All Points Fly Shop + Outfitter - News

It is a very rare occasion that the term “line holder” doesn’t come up in conversation when outfitting customers with reels for trout and landlocked salmon. But, when does a reel become more than just a line holder? Here are a few reasons why you may want to consider investing a little more in your trout reel and why it can be much more than just a line holder. 

Trophy Trout:

Whether you’re targeting them or you just happen to come across one in your adventures, losing big trout sucks. Most trout reels these days have drag systems that are more than powerful enough (provide enough drag pressure) to handle any trout or salmon situation. The advent of more modern/sophisticated drag systems such as disc drags are an improvement on click and pawl systems. However, there are a couple of other major factors that play into what makes a good reel for big trout. A smooth, consistent, high quality drag system plays a crucial role in dealing with light tippets. A reel with a drag that is, for lack of better words "jerky" and erratic, have tendencies to break lighter tippets or pop out hooks, especially when dealing with with large and/or sporadic fish. You would be surprised how much of a difference a quality drag system can make when protecting lighter tippets. Most quality fly reel manufacturers spend a lot of time engineering and constructing their drags, especially higher end models. You can have all the "stopping power" in the world with your reel/drag, but if it cannot provide smooth pressure with a good start-up inertia, it really doesn't matter much. In addition to being smooth, a drag that can be easily adjusted can also be important. This has a lot to do with personal preference, however one thing that should be considered is that it is advantageous to have a drag that doesn’t increase too much with tiny incremental adjustments. This way you can tweak the pressure you are putting on a fish by micro amounts without risking making too much of an adjustment and breaking off that fish when they make a run.

"When I am guiding and one of my clients hooks into a large trout, I will immediately tell them to "get that fish on the reel!"" This is one of the best ways of increasing the chances of landing that fish especially in faster or pocket water." (Josh Thelin)

Saltwater:

In many places, including here in Maine, sea run trout are becoming more and more popular to target. In a very similar way for our local striped bass fishery, we suggest using a fully anodized reel for sea run trout. Corrosion protection, as well as a sealed drag system can greatly increase the life of the reel. It is really the only way to prevent a reel from breaking down in saltwater. Saltwater is notorious for being rough on gear and can destroy lesser quality reels in a single season. So, even if the reel does not have a sealed system, a better manufactured reel/drag with higher quality components goes a long way!

Another fun opportunity with a saltwater worthy reel is targeting schoolie striped bass in the spring before the big ones show up. A 20” striper on a 6 or 7 weight rod will give you a run for your money and since they are usually first keyed in on small bait, a 6 or 7 weight rod can be a great way to target stripers in the spring.

Remember: No matter what reel you have, please remember to rinse your gear off after use in saltwater! Bringing a water bottle with you to quickly rinse your gear afterwards can be helpful if you are not in a situation where you can use a hose, sink, etc. 

Cold Weather:

Cold weather fishing isn’t for everyone, but for those who are brave enough to fish in sub 32 degree weather, gear is everything. From warm clothes, to putting de-icing paste on the guides of your rod, to a durable reel, everything needs to be considered. A sealed drag system on your fly reel comes into play big time when fishing in freezing temperatures. If water is allowed to make its way into a drag system, freeze, and expand, it can cause problems. In the least it will cause short term performance issues with the drag that day. Another thing to consider is durability. Some of the super light weight reels made these days are so fragile that an ice jam in your reel can cause the metal to crack. It is not always wise to go with the lightest gear possible if it compromises durability. A lot of the very weight forward fly lines these days cast and balance better on reels with a little more mass. 

Longevity:

This should be the most obvious reason. As the saying goes you get what you pay for. This is very true with trout reels. It's likely that a lesser reel might get you by for a season or so, but it will need replacing/repair sooner than later. If you want a reel that will last a lifetime that you can also hand down to your grandchildren, consider making that slight just up to a better quality reel.

Our Favorite Trout Reels:

Hatch Iconic

Galvan Rush LT

Waterworks-Lamson Guru S-Series

Sage Spectrum

By: Joe Webster + Josh Thelin 

Read more

While continuing to learn everything about the gear that All Points sells, here is an interview with Boni Galvan of Galvan Fly Reels. These reels are 100% made in the U.S.A. with the highest quality parts and standards, plus all their reels include the highly regarded Torque drag system. With this interview, learn a little of what Galvan has done in the past and what they have in store for the future...

1. What Was the first reel that Galvan made?  It was the Standard 2.5 and Standard 2.75

(The "Standard" pictured above and below from an old Galvan brochure)

2. Was the Standard put into production?  Yes

3. Have Galvan Fly Reels always been made in America? Yes, since 1993

4. Does Boni do all the designing?  Yes

5. When did Galvan Start to make reels for saltwater use? In 2004 when he came out with the Torque Reel 

6. The “Grip” is your latest reel.  Do you have plans for a new reel in the works?  Yes, we are working on Trout sizes in our Grip model. They will be out 2020

7. Can you explain the Torque drag system and how that was developed?  It has a Compression Disk Drag.  Developed because we wanted a stronger drag system to be able to handle the biggest and strongest species of fish out there. 

8. How is it different than other manufactures drag system? We are not familiar with other manufactures drag systems. 

9. Around Christmas time last year, you offered various custom colored reels.  Are you planning on doing something like that again this year?  We are thinking about it 

10. How has Galvan Fly Reels changed over the years? How has it stayed the same?  Biggest changes made over the years has been drag materials.  Simple and ruggedness has stayed the same.  Still family owned and operated.  We are still 100% made in the USA.  We still have a lifetime guarantee.  We continue to strive to provide excellent customer service. 

Read more

Over the past couple of seasons I've been fishing with the Galvan Rush Light on one of my trout setups. I carry a couple of rods with me, and this is usually rigged on one of them. Originally purchased the R5 for a 10' 4wt, I needed a reel with a little more weight to help balance it out. But, also applicable on other 9' 5wts for my general trout fishing. If I had tried to get the lightest reel possible, its versatility on other rods/setups would be minimal. A lot of trout reels made these days are an effort to make it as light as possible. For some situations this is great. But I wanted a little more balance on this setup and found that the Galvan Rush Light R5 was a perfect weighted match for my 10' 4wt. I thought at the time that it would only be used for this longer rod, but quickly found that this wasn't true. Now, I am using it on various 9' 5wt outfits as well. 

So your first question, and albeit a warranted one, would be: "is it too heavy?" While this reel does weigh more than other ultra-light reels in its class, I have not found it to be necessarily too heavy. It comes in at roughly 5ozs which is about middle-of-the road for comparable reels. What the Rush Light loses in points due to its weight, it gains back in durability. I've fished this reel for quite a while and combined with my clumsiness, it has seen its fair share of bumps/drops/falls. Notably, some situations where I've instinctively used my hand to brace a slip/fall on rocks, the Rush Light has taken the brunt of the fall as my "brace." No dents or significant damage. This is really important! When a lot of reel companies are making lighter and lighter reels, this usually means sacrificing durability. I find a lot of modern trout reels do not hold up well to normal wear and tear. 

The quality of the drag is also a strong suit for this reel. Sharing an almost identical drag system to the Torque, the Rush LT not only as a lot of drag but it's smooth and has minimal startup inertia. Although Galvan notes the Rush as having the same drag to the Torque, I'm sure this is true but, they are clearly tuned slightly differently. This is fairly common with reel manufacturers. Aside from that, the Rush has one of the best overall drag systems on the market. Further, the counterbalance is almost perfect. When that spool is spinning, there is almost no wobbling or degree of shaking that happens. This helps keep the outgoing (drag) as smooth as it is and keep the angler in control. 

The Small Stuff

• Price: $280 Reel / $135 Spool
• Made in USA
• Drag knob when set to the lowest drag settings is loose. This opens the possibility of unintentional drag adjustment during the day or while stored. Very secure however when increased drag is applied.
• Weight is 5oz. Not the lightest - not the heaviest.
• Top of the line carbon fiber disc drag system. Very smooth and plenty of it.
• Very durable construction. However lack of porting on the spool could require a little more time for your line/backing to dry out.
• Incoming click sound is great. Outgoing drag/click is different and slightly more muted. The only time this was an "issue" was when fishing in heavier water/rapids/noise - drag sound was drowned out a little.
• Design and aesthetics are not awe inspiring. The Torque clearly takes longer to make, but I do like the "traditional" look of this Rush.
• Drag system is not sealed (same as Torque). Although I've only used this in freshwater, there have been no issues so far.
• Push button spool release is dependable and easy to use.
• Reel/spool dimensions are very similar to the Torque. Good retrieval rate and has plenty of capacity of backing and virtually any fly line one would use for this sized reel. The R5 can still hold around 100yds of 20# backing with a WF6F line.

Words + Photos: Josh Thelin

Read more

We've had multiple snow storms here in New England with plenty of white stuff around. Unless we have a warm January or February, we will most likely be blanketed at least until trout season opens on April 1st. Although there is still plenty of trout fishing to be had around here in the winter, most of our saltwater gear for stripers, bluefish, and albies is slumbering until spring.  After months of salty endeavors, our reels need some TLC.  Saltwater is brutal on everything that it touches and a fishing reel that has been essentially swimming in the Atlantic ocean for months will need a refresh. Buying good quality gear is a big factor in how long it will last. But, taking care of this gear is the only thing proven to keep gear even longer...

Whether you have a trip booked in a month for bonefish and tropical flats or you are putting your saltwater gear away for the winter, here are some tips for keeping your fly reels ready for whatever you have planned next...

Taking The Backing Off

This is something that I think gets overlooked quite a bit by anglers. A lot of people treat and clean their fly lines, but ignore their backing. Dacron backing specifically breaks down much quicker than the higher-end gel spun, braided, or similar types of premier backing. The main reason for this is that dacron gets damaged by UV rays much easier and also absorbs and holds water much more than other backing materials. This causes saturated/salty backing to sit on your reel throughout the season and slowly degrade on itself and also potentially your reel. The only way to tell if dacron has gone bad is when you watch a fish swim away because your backing broke. Dacron is also inexpensive enough where it is very much worth changing it out every season. Plus it gives you a clean slate to clean your entire fly reel. 

Take A Closer Look

The above picture shows a very common issue. If you look in between the backing and the spool, you will see salty/mineral build-up. This happens all the time to almost every reel especially if fished in the salt regularly. This is piggy-backing on another reason to strip your backing off...if that were to sit like that for extended periods of time it will only cause degradation to the reel and problems in the future. Check all screw holes, corners, and any other small spots that would collect/trap salt.

Rinse - Scrub - Repeat

After you have been able to take a good look over your reel, it's time to get it clean! Running some warm (not hot) water in the sink and applying additional scrubbing with a tooth brush can be a great way to fully clean off your fly reel. Get all the hard-to-reach areas and leave no spot left for corrosion. 

Let Sit In Water

After you have gone over the entire reel and done some cleaning with a brush - it's a good idea to let the reel sit in some warmer water for a little while. This will help to break down any additional salt/minerals that have built up which didn't come off already. After a short soak, make sure to give a thorough rinse! I do not advise people to leave their reels in the sink overnight as I believe reels sitting in (borderline) salty water doesn't help much nor has it provided any additional benefits. 

Dry + Store 

It's important to make sure that your reel is completely dry before storing. Putting a damp reel back into a case/box/etc and allowing it to sit like that for months will certainly kickstart entropy! 

I hope this helps! I will be posting up more "cleaning and maintenance" blog posts soon, so keep an eye out!

Words + Photos: Josh Thelin

Read more

Read more