Best Fly Reels (A Top 10 Buyer's Guide for 2023)

[@MichaelDavis-x5i]

For the past 18 years I've been using Bauer Rogue Reels on my R.L. Winson Boron III flyrods. I used them heavily on many fish Bass, Trout, with Alaskan Salmon weighing in at 63 pounds. Never had any issues with these Bauer reels. The drag is extremely strong, smooth, and fully water proof. Bauer Reels are being sold now by R.L Winston Rod Company who purchased the reel company started by John Bauer in Oregon. These are now made at the R.L. Winston factory in Montana. I was very surprised that Bauer Reels and Able Reels were not included in your review. Why not?

[@Raevenswood]

I used Waterworks lamson lite speed reels for about 8 years and in that time there wasn't one of them that didn't need at least 2 or 3 drag clutch replacements. I fish saltwater and the fact that they are sealed was attractive but in practice saltwater gets inside and they disintegrate from the inside out. I switched to unsealed Galvan Rush light and Torque reels and have had zero issues with saltwater in the last 6 years of use. I've never had to have them serviced once and they still work as good as the day I bought them. I just rinse them after use and repeat. Absolutely bulletproof in my opinion. FYI The Galvan website clearly claims that both the Rush and the Torque are saltwater safe. The torque drag components are stainless.

[@kentowakai1234]

Mine - 1955 fleuger medalist. Three of them. Thanks dad.

[@TedJ71]

I have 3 Tibors -2 Everglades and a Riptide that are going on 20yr old and still going strong ! Not a bit of trouble with any! That being said, I will use a sealed drag reel like the Nautilius or Galvan Grip for surf fishing over the Tibors.

[@TheSavagederek]

The Hardy Ultralight ASR cassette reels are amazing. Cheap spools so you can carry lots of different lines ans sizes and comes already with 3 spools in a Neoprene case. It looks stunning and is super easy to use and the drag is both sealed, and super smooth. I've started playing all my fish off the reel now. I love it.

[@intoflyfishing]

Awesome! Actually we've got a Hardy Ultralight review coming soon :)

[@TheSavagederek]

Good stuff. They are really awesome, especially if you carry multiple lines.

[@intoflyfishing]

@@TheSavagederek Yeah we've been testing them for quite some time and they're great reels for sure. Review should be live in the coming weeks

[@joycehubka140]

My favorite reels are the SAGE Spectrum and Spectrum LT. I have them on all my SAGE fly rods and in weights from 3 to 8 and on my Switch and Spey rods, also. Love these reels! Jerry Hubka

[@LNKOutdoors]

best fly reels.... you missing out on a few reels thats way better than the ones on the list... like Vosseler, Hatch, ALFA, Einarsson, LOOP etc etc etc... i can go on for quite some time :P

[@intoflyfishing]

yes a subjective list of 7 is always going to be limited. 😀 Shoot over some specific reels and we'll see if we can get our hands on them (if we haven't already). This list will be updated each year. Cheers

[@darrenconn3847]

Sorry but LBK is so right. There’s so many great reels at different price points. it’s frustrating when people rely on these videos and the list is based on what you’ve tried.

[@lylecontaoe]

Nothing but constructive criticism but this is a joke of a list

[@gilleslafreniere]

I recently bought a Maxcatch Avid Reel with their V Gold rod for a Christmas present for my son. I am very pleased with their qualities and will get myself one next spring in preparation for the next's season's fishing.

[@teamzissou5663]

Danielsson and Maxcatch are the only reels I have at this point. I sold all my Bauer, Lamson, and Ross reels.

[@nicoschepers321]

What constitutes the best reel? Is it quality, cost, amount sold globally, and who is your target market for the video? I'm missing Shilton, Wade, Tibor, Mako and hardy in your review.

[@Heinrich_Von_Schnellfahrer]

and loop, Danielsson. c`mon.. top 10 fly reels without a single loop reel.. haven`t check 100%, but it seems the top 5`s / 10`s are mostly american brands??

[@ProChaos514]

Ight man, im gonna subscribe, i wish you luck with your KZbin channel, keep it up!

[@intoflyfishing]

Thanks! We really appreciate it. Tight lines 😀

[@redred3144]

Hell yeah i love maxcatch i bought one of their $80 combos mainly for panfish but I will take it over my $200 TFO any day if you are wondering what model I went with it's a 8'4 foot 3 weight 4 piece it has 9 guides so casting will be perfect the full name is Max catch extreme and I have caught up to a to 2 pound rainbow trout on it handled it perfectly

[@intoflyfishing]

Yeah I recently picked up the Premier and it's a great set. Hard to beat for the price. For more upscale I do like Sage and TFO rods.

[@TheSavagederek]

I have a Maxcatch reel. It's OK for the price, but the drag knob feels flimsy and takes loads of turns from slack to tight and can be jerky under load. It's a 9/10 and states a #10 with 110 yards of 30 ibs backing. It doesn't take anywhere near that and I had to load gel spun backing which is expensive, in order to get my #10 Pike fly line on it. And when casting the drum of the reel rotates which is annoying. Sometimes you do get what you pay for. Greys, Airflo and Hardy all make superb reels. My go to is the Hardy but the Greys GTS500 and the Airflo Switch black reels are brilliant too.

[@intoflyfishing]

For sure! You can never compare a budget reel with a top end reel which is why we listed the Maxcatch as the best “budget” reel on the list.

[@izzy8609]

I plan to get into fly fishing and I think my combo would be the piscifun sword reel with the redington crosswater rod as it'll be a nice starting point from what I've read whilst still being dependable. I appreciate the lists and keep it up.

[@intoflyfishing]

Yep! No point spending a fortune getting started.

[@msxmarksman4518]

don’t get the sword it has a bad drag system, trust me i have it

[@izzy8609]

@@msxmarksman4518 I bought it and it's been catching me fish perfectly fine, even hooked a 3 pound gar and it didn't budge.

[@liammartin6772]

Is the Orvis Clearwater a good reel in your experience? I love the rod

[@intoflyfishing]

Yeah the clearwater reel is good. I'm not crazy about the Encounter reel, but the clearwater is better quality. Having said that, Danny has both and likes both of them so it's subjective. Either way for the price and getting an Orvis rod / reel combo, it's hard to beat.

[@Kyle-sr6jm]

List without Danielsson, isn't a list

[@sergtang5593]

Hydros SL has been replace by Hydros I, II and III. Drag system, sound and even design have been redesigned.

[@danreid6712]

Ross Gunnison for 5 or 6 wt. Okuma SLV 7/8 for 8wt freshwater. Orvis Battenkill for 3 or 4wt Loop-Q for 7wt Hardy Princess onto a light Bamboo Rod. Abel or Tibor for saltwater.

[@woodsspy327]

What do you think about the Sage Spectrum 5/6 wt. for trout fishing. It is on sale for Black Friday at $210.00. What rod would you recommend pairing it with?

[@intoflyfishing]

I have that reel and love it. Check out our review on the channel. It's lightweight, nice drag on it and a great design. The only downside is that the coating isn't so chip resistant but I'd say for $210 its a steal.

[@woodsspy327]

@@intoflyfishing Thank you for your reply and help. I have one more question. After I did some research, I wonder what you think about a Waterworks Lamson Guru S -5+ paired with an Echo Carbon XL 9' 5 Wt. rod?

[@peterdzavoronok3508]

What do you think about the Sage ESN 2/5 wt ?

[@paharding]

How can you not include the Hatch Iconic?

[@edenmcbride1153]

For a 5wt Reel what do you recommend? Cant decide, been looking at the Greys series but not sure, around the 100 to 150 mark

[@JohnJames.]

My rod was just stolen , had a nice old dragonfly bgf 375. I liked the cassette system, so I got the grey's 5/6/7/8 , on sale 129 cdn . It went up against chum last weekend and was great, on a 7wt rod

[@Little.R]

Sad to see no Pawl style reels

[@tylermassie9599]

This channel is severely underrated, subbed!

[@intoflyfishing]

thanks Tyler!

[@thegromsession8136]

Do u think the 8wt max catch will hood a redfish

[@intoflyfishing]

I do. I would go for the Premier combo. It's worth the extra money.

[@joeymeany4517]

Great video!

[@Goatsontheroad]

cheers thanks!

[@intoflyfishing]

Thanks a lot!

[@proberosfish]

Good, but now I prefer more Proberos Fly Fishing Reel

[@CritterHunter]

Going to be a good channel

[@intoflyfishing]

Thanks! Glad to have you onboard 😀

[@e1000sn]

Platay is almost certainly named of the Platte river pronounced "Plat" rhyming with "matt", "cat", or "bat.

[@chrisburgess6964]

I just bought a snowbee classic 2 they say its drag is exceptional on a bigger fish

[@intoflyfishing]

Nice! That reels made of fibreglass reinforced nylon and I'd be interested to hear how it holds up over time.

[@kush252]

What equipment do you recommend for fishing bass and barbell line 6 for $ 300?

[@intoflyfishing]

Great question! We have a blog post all about the best 6-weight fly rods (video coming soon) as well as a guide to fly fishing for bass. We have a barbell guide coming soon as well. For now, here are those posts. You've given us an idea for a video so be sure to subscribe so you'll be notified 😀 intoflyfishing.com/how-to-fly-fish-for-bass/ intoflyfishing.com/best-6-weight-fly-rods/ We'll be coming out with a best bass flies article and video soon as well. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@kush252]

@@intoflyfishing Thanks!

[@userkofa]

Any thoughts on the Cheeky 400 and 425 models?

[@intoflyfishing]

We're in the process of trying to get our hands on more products. Stay tuned for individual reviews and more product lists.

[@BrookieCooki84]

My favorite reel is the one I’m reeling a fish in with.

[@12dougreed]

Still using my old Hardy marquis no 8 and salmon 2 that I bought in 1972 nothing wrong with them

[@intoflyfishing]

In fly fishing as in life, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

[@seayak]

Yes, these old Hardy's just keep on clicking. I have owned literally all of the lightweight series -Featherweight, LRH lightweight, Princess, Princess multiplier, and 10 weight Marquis, all of them with spare spools. Bought most of them in Toronto in the early 70's when they cost about 32 bucks, and the spare spools were 12. I am gradually moving them on to my son, along with my 2-piece rods, in favour of 4-piece sticks and large arbor reels. The anodizing on these old Hardy's is not particularly durable, nor is the aluminum particularly hard. They need to be kept clean, oiled, and dried out after use, or the anodizing will corrode, even in fresh water. The cases don't last forever either. The one keeper that I have no plans to sell is a 3 3/8 perfect with two spare spools - these things are just elegant with their captive ball bearing race. A bit heavy compared with the lightweight series, but they make up for that in durability. The princess multiplier was a brilliant reel too, so useful when you need to recover line quickly. I wish today's manufacturers would come up with a high quality, lightweight multiplier - there is still a niche market for those of use who appreciate their unique virtues.

[@mattinghas4124]

Dude, most of your ratings is based on a biased opinion.. This sounds good It looks good This doesn't sound good It doesn't look to good You can't give something 'the top 10' over everything else based on subjective opinions

[@intoflyfishing]

Thanks for the comment. We use and test the rods and reels and we can review them how we want on our channel. There are always other channels you can watch if you don’t like how we do it. 👍

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Thank you for your " subjective " opinion. !!

[@seayak]

You are completely off base on the Galvan Torque as a saltwater reel. The drag systems on these is one of the best designs on the market for saltwater fishing.

[@paulallen7651]

Maybe best fly reels of all time? There’s a lot of good old reels on the used market now.

[@intoflyfishing]

Hey Great idea! Thanks for the comment. I had an epic sage reel way back in the day before the other manufacturers improved so much that they left sage reels a bit behind for the most part. I'll look into that and see what older reels our team has used & tested. Cheers!

[@patsparks8731]

Older model reels/Brands like the Pfleuger Medalist, Orvis Battenkill, Billy Pate, Bill Ballan, Seamaster....Alnwick Made Hardy Models as well as Loop etc....would be cool to see. Many legendary all time greats there for anglers to consider.

[@georgesouthwick7000]

If you are fly fishing in saltwater, or in freshwater for Salmon or Steelhead, you cannot over look the importance of a top quality fly reel.

[@charlespalmerii4299]

I think the Redington Run coming in at just 109.99 , with a lightweight design and outstanding Carbon fiber drag should be on your list... The colors/and look are right there with how good this reel is.... Also another entry point Reel, of outstanding value, Sage Spectrum C @ 150 dollars, with a number and clickable sealed drag system is just off the charts value wise ... I think these 2 should at a min be honorable mentions

[@intoflyfishing]

Duly noted! We definitely have to make more lists like this as it's hard to narrow them down by "all fly reels" when there are different weights, uses and budgets.

[@granthall2325]

Shilton shilton shilton???????

[@intoflyfishing]

Yes yes yes. We’re going to be testing more Ross and Shilton hopefully for the next iteration of this list.

[@verdantia]

The Nautilus. .......i wannna eat it ...

[@mikegoldsworthy156]

Platte - its a river

[@smau990]

Uhh.. best for 2022 including several reels that have been completely revised 2-3 years ago.

[@JDJYNWA]

Remove Maxcatch and Picifun reels from this list. Some of the top reel manufacturers have lower price tier options to buy from with better quality. I'm very surprised you left out Ross, Abel, Hatch, etc. Also, how can you rate a reel as the best for saltwater, but say the drag system is lacking for larger game fish? This video should have been a review of the reels you have only used personally and not an attempt to classify them into categories as you did. The one I will agree with is the behemoth. There isn't a stronger drag system for that price on the market.

[@intoflyfishing]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah I agree with a few of those other brands, but disagree about Maxcatch. I actually love the Maxcatch reels. They're good quality and I've had mine for quite a few years now. Also love Abel but didn't make the 2020 list.

[@dalegribble5314]

You’re missing loop. THE best reel available

[@sueykev]

Lamson liquid

[@intoflyfishing]

Got a review for that one! Great reel

[@mancooutwest44]

No Ross reels! That is insane.

[@intoflyfishing]

Not on this list but we do have some Ross reviews coming soon.

[@joshsmith7178]

The Galvin is a sealed drag

[@intoflyfishing]

Yep. I messed up on that. Sorry. It’s not my reel it’s one of our team anglers who owns it and rated it on the blog. Oops! Unfortunately youtube won’t let me edit the video

[@Raevenswood]

the Galvan Rush and Torque reels aren't sealed but it doesn't really matter they are bulletproof and just need rinsing after saltwater use. The new Galvan Grip is the one that is fully sealed. The Torque and Rush light are "saltwater safe" as claimed on the Galvan site because the drag components are stainless steel but they aren't sealed like thee Grip. I've never destroyed either of my Galvan reels in 6 years of saltwater use.

[@vincefreeride]

Imo this list is incorrect. You cant compare an entry budget reel to high end stuff. You should describe more your criterias and ideas behind your choice because it makes no sense to me.

[@intoflyfishing]

It’s for all anglers not just those who have $500 to spend on a reel. But duly noted. We are making a “Best Top End Reels” video soon once we get all the reels in hand.

[@flyingdutch9818]

That’s a bizarre mix of reels and weights; hard to see how these can be on the same list

[@intoflyfishing]

We have overarching lists including many products of different categories and price ranges, then individual lists for each of those categories to specify.

[@pickledud7703]

Im not entirely sure when or why drag sound has become a primary concern in fly reels, I've seen this featured in quite a few reviews. Surely its so far down the list of priorities its hardly worth mentioning (?) Not a criticism of the video (indeed thanks for posting), more of a genuine question.

[@lylevaltz9307]

Having a nice sounding reel is like having a Rolex that glides or a nice exhaust on a car... it's not necessary, has no practical application, and yet it makes a difference to some. There's just something about it.

[@Mettäukkoproductions]

Why no one talk about vision or guideline

[@fliguy41]

If I’m paying over $300 I’m buying Hardy

[@intoflyfishing]

I'm not against you there. Love their Aydon for travel. Reviews coming soon on that one.

[@bluesimon13ify]

You never mentioned any of the hardy reels, you need to get some hardy reel behind you then you would see!!!! N

[@intoflyfishing]

We have some hardy reels on the blog and we'll have hardy and ross reviews coming soon on the channel.

[@andreashollander4648]

The best sw reel has a weak drag.

[@msxmarksman4518]

i have the piscifun sword and it’s a terrible reel

[@dawbvwj]

Im here because I want to get my boyfriend a reel. He loves fly fishing but I can't tell you more than that. Hahah Which one would you want your girlfriend to get you?

[@intoflyfishing]

The Orvis Hydros SL is a great reel for sure

[@TheSavagederek]

The Hardy Ultralight ASR cassette reel. If he has lots of lines then a cassette reel is the way to go . He will save a fortune on expensive spare spools for the reel . The Hardy is stunning , but expensive . There are cheaper cassette reels on the market though .

[@glenndotter5065]

Anything over $150 is absurd.

[@intoflyfishing]

Well that definitely depends. I wouldn't go on a trip of a lifetime for GT or Tarpon with a $150 reel. For trout, yes you can get a good reel for $150.

[@MrKpowers55]

I’ll take it you’ve never hooked into a 100+lb Tarpon. There isn’t a $150 reel out there that will last the fight.

[@Laminarman1]

Uh...yeah. The Galvan Torque has a sealed drag so you have a clueless review here.

[@intoflyfishing]

Hey thanks for the comment. This isn't a review it's a list of the reels in our team's kits, but we must've slipped on this one. Thanks for letting us know we'll fix it if the torque makes the 2021 list.

[@Laminarman1]

@@intoflyfishing Thank you for clarifying. I have the Torque, it's an amazing reel.

[@intoflyfishing]

@@Laminarman1 yes it's a great reel for sure. I don't have it but Danny, one of our team members does. I can't update the video with the correction as KZbin doesn't allow that, but I'm updating the blog post now, which is here if you want to check it out: intoflyfishing.com/best-fly-reels/

[@dalegribble5314]

Wrong😂

[@bavariasuhl]

they were all crap

[@markcoffey5066]

None of them would make the top 50 reels in Europe

[@intoflyfishing]

List a couple of your favourite European reels and we’ll see if we can get our hands on some for the next list.

[@Heinrich_Von_Schnellfahrer]

@@intoflyfishing Loop Opti, Evotec G4 and Q (Q for budget), Danielsson LW, FW, HD (great reels at a good price point). Danielsson Original for that "nostalgic feeling".

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Says who ....? !

[@tommyandersen1735]

@@Heinrich_Von_Schnellfahrer thats correct 👌 I have Loop Opti Creek, DryFly, Danielsson F3W 4seven and L5W 6nine, fantastic reels 🙌

[@Matthew_Patterson56]

Match catch are garbage. This list is based off your experience. Ever stop a resident tarpon in the VI with a screaming Hatch reel? Ever get totally smoked by a mako? Matchcatch would come apart under that stress.

[@intoflyfishing]

We have reviews for Makos, Shilton, and top saltwater reels too. Not everyone has $650 to spend on a reel. Maxcatch make decent trout reels that get people into the sport who otherwise would be putoff by the budget barrier of entry. This is a good thing. Watch our other videos. We have 5 guides constantly reviewing gear from $50 - $1500.