Originally Posted by
jigtosser
You would not use a automatic reel on a spey rod nor would you use a reel from a spey rod on a 2 wt. rod. When I was fishing in the early 50's every kid had a fly rod and all had a auto fly reel. If you wanted to borrow a fly rod to go on a fishing trip someone would loan you a rod but it would have a SA reel on it. We fished in small canyon creeks on the Big Horn mountains out side of Kaycee Wy. just past the Hole In The Wall. It was a long hard climb into and out of that canyon but the fishing was what people today only dream about. It was almost impossible to fish more than 30' of line out. Most of us had at least 8 1/2 ft to 9 1/2 ft rods and they were heavy.. The auto reel balanced them perfectly. You could fish the head of the bigger holes and if you got a small one you just pulled the lever and let the reel pull him in. But if you got the big one 3-5 pound you would hit the trigger and take up the slack all the time letting out line with the off hand and as soon as the slack was gone you let the fish play against the reel. That spring in the reel would let out line on a down stream run and keep the slack out on a up stream run. The only time I ever lost a fish was when I held the line, as long as I let the reel do the work I never had the problem. If I were fishing for bream and fly rod today it would be with the auto reel or could return to the days of my youth. If I had to pass the 30ft cast all the time then that would be another matter and out would come the SA. It depends on how you use the equipment and what you are used to.
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