# DIY Fly Fishing Company



## Guest (Nov 23, 2012)

Anyone interested? Lots of familiar Products.

http://www.leichichina.com/


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## KnotHome (Jul 21, 2009)

I don't get it.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Wow lots of familiar looking items and exact matches that are missing their branding. 

No kidding on DIY, it basically takes out all of the start up cost.


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

I'll take 2 of the feux Stellas at $29.99 each... ;D
Kidding aside, I sent in a request for info on the site regarding pricing of the inventory. Let you guys know what they say..


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2012)

> I'll take 2 of the feux Stellas at $29.99 each... ;D
> Kidding aside, I sent in a request for info on the site regarding pricing of the inventory. Let you guys know what they say..


How do you know Shimano doesn't have these guys manufacture those Stellas for them? 



It's funny, but I'll take the same Reel with my name stamped then those "Name Brands" with theirs!  :


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## johnmauser (Sep 9, 2009)

I see reels with very similar traits to orvis, tibor, sage, lamson, allen, etc...i don't see any that are exactly the same. I've seen several websites like this with chinese cheap reels...all having the same kinds of similar but not exactly the same reels available.

Does this mean that all of these companies have their reels made in these chinese factories? No...we know that.

Does it mean that chinese factories are really good at looking at reels from these above mentioned companies, and making a copy? Yes...I would say so.

When Allen first started gaining popularity (yes, I know this thread is b/c of allen reels) I checked all of these chinese companies trying to find exact copies of the allen reels. I figured if I could find an exact copy then that would mean that they were just picking a base model and slapping their name on it. I never could find an exact copy. Which left me to believe that they were having the chinese factory build them, but it was probably their own design. Now as far as whether the drags are of their own design or just a generic design off the shelf in china, I have no idea.

I honestly believe that you are getting more than a generic chinese fishing reel with no input from Allen when you buy one. I would think they have input on their design. At least if you order from Allen, you have a warranty through an American company...plus I like their design and the price is cheap. No they aren't Nautilus, but that's comparing apples to oranges.

If you come across an exact copy of any american company's reels on one of those chinese websites...please post it, as I would really like to see it. I mean that sincerly, because I spent a long time trying to find one last year...and I could never find one that was exactly the same.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Next thing someone will be touting counterfeit watches to go with the counterfeit reels.....

Those things might look "just like the real thing" but I'd be willing to bet that they won't work like the real thing..... I always advise beginners to only purchase reels that you know you can get parts for if something breaks (which it sure will if my anglers are using it....).


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

> > I'll take 2 of the feux Stellas at $29.99 each... ;D
> > Kidding aside, I sent in a request for info on the site regarding pricing of the inventory. Let you guys know what they say..
> 
> 
> ...


While they look similar, the china brand does not go into full detail of the specs of the reels. I can tell you one thing, the bail is not the same just from comparing the two. It starts from there and goes on internally. Shimano, being a company of its size and integrity, probably would not farm out its ideas and R&D to a company without having legalities placed so that the company could produce similar. Maybe a brand of smaller status however...


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Ageed, Capt. Bob. I wouldn't touch this kind of crap. You don't know what you are getting and you certainly don't know if parts will be available tomorrow let alone a year down the road.

That doens't even take into account that these kinds of companies simply steal designs from other legitimate companies, tweak them a bit so they can get away with selling them (quetionable at best), and then hire cheap Chinese labor (if they are even paying them) and walla you have a great new product for us consumer. 

Remember the old adage "if it seems to good to be true it probably is"? All I can say is buyer beware.


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2012)

^

That was sarcasm in regards to Shimano, but I am using an IPad at the moment!


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

We see a lot of talk about how cheap these reels are and yeah the price is cheap, but do you really know that the reel is cheaply manufactured? What I mean is, unless your reel is made in the USA and you can visit the factory, chances are your reel is made by one of these OEM manufacturers. 

What it tells me, is that if we see a reel made of the same materials made and sold for $30 and another selling for $800, then something is wrong. Is there really a $770 quality difference in a fly reel? There is really so little to a fly reel, I just can't see the VALUE difference. Granted some people are using these reels to go after the fish of a lifetime, and the VALUE difference may be worth it to them. But in my opinion, I want a company to justify the cost of a Fly Rod when, I can build a similar quality rod for less than half. There is so little in a fly rod as far as work goes, an experienced custom builder can build one of that same level of finish in an hour. Two at most.

I fully believe that what most buyers are after isn't really quality but status. We all know that lures are built to catch fishermen first, and I argue that tackle is the same. 

We are talking about the perspective of the AVERAGE user of tackle. The guy like me, who has to save for a year and some how justify a purchase in the budget for an $800 reel. And yes I have some. 

I will admit that my high end purchases have not been with Fly gear but rather in Spinning gear. I have owned a Van Staal and I own a Stella now and most of me inshore gear is middle of the line stuff like Stradics. I have a friend who make around three times as much as me as a Lawyer and he fishes with much cheaper gear, preferring to spend the big bucks on guns instead. It is all about ego for some and practicality for others.

For me it is about practicality. I fly fish for the added challenge, and excitement of catching a fish that I sneak up on and present a lure that I made to fool him, and to fight and land him, get a picture of my accomplishment and release it. LOL Isn't there MORE challenge if I do it all on a rod that I built and a less than cool fly reel? 

I believe that many people would love to be fly fishing but are put off by the price of the gear. Really, what is the practical difference between a high end spinning rod with the top of the line components and custom thread work and high end Saltwater fly rod? There is no fancy thread work. The blanks are made by the same builders. What exactly are you paying for? 

If you build a Spinning reel, and a fly reel, I would argue that there is a ton more technology and engineering, and materials and labor involved in a Stella or Dogfight vs. a Tibor or Nautilus fly reel. How is the price even close? 

I have learned that there is a certain amount of the population that is willing to pay more, based on social clout that a product brings to the table. 

When I was young, in the 70s-early 80s it was considered bad taste to buy anything that was not made in the USA but that train has long ago left the station. Now most high end Spinning and Conventional gear is made in Japan. Even Van Staals are now made in China. Believe it or not the quality of these reels is now said to be higher because of streamlining of the building and set standard between batches and now availability of parts because the model has stabilized. In other words parts fit more of the reels better because less changes from year to year are happening. 

I would say that for a back up reel, if ego is not involved, it is entirely possible that one of these $30 reels may in fact be a decent purchase. 

That is not to say that I am saying that copying a company's product and putting a different label on it is cool. It isn't but, I would bet that if we really got in to the contracts a lot of these folks sign an agreement that they can make a few changes to the design and sell it as a different product. Look as some of the Penn and Pflugger reels. Exact reel with a different paint job and a different package. Same reel. $30-$40 price difference.

It is all about what you are willing to pay for. The illusion of being made in America is huge.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Blaminack

No doubt much of what you posted is correct. Lots of folks like to pursue their pastimes with top notch equipment because it just plain makes it more fun for them. And in most situations that top notch equipment isn't necessary.  However a couple of points from the other side of the coin.

1. How do you react when you lose a tough fish or perhaps that once a year or once in a lifetime fish due to equipment failure?
2. There is a TON of difference technically between a high end fly reel and a $30 offbrand regardless of how good they look especially when talking saltwater flyfishing.
a. Anodized, aircraft grade aluminum is not cheap.
b. Machining tolerances are very important for the frame and spool of a fly reel. Doesn't take much of a difference to cause wobble, freeze up, and busted off fish

Does a high end fly reel really need to cost $800? Probably not. But I am also pretty sure you can't buy an even decent serviceable saltwater fly reel for $30.  There are lots of alternatives in the middle that might actually work.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks for the post and I am on blaminacks side.

I grew up fishing and was fly fishing by the age of 10. The rods available then were garbage and still are so I started to build my own and have never bought another premade rod since.

My reel of choice was a $9 (yes - change back from a ten dollar bill) Pfluger. I had several of these and they come in any size as long as you wanted the one size they made and I used them for small trout to salmon.

I quickly learned that the reel was simply a storage area for the line and did not perform any other function than keeping th line from under my feet. 

To this day I still have a few of these high quality brand name reels and would use them on any species that I would be targeting that was under 50-60 pounds. A 40 poound salmon running downstream in a flowing river is a beast to tangle with and the $9 reel brought in its fair share.

If you need a reel that has a drag on it and fishing for trout and redfish then I believe you are using it more as a spinning reel than a storage place - why not just get an anti reverse fly reel so it can be just like a spinning reel on its side.

These are great deals for someone who does not care about a label or a stamp. Go to evilbay and you can find them on there and some are being used by a guy to start a business and a living and some don't have labels.

As far as losing the fish of a lifetime - I could care less beacuse that is not the purpose of why I am fishing. I am not out to put my name in a record book. I am out fishing because I can get get out and away from the honey do list and other responsibilities for a few hours. 

The true recreational reasons to fish seem to be vanishing. Just get oudoors and use whatever equipment you want. If you choose to buy a $30 ripped off reel as an experiment then good for you and if your experiment does not work for you then you can go to another experiment and all you have lost is $30. Buy a "top notch" brand and it doesn't work for you , then you have lost $100 bucks and the aggrevation of selling it and getting it shipped. (the for sale area has lots of exaples if you need proof)


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

> Blaminack
> 
> No doubt much of what you posted is correct. Lots of folks like to pursue their pastimes with top notch equipment because it just plain makes it more fun for them. And in most situations that top notch equipment isn't necessary.  However a couple of points from the other side of the coin.
> 
> ...


Much of what you bring up has been addressed. We are talking about CNC machined Aircraft Grade Aluminum. (At least that is the claim.) And anodized. CNC machining has driven the prices of this stuff to the floor. They load up the material and let the machine do it's thing. As an example. Early in the summer I bought an LED light for 12.68$ off EBay with free shipping. The Housing weighed about a pound. The LED puts out and INSANE amount of light. I used them submerged as wading lights all summer long and never rinsed them or in any other way maintained them. They show no signs of corrosion or wear. I beat them all summer. I let them ride in the back of my truck with sand scrubbing them as I go down the road. Now, in this case, I would think that I got way more for my money than I EVER could have expected. What if that same manufacturer built a Fly Reel and sold it for $30? Would it be cheap Chinese junk still, if it did any where close to that or would it be an example of the rip off that is "Fly" tackle? I appreciate American made just much as anyone else, but i feel as if these American companies are pulling a fast one on us. Look at GLoomis. Do they make their stuff here? I don't know, but i have looked closely at some of their $250 spinning rods and was shocked at the workmanship. Threads with visible gaps and uneven epoxy. Guides not quite perfect. Again, I build my rods, so I look close. I believe that I could build a rod of comparable performance for about $100 paying retail markup on materials. 

Listen, I don't begrudge these folks what they charge. The price should be what the market will bear. There will always be that crowd that are willing to pay a premium for prestige. But at the same time, why shaft the more practical user? If there was a realistic range of quality gear, it is guaranteed that there would be more folks trying fly fishing and in the long run they would do better. I think that we can all agree that this is evidenced by folks like TFO. Do you think that Sage, Scott, GLoomis, etc etc etc have felt the pressure on their market share as of becomes cool to fish with TFO? I am sure that they have.


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## Virnut (Nov 8, 2012)

on that note nothing but positive reviews for the TFO BVK
225 bucks...


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

Yes!!!!


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## KnotHome (Jul 21, 2009)

> > Blaminack
> >
> > Listen, I don't begrudge these folks what they charge. The price should be what the market will bear. There will always be that crowd that are willing to pay a premium for prestige. But at the same time, why shaft the more practical user? If there was a realistic range of quality gear, it is guaranteed that there would be more folks trying fly fishing and in the long run they would do better. I think that we can all agree that this is evidenced by folks like TFO. Do you think that Sage, Scott, GLoomis, etc etc etc have felt the pressure on their market share as of becomes cool to fish with TFO? I am sure that they have.
> 
> ...


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## Green_Hornet (Nov 1, 2008)

have to chuckle on this one. I bought that exact reel on ebay for about 60 bucks. I lost my 8wt Orvis mid arbor and rod overboard and needed a replacement. I had limited cash available so I figured I would get this and try to wear it out until I can afford something better. When it arrived I was surprised. The drag is almost twice the diameter of the Orvis. It had as good adjustment on a bigger knob. It was very smooth throughout the range pulling line off it. The spool is threaded onto the hub directly with a knob, and not a catch lever. The spool spins freely on the reel with no  binding. No sharp edges anywhere. It is a good deal for what it is. Put it on a new Echo Solo 8wt, that isn't made in the USA either.


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2012)

> have to chuckle on this one. I bought that exact reel on ebay for about 60 bucks. I lost my 8wt Orvis mid arbor and rod overboard and needed a replacement. I had limited cash available so I figured I would get this and try to wear it out until I can afford something better. When it arrived I was surprised. The drag is almost twice the diameter of the Orvis. It had as good adjustment on a bigger knob. It was very smooth throughout the range pulling line off it. The spool is threaded onto the hub directly with a knob, and not a catch lever. The spool spins freely on the reel with no  binding. No sharp edges anywhere. It is a good deal for what it is. Put it on a new Echo Solo 8wt, that isn't made in the USA either.



I have seen a bunch of these on Ebay. All different variations from $20-$200. U.S., Canada, U.K. via China. 

Maybe I'll try one.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

I ordered one. I will have it tomorrow. I'll give an honest opinion.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

I try to never buy chineese. And the key word is try. Its very hard(impossible?) to do these days. We are surrounded by made in China products. So why not fly gear. Having said that if its something I am passionate about I look for name brand proven quality. That will hold its value when time to sell. A old guy guy I used to work with gave me some advice. SPEND YOUR MONEY ONCE  For the record I do not own one pirce of chineese fishing gear. I do own some Japan gear like Okuma and Shimano. Ironicly the only reel I ever took back for piss poor quality was one of the first Orvis LA trout reels(early 90s?) I did a few years back buy some $90 Cabelas super duper deluxe wading boots. They looked good with triple stiching and all. When I recieved em I saw they were made in China . I was like to hell with it I'll keep em. I gave em to a buddy a year or so later. Who was just getting into fly fishing. A few months later I noticed a bunch of yellow looking stuff on his boots. He had glued the boot/soles/foam back together with Gorrilla glue ;D I couldnt believe they didnt last but a dozen trips and less than two years before they were shiat.  I have some felt LL Bean and Simms that are nearly 20 years old. To me the most practical solution is to buy used high quality gear. I have 3 Sage DSII rods that I love. I paid as little as $90. And no more than $150 for any of them used. My Loomis CrossCurrent was $225-my most exspensive rod. My beloved Old Florida reel was $150. I have a beautiful flawless Winston 10 wt in the for sale section now for $145 shipped! My 07 kevlar Lostmen was $13k . I am not ashamed to buy used. ;D Hell my cheap ass will even buy my Wranglers off Ebay for $6-10. Plus the fish could care less if you have a new $100 TFO or a used $700 Loomis. As long as it works for you


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## MSG (Jan 11, 2010)

TFO BVK retails for $225. Dealer cost is between $115 and $135. Figure tfo is doubling their money - at least - so there landed cost is around $60 - that includes boxing, shipping, etc.. So if a Chinese vendor wants to go direct and offer product at $30 to $60 - it's really not un reasonable to assume you can get really good quality. The world is changing. I have a bunch of orvis battenkill's that I bought on closeout for about $140 or so - I also have an $800 nautilus. There is no way you can convince me the difference in price is worth it. I think the nautilus is smoother and ultimately better - but the price difference is extreme.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

> I ordered one. I will have it tomorrow. I'll give an honest opinion.


As promised, I received the reel that I ordered as an experiment. Overall, I say it was $40 will spent. It is light as can be. I would compare it to an Okuma Helios. As mentioned before the Spool is held on with a machined screw on cap that has an O-Ring gasket. The drag seems smooth. On the back side of the spool it has another machined cap that also has a gasket, (though I doubt it actually seals the inside) that gives access to a one way clutch bearing that is used to switch the retrieve. On the inside of hub area of the spool is the only place that I could see any stray machining marks. On the inside of the spool on the arbor, there was one of the holes that was not cut clean through and the little plug of aluminum was still in it. I popped it out with little plastic paint brush handle. The drag is very adjustable and has a very wide range. I believe that if it stays as smooth as it is right now, it will handle any fish that I have opportunity to fish for up here in the panhandle outside of tarpon. I didn't buy it for tarpon any ways. There are three places that I see as negatives, but these are still manageable for the type of fishing that I am doing.One, the handle is a little too small. Two, it is pretty close to the rim, and makes it difficult to palm the spool, BUT this is not that big of a deal, as the drag is so adjustable that I doubt that should be an issue. Third the clearance between the spool and the frame could be tighter. If you had a loop of backing flipping around some how, I suppose that it may get around the frame brace or wrapped around the spindle. 










As far as appearances go... eh. Who cares. So, if it lasts through a year of hard fishing for redfish and trout, and maybe bonita, then yeah, $40 well spent. If it doesn't it is worth while experiment.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

All material being the same. Tight tolerences should not cost more to produce. Changing a few numbers on a CNC mill is easy and labor/skill free. In theory if you pay a worker $.20 a hour instead of $20 a hour you can make much cheaper product. With the same quality. But the problem is that they try to cut corners evem more from my experience. They already have the world beat with thier ant farm like society. I dont understand why they have put out such shiatty products.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

[quote . Third the clearance between the spool and the frame could be tighter. If you had a loop of backing flipping around some how, I suppose that it may get around the spool.[/quote]


I don't know about you. But this wouldn't ever happen to me. I have yet to shoot all 100 feet of my fly line yet ;D

This is the kind of thing I was talking about. They made the program as fast as possible to get it off the mill even quicker. Another 30 seconds or so would have addressed all those problems you were refering to. But you have some ChiCom sweat shop bastard pushing thier people and machines to the max. That has absolutely no interest in you or the finished product. Much less the sport of flyfishing. Products by fishermen for fishermen does not apply with this Chineese stuff. But is good enough in most cases. This is different when a US company designs a product then out sources the labor/tooling to thier standards. This holds them to different level of quality.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

That was EXACTLY my point. It is tight enough that any of my fly line could not get under it, but my FLAT flossy backing could. Again, it will never be an issue for me. I am talking a few thousands of an inch.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

That thing doesn't look to bad to me. Does it run true without a bunch of side run out? Thats what hated about the cheap cast ones. Could you post some pics of under the hood?


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

Here is a video of the reel in question in action. I caught three redfish with the biggest at 26-27". And 12 Trout. First impressions... Totally satisfied. Now, is a Nautilus better? YES!!!!! But it is 2000% cost better? Not sure about that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gceO4XBfBQ


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> Here is a video of the reel in question in action. I caught three redfish with the biggest at 26-27". And 12 Trout. First impressions... Totally satisfied. Now, is a Nautilus better? YES!!!!! But it is 2000% cost better? Not sure about that.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gceO4XBfBQ


To me. Spending $300 on a reel is worth it. It's up to the buyer, that's why we have so many reels in so many price ranges.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

There is a lot to this. Prices indeed can be subjective. It all depends on what you are looking for. If performance is equal, or even close, then what is left is appearance. The value of something is what some one is willing to pay for it. What do you get in the $300 price range? 

Now, let me tell you what I would expect for a high end price. I would expect super clean machining and finishing. The most smooth drag with low inertia start up. I would expect a nice case. I would expect excellent warranty with overnight or over the counter repair/replacement service. I would expect serious corrosion resistance. Of all of these I would expect the warranty service that matches the price and accounts for the 2000% difference between the reel above and a high end fly reel. Now do any companies out there offer that? I don't know.

Again, I have own and still do own some high end gear, so this is not about an unwillingness to spend the coin.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> There is a lot to this. Prices indeed can be subjective. It all depends on what you are looking for. If performance is equal, or even close, then what is left is appearance. The value of something is what some one is willing to pay for it. What do you get in the $300 price range?
> 
> Now, let me tell you what I would expect for a high end price. I would expect super clean machining and finishing. The most smooth drag with low inertia start up. I would expect a nice case. I would expect excellent warranty with overnight or over the counter repair/replacement service. I would expect serious corrosion resistance. Of all of these I would expect the warranty service that matches the price and accounts for the 2000% difference between the reel above and a high end fly reel. Now do any companies out there offer that? I don't know.
> 
> Again, I have own and still do own some high end gear, so this is not about an unwillingness to spend the coin.


Some of those requirements, such as overnight shipping, are not realistic....

But let's say a company were to offer everything you stated above, the reel would be over $500.

You compared a Chinese reel which costs 30 and take $3 to make to a $300 reel which costs maybe over $100 for an American company to make.

You are putting apples to bananas.

Would I compare the Chinese reel from eBay in a shoot out against an Allen reel? Yes.

Would I compare the Chinese reel to a nautilus or a galvan? No, that's stupid.

Using an opinionated scale of relative cost of an item is not a good way to compare said items.

Pot metal vs barstock aluminum, machining tolerances, warranties, customer service, and drag components are all quite different in a $300 American reel vs a Chinese eBay reel.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

I have the entire time been comparing Nautilus, Tibor etc. to this reel. And I have never said it is any where near the same. My point has been the entire time, what is it that you are getting for your money on the high end reel.

The $40 reel that the add was about is anodized bar stock machined aluminum. The drag is Delrin. It I believe made by one of the same factories that is making most of the $200-300 reels.

Now my warranty ideas aren't unrealistic. Not at all! That is the service claim made by Shimano on a Stella. I have a Stella 10000 that I bought for Cobia and Amberjack. Lots more moving parts and technology there. If Shimano can offer it, how is it that the more High End Fly Reel companies can't? 

Again, the point is, what is the feature that you get that justifies the price difference? All materials and finish being equal, one can make the claim that the difference is warrant and customer service and reputation etc. It has been said that the difference is because the Chinese worker makes .20$ an hour and the American worker likely makes 20$. OK, but how much hands on assembly time is there in a fly reel in manufacturing? With CNC machining, not much.

Now, if you want one of the expensive by all means! More power to you. Heck I like them and would use them! Just don't let your wife read this thread before you tell her that you are thinking of getting one. ;D


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

If there's any issue's with my $275 Nautilus, I can walk into Nautilus and they will fix it on the spot. Won't be the first time. Luckily, they're local. But same goes for Nautilus Dealers. If they're a certified tech center for Nautilus, they usually can take care of any issues. Fly Shop of Miami does repairs in house on Nautilus Reels. And they're also in Miami.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

Now, see that is the kind of service that I would expect for that kind of price.


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## chrisw (Feb 22, 2007)

blaminack 
How is the reel holding up?


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2012)

> > I ordered one. I will have it tomorrow. I'll give an honest opinion.
> 
> 
> As promised, I received the reel that I ordered as an experiment. Overall, I say it was $40 will spent. It is light as can be. I would compare it to an Okuma Helios. As mentioned before the Spool is held on with a machined screw on cap that has an O-Ring gasket. The drag seems smooth. On the back side of the spool it has another machined cap that also has a gasket, (though I doubt it actually seals the inside) that gives access to a one way clutch bearing that is used to switch the retrieve. On the inside of hub area of the spool is the only place that I could see any stray machining marks. On the inside of the spool on the arbor, there was one of the holes that was not cut clean through and the little plug of aluminum was still in it. I popped it out with little plastic paint brush handle. The drag is very adjustable and has a very wide range. I believe that if it stays as smooth as it is right now, it will handle any fish that I have opportunity to fish for up here in the panhandle outside of tarpon. I didn't buy it for tarpon any ways. There are three places that I see as negatives, but these are still manageable for the type of fishing that I am doing.One, the handle is a little too small. Two, it is pretty close to the rim, and makes it difficult to palm the spool, BUT this is not that big of a deal, as the drag is so adjustable that I doubt that should be an issue. Third the clearance between the spool and the frame could be tighter. If you had a loop of backing flipping around some how, I suppose that it may get around the frame brace or wrapped around the spindle.
> ...


If anything it looks like a Great Start-Up Reel or back-up. I bought one for my 3 wt. as I will be fishing my Old Steams in the Shenandoah NP over the Holidays.


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## Bill_Laminack (Feb 12, 2012)

So far so good. Still seems like a great reel for $40 however, it has only been on three trips.


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## juanmlopez2129 (Sep 17, 2012)

I have seen quite a few things I like from them! I am impressed with the quality given the price... Hell, every reel up to and including Van Staal is now MIC so, why not! I wish they gave u the prices up front though!

-swordfish


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

> Thanks for the post and I am on blaminacks side.
> 
> I grew up fishing and was fly fishing by the age of 10.  The rods available then were garbage and still are so I started to build my own and have never bought another premade rod since.
> 
> ...


This


And if the reels are an exact replica when it comes to the drag and bearing, then you can buy the drag and bearing from the better company and switch it out. Whallah, you have 100 into a reel that would have been $800. With the same drag and bearing


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

I love stuff like this. Competition makes everyone stronger.


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## kylepyro (Oct 27, 2010)

I like competition. I don't like companies stealing other companies designs.


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## hydrocynus (Feb 13, 2013)

I am reviving this thread. I have ordered one of their high end reel, the VX. I read good things about that reel that is sold in Australia by Eden. I like the fact that it is sealed and it has a high quality cork drag. I had time to chat with their reps and they claim to use high end needle bearings and bar stock aluminum. I will let you all know about the quality. I have tested and reviewed several reels in the past and I collect reels for fun. 

Along with the reel, I bought several goodies such as tubular bandana, fly boxes etc. One cannot go wrong with these. The fly box is sold for nearly a $75 in fly shops (Very large sealed fly box) and you get it for $10. The reel is normally around $250 and you get it for less than $90. Of course, no warranty if it breaks. I hope it won't and from what I have read about the reel, it is very tough and in par with the $500 reels. 

China and Korea can make very good products. You just have to be selective. TFO get their stuff over there and people are happy with these. Heck, I do like my Hayden (tough as a rock). 

Cheers to all.


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## BugDopeforENP (May 29, 2013)

> I am reviving this thread. I have ordered one of their high end reel, the VX. I read good things about that reel that is sold in Australia by Eden. I like the fact that it is sealed and it has a high quality cork drag. I had time to chat with their reps and they claim to use high end needle bearings and bar stock aluminum. I will let you all know about the quality. I have tested and reviewed several reels in the past and I collect reels for fun.
> 
> Along with the reel, I bought several goodies such as tubular bandana, fly boxes etc. One cannot go wrong with these. The fly box is sold for nearly a $75 in fly shops (Very large sealed fly box) and you get it for $10. The reel is normally around $250 and you get it for less than $90. Of course, no warranty if it breaks. I hope it won't and from what I have read about the reel, it is very tough and in par with the $500 reels.
> 
> ...


How did you find out the prices? Thanks


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