Freshwater and Saltwater Fly Fishing Reels

Fly fishing was giving anglers pure sport in streams even before Izaak Walton penned his famed treatise The Compleat Angler in 1653. This fishing technique continues to offer an outstanding experience for anglers around the world, whether they’re angling in clear mountain streams for trout, coastal rivers for salmon and steelhead or lakes and ponds for bass or panfish. Saltwater anglers have also discovered the joys of fly rodding. Legions of fly fishing enthusiasts now use this sporting, light-tackle method to chase everything from bluefish to blue marlin in our oceans.

At TackleDirect, we stock a huge variety of freshwater and saltwater fly fishing reels to suit your needs, no matter your skill level, your location or the species you chase. Here you’ll find fly fishing reels from leading names in the industry including 3-Tand, Hatch, Shimano, Tibor and many others. We ship fly fishing reels worldwide at a reasonable cost, and our staff of experts is ready to answer any questions you may have about a particular reel or which one is right for you. We’re just a phone call or email away.

Some people say that you don’t need to worry about a fly reel because it only holds line. Don’t believe them. While a fly reel of course does the important task of holding your backing and fly fishing line, it also plays a crucial role in fighting a fish. It’s important to choose a fly reel not just for the amount of line it will hold but for other features as well.

Primary among those is the drag system. You want a smooth, quality drag that will hold up under the fiercest runs while you fight a fish. You don’t want to lose that trophy fish you’ve been after for years just because you skimped on a quality drag system.

Of course, a smooth-functioning drag becomes even more important in saltwater. That’s because saltwater fish tend to run bigger and fight harder than freshwater fish. You might be able to get away with a weak drag system fighting a little brook trout in a mountain stream. But you’ll likely regret a poor drag if you tangle with a permit or bonefish on the flats. Because of its corrosive effects, saltwater also calls for the highest-quality saltwater fly fishing reel you can afford.