desmobob

You can find all those features you need in that price range, for sure. But do you want pot metal, aluminum or large or small drive gears --cast or machined-- for your money? Do you want high-wear parts to be plastic or metal? Do you want effective water sealing? And so on... In the same price range, some reels are better than others and, usually, one is better than all the others, at least for particular applications; a "best buy." If I'm going to spend my money on a reel, I want to get one that offers the best quality for that money. I think Tackle Advisor's tear-down comparison reviews are invaluable for finding out exactly what kind of quality you're getting for your money, not just what features. Tight lines, Bob

The new Tatula LT looks like a best-buy spinning reel in its price range, at least according to the teardown/review. I'll be looking forward to your impressions. Tight lines, Bob

Check out Tackle Advisor's new spinning reel tear-down and review. It's looking like there might be a new value champ out there... The review claims there are lots of excellent choices and gives only one reel the "golden turd" award. Tight lines, Bob

Sweet! I was out waving a fly rod around on the Batten Kill today near the NY/VT border and got a good skunking. The water was surprisingly low and clear, but still C-O-L-D. Tight lines, Bob

I have one of the older, silver Lew's Inshore models and it's been a great reel. I can't remember the model name off hand, but it has the dual braking system like a Tournament Pro. I think it may have a wider or deeper spool as well. It has only been used a few times a year in the salt though, so I can't say much about its durability. I have not had any trouble with any of the Lew's reels I own. Tight lines, Bob

I honestly don't know... that's in Canada, about 105 miles from where I live near the southern end! Tight lines, Bob

If anyone who doesn't currently own fly fishing gear is thinking about trying it, you don't need expensive gear! Believe it or not, Eagle Claw's Featherlight fiberglass fly rods, at less than thirty bucks, have a sort of small, cult following among fly fishermen. Add a cheap single-action fly reel for less than twenty bucks, a decent fly line for thirty, a leader and some tippet material for five more, and the cheapest flies you can find, and you're good to go for about $80. There are loads of good instructional videos on line to get you up to speed on rigging and casting. Trying to learn to fly fish on a trout stream can be tough. Learning on still waters, targeting panfish, is a blast. Tight lines, Bob

I have some BFS stuff and have lots of fun using it as "ultralight baitcasting" gear as much as I use it as Bait Finesse System gear. I use fly rods on the trout... I haven't quite tuned my light bait casters well enough to cast a size 20 Trico. Tight lines, Bob

+1 I used remnants for a long time. I had a partial spool of Vanish (I call it Vanquished) left over from spooling a spinning reel and, after I found out how fragile the stuff is, I threw away the left-overs. I still have a lot of AbrazX that I bought in filler spools to use for leader material, but dedicated leader materials are a better choice. Tight lines, Bob

Your post followed mine and it seemed to suggest that I was doing something illegal, prompting to "proceed at your own risk." Despite your claim that it wasn't directed at me, that tone is stronger in your post above, referring to my participation in Ducks Unlimited (I'm the only one who mentioned DU in the thread). I apologize if I'm reading something into it. The OP asked if anyone brings a shotgun while fishing, not for a lesson in hunting regulations. I like to think that people know and abide by the rules when they participate in a regulated activity like fishing or hunting. Again, sorry if I misunderstood, Bob

I've been hunting ducks and geese for almost forty years. I'm a former area chairman of Ducks Unlimited. I'm aware of the laws regarding waterfowl hunting and abide by them. As a responsible adult, I do everything at my own risk. Tight lines, Bob

Looks like a .45ACP hardball bullet to me... Tight lines, Bob

I have eight Lew's reels (I finally did a reel inventory) that I enjoy very much and that have been 100% reliable. I will continue to buy them. Tight lines, Bob

Happiness, and a good start on a rod and reel arsenal! Tight lines, Bob

A much-argued topic, but as a right-handed person, I have all left hand retrieve reels. No changing hands when casting. Tight lines, Bob

Absolutely no offense to you Brad, but your boat trailer analogy makes no sense to me. In it, you're turning the trailer on its side and removing all it's weight from the wheels. By turning a reel sideways, what weight are you removing? A reel spool would be better (but still not accurately) represented by the trailer wheels of the trailer up on jacks. Would they spin easier with the trailer flat or up on its side? It's moot, as the trailer analogy doesn't work representing a spinning spool supported by bearings... maybe one wheel spinning on its bearings would. The spool weighs the same, regardless of it's orientation. If it's turned to vertical, what is now bearing the weight of the spool? If not the spool bearings, I'd say it's now the bottom tip of the spool shaft, and it would be bearing (and spinning) against the cast control knob's inner surface. The spool bearings still have to spin as the spool rotates, but now without the weight of the spool on them. That weight is now pushing (and spinning) against the inside of the cast control knob with no bearings (in this case, a thrust bearing would be appropriate) to lessen the friction. I just can't imagine how that is any advantage over keeping the spool horizontal and its weight supported by the ball bearings. Mr. Clunn certainly has a whole lot more experience than I do in throwing baitcasting rigs. All I'm saying is that I'm skeptical of the advantage of tilting a reel sideways when casting. And I'll probably will continue to be skeptical until someone proves it to me or I prove/disprove it for myself. Tight lines, Bob

The snowplows were out in my neck of the woods today. :-( Tight lines, Bob

Most people have no idea how wonderful most all of upstate NY is for outdoor lovers. As for taxes, I live in a tiny "village" of about 1000 pop. inside a "town" with a slightly larger population. I therefore have the privilege of paying property taxes to the village and the town. The area is very depressed and our school ranks last or next-to-last in the district. I pay over $6K in property taxes annually and could not sell my home for enough money to buy another place in a better area. On the other hand, I'm a mile from the border of the Adirondack Park, surrounded by beautiful scenery and wonderful fishing opportunities. I'm a mile from Lake Champlain and 11 miles from Lake George. I'm about four hours from the Atlantic coast, New York City, and Montreal. The Great Lakes aren't much further. In less than an hour, I can be at some of the best VT ski areas or the horse track at Saratoga. I look at the high taxes as the price I pay to be surrounded by lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and fishing. Tight lines, Bob

That might be a huge understatement! As real as my reel addiction is, I haven't yet managed to try a round reel. When I have briefly looked at them, I saw reels that were sub-$100 and reels that were very expensive. I'd love to get one of those little Conquest BFS models, but it's not in my budget. What are some affordable round reels that perform well? Do round reels offer any advantages for specific techniques, or is line capacity the only advantage? Tight lines, Bob

I'm glad you're excited about moving back. On the other hand, I'm thinking you got out of this over-regulated, over-taxed, corrupt-governed hellhole... why would you want to return? Dot said it best: There's no place like home. Tight lines, Bob

It's always felt more natural to me to cast with my thumb starting and staying at 12 o'clock. (Probably ingrained from fly casting.) I'm curious to why folks say your cast will go further with the 9 o'clock thumb position. That puts the spool in a vertical position, adding side load to the spool bearings. I know it's a tiny amount, but the spool bearings are meant to minimize friction from force applied radially, not laterally. (That said, I will add that I have absolutely no education in engineering, etc. ) Tight lines, Bob

I apparently tend to breathe through my mouth when sleeping, so the nose-only is not an option for me (but I sure wish it was). My mask goes up higher than the one pictured; up to the bridge of my nose. That one looks interesting... Tight lines, Bob

I haven't yet tossed in a pair of pliers. Nothing worse than carefully rigging up a brand new jig with one of your favorite trailers and then tossing it over the side before you tie it on. Been there; done that. Back to the OP... I ordered a <$6 nasal speculum (large size) and will report how it works for wacky O-ring use. The O-ring tube tools are very effective but I always struggle to move a new O-ring up onto the tube, cursing along the way. The speculum should work for elastic tubing as well. Time will tell... Tight lines, Bob

I use a simple kayak cradle set Yakima used to make. The most similar current offering is the DeckHand Saddles. Mine are much more basic (and were a lot less expensive. I also have a set of gunwale stops from Thule that I use for canoes. The Thule tie-down set is handy too... it has ratcheting rope hooks for the bow and stern, and some long cam straps for over-the-top. I bought two of those. The stuff works so well, I have no regrets spending the money. It's a comfort knowing everything is properly held and secured! Tight lines, Bob

I have severe sleep apnea. Mask choice is going to be totally personal. I was able to test three or four different types of masks before I found one that worked for me. I'm glad that was the case because I hated the first couple of masks I tried. I use a semi-small mask that covers my mouth and nose. The CPAP machine I use (Respironics REMStarAuto A-Flex) has a water tank but no heater beneath it to increase air moisture levels. It becomes an issue for me in the winter when the air is dry. I wish I had chosen a machine that had adjustable moisture control. It is available as an add-on for my machine and I hope to get one before next winter. Tight lines, Bob