Fishing reels have come a long way over the years from the typical conventional reels that were being made back in the day. It would be very easy for any novice or person just starting out with fishing as a hobby to easily get confused about the astonishing amount of choices on the market today. Just go to any of your local sporting goods store and have a look around at the rows and rows of fishing reels available at your disposal. Hopefully we will be able to dispel some of the fears that you may have if you are just starting to fish and needing to purchase the best fishing reel with an overview of the types of fishing reels on the shelves these days and what you might look at eventually buying.

The first reel that I started out with was a closed face fishing reel made by Zebco. These reels are great for beginners. It's a simple push-button release system that can really let the novice fling the bait a good long way. They are called closed face reels simply because you can't see the line on the spool. Closed face reels are really good if you plan on doing a lot of pond type fishing. Why you may ask, well because pond fish won't put the reel under as much duress as a fish caught in the lakes and bays or ocean where they have much more room to roam. Another upside of closed face reels are that they are not as expensive as the other types of reels.

If you are past the closed face reel stage you can then think about graduating up to a spinning reel. Spinning reels are also sometimes referred to as spincaster reels. These reels are called spinning reels for a reason. Spinning reels basically spin the line around a spool while the action in the turning shoots the spool up and down to keep the line uniform. These reels are a little harder to use in that you don't have the push button release of a closed face reel you have a bail to work with. Don't fret though as even a novice fisherman can pick this up fairly quickly. Simply hold the line pressed between your index finger and the rod and rear back and throw. Be sure to let the line loose from your finger in your forward motion.

Probably one of the hardest and most frustrating types of reels for any fisherman to throw is a baitcaster. These reels also have a push button type of release but you have to keep your finger planted firmly on the spool when you press the release button and during your throwing motion again only releasing your finger when the rod is at the front-end of your cast. The reason they are the hardest and most frustrating to cast is because they have a tendency to backlash if not thrown properly. Backlash is simply when the line gets tangled all in the spool and becomes very hard to untangle. This is a fisherman's nightmare especially if you have been catching fish. That being said, they are probably also the most loved fishing reels of avid fisherman as when you do practice with it and get to where you are not backlashing the distance and smoothness you get from a cast is incomparable. Add in the fact that these reels can typically handle any duress that a fish can throw at it and you have a winning combination.

The Best Fishing Reel For the Money

Fly reels can get expensive. Do you need to spend that much to get a high quality reel? A fly reel is the third most important item to a standard fly fishing set-up, with fly fishing rod and fly line being number one and two. Let's look at the aspects that you do not want to leave out when trying to save money on a fly fishing reel as well as some that you can get by without, so you can have the best fly rod for the money.

Before you buy a fly fishing reel, it is important to know a few things so that you can be confident you are buying a fly reel that will fit the fly rod you are buying, the fish you are after, and the technique you are to use. A fly reel must match these aspects before it can even be considered as the best fly rod for the money.

Size of Reel Needed

A fly reel's size is determined by the line weight (wt) you will be using. For example, dry fly fishing for trout will typically be done with a 4wt or 5wt rod and line. Therefore you will want to use a 4wt or 5wt reel. If a fly fisherman were to use a 4wt fly reel just because it is inexpensive, with an 8wt line, he would find out pretty fast that there is not enough space on a 4wt reel to hold 8wt line. Nor would the drag system be strong enough to effectively control a fish that an 8wt is made for such as a steelhead or salmon.

For a fly fishing set up to feel right the rod and reel must have a good balance. Having a balanced fly fishing setup will help the rod load better resulting in a much further and smoother cast. A fly fishing setup with a reel too small or big for the rod not only feels weird but also looks weird.

Size of Fish

It is important to purchase a reel that will be able to handle the fish you are after. With big fish, the reel becomes more of a necessity than with smaller fish. For example, a 16 inch trout is going to put on a good fight for a 4wt fly fishing setup, but mostly a fly angler will be able to land the fish by pulling on the line and not rely on the reel at all. If a fly angler was to be using his 10wt fly rod and reel to hook into a King Salmon, then the reel will get a lot of use as simply pulling the line in will not cut it. With these bigger fish that are prone to run a long ways, a quality, smooth drag system is essential. For this reason, it is possible to get all the reel you need cheaply to outfit a 4 or 6wt rod, but as you go up in weight, price should and will follow as the reel is depended on a lot more.

Technique

There are a couple fly fishing techniques that will help determine the best fly reel for the money. Of course there are the standard setups that are pretty straight forward; just buy a reel that matches the line and rod weight and your set up should be pretty well balanced. If a fly fisherman was to buy a spey rod (an advanced two handed fly rod made for long casts), then he will want buy a reel that is a couple sizes bigger than the line he is fishing. This is because spey line is quite a bit longer than traditional fly fishing lines due to the ability to make longer cast. Spey rods also need bigger reels because the rods or typically long, 13-14 feet, and it takes a little more weight to balance one out.

So, What Is the Best Fishing Reel for the Money?

The best fishing reel for the money is one that covers all the basics mentioned above, but also fits into your budget. A good rule of thumb is to buy the best fly fishing reel that you can afford. The price ranges a lot, but any model made by Sage will more than get the job done at a fair price. A person can spend as little as $99, or as much as $700. All are good reels, but the change in quality definitely makes a difference as you go up in price. Do not fear though, if this is your first fly reel purchase, Sage's lower end reels will feel as smooth as baby skin if you only have cheap reels to compare it too.