reel capacity

[Surfbob]

A few reel questions. I have a Lamson Liquid 2 with several spools. It has been fine for my 4wt trout fishing. I hope to swing for fall steelhead with my 9' 6wt with both floating line sink tip lines.
Because of the large arbor size, when I spool the full floating line, there is only space for about 80yards of backing.

Should I consider that enough backing in the event an adult fish grabs?
The next size Lamson in that model is 3.5" diam. Much is written about proper balance between rod and reel. 3.5" seems awful big for a 6wt, not sure.
Or should I consider a regular arbor reel of less diameter that can hold more backing?
Any recommendations for moderate priced reel?
Is there a sink tip or full sinking line I should definitely have in tow? New to much of this.
Thanks

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi Surf Bob

I would get a larger mid-arbor fly reel for your 9' #6 so it will balance better, give you a faster retrieve speed and so you can have more backing for adult Steelhead. This could be in any brand in a reel that is $100 to $200.

I would use a Rio WF6F Steelhead line.

Then get several 7' or 10' sinking Versi/Poly leaders in a few sink-rates for going deeper in the day time with bead head or weighted wet flies.

Morning and evening in the Fall (Sept/Oct) I would use a 9' 1x leader to swing dark unweighted wet flies just under the surface.

.

[PV_Premier]

I fish size 2 and 3 Lamson reels on my 6wts and they do alright. Even with a size 2 I haven't come close yet to being spooled on a local SH or big NZ brown trout. I like a size 3 on a 10' rod and a size 2 on a 9' rod but a lot of it comes down to personal preference

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

PVP,

I agree.....

He should get a little larger than a Waterworks size 2 fly reel so he can get a little over 100 yards and have a larger diameter.

Sadly, Waterworks does not make the Liquid in a size 3 reel. They go from 2 to 3.5 in that series.

___________________________________________


My friend, Chris Pasley, fished with me 30 years ago on the Dean River for two weeks for wild BC Steelhead with an 8'6" #7 line fiberglass fly rod with a click-n-pawl reel with 70 yards of 20# Dacron backing.

He caught Steelhead that went 10 to 20 pounds.

.

[JayDubP]

Like PV, I have never had a freshwater fish take me deep into my backing. For me backing primarily makes the reel a larger arbor reel and allows a longer length of line to be taken off or reeled in per revolution.

Bill was 100% correct (as usual).. steelheading requires a lot of line and a larger diameter reel means less reeling in and taking out- which means being less tired at the end of a day fishing. Plus larger diameter reel gives you more control when fighting a fish, especially when you need to take slack out.

I think it comes down to 3 things:
1) how much you want another reel- if you want another reel, go to Kiene's
2) If you are going to use it a lot- go to Kiene's
3) If you are going to fish steelhead once or twice a year, use the Liquid 2 with the line Bill recommended. Your Liquid 2 is rated 5-6wt and is relatively heavy so it should balance decently on your 9ft 6wt.


I just looked online and Kiene's has lots of inexpensive reels that meet your needs. Go into Kiene's and match your rod to a reel with the backing capacity you want. And cast with that reel loaded-- so you are doing a real world test. Matching your reel to your rod is not just about weight, it also is about casting style and the type of fishing (subsurface, indicator, dry, etc).

I have 3 Lamsons and 6 spools, including a 3.5X spool. For some of their models, Lamson sells "X" spools to fit on the same frame. "X" is just a mid-arbor spool with extra line capacity. Could not find any "X" spools for the Liquid.

[Carl Blackledge]

Bob,
You really don't need a reason to buy a new reel, just go buy it. As far as steelhead fishing with a smaller then normal reel just change your backing to braid and automatically get twice as much as you had. Most people aren't going to even hook a steelhead and won't have to worry too much about backing, again you don't need a reason to buy a new reel just go to Kiene's and buy it :)

Carl Blackledge

[JayDubP]

Bob,
You really don't need a reason to buy a new reel, just go buy it. As far as steelhead fishing with a smaller then normal reel just change your backing to braid and automatically get twice as much as you had. Most people aren't going to even hook a steelhead and won't have to worry too much about backing, again you don't need a reason to buy a new reel just go to Kiene's and buy it :)

Carl Blackledge

Carl, braid is the perfect answer for anyone wanting more distance in the backing. Just shows a lot of us look at backing primarily to fill up the reel and make the arbor larger.

[cmcdhuibh]

You can look into a classy 1495 1/2 Pflueger Medalist. If you are a left hand wind person go with the "DA". Personally I think a 6wt is under size, but that depends on the water you will be fishing and if there are wild trout/steelhead that will be released.
Outbound is a good line. You can add 10ft of T14 on a floating line, though a tapered sink tip will cast better overhand. It may take some practice rolling T line out there.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We love the click-n-pawl reels for steelhead........love that sound.

[Surfbob]

We love the click-n-pawl reels for steelhead........love that sound.

Thanks everyone for the rec's. Good info on the backing. Regarding the Outbound, are the tapered sink tips referred to as versi leaders or is they best for spey?
bob

[njbeast]

Surf,
Caught my first 30 inch American River steelhead on a 6wt Fenwick HMG and a 1.5 Lamson Velocity with WF5 line. Took me right to the backing but it worked. Now fish with a Reddington 7Wt and a Lamson Guru 3....never a problem.