By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

By Kirk Deeter. Photos and video by Tim Romano

Introducing the first of the Fflogger “what they won’t let you do out back of the flyshop” gear tests …

The Premise: The most important factor for me in selecting a reel is how smooth the drag is ... particularly in the startup, when a fish makes its initial run. A smooth reel will pay out line evenly as the fish pulls against the drag; the rod responds by flexing at a fairly constant arc. A bad reel leaves the rod bouncing as the drag hiccups along. The hiccups are bad, because a bouncing rod might cause the fish to come off, and if the reel is "sputtering" you have less feel and control as you fight.

The Test: We chose 15 of the most popular brands and models of fly reel, in three different size classes (trout, bonefish, and big game), then took them to the street. Specifically, we tied them up to the ass end of a street bike, burned a little rubber, then watched -- and felt -- how each reel reacted. We paid close attention to startup drag performance, that initial acceleration a fish makes at the critical moment of going from zero resistance to outward line acceleration ...