[fishingirl]

I recently acquired a G Loomis FR180 10/11wt spey rod and have been shopping around for a reel. I've been told a large arbor is a good bet, but after that the information I've gathered has differed on what size reel and line and length of backing is best. I intend (initially) to fish my home waters on the Skagit and Sky rivers, and sometime in the future try beach fishing. From everything that I've read, this will require different set-ups. Can anyone recommend a reel that will accomplish both these things and the set-up required for each? I was thinking just one reel with an extra spool that won't break the $300 bank. :eyecrazy:

 

[flytyer]

LIke Peter said, it absolutely depends on the line you are planning on using with the rod. If you tell us what line you have in mind, we can give you some good reel suggestions. The long belly lines like the SA XLT or RIO GrandSpey require a much larger reel than other lines.

 

[2HandTheSalt]

Is there any reason why a Teton 12 would not cover any eventuality with this rod??????

 

[halcyon]

If you are using a line like the SA XLT I can recommend the Lamson Litespeed 4, I have one that took the SA XLT 10/11 line and 225 yds. of micronite backing for a perfect fit. This reel has a line volume capacity of over 29 cubic inches, compared to only 22 cubic inches for a Ross Gunnison 5 for example.

The only reels still in production that I could find to take this large line were the Lamson LiteSpeed 4 @ $325, the WaterWorks Force 4.5 @ approx. $600, and the Abel Super 14 @ $1000 in larger arbor, and the Abel N in one of the larger sizes @ about $800.

If you are going to use a line that is basically a head with running line then you have many more options.

Regards,

 

[JR SPEY]

Maybe I'm not understanding your post, but believe me when I say there are at least two dozen high quality reels still in production that have as much capacity as those you listed or more. They go from the rather common, like the Ross BG8 and Harris Solitude VI, to the more intriguing, like the Maurice Noel, William Olson, and Joe Saracione salmon models. I can go on and on, but again, maybe I didn't interpret your post correctly.

 

[halcyon]

I do not recall claiming that there were no other production reels that had the capacity. I stated that of those I found there where only those I listed. By the way, the Ross BG8 I tried would not hold the XLT 10/11 and 200yds. of backing.

I reported what I knew and obviously it was not everything there was to know:>)

Regards,

 

[JR SPEY]

That makes more sense. I guess I interpreted your statement as meaning you gave a reasoanbly thorough search. By the way, I've never tried the Ross BG8 with an XLT, but it has considerably more capacity than the Lamson or the Waterworks and is pretty close to identical to the Abel 4.5N. Any reel rated for 14 or 15 weight lines and around 400yds of 30# should be big enough for the 10/11 XLT and 200yds of 30#. Though some of them are pretty heavy, there are several reels on the market that can do it.

 

[Rick J]

I have the BG 8 and put a 9/10 xlt on it and had to go with spectron to get enough backing. Agree that the 10/11 would not fit on that reel with any backing capacity.

 

[halcyon]

Just for the record, I measured both reel spools and did the math and the volume capacity of the Ross BG8 is a less than the Lamson Litespeed4.

Regards,

 

[JR SPEY]

I have to admit that I have spent very little time with either reel. However, the Velocity is a 4.5" reel, large arbor, and is rated by Waterworks/Lamson as holding a WF10F & 250yds of 30#. Though I'm sure the spool is wider than the Ross, it's hard to figure why they would rate the reel so far below its actual capacity. The Ross BG8 is a 4.75" large arbor rated for a WF14 & 450yds of 30#. Now I know that some companies are a little optimistic when it comes to estimating backing, but that really is a huge difference. I'm not saying you're wrong since I haven't measured either spool myself, only that there's something pretty wacky here. I don't doubt at all that neither will hold a full XLT 10/11 and 200yds of 30#. It seems that short of going to a Tibor Pacific, Pate Bluefin, or some other really serious (read: heavy) bluewater reel the only way to get the above capacity is to use GSP.

 

[halcyon]

Fishinggirl,

I apologize for this thread getting off of your subject.

Regards,