Hardy Ultralite 3000 DD

I am one of the more frugal fly fishermen you'll meet- mostly by necessity, by I also firmly believe that you can fly fish without spending a ton of money on fine gear and looking like an Orvis catalog model. However, I just dropped over $200 for a reel, which I have never done. And I have no regrets. This reel just feels like pure quality and the drag has the delicate click of a fine watch. I was hesitant to buy a large arbor reel, I just thought they were bulky, but the small 3000 model is perfectly matched for my five weight. I also love the fast retrieve it is capable of when I need it. I have yet to test the drag on a worthy fish, but it performed like a champ on the two occasions I've had to use it. I just can't wait to hear the sound of this drag system being put to the test. I know I'll have this reel for many years and that makes it worth every penny.






Also a tip: I've always wished for a way to wrap up the spool on a reel to keep the line from spilling out or tangling and I found a perfect solution. I bought a bag of those velcro ties that you can get to wrap up audio/tv cables and it works great. They come in different widths and make a great cover to wrap around your reel in storage. They sell something similar, I've seen Hardy ones made of neoprene, but they are hard to find and overpriced. See.. Frugal.