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New reel recommendation

draku007

New member
I'm looking for new reel for my 7wt rod with a decent drag. I'll be using it mostly on freshwater (steelhead, smallmouth) as well as some saltwater.
I really like the Orvis Mirage design - any thoughts?

Thanks and Happy New Year.
 
How much you looking to spend?
I'm looking for new reel for my 7wt rod with a decent drag. I'll be using it mostly on freshwater (steelhead, smallmouth) as well as some saltwater.
I really like the Orvis Mirage design - any thoughts?

Thanks and Happy New Year.
 
I don't have any specific budget in mind and I do believe that I'll get what I paid for. Anywhere between $200-$400 but if there is a reel for $500 with a life time warranty I would consider it as well.
 
I don't have any specific budget in mind and I do believe that I'll get what I paid for. Anywhere between $200-$400 but if there is a reel for $500 with a life time warranty I would consider it as well.

I would check out the Allen flyfishing site and look at the alpha 2 fly reel. Great reel great price great warranty and you could add an exta spool for the money.
 
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Man, If you're cool with spending $4-500, don't fuck around with imported shit, get a Nautilus NV, Ross F1, or a Waterworks Vanquish. All state of the art drags, all with a life time warranty.
 
I agree with tn i have the ross f1 and the nautilus.when it comes to steelhead you need a solid reel with a great drag.
 
Bauer Rogue, comes to mind but check out the Sage 4500 They are around $300 Ross cla are good and a great buy for the money.
 
Drake

The Ross, Nautilus, and Lamson reels are all good. Heck they are great reels. Anyone of them list for more than 500 bucks for a 7 weight with the lamson listing out at 699.00. you might find one on sale for around 500 but I can tell you that you are paying way too much for the reel. I have an F1 and a nautilus but I also have the Alpha 2 . I tell you it matches up against thos reels very well. Again for 500 bucks you could get the reel and a backup spool buy a top end line to go with it and still be under the other reel prices. The warranty is top notch. Heck you get the reel and their new spey rod for under 500 bucks. Plus they support the site with advertising. I can send some specs if you are interested.
 
I have been using the Ross CLA's on my Steelhead and Salmon rods for the past three years and have nothing but great things to say about them.

Since you're a good neighbor I'll let you borrow them and try em out on the river. What the heck, they're only sitting here collecting dust for 50 weeks of the year anyway.
 
I'm looking for new reel for my 7wt rod with a decent drag. I'll be using it mostly on freshwater (steelhead, smallmouth) as well as some saltwater.
I really like the Orvis Mirage design - any thoughts?

Thanks and Happy New Year.

The Orvis Mirage is a fantastic reel. Has a ton of backing capacity. It is truly made for salt water environment. I have had it caked with sand, and lost no performance. It the AK47 of reels.
 
Since you're a good neighbor I'll let you borrow them and try em out on the river. What the heck, they're only sitting here collecting dust for 50 weeks of the year anyway.
Thanks Pete. I have the same problem with the 7wt - it will be one of my most expensive setups that I'll use only couple times a year.
 
Many interesting things that you can do with a 7wt (depending on the rod you have) if you make the setup light enough. You can use it as true 7wt for throwing streamers in high water, or for light salt water. You can also put a 6wt GPX line (that runs a half-weight heavy) and use it as a juiced 6wt for big water nymphing and even throwing drys.
 
I'm also someone that doesn't use my 7 weights much. I don't know about the Orvis reel, but I love the Ross Evolution I have on my primary 7 which is a high end TFO (blue blank, forget the model offhand). I couldn't justify spending a ton on a 7 that I only rarely put to use for bones and mahi in the Keys, the odd steelhead trip, tossing big streamers all day on the Upper D in the wind, or tossing big, deer-hair poppers for largemouth. But the reel needed to have a very good drag because some of the saltwater fish can put a hurting on a cheap reel.
 
Btw drake I believe allenflyfishing will be at tbe somerset show so if yo are not in a hurry you can always test the reels at the show
 
Btw drake I believe allenflyfishing will be at tbe somerset show so if yo are not in a hurry you can always test the reels at the show
I'm not in hurry as I won't need the reel till the summer or even November. The main reason I started this thread was to get some input from the other members and look at the reels at the show.


Thanks.
 
in that 400.00 price range its gonna be hard to beat the lamson litespeed 3.5x thats perfect for a 7 wt..great,strong reliable reel with a great drag.
 
I have an arsenal of Mirage reels and love them, having zero problems. However, I did and would not pay full price for one. I have looked at the Orvis Hydros reel and don't you think you could find a better reel for $240. The drag will stop anything, even a bass.

If you want a brand new reel, made in the USA, I have a black Ross Momentum 5 that I'll sell for $300.
 
In the $240-300 range you have the Ross Evolution LT and the Nautilus FWX. I bought an FWX for my 7wt last year, and paid around $275 for it. Orvis is ok, but the Hydros is not in the same league as the FWX.
 
Can't beat the value of Allen. It's a better reel than the Orvis Bartenkill I have at the same price point. Are there better reels? Sure, but I don't fish 250 days a year.

My only knock is the backing on the trout was hard to figure out. Theres little literature on the site. But methinks he runs a virtual company so it doesn't surprise me.
 
Ordered my Allen 7Wt Alpha II last week to match up with a Orvis Clearwater II 104 picked up on clearence last week for $98.00. I have three other Orvis (Mach V LA, Battenkill IV LA & Barstock) reels that have never let me down. Will let you know how the Alpha drag performs on the SR for droppie season. Interesting machined reel here too at https://catalog.theflyshop.com/prod...=7520&osCsid=q65jpadj24o3o51n64kgb30h7b13ju42 for $99.00. Looking to possibly pick up some Teeny fly line @ the upcoming show.
 
Give me Galvan and ill shit on all the others....

I do like the ROSS evo line (original) as well as the FWX for light duty freshwater work...
 
The problem that I have with the Allen's reels/company is that they don't even have contact info on their site. Their website looks like is half working and half broken with missing sections and broken links. How can I trust such company and have faith that they will still exist and honor my warranty 5 years from now.

I did take a look at the Hatch reels and they are really top of the line products. However, the 5-7 seems bit too small for 7wt and the 7-9 is way too heavy. I could justify the $600 reel only if I could use it on both 7 and 9 wt but the reel is just too heavy for the 7 - and there was no line on the spool. Once you add the line the reel will only get heavier.

The Nautilus FWX looks interesting. I'll need to check it out at the show.

---------- Post added at 12:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 PM ----------

If you want a brand new reel, made in the USA, I have a black Ross Momentum 5 that I'll sell for $300.
#5 is too big for me. I'm looking for 7-8 or 7-9 max. Thanks for the offer - great price!
 
The problem that I have with the Allen's reels/company is that they don't even have contact info on their site. Their website looks like is half working and half broken with missing sections and broken links. How can I trust such company and have faith that they will still exist and honor my warranty 5 years from now.
I looked at the Allen's reels at the show and they looked like a decent reels for the money and the guys were very friendly.

The reel I'll go with is the Galvan Torque 8.

Thank you all for you help here.
 
nautilus for sure if you want a decent drag on a 7wt. i picked one up a few years ago on a closeout internet deal for %60 off. look around before you buy cuz those reels can be pricey
 
Sage, Lamson, Ross. Stay away from Nautilus. Junk. Got one in a trade and couldn't believe a plastic drag knob on a reel at any price point especially one that expensive. Mirage is a lot of $ but good reel. Hatch is king. Sage 4000 and 6000 plus two Evokes for spey and switch are my guide fleet.
 
Sage, Lamson, Ross. Stay away from Nautilus. Junk. Got one in a trade and couldn't believe a plastic drag knob on a reel at any price point especially one that expensive. Mirage is a lot of $ but good reel. Hatch is king. Sage 4000 and 6000 plus two Evokes for spey and switch are my guide fleet.

Got lots of Nautilus's, not one of them has plastic anything anywhere on the reel. You like fishing those Chinese made reels though...
 
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