I don't know if this is the place to ask, but here goes. I want to try fly fishing for smallies next spring/summer. I've been told a 6 or 7 weight rod would be best for this. I have the 7 weight rod, but need a reel. I want a decent one, but don't want to break the bank. I know fly reels can be expensive, so I'm looking used, since I don't know how much of this I will do. I'm looking for advice on a decent reel to look for on the used market for a couple hundred dollars. Any suggestions on brand and model would be greatly appreciated, along with features to look for. Thanks! Dave

What rod do you have? I ask because you're going to want to try to balance the rod with the reel. An inexpensive, heavy reel, like the Reddington Behemoth, will make a lighter rod/reel combo butt heavy and not a lot of fun to fish. On the flip side of that, a reel that's too light will make the rod/reel combo tip heavy, which is arguably worse. We also need your definition of "break the bank". Fly reels span the gamut of prices, from cheap reels under $100 to $1,000 or more. Going used can make that even more confusing. Share what you've seen so far, and what you're going to be comfortable paying, that'll help. You also have a decision to make about the line, and how you want to fish; and knowing what rod you have will help figure out what grain weight line to use (it's not as simple as just getting a 7 wt. line to get the best fit.) Are you going to want to fish topwater poppers? Streamers subsurface? I'm not sure where you're fishing, but where I live, a 6 wt. is the minimum size for decent bass flies, a 7 wt. is mid-range, and an 8 wt. is the all-around most useful. I'm not trying to talk you into another rod, but be aware the the 7 wt. is going to have some limitations on size, weight, and wind resistance of the flies you'll be able to cast well. There's a "thing" in fly fishing where anglers like to use a rod that's not enough rod for the task...do yourself a favor and avoid that...it's a short path to frustration and lost fish...and ignore experienced fly anglers who tell you "All you need is a 5 wt.! I caught a 5 lb. smallie on a woolly bugger on one." Yeah, an experienced fly angler can do that. Sometimes. They don't tell you how many fish they lost along the way. Off topic, but important: You're going to want to pinch your barbs. Not for the fish, but for you and whoever you're fishing with. You will stick yourself with a fly, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when...there are times when you'll have 50 or 60 ft. of line out and on a cast...and gust of wind will push the fly into you. A pinched barb mean it takes five seconds to get back to fishing. Big hook past the barb can mean the end of the day on the water and maybe a trip to the ER. You're likely to hear that for fly fishing, all the reel does is hold line - this is true to some extent, because you'll never need to put a bass on the reel - you should always strip them in. If a bass puts itself on the reel (I've never had this happen) that's fine, but never waste time and focus trying to put slack line back on reel when you have a fish on...that's you you lose a tight line, and lose fish... ...getting to specific reels: Lamson is a great choice, and relatively inexpensive, even new. Their Liquid S is about $170 in the 7+ size you want and their Remix S is about $280 in that same size. You can go up from there. Great drags, light weight (often the lightest for any given size), durable, and very well made. If you go used, you'll see lots of options, anything that's not beat up from a recognizable brand will probably be fine - but stay away from heavy reels. That's probably way more than you expected, or wanted, but I've found that the way to get fly anglers to have fun and come back to the sport is to set them up for success. I'm more than happy to answer more questions, fire away.

Question for smallie fly fishermen

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November 24, 2025Nov 24

Super User

On 11/23/2025 at 1:31 PM, PaulVE64 said:

Six wt.

largies, Smallies and pan fish.

And one intimidating Gar Pike.

A 6 wt. is fine if there's no desire to use bigger flies.

This is a complete PITA on a 6 wt:

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1 month later...

January 8Jan 8

This would largely depend on the average size of your fish, but for me, the ultimate do it all fly rod for river Smallies is a 7wt. I never go lighter than a 7wt for Smallies personally... So think you made the right call there...

I would highly recommend this line for your floating line... It's the OG version of the Titan Taper and only exists within the Mastery series, which was/is by far the best one, the Titan "LONG" blows and the only reason it exists is lazy guides wanted a longer bellied line to roll cast flies off snags so they didn't have to row as much... You can fish topwater and sub-surface flies on this line, heck you can even add a short sink tip off the front of it and have a dual use line...

https://scientificanglers.com/product/mastery-titan/

I would then add a sinking line if you get another reel or spool down the road, depending on your waters, a full intermediate may be best or maybe something even faster, that depends a lot on your waters and if you are wading or fishing from a boat. Wading you want a floating running line at the least...

I would stick with SA for your line choices, they have the best lines "especially for Bass" that will last the longest...

You don't need a fancy reel for Bass, but $200 will definitely get you something that would last forever on the used or new market. Trident Fly Fishing and a few other fly shops have used gear selections online, often times you can find virtually new stuff that guys traded in for a fair price... The Lamson 3 pack you mentioned would be a great idea as well...

Just ad, some poppers and some baitfishy and crayfishy streamers and have fun...

Don't be afraid to fish larger stuff, but also don't be afraid to fish small stuff if the water gets very low/clear... Often times less is more when it comes to working a topwater too, not uncommon for them to just want them dead drifted...

Below are some of my primary flies I fish for Smallies, I fish a lot of deer hair divers and a lot of craft fur streamers... You really don't need much else...

There are more "good" Bass flies available today that you can buy from fly shops than there were say 20 years ago, lot of options if you never get into tying. Do not get into tying to save money, you won't. Tying is for fun or creating stuff you can't buy... Especially for river smallies, I vastly prefer flies that look a fair bit like several things than I do ones that look identical to one certain thing...

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2 months later...

March 28Mar 28

Dont get too obsessed with weight or balance. It may feel nice to balance it on your finger at home but on the water there are so many variables that you’ll never notice. With that i tend to like a lighter reel for an overall lighter set up. With smallmouth a heavy duty saltwater drag is not essential either so any middle of the road reel will suffice. But for me I do like a quality reel. A well made reel will last forever and hold value. I tend to like Ross reels and abel reels but can be pricy. May find a Ross animas in your price range which is an excellent reel for any purpose. Lots of guys like the lamsons, the danielsons, even orvis reels are good now days. So many to choose from so my advice would be to pick a known brand thats been around for a while, that is in your price range and you like the looks of. And bobs your uncle.

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March 29Mar 29

If you are just bass fishing with the rod then go with a 7-8 Weight. You will have a much easier time with the big flies and the small ones will be a dream.

For reels, there is no reason to spend a bunch of money. Almost nothing except for Steelhead in freshwater here will take you into the backing. Just make sure the the reel size is matched for a 7/8 line. I like big reels that take up line fast.

The most important thing you will spend your money on with the rod is the line. Good quality fly line that is actually matched to the rod makes a huge difference.

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April 3Apr 3

If you haven't already pulled the trigger on a reel, look up The Fly Shop in Redding California. They have a "house brand" reel that is inexpensve, has an awesome warranty (like run it over with your pickup, send it back and they send you a new one. Like no questions asked) I bought one for my 8 wt. for a one off steelhead trip. Ended up buying another for my 5 wt. when I got back. they're light weight, durable and they have a very nice drag

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April 6Apr 6

Super User

On 3/27/2026 at 7:09 PM, Westcoast said:
Dont get too obsessed with weight or balance. It may feel nice to balance it on your finger at home but on the water there are so many variables that you’ll never notice.

You'll notice, particularly at the end of a long day on the water.

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