PSFGC guide to stupidly expensive reels you might actually need... or not

[Laxdale]

Got one of these for serious work-
https://www.fishingmegastore.com/the-fly-reel-company-rb1-reel~18326.html

But mostly using either a Shakespeare Trion, Shakespeare President or System 2 on the big rods. They are fine and, despite getting regular workouts, are not falling to bits yet. And it will not be a tragedy if they do!

[Lochan_load]

I've got a trion but don't use it much now because I don't use my 7wt, really solid reel and the drag is good especially for the money, I don't know nuffink about start up inertias though 😝

[corsican dave]

I don't know nuffink about start up inertias though 😝

get out for carp sometime & you'll learn pretty quickly....  :lol:

[johnny boy]

Is the start up inertia that important because you are taking bites with straight line, for example river fishing standard across and down?

I usually have at least a few inches of lose line when fishing but am interested in what situations the inertia is so important.

I understand that once any loose line is fed out and the reel takes over there is a small resistance during take up but if the fish is hooked already i cant really see how tiny variences of inertia will be that important.

Be nice to find out where you consider it so important in case i am doing something thats costing me fish, always looking to learn.

[corsican dave]

if you've got a 15lb+ fish going full tilt for the horizon on a 12lb tippet and the line's flying out through your fingers, so far so good; it's hooked 

then there's a momentary inertia as the reel comes into play.... los endos; bye bye fish!! 

admittedly not a common situation with our trout fishing here, but i can assure you that it's an everyday (pretty much every take) occurrence with carp & barbel. and it can happen with much smaller fish than the breaking strain of your line, too

i'll see if i can find a video to illustrate it

[johnny boy]

wouldnt setting the drag a little lower achieve she same thing, slightly palm the reel during initial take up if need be and slowly crank up the tension.  Thats what i do salmon fishing so i dont get smashed takes.

No matter how low an inertia the reel has due to manufacuring, if the tension is set to play a big fish does this not negate the amazing job a manufacturer can produce, or am i on completely the wrong track here?

[Inchlaggan]

Take a look at the mechanics of beach casting multiplier reels and the drag systems they use.
There, the principal problem is in the casting itself.
The faster the reel spins, brake shoes move out from the centre by centrifugal action coming into contact with the inner surface of the spinning part and a braking pressure is applied. This is adjustable.
It would not be beyond the wit of a decent engineer to devise a two-stage drag system.
After the cast, a strike-drag is set (at whatever resistance you wish). in setting the hook you would exceed this resistance and the strike-drag switches off and the centrifugal drag clicks in.
The difficulty is getting all that mechanics into the weight and size of a fly reel- look at the size of a decent multiplier.

[Wildfisher]

Thats what i do salmon fishing so i dont get smashed takes.

That's a good point. I can't think of any fish that, pound for pound, runs as fast and hard as a fresh salmon. Admittedly the biggest carp and barbel I have caught were only  4 1/2 lb and they fought well,  but I would have expected a harder fight from trout of the same weight, certainly a more sustained fight anyway.

[Wildfisher]

Another thing that is slightly misleading in all this is just saying "startup inertia". What is important about that is not the absolute value as that will vary from reel to reel and also depend on the drag setting. What is more important is the repeatably so that once it is set you know  it will be much the same next time.

As Dave suggests though this is not really very important for 3 to the pound trout, but then again you never really know when the big one is coming. Unless you are in New Zealand - then you know it's the next one ........and the one after that .........and the one after  that  ........and the on..............!  :lol:

And of course using quality equipment is just a pleasurable thing to do.

[rannoch raider]

Another big advantage in using these reels is that a very smooth drag that will not over run when dealing with a smash and run type take and which can maintain a very light but consistent resistance to a fighting fish will allow you to use ultra light tippets and smaller flies.