Review on Equipment Part 1: Reels

During a recent re-surging of my cabin fever I went through all of my equipment to see which reels needed to be oiled up, lines needed to be cleaned, backing that needed replacing, flies that need to be either restocked or tossed, and the condition of my twice patched waders (not so good, think they may have had their last fishing trip last season). Anyway, as I was going through my stuff, especially when I was taking apart my reels, lubing them up, and putting them back together like Private Pyle with his gun in Full Metal Jacket, I realized I know my equipment pretty well...why not write a review on it. So, here it goes...

I have two G. Loomis Venture reels, so that tells you right there that I love them. The Venture series has three sized reels in it, the Venture 3, 5, and 7. I have both the 5 and 7. I have used the 5 for my 5 weight and it has worked great for 4 years now, works just like it did when I first got it. Its easy to maintain and use. Switching it from right to left handed is easy as 1 2 3 and taking it apart to oil is easy as well. It's smooth and holds a great deal of line, especially for a mid-arbor reel. It has a 3" diameter and holds about 125 yds of line. Its sleek, gold color and aluminum alloy construction is great for freshwater applications which is why I also have the Venture 7 for my 8 weight. The 7 is about 3.5" in diameter and holds about 150 yds of line. The 3 can be used for 2, 3, and 4 weight rods. The 5 can be used for 4, 5, and 6 weights and the 7 can be used for 6, 7, and 8 weights. Generally everywhere, you can find the reel for exactly $99.00 but I actually got mine for about $65 brand new on eBay. G. Loomis has great warranties and really back up the stuff they say about their products. I give them 4 out of 5 stars overall due to the fact that they really aren't great for saltwater (the company says it can be used for "light duty saltwater use" but I wouldn't recommend it being used in the Keys or something unless you plan on giving it a good wash down and oiling after every use) and therefore I don't often use my Venture 7 for the bay. This is where my next reel comes in...

The Waterworks/Lamson Konic 4 reel. This comes in the 1.5, 2, 3.5, and 4. You can find more information on the Lamson Konic series here. So far I haven't caught anything other than a few Bluefish on mine so I can't review it too thoroughly other than I love the design, how light it is, and how much line you can cram onto it! I have heard you can use the 4 for anything from 8 weight to 12 weight. I rigged it up for Mahi and White Marlin this past summer but had no such luck. It is made of aluminum alloy BUT is coated to prevent wear, tear, and corrosion from saltwater.

Thats all I have for now, hope this helps for those of you looking into buying a new high-quality reel at a great price, made by great companies!

Tight Lines...Morgan