Question:
I am a newbie to fly fishing but an old timer on the net. I want to get
a very excellent fly reel for stream trout fishing. I think that a 5
weight is appropriate for what I want. I am impressed by the "Ross
Gunnison" reel and the Jack Charlton "8400 elite" models.
Answer:
I've got a couple of Gunnisons that I've had for years. I agree completely
with Bill Kiene's assessment that it is pretty hard to go wrong with the
quality you get for the money.
I think the big question has to do with your defiition of "very excellent".
If that means light weight, high quality, extremely functional drag, high
reliability, and long life, the Gunnison definitely fits. It won't, however,
impress a whole lot of folks at the lodge or in the parking lot as a piece of
"reel" art. It is just a fly reel that works well.
Just as an aside, I added tarpon to the list of fresh and salt water fish
I've caught on my Gunnison. My old G-3 worked flawlessly on a couple of
20-25 pound "baby" tarpon.
