Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries

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Chromium
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2016/10/23 06:15:08 (permalink)

Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries

I need advice on a brand and weight of fly reel I should get for when I fish Lake Erie Tribs for steelheads and browns and Lake Ontario creeks for Steel Salmon and Browns. I have a 7/8wt st.croix legend fly rod but need a reel. Is 7/8wt too big? Could I go bigger? Do you have any suggestions or reasonably priced heavy fly reels you want an offer for ? Thanks for any help
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steelhead

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    GilliganJR
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    Re: Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries 2016/10/26 13:21:54 (permalink)
    7/8 is perfect size.  you could do bigger. 
    check out okuma slv.  i'm sure the fine folks at fersh usa would sort you out.  i think they even send email flyers.
    #2
    Brad_porter77
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    Re: Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries 2016/10/26 21:07:36 (permalink)
    Got my hardy reel for 250... Had it for seven years now. Very good quality
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    RisenFly
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    Re: Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries 2016/11/01 16:02:03 (permalink)
    If you're targeting steel and browns in both Erie and Ontario then a 7/8 weight will do just fine.  If you're targeting salmon in NY then I would step up to a 9/10.  Usually a fly reel is just a line keeper, but when battling salmon and steel you actually need a decent drag system.  Look for a good machined aluminum reel and you can even find one and get a spare spool so you can use the same reel for 2 different rods.  If you're looking to save on money you could put a 7/8 weight line on one spool and a 9/10 line on the other spool and get 2 rods.
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    wrighter00
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    Re: Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries 2016/12/11 20:23:11 (permalink)
    You can't go wrong with Lamson for an even price to quality ratio. My Konic is my go to 7/8 wt Steelhead and light Saltwater reel.

    Cabela's has incredibly affordable options like the Wind River reel. Unbeatable price when it's on sale, and they actually use Lamson technology for this particular reel. However, it's not as durable as the Lamson products themselves.

    I also use Okuma SLVs. Another great reel for the price. It's biggest down fall is durability. If you drop it on a rock or knock it off the shelf in your basement or garage, expect it to crack or warp. Sometimes to the point where it's unusable. 
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    cdcaddis
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    Re: Fly reel suggestions for salmon steelie and brownie fishing on Lake Erie tributaries 2016/12/18 00:05:45 (permalink)
    I have never used a reel with more than a #7 line for Erie steelhead.  I have two set-ups that work well for all the Erie creeks.  One rod is a 9' #6 3 piece and a older Hardy disc drag, the other is a 9' #7 rod with an older Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor.  Both reels are at least 15 years old and I've never lost a fish due to a reel problem.  In my opinion a #8 rod/line is overkill for anything but the biggest NYS steelhead and waters like the Salmon River or the Cattaraugus.
     
    There are dozens of good fly reels on the market today with disc drags and ample line capacity for any fish you will encounter in the PA creeks. Lamson makes many different price point models but all of them have their famous conical disc drag.  FishUSA sells many fine fly reels and most will work for Erie chrome.
    post edited by cdcaddis - 2016/12/18 00:11:11

    Flyfisher for fifty-four years.
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