reel right handed I guess. We/us lefties are adaptable.
 
Yup. For 25# Maxima you're looking at 0.021". 20# PP or TuffLine at 0.008" is less than half the drag. 12# Gamma is about 60% of the drag the 25# mono would create, and still 17# wet test.

Let us know how it goes.

Cheers!
 
Had trouble with my fly reel wrarping whwn using the fly rod on the downrigger. Switched to Shimano 1000s and found they work great using 20 or 25lb test. tight line,.........BB
 
TenMile, have you ever had to change out those cork drag washers? Do they stand up well? (I came very close to buying their Helios last spring, they're making nice fly reels. Your comment on the drag is making re-think... maybe buy on a Christmas sale.)

Your reel's cast alum, is it strung entirely with mono or did you back it with dacron?

One potential problem with cast aluminum vented-arbour, and certainly with the graphite vented spool-arbour if being entirely strung with mono, the line can gradually continuously constrict and crush or crack the arbour or bulge a side-plate, sort of like the problems Peetz has with the pure wood arbours on their mahogany reels (which is why they put brass hoop on the arbours on some of their reels and recommend backing with dacron or using all braid/dacron line). Or, letting all your line out periodically and rewinding it back... to release the built-up tension.

I've had a couple larger spinning reel graphite spools crack or implode using 20#-30# mono. One imploded in my car, five pieces... in fairness, the line was on that reel for a couple years and it had a lot of use and wasn't a top-drawer reel, and I packed it after a bigtime snag. The other one was just cracked, which I found when I went to re-string with new line. I probably deserved it, but never knew about mono & shrinkage on the arbour.

Cheers!
 
Check these out. I have to admit that I was taken by their looks. Damn pretty rig. I had a bit of work to make them work. The reels are Dragonfly. They are from the new line of reels. The cork drag system was a mess. They were not oiled when seated at the factory. Two sets of reels chewed the drags to bits even when lowered slowly on the down rigger. Finally they got it right. No more cork drag. It is a completely new system that seems to be bullet proof now. I am very happy with them. They have a large arbour and the retrieval speed is great. Make sure to load them with backing before finishing them off with 150 yards of mono. The real charm of this rig though is the rods. They are an ultra light weight mooching rod by Redl/Tropy. It is essentially a 9' fly rod with a great foregrip and extended fighting butt. I found them both at Westshore Sportfishing. I use the setup specifically on the downrigger with no problem at all. Very nice to play fish up to high teens.

P1060996.jpg


P1060997.jpg


P1060998.jpg
 
I have the same rods, mine are Trophy 9'. They say bucktailing rod instead of mooching. I used them all summer, biggest fish 40 pounds. I wouldn't use them in Scotty tube rod holders as the butt end is very short and the torque exerted will put lots of stress on the rod.
 
What reels do you have on yours?

I have been running mine from the tube off the downrigger. Seems fine.

Which ones do you use with yours? The Scotty strap holders drive me nuts. Can never get a clean strike on the rod when I am fighting the #$%^ rod holder LOL
 
I'm running either MR-2s or MR3's during the summer, and LA4's fall and winter. LA4 is the Islander fly reel with the drag knob on the back side of the reel. I'm using the Scotty Orca rod holders..you lift them straight up to get them out of the holder. With the tubs the rod is always under tension and cocked up against the inside of the holder when a fish is on. You can't help but drag the rod butt along the inner edge as you pull the rod out. Eventually the rod end cap gets pulled off. These rods have very short butt ends and don't extend down into the tubes very far. The less of the rod in the tube the more force is put on that smaller section that is in the tube. The next time your in one of the stores try putting a rod into an Orca holder and give it a go. I wouldn't use them or the tubes for hali fishing, i use the Strikers for that.
 
I have used the LA 3.8's for years. Love them. The MR2's not so much. I hate the line creep. For the people I have on board the shimanos are just fine. Don't have to worry about dinging up the gold anodize. I have used both the orca and striker also over the years and even though the orca has had some tweeking by Scotty , I am still not in love with either. Again it's the butt section that always seem to get hung up when a hog hits. Guess it is a compromise though. Would hate to see the bottom section of the blank get snapped when a freight train does hit.


HL
 
I haven't seen that issue with the Orca..I do grab the rod with 2 hands, ahead and behind the holder when I jerk it out. This was the first year for these rods and holders and so far I prefer them to the tubes. I left the tubes on the booms in case we ever get another sockeye opening and I can stack on all 3 riggers.
 
The first couple of batches of Dragonfly reels looked nicer but they actually work much better now. It is tough to keep track of who is manufacturing what. Redl, Tropy, Dragonfly, Reddington.....they all look like they are coming from the same plant. I wanted an inexpensive combo as an alternative to the Islander. I am damn happy with this setup. And it was not alot of $. Thats what makes it so great. Actually this is my favourite for pulling plugs up at Cowichan lake.
 
The company has been great to us to. My Dad, brother and I all have the Kamloops and we had problems right out of the gate with the drag, they took them back and gave us all new reels then they forgot to put my fly line back on so they gave us a free spool in the mail with the fly line on it. Sweet customer service. Might have to try the Bucktailing rods for winters, we used 8wts with dummy flashers last winter and it seemed to work well.
 
X2 with the customer service. They have never questioned or hesitated. Just sent out new reels and line each time!

Very nice to deal with that type of company.
 
I was tired of line twist and I figured that it was because of the spinning reel so I bought one of those DragonFly reels and put 100 yards of backing on it with 300 yards of 10 lb test.I used it last weekend over on St Marys lake and caught lots of 2 1/2 lb cutts and was great to catch fish with and I doubt I'll go back to using a spinning reel to troll for trout. My question is..... is 10 lb test going to be strong enough to use for winter spring fishing? I think its a bit on the light side but.... Steve.

And remember....Keep your tip up!!!
fish.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Sharphooks
LAPEROUSE. PART IV. The Fish
Replies
4
Views
2K
Aces
Aces
Pippen
Trophy Tyee Reels that have....caught Tyees.
Replies
8
Views
2K
Pippen
Pippen
Seafever
Fly Reel For Trolling?
Replies
8
Views
3K
wishiniwasfishin1
wishiniwasfishin1
J
One of a Kind Custom built Sage RPL 9100 Salt Water Fly Rod for sale or trade
Replies
1
Views
804
Kildonan
Kildonan
S
For Sale: Islander Mr2 Mooching Reel - mint condition
Replies
2
Views
1K
sdembiske@shaw.ca
S
Back
Top