Hi Mike , thanks for the pat BUT I'm not that good ... I just think most don't know the "limits" of their gear . If you take a look at the guys that used to catch 150 or so BIG Steelhead (fish that tax a reel pretty well) a year on the Russian in the 1950s .... They used Medalists and Hardys( both no-drag , stamped reels) , caught the hell out of the fish , and never knew the difference . There is NOTHING WRONG with using , say , an Abel reel - fine , trouble-free piece of gear . I just can't get over the propaganda that says you NEED a $400. reel to catch a fish !! I think EVERYONE should try fly fishing , but most that haven't likely have seen the price of fly gear and thought "no way ..." .

Use what you have and learn - David