Clickety Clack

I love click-pawl reels. There's some primal connection of man to fish about them. I love the sound as you strip off line or a fish runs. They just have this immediate and tactile quality that's hard to truly describe. From talking to other fly anglers, clickers seem to be a love or don't proposition. The Hatch guys mostly look at me like I've lost my low-tech mind.

Currently, I own a bunch of clickers for a variety of sizes and applications. From larger models on full spey rods, down to a small reel for my 4-weight trout rod. Each has unique and distinctive features that set it apart from the others. The common thread? I love them all. I think I picked up this mantra from my guns - I don't own any guns I don't love. I've had a couple, and when I sold them, I felt better. Same goes for my clicker reels.

I own clickers from Abel, Bozeman Reel, Kingpin, and The Spey Company (Speyco, to most). Speyco occupies a special place for me. But it's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is that I love about Tim Pantzlaff's reels. If I was pressed, I suppose it would be simply Soul. Tim's reels have soul that is unlike anything else on the market. It's in the feel in your had. The purr of the clicker. The wide range of customization options he offers to make it "your" reel. Some of my other reels have smoother machining/polishing (I'd have to give that to Kingpin, with Abel a close second). Or are more "classic" - the Bozeman SC probably gets that honor. Speyco combines soul with bombproof construction. These things are just built. You talk to Tim for just a few minutes and it's clear that this guy knows how machinery is supposed to work. And his reels reflect that knowledge in every aspect. Top-notch bearings. Everything fits together exactly as it should - rather like a finely crafted firearm.

If this sound like a commercial for Speyco, well, I suppose it is. Recently I received my second Speyco - a 3-3/4" Switch model in all black with the Snake Roll handle. This one's for my smallmouth swing set-up on a 6-weight TFO Deer Creek 11' switch rod. As soon as I got it in the reel seat, I knew this was the right call. Swinging for smallies on the previous Ross Evolution LT (a great reel -- my go-to for stripping streamers or fishing topwater smallies) just didn't seem right. Can't wait to hear it howl!

-Sean-

Product Review: Speyco River Switch Reel

Two word summary?  Buy. One.

Bonus word? Now.

The Circle Spey taking a break after a battle with Cattaraugus chrome.

I first stumbled on The Spey Company and reel builder Tim Pantzlaff a couple of years back on the Spey Pages web site forum. From the get-go, these reels appealed to me. 100% American-made (in Green Bay, WI), uber rugged, and with an incredible-looking clicker drag. Add to that the amazing range of customization options, and you've got a slam dunk.

With a trip planned to the Cattaraugus Creek region of NY's section of Steelhead Alley last week, it seemed like it was time. I selected a River Switch model, in black/silver, with the Snake Roll handle option. This reel was selected to match my Scott L2h 1157/4 switch rod as the Abel Spey I had on it seemed a bit on the large side.

Before I talk about the reel, I should mention the guy. Tim is about the coolest, most accommodating guy around. This is just someone I feel good about doing business with. In this era of global conglomerate fly fishing gear, that's rare.

Now the reel.

In my day job, one of my favorite industries is manufacturing, in particular metalworking. There's just something about the craftsmanship, precision, and the whole down-and-dirty nature of it that appeals to me. And the smells and sounds of the shop floor have always intrigued me. I knew the Speyco was for me the instant I opened the box. It just SMELLED like a handcrafted reel -- this one has SOUL right out of the box.

Part of the appeal of click-pawl reels is their simplicity. While Tim's Hexad clicker design is a bit more complex than some, it more than makes up for it in performance. This clicker is nearly the best of all worlds with much of the holding power of a disc drag, matched to the sexy sound of a screaming clicker. My first fish on it turned out to be a 30" hen steelhead. This fish was plenty strong, and even for a Winter fish, she had some go. I had expected to be palming the reel more, but I almost never needed to! Cool!

And that sound...

Guitarists praise the Fender Stratocaster for its distinctive sound. Pianists do the same for Steinway. Violinists for a Stradivarius. Yes, the Speyco is in this category. It has a unique, nearly undescribable tone and pitch. Over the course of three days in New York, I scored three fish on the swing and every time that beautiful sound cut through the air. Not a high-pitched scream, but more like a throaty growl.

Every so often I encounter a piece of gear that is truly exceptional. A favorite that I know I will enjoy and cherish for years to come. My new Speyco River Switch is hands-down my new favorite reel. Thanks, Tim for an exceptional product.

-Sean-

First Impressions - Abel Spey Fly Reel

I've been lucky enough to add a sweet reel to the collection for the upcoming Fall steelhead season. For a while I'd been thinking about a traditional click-and-pawl reel. I love the old school look and feel, plus the idea of a screaming reel with a bit of hot chrome on the other end of the line is pretty appealing!

I was first looking at reels from the Spey Company, in Wisconsin. Fully machined, made in the USA, and readily customized to be cool and unique. But, I hadn't found $450 lying around to dedicate to a "nice to have" reel that I didn't truly NEED (but seriously, is any of this about need anyway?).

Out of nowhere, along comes a deal on an Abel Spey reel. If you're unfamiliar with Abel, these folks make top-notch products. But they're not cheap. My Abel nippers are about the sweetest fly fishing accessory you'll ever find.

Though I have done little other than practice cast with it on my Scott ARC 1287-3, I've been mighty impressed. One area that really stands out is the fit of the spool to the frame. This is an area where exceptional workmanship really shines. My mass-produced Ross and Orvis reels are just fine, but the can't hold a candle to the tight-as-a-drum Abel. It sounds like closing the door on a really high-end European performance car.

My reel is the retro non-ported design, in classic black. I'm not really sure I could even own any color combination other than this. The finish on this reel is perfect - not too matte, not too shiny.

Once inside you realize the simplicity of this sort of reel. All you find is a spring and two clickers. By simply rotating them you can select from right-hand or left-hand retrieve. Simple as that! By engaging both clickers, you get the maximum drag setting (which is where I've set mine). One cool feature is the externally adjustable drag. A nice surprise on this sort of reel. At minimum, this will be a nice way to take the tension off the spring when I'm not fishing.

Can't wait to get this one on the swing this Fall! Only a few weeks away!

-Sean-

Roll with Soul

For a while now I've wanted to get a retro-cool click-and-pawl reel for my Scott ARC 1287-3 spey rod. I'm starting to develop an appreciation for matching the character of rods and reels. And as this sense developed, this classic olde schoole stick seemed to be dying for a click-pawl reel.

It started with a Ross CLA-6 because it was the right size and didn't cost much. But it had no soul and isn't the most sophisticated drag for bad weather steelhead with a bad attitude. Then I stumbled on a gently used Orvis Mirage 6. This thing is a beautifully engineered and machined reel with a first-rate sealed drag system. In short, it's the shizznit. But it seems better suited to a Helios or a Sage TCX. So my quest for some soul continued.

The Circle Spey from Speyco seemed like an excellent option. These semi-custom traditional style reels are hand-machined in Wisconsin. Some dialogue with owner Tim Pantzlaff and I'd settled on the Circle Spey model. Now I was just waiting for some spare cash to fall into my grimy paws.

In the meantime...

Along comes an opportunity to pick up an Abel Spey reel. Abel reels have an amazing reputation as some of the most durable, well-made reels for salt or freshwater applications. And the Spey model (without ports, of course -- points for style) looks and feels just like an updated classic Hardy. The machining and finish are top-notch. The design is simple and classic. And the sound of that clicker --- mmmmm, music! Can't wait to have an angry Fall steelhead make a run for Lake Michigan and make that reel sing!

I'm also taking this opportunity to re-configure my lines for greater diversity. I've been using a full Rio Skagit line, but I'm going to switch over to a running line/shooting head combo. This will enable me to enjoy some of the experimentation of using different style heads with more convenience (and much less expense). I'm planning to start off with a 500 grain Skagit Extreme Intermediate head from Scientific Anglers and a Scandi head of some sort. I've been running the Skagit Extreme Intermediate on my 6 weight switch rig for smallies and it's been great.

Can't wait for the Fall run! Fish on!!!

-Sean-

Reel Lust

OK, we're pretty much looooong past the point of need in terms of sticks and reels. But recently I've discovered The Spey Company and their super-sweet classic spey reels. Wow are these things cool! They look so classic and well-executed. Just what my Scott ARC 1187-3 needs. Classic action rod, with ultra-classic reel!

Which brings up an interesting element of fly fishing. The reel-rod matchup. Yeah, there's the balance issue every book and magazine article talks about, but on an aesthetic, soulful level, it's so much more than that. I think good fly rods and reels have a persona that goes beyond just graphite and metal. It's way more than a product spec sheet could ever convey. Good gear speaks for itself in a unique way. On some basic level that you could never quantify, a Scott rod and a Winston rod are so incredibly different. Just like a Hatch reel is a totally different beast from an Orvis.

And beyond this, these pieces of gear say something about the owner, too. I think that's a part of what makes the brands sticky. I have friends who are incredibly loyal to Orvis. I have one Orvis reel I really do like, but it's not a brand that's stuck with me. Whereas Scott rods have become my standard. I love the performance, but there's something about fishing a Scott. In my mind it says "high performance, but not fussy".

For now, my spey rod will have to be content with a Ross CLA 6 (a fine reel in it's own right). But someday...

-Sean-