Fly reels for trout fishing serve two main roles: To hold your fly line and backing and to have a drag capable of tiring out a fish during a fight. Pairing the right reel with your fly rod will help ...

Fly reels used to play second fiddle to rods, at least in the fly-fishing world. Volumes have been written about the nuances of bamboo, fiberglass, and graphite fly rods. But the reel? “It’s just a ...