Piscifun Platte Fly Reel Reviews

[Fin]

Hello, I am considering the Piscifun Platte reel in 7/8. This reel has many features that much higher end reels have. To be honest, this reel sounds to good to be true! Before I purchase, I would like to hear from actual owners out there that have fished w/ this reel. How is reel quality? How does drag perform? Is the drag system truly sealed?

I appreciate any information you can provide. Thank you. Fin

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The life time warranty is only good as long as the company is still in business.

I would bet the reel is made in South Korea or China.....Korea is good.

The reel is $139 usd

Looks good......your not spending $500 so you can't really get hurt that much.

There are some video reviews on the Web.

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Piscifun reel is mftr in China.

The following reel mftrs have some reel models from China or S. Korea ( source Yellowstone Angler, 2016 5 wght Reel Shootout):
Loop, Orvis, Hardy, TFO, Redington, Ross, Sage, Pfluger.

[Odonata]

Funny, I just bought one as a backup for surf fishing. Direct from their site, using a 15% coupon code. It was fulfilled by Amazon. Haven't fished it yet.

I sent my Remix HD back to Lamson in Boise last week for service and they got it back to me on Saturday. Not sure how well that would work with Piscifun, but since it's a backup perhaps not a huge issue.

Another option might be Allen -- their Alpha III and Kraken reels are also made overseas, but they are in TX. I've ordered a lot of hooks and tungsten beads/cones from them over the years. I also just bought an Alpha III, which I actually prefer to the Platte aesthetically, but haven't fished either of them yet. They look very similar, though the Alpha III is said to be "enclosed" but not sealed (the Kraken is supposed to be sealed).

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you buy an expensive salt water fly reel like a Hatch, Abel, Tibor or Nautilus in the future there will be warranty, parts and service for

these reels. Most fly reels under $100 are a throw away after the one year warranty is up if you have any serious trouble.

[Odonata]

Looking at them side by side again, I think the big drawback about the Platte for me would be the drag knob -- looks like a huge cavity in there where sand could get in and accumulate. The really fine stuff can be maddening to get out. But the reel comes with a diagram for taking it apart, which might be the thing to do if that happens.

15110

Allen Alpha III

15111

The Allen also has a lifetime warranty.

[Odonata]

I decided to send mine back, and keep the Allen instead. I emailed Piscifun customer service, who asked me for pictures to make sure the packaging and reel were unused. They then sent me a mailing address, and asked me for a tracking number. My guess is that the email address is answered from someone in China (just based on what time the responses were received), but the mailing address is in the US.

I would guess the reel is meant for use on a boat or a pier, not on the beach. That drag knob looks like it would be a nightmare if sand got into it.

[McFish]

Sorry for the late reply; I like mine a lot. I don't use it at the beach. Smooth drag, easy adjustment. Medium weight. I fish an 8 wt, for bass and stripers. Drag does seem to be sealed. I think it's a great value.

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Dragonfly, per the Allen mftr specs, the Alpha 3 is not a sealed drag system. The Allen Omega reels are the only ones to specifically list a sealed drag system.

Thanks for your input.

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Thanks for your input��. I’m looking to torture test this reel in the salt!

[Odonata]

I got out this morning at the beach with my Allen Alpha 3. Sealed or not, it didn't have some huge holes in the drag knob to collect sand and junk.

Not to belabor the point, but I'm pretty sure the Allen website states the Kraken is sealed (yet another Chinese-made reel), as are a few other of their models besides the Omega. Correct, the alpha 3 is "enclosed", not sealed.

I pulled off the spools on both the Platte and the Alpha 3 to see what was underneath. I was not super impressed with the Platte vs. the Alpha 3.

What I've discovered with my Lamson is that even if the drag is "sealed", it probably will require service at some point. Good luck with Piscifun there ... and don't drop it in the sand :)

[McFish]

Odonata; love the screen name. As I said above, I have a Platte. I haven't had it in sand, but I haven't seen any evidence that it is any more susceptible than most other sealed drags. Maybe I have a bias; do you have any first hand evidence or experience with Piscifun to suggest their service is poor or that sand is any worse on it than others? Or just an unjustified bias against foreign goods or less expensive prices? I applaud Piscifun for their value, and my experience with their customer service has been good.

[Mr T]

It got passed on to me years back and it rings more true as I get older.

Buy nice or buy twice.

Esp. in salt- I've been on tuna trips where guys have lower cost gear that works fine the first day or two- day 3 or 4, now it won't cast as far or swim a bait well, and they don't catch.

[Fin]

Yes, this adage that you pay for quality is true; however, you have to be realistic about it. Unless you are some trust fund baby or have more money than you know what to do w/ then go ahead & buy the ‘best’! For me, I buy quality that will serve my needs. For example, I could buy a box end wrench from Mac Tools (MT) vs a Craftsmen. The MT is significantly more expensive; however, I am not a professional mechanic that uses these tools several times a day to make my living. I use this Craftsman tool to make repairs as needed but I do not use it daily to make a living. The Craftsman tool works very well & gets the job done just as well as the MT but I did not pay significantly more $.

As a consumer, before I buy, I do my research. The internet makes access to info so much easier than before.

What is interesting about the Piscifun Platte reels, I have not seen this specific fly reel tested (using objective quantitative criteria). You see many of the name brand reels tested but not this mftr. IMHO, I believe that if they tested it, that this reel would be very competitive. If that were the case, how does that look for reels that the consumer is paying significantly more for!

So another truism, buyer beware. Don’t fall for the hype!

[Fin]

Yes, this adage that you pay for quality is true; however, you have to be realistic about it. Unless you are some trust fund baby or have more money than you know what to do w/ then go ahead & buy the ‘best’! For me, I buy quality that will serve my needs. For example, I could buy a box end wrench from Mac Tools (MT) vs a Craftsmen. The MT is significantly more expensive; however, I am not a professional mechanic that uses these tools several times a day to make my living. I use this Craftsman tool to make repairs as needed but I do not use it daily to make a living. The Craftsman tool works very well & gets the job done just as well as the MT but I did not pay significantly more $.

As a consumer, before I buy, I do my research. The internet makes access to info so much easier than before.

What is interesting about the Piscifun Platte reels, I have not seen this specific fly reel tested (using objective quantitative criteria). You see many of the name brand reels tested but not this mftr. IMHO, I believe that if they tested it, that this reel would be very competitive. If that were the case, how does that look for reels that the consumer is paying significantly more for!

So another truism, buyer beware. Don’t fall for the hype!

[eastbayed]

I've bought several Chinese and Korean fly and spinning reels and have been very pleased. I'm going to make my fly reel political comment, but I don't mean to piss everyone off. Remember it's my opinion. When I was a kid, a long time ago, Field and Stream mag, had a writer who called himself Ted Trueblood. It was his nom de plume. He used to say that reels were for holding the line. I always remember that. Some of the trout I catch are small enough to just pull in with the line, release them, and go after his big brother. That being said, I go into shock when I go to Hat Creek and Fall River and see people with thousands of dollars worth of gear that they can't use properly. I fish a lot, and I don't buy super expensive equipment (my values, not that I couldn't buy more expensive equipment), and I think I catch as many fish as anyone. Now I know we are talking about bigger fish, but I think the equipment makers are making a larger profit than necessary. I also have been very pleased with the reels I've purchased from Amazon. I'm not talking about rods, but I certainly like the reels.