How to use a fly reel?

[zimmerDN]

So how do you use an fly reel to ice fish?

There is no anti reverse so do you always keep your finger on the line to keep from coming off the spool when you set the hook?  It must be tiring if you are jigging and have to do that constantly.  It's awkward to hold in your hands isn't it?

[pete/ny]

I started using a flyreel this year and enjoy it more than al my spinning reels.First there is no line twist and no spinning jigs.2nd,I have mine on short 16-18 sight fishing rods.They are not awkward at all, matter of fact they just fit inside your hand.I don't hold it like a regular reel, just cup it in your palm of the hand.To set the hook, just grip the side of the spool with your thumb and reel! The ones I found ( after looking a longtime) are 2 3/4" in diameter and weigh ONLY 3.5 ozs! I have looked at them all and couldn't justifya $60 flyrrel to use a couple months a year.I use 20# dacron orange flourescent backing and then use #3lb ice line.My entire rod/reel weighs less than most UL reels alone.Got my Son inlaw a setup too and he loves it also.Just to be honest, we only use these in shallow waters ( 4--15') as the reels are small and don't retreive alot of line quickly as spinning reels do.Last week we used them in 21' of water and still had a blast on nice perch.Hope this helps you out.

[zimmerDN]

You and I have a very similar setup. I have a reel that's the same dimension mounted on the same size rod for sight fishing.  I have 30 lbs mono as backing with 3lbs orange suffix line.

Did you mount your reel at the very butt of the rod?  When you palm your reel do you just have most of your hand on the reel and just the top of your trigger finger on touching the cork?

This is a bit strange to me right now.

[pete/ny]

My reel is about an inch up from the end. I hold the reel inside my hand and when I set the hook, just put light pressure on the reels spool lip.For water up to 20 ft deep its the nuts. Fished into the evening when it was hard to see your line and had no tangled or twisted line! Can't imagine what the line would be like on my little spinning reel if you couldn't ee the line .

[bassrat]

i tape em dead center of the grip....that way i can either palm it and watch the rod tip, or put the hand on top with a finger on the rod and feel anything.

[icejunky]

I have posted this a few times already, but this shows you where I placed the reel.



I do palm the reel when jigging and hook setting, so you may not want to go above a sz4. My reel does have a drag built in, so that also helps. The first few days out I missed some fish by not palming the rod and trying to set the hook

[Dark Cloud]

Everyone is diff but I prefer to mount the reel centered on the handle or just forward of center. This gives you a few diff grip options...


I also like to use a reel with a drag so I dont have to worry about where my thumb is when I set the hook. 

[tubby67]

Those are awsome reels, I bought one to try out and I love it. DC see what you started, now I want a couple more. By the way DC, those are some sexy looking knee caps

[walleye tattoo]

How many feet of water do you people use the fly reels in
what is the max depth you found it usefull.

[Dark Cloud]

I kinda figured you would buy one, lol... Did you end up buying a Quiverstick? I have been useing that 32in QS with flyreel all year and love it. I get cranky when I have to fish inside the trap with a diff rod.  

[Dark Cloud]

How many feet of water do you people use the fly reels in
what is the max depth you found it usefull.

I used to think 12ft or so was max but now am fishing them into the 20-25ft range. You can actually get down prety quick by grabbing the line by the rod tip and pulling down while raising the rod holding arm - I bet you getting out 5ft of line each pull. 3 pulls and your into the typical "fishing" zone in 25 ft of water.
As for line retrieve, fly reels are almost as fast as spinning reels when they are full of line...

[tubby67]

After buying 2 Arctic Armor suits the Quiversticks are out of my budget for this year. Next year planning on buying 2 but for now I put the SLV on a Jason Mitchell Meat Stick that I won from Gander seems to work pretty good.

[slipperybob]

Crank for crank, the fly reel is just a little under half the speed of a regular spinning reel to maybe around 1/3 of the speed.  You should get roughly about 6 to 9 inches depending on how full your fly reel backing is and what size your fly reel is.  If you've backed your fly reel to get a diameter of about 2.5 inches, the you should get about 7.85 inches of lien retrieve per handle crank.  If the spinning reel is taking up roughly about 3.75 inches circumference on the spool multiply by gear ratio for something like 5.2, then you get 19.5 inches of line retrieve per handle crank.  Most of the Shimano 1000 size reels gets just slightly over 4 inches circumference of line spooled up and with a gear ratio of 6.0, there a potential of 24+ inches of line retrieval per handle crank.

I usually hand strip only about 3 feet of line off the fly rod.  Something I have to do with very light jigs even on the spinning reel or baitcasting reel anyway.

[walleye tattoo]

Thanks for the explanation slippery I will save my rigs for 15 foot or under .
I have two set up yet to use them fishing to deep yet.

[slipperybob]

I will fish my fly rig for up to 30 feet.  Mostly set my lures at that 20 feet mark.  Many of the small jigs I use begin to have sink resistance right about 20 feet.  It's not a limitation of depth for me, it's all about presentation.  I will accept the extra time it takes to have the jig sink down into the proper depth, because it's worth it to get that bite instead of just having fish swim up and stare at your lure just to turn tail after a while.

[pete/ny]

Anyone looking for a quality tiny flyreel check out EBay. Search for fishon bearcat fly reel. I have bought a few and love them' Lihjtest flyreel I have ever found @ 3.6 ozs. and a tiny diameter of 2.75 inches.Work really well and so small it fits really nice in your hand.Check em out!