Hey guys I will soon be building this little sage rod (I hope soon).

Anyway I need a little reel to go on it. The rods ERN is 1.28 so its tiny little thing I plan to use for small panfish and local small trout.

I am looking at either a Ross Rhythm 0 or a 2" Avon by J. Austin Forbes for this

I currently have a Ross Rythm on another set up and I like that reel but since I already have one I am kinda wanting to try something different.

I don't know anything about the J. Austin Forbes reel other than it is tiny and very cute. Have any of you had any experiences with their reels? Are these little 2" Avons decent quality reels?

Thanks,
Ray

Ray Cover
My Projects Blog
[raycover.blogspot.com]

Base your reel size on rod length and the amount of line you want to pick up on the retrieve. Don't fall for the "large arbor" silliness. It's the outside diameter of the full spool that counts.

Take a hard look at the Pflueger Trion reels. Don't be fooled by the low price. They are the equal of reels costing 2 to 3 times as much. Buy the 3/4 or 5/6 depending on rod length - longer rod, larger reel.

..................

That sage 3000 series reel is amazing on that rod, I think the whole setup weighs about 3 ounces rod, line, reel, leader and all. Have you casted one? Think slow smooth movements and timing is king. I am about to sell a boat motor so I can get one, they are amazing.

Thanks Toma nd Cody,

I have not cast it as of yet. I have a slow lazy casting style so I like slower rods that throw line gracefully. Right now I only have the blank. I did measure the ERN to find out that the rod Sage rated as a 000 is suited for a 1wt line at the 30-40 feet I generally fish.

I tend to like small reels on little rods I have a tiny little Galvan that I love that is only about 2" dia. on little 6'6" 2wt pac bay blank. That set up is a blast on a hot summer mid day when the only thing biting are the little ones. That's the type of fishing I was building this Sage up for.

I will definitiy take a look at the Pfleuger Trion reels. I have also thought about a small Hardy Marksman.

I would like to find out about the quality of the little J A Forbes reel. If anyone has any info on those please share it.

Thanks,

ray

Ray I purchased the 2" Avon for use on my 6'6" Pacbay 4pc I found it to be too small.... It is light but the retreive time just wasn't there... It held only 1/2 of a DT Line Ended up selling it...

It is a good quality reel though

You might want to look at their 2.5" Reel A little heavier though

Just my 2 cents worth



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2008 11:16PM by Skipp Hughes.

Teton makes a sweet little reel in a number 3 that is very light and very simple. Great drag system. Not too much money. Very sweet reel on the very lightweight fly rods.

Here are some other options for you. I have the 000wt, 00wt, 0wt. I fish them with the following reels:

Ross Vision 1 (Expensive reel but incredible if you can find one)

Marryat MR-7

Ross Evolution 0

Sage 3100

All are smooth with little to no startup drag. I also use the Galvan standard reel in the 2.5 inch version.

Food for thought?

Thanks,
Paul

I think that Hardy Marksman is also a reel you should check out. The little one will be perfect for what you need. Also have a look at the small orvis battenkil LA. A friend of mine fishes with this reel on his 000wt and the rod is nicely balanced. The orvis definitely weighs more than the marksman, but not much beats the marksman when it comes to weight.

i really like the looks of the galvan standard (only have an OB3) but the quality is there and really, you don't need a large arbor for the type of fishing your rod will probably see. you already have a galvan, stick with that or get another. for something less expensive, why not an orvis BBS? good price, good quality, proven design, warranty and service.

personally, i'm moving more towards clickers. have you considered a hardy lightweight series reel, maybe an older CFO II or III, even one of the MANY older reels made long ago but still very servicable. unless you need something newly designed, check out something like a meisselbach airex ablette 373, i've seen a couple go on @#$%& for under $60 i think. sure, it's not machined barstock but works great for lightline small stream stuff if that's what you do. i use one on my 8' 3wt (well, did, until it was stolen last week). another option which might be nice is a discontinued redington CT in 2/3 or 3/4 size. all clickers, all standard arbor, all work fine for fly fishing small stuff. browning made a nice machined small reel (i forget the model) but it's a full side plate reel. obviously, i'm looking at more classicly styled reels lately and it may not be what you want or are interested in but it's an added bonus to delve into some of the older designs and history of fly fishing. the stuff's out there in need of a hom, just takes some looking.

eric
fresno, ca.

Interesting you mention that Eric,

I really kinda like smaller click and paw drag reels if their good ones. I have a little ross colorado that I tuned and polished all the contact surfaces on and it is one sweet reel using the light spring. Especially when fishing with ultralight rods. I have been looking at a Hardy Marksman.

I am trying not to be brand loyal in order to get experience with makes of reels I don't already have. I have a few older Ross and Galvin reels so I would like to go with something different but still well made and reliable.

You guys have given me a lot of choices to consider. Thanks,

Ray

Ray Cover
My Projects Blog
[raycover.blogspot.com]

The Bauer Mackenzie SL series may be of interest to you. I don't think the price is prohibitive for your builds.

I second the Bauer, an MSL.5 would be just right. I sold a Galvan 2.5 and a Tioga 2, to buy the Bauer and an extra spool. Super light, and you absolutely have to try the drag to believe it.

If you're a purist, they don't come any better than Hardy Flyweight. Those are my two reels for 2 and 3 weight lines.

Dave