In
the long history of fly fishing reels the oldest and most reproduced
drag system has been the click and pawl/pawled or clicker fly reels, how
ever you state this system. It comes to this, it is the adage of a gear
and a offset triangular piece of steel driven by a spring hitting
against the gear to stop over spooling,simple but effective. I think
they had it right all those year ago.If you fish for salmon and
steel head;Do it with a click checked reel. There are many reasons for
this. First, and most importantly, it is more fun! And that, for me, is
what it's all about - there is nothing better than fishing a tight line
to a good reel. After you fish with a checking reel you will never go
back. The fish can run, fight and jump, tantalizing your eyes and making
your heart race and your reflexes tense, but with the aid of the
audible check, it brings yet another of your sense to the party.
I
have found disc drags to be too sensitive because by turning the knob
too loose there is potentially a mess from over spool. If it is too
tight, you may have the dreaded "head shake" on the surface, then out
comes the hook, then out come the swear words *#!!$#^% . With a click
drag system, it is a "set it and forget it" idea. It only needs to be
set to stop over spooling and no mechanical drag is as reactive as the
anger. Now the fish can come and take the fly, turn in the water column
increasing positive hook ups in the corner of the mouth, rather than on
the top, resulting in fewer lost fish. I discovered this after my first
spey reel (a fantastic, state of the art disc drag) was replaced with a
checking reel. After I made this change, my lost fish count dropped
dramatically.
WHAT IS A CLICK AND PAWL FLY REEL?
Simply
put is is a gear typically made of steel that has been hardened. That
rides against a pawl or a triangular pieces of steel that slows the
rotation of the reel spool. Its really just meant for over spooling
purposes and leaves the fighting of the fish up to the fisherman. Until the introduction of the Speyco Hexad check Drag in 2010 . Now unlike any ot
her fly reel ever produced my reels are Salt ready, freeze proof and come in-stalled with 6 checks giving you a back up to the back ups so the worry of " Free Spooling" is a thing of the past. The unique load dispersal of this revolutionary clutch adds redundancy, is incredibly smooth , unbelievably strong and sings a sweet song when hooked up.
*REEL SPECIFICATIONS IN INCHES*
Single Spey 3" x 1" spool gap 5/8"
River Switch 3 3/4" spool gap 1 1/8"
Skandi Spey 4" x 1 1/2" spool gap 1"
symmetry Skagit 4" x 1 7/8 " spool gap 1 1/8 "
Symmetry Spey 4"x 2 1/8" spool gap 1 1/2 "
River Spey 4 1/4" x 2 1/8" spool gap 1 1/2 "
*REEL SPECIFICATIONS BY WEIGHT*
Weights vary via material used by design. Now
you will never have to fish with a tip heavy rod again. Just by
changing the different face plate and foot options, you can gain perfect
rod to reel balance.
Single Spey 4.3 0z to 7.5 oz
River Switch 8.7 oz to 13.5 oz
Circle Spey 10.8 to 11.8
Skandi Spey 11. 5 0z. to 13.5 oz.
symmetry Skagit 12 oz. to 15.5 0z.
Symmetry Spey 13.5 oz. to 17.5 oz.
River Spey 14.5 oz. to 18.5 oz
*REEL SPECIFICATIONS IN METRIC*
Single Spey 72.2 mm x 25.4 mm spool gap 19.5 mm
Skandi Spey 101.6 mm x 38.1 mm spool gap 25.5 mm
Symmetry Skagit 101.6 mm x 48.2 mm spoolgap 28.3 mm
Symmetry Spey 101.6 mm X 53.3 mm spool gap 36.5 mm
River Spey 111.7 mm x 53.3 mm spool gap 36.5 mm
*REEL TO ROD SUGGESTIONS*
Single Spey 7/9 foot single handed rods
Switch Reel 10/12 foot spey rods
Skandi Spey 12/13 foot spey rods
Symmetry Skagit 13/14 foot spey rods
Symmetry Spey 14/16 foot spey rods
River Spey 15/18 foot spey rods
*BACKING CAPACITIES*
Single Spey 115 yds. of WF3F line, 100 yds. of WF4F line, 75 yds. of DT-3 line. All with 20 lb. backing.
Skandi Spey 180 #30 pound gel spun +100 yards varivas+36' Rio AFS 6/7 400grain
150 yds of #30 dacron and a 6/7 CND GPS
Symmetry Skagit Rio windcutter 8/9/10 + 175 #30 dacron
Skagit head + 100 varivas + 250 yards #30 dacron
Symmetry Spey Rio windcutter 9/10/11 +200 yards #30 dacron
Rio Mid Spey 9/10 +175 yards #30 dacron
Next cast long belly 9/10 + 150 yards #30dacron
River Spey Rio Mid Spey 10/11 + 300 yards #30 dacron
Rio xlt +250 yards #30 dacron
Double taper +200 yards #30 dacron
After having received many emails asking for a 3" trout reel for 3/4/5 wt. bamboo and fiberglass rods in the classic plate wind design, I decided to ask the trout fishermen directly what they would like to see in a reel. I absolutely believe that the fishermen should have a say in the characteristics of the product they will be using. The response was tremendous and the information both highly personal and simply invaluable. I have gathered several reels worth of information, and I've pulled together some of the most common characteristics sought after to create the the Single Spey Trout Reel, which is my introductory trout reel.
This isn't a reel for the masses with elements for this and that style of fishing. This reel will have a small production, so each one is somehow more special and has become a favorite of the reels that I produce. It seems so small compared to the spey reels and it just "purrs like a kitten". I worked very hard on the sound of this reel more so than any other.I believe with this reel, I am closer to my goal of making some of the finest and most affordable click and pawl reels available.
* The Reels are machined in the U.S.A. from solid 6061 T6 aluminum
* Spools are designed using a 1/3 arbor
* Each model can be easily adjusted for right or left hand retrieve.
* Gears and pawls are E.D.M. wire cut from 7075 Aluminum then Hard Coat III anodized for strength and corrosion resistance.
* Internally adjustable Stainless Steel Ring driven click and pawl drag system, 100% corrosion free.
* Stainless steel pawl posts with a thread and nut application for a longer lasting post stability.
* Lifetime limited warranty for the original owner.
* HANDLE CHOICES*
* Black
* White
* Marbled Grey.
* Rose Wood
*HARDWARE AND FOOT CHOICES*
* Hard brass foot , counter weight , and handle cup
* 6061 T6 aluminum foot , counter weight , and handle cup
* Foot available in long (Classic) and short (Modern) standard machining tolerances to ensure a tight fit on any style reel seat.
*CAGE AND SPOOL FINISH CHOICES*
* Hard Coat III Anodized to a dark machine gun matte black finish. Hard Coat III is the second hardest substance in the world, preceded only by diamond. This coating will not scratch off.
* Raw; just left up the mother nature to patina.
* Electro-Clear coated to preserve the natural beauty of the material.
* Glass beaded sandblast, non-reflective.
* BEARING CHOICES*
* ABEC-7 STAINLESS STEEL ball bearings
* WINDING PLATE OPTIONS*
* Hard Brass
* T-6 6061 Aluminum
* Now you will never have to fish with a tip heavy rod again. Just by changing the different face plate and foot options, you can gain perfect rod to reel balance.
*THE SNAKE ROLL UPGRADE*
* Any Spey Company Reel can be upgraded with the classic"S" handle
*FINIAL MACHINE WEIGHTS COMING SOON*
NEW FOR 2009
Production on the trout reels (Single Spey) has begun. Please expect it to be a few months - I believe anything worth doing is worth doing right and this simply takes time. If you are interested in these smaller sized reels, please contact me. I will place your name on the waiting list and contact you when the reels are ready to assemble. There is no need for a down payment at this time. I will simply email you when I have completed the pieces and at that time, you will be able to choose the finish and hardware. I will be machining out 3", 3.5" and 3.75" trout/switch/spey reels. The list will work the same as with the spey reels; on a first come/first serve basis.
I believe this new line of reels will be a perfect match to meet your bamboo fly rod, switch rod and light spey rod needs. I am very excited to be offering these directly to you, and you know that I will working very hard to meet the demand.
The Simple Beauty of The Click and Pawl Reel
In the long history of fly fishing reels the oldest and most reproduced drag system has been the click and pawl/pawled or clicker fly reels, how ever you state this system. It comes to this, it is the adage of a gear and a offset triangular piece of steel driven by a spring hitting against the gear to stop over spooling,simple but effective. I think they had it right all those year ago.If you fish for salmon and steelhead;Do it with a click checked reel. There are many reasons for this. First, and most importantly, it is more fun! And that, for me, is what it's all about - there is nothing better than fishing a tight line to a good reel. After you fish with a checking reel you will never go back. The fish can run, fight and jump, tantalizing your eyes and making your heart race and your reflexes tense, but with the aid of the audible check, it brings yet another of your sense to the party.
Second, I have found disc drags to be too sensitive because by turning the knob too loose there is potentially a mess from over spool. If it is too tight, you may have the dreaded "head shake" on the surface, then out comes the hook, then out come the swear words *#!!$#^% . With a click drag system, it is a "set it and forget it" idea. It only needs to be set to stop over spooling and no mechanical drag is as reactive as the anger. Now the fish can come and take the fly, turn in the water column increasing positive hook ups in the corner of the mouth, rather than on the top, resulting in fewer lost fish. I discovered this after my first spey reel (a fantastic, state of the art disc drag) was replaced with a checking reel. After I made this change, my lost fish count dropped dramatically.
These first models are the result of over three years of research and dedication of the promotion of the click and pawl reel. They were built for spey fishermen, by a spey fisherman. Each of the reels in this series are personally hand turned and numbered. The brass elements are polished to a rich shine to lend a classic look to a new reel. The checking system is loud and smooth, reminiscent of period style reels.
