The Reel Deal | Reels for Bamboo Rods

Let's face it, fly reels are quite addictive when it comes to collecting. I would be a liar if I said I don't have my eye on a reel this very minute! In all seriousness, they are obviously an essential aspect of every bamboo rod, especially when considering a well-balanced outfit. I will go out on a limb and say many of the modern fly reels that you see in all the fly fishing catalogs are really not always the most excellent pairing for most cane rods, and I will tell you why in this entry. Reels are not the most essential part of your fishing experience, especially when it comes to your fly casting expertise. Leaders, fly lines, and flies are front and center. Your leader is the most important extension of your reel!

Above photo: I use both furled and silk leaders from Italy.

Modern reels pair well with both graphite and glass rods when considering the actual weight of the reel itself. Now I'm not saying you can't use a “modern” fly reel on a bamboo rod, what I am saying is that you need to be mindful of the actual weight of the reel itself. I'm not a reel snob, not by a long shot. That being said, also consider the lines you will spool on the reel. I will not get into semantics about the actual weight of these rods, nor the weights of these incredibly lightweight newer reels. Instead, I'm sticking to the topic at hand, reels for cane rods. Cane rods are heavier than their polymer counterparts, period. If you own a hollow-built cane rod, this may or may not apply. In general, there is an excellent heft to a bamboo rod. To create a comfortable fulcrum between your wrist and the rest of the rod, you need an adequate counterbalance. 

A lovely Mad River Brown caught on my “Little Mecoche” 6'9" 4wt. With a silk line, furled leader, and 6x tippet. A tiny size 20 black midge always seems to prevail. Honestly, the reel could have been a tuna can with a handle and spindle attached. At the end of the day, what kind of reel I had on this rod would have made no difference in catching this fish, other than the tuna can and my reel are the same weight! The essential elements, the leader, line, and fly did all the work.

Many of my clients use Abel, Bauer, and Ross reels that work just fine. I am always open to experimentation, and it's fun to see what works!. I have had dozens of clients ask me about reels in the past, and I've always been happy to offer recommendations and engage in open conversations. I always preface it by saying, “You need to purchase a reel that suits the rod.” You may already have one, but it's crucial that it feels right with the rod and creates an intuitive fulcrum, as mentioned earlier. The topic of where the familiar locale of the fulcrum is a sticky and thorny one, and quickly becomes a subjective decision-making process, within reason, I might add. That being said, there's a lot of room for experimentation, human factors, and yes, personal taste.

Consider the foot of the reel, a crucial connection point, especially when evaluating the various cane hardware options, including spacers that are mortised or un-mortised. All of this is discussed upfront when a rod is ordered from me. As a scenario, many Hardy reels have heavy profiles on the foot, Peerless and Bellinger reels probably less heavy but still beefier than most aircraft aluminum modern large arbor reels. Again, in general terms, there are always exceptions, especially when considering alternate swappable feet on a Peerless, for example. Now, pick up a Hardy Perfect and then a large aircraft aluminum alloy arbor reel, considering their intended uses. Yeah, a massive difference in weight between the two reels! Sure, you can use a large arbor aluminum reel on a cane rod, but make an intelligent decision by trying both, a more “traditional” hefty reel and a similar line weight reel and diameter in something more current. Regardless, either the reel or the foot (if it isn't a reel I already have access to) is sent to me for final measuring of the hardware to ensure a proper fit. This is a step I always take my clients through; it's critical to their needs as well as my own.

I do, however, have a half dozen recommendations of different reels for my rods that I stand by. All of my custom hardware fits this specific reel list as well (there are about a dozen other manufacturers included). Here is my short list of recommendations:

Peerless Reels

Bellinger Reels

Hardy Perfect

Hardy Bougle Heritage

Hardy Lightweight

Hardy Marquis

JD Wagner Reels

Ted Godfrey Classic Reels

Pflueger Medalist

Echo ION

Are all of these expensive reels? Yes, but so are Ross, Bauer, and Abel reels and so on. I have a favorite bamboo rod with a Temu reel on it, and I use it all the time, but it works just fine. Keep an open mind and again spend the time creatively thinking about what suits you and your leaders, lines, fly patterns, and rod best.

Finally, let's talk about casting, casting all day, the caster's experience, and how a well-balanced rod influences these factors. Well, it makes a huge difference. If you're casting a rod with a reel that is far too heavy for the rod, you can develop some interesting habits as well as wrist issues. The rod will have a tendency to lean backwards at rest as well in motion. On the other hand, if you have a reel that is too light for your cane rod, it's going to have a tendency to “cascade” on the forward stroke, meaning your rod is going to feel like it leans awkwardly forward, which ultimately will influence your casting stroke one way or another. It's these subtleties that honestly make a big difference in enjoyment, frustration, or fatigue while fishing. This may seem insanely obvious to many, but you can only imagine the breadth of people I have talked to over the years.
A 4wt. rod paired with a 3/4 wt. Reel easy peezy? I have had people insist on using their 8wt. Reel filled with 4wt line on a 7' rod lined for a 4weight, crazy right? Yeah... It's crazy stuff. Many fly shops offer a “scientifically balanced outfit,” but they're often influenced by brand bias or sales quotas. After years of making rods, I've become more empirical. There are no rules in fly fishing, but the limitations of rod and reel are simply common sense, i.e., don't pair a 4wt. Rod with a Penn 11/0 deep-sea trolling reel because you may need to call an orthopedic surgeon after fishing such a rig! Anyway, you get the gist, and one way or another, I have always had a positive, productive, and open conversation when it comes to getting somebody into the perfect reel for one of my rods.

           Thanks for letting me share~ Clint Bova   www.cjbovarods.com