Spey Reel Question?

**Jesse** · January 25th, 2011, 11:14 AM

Hey fella's
I'm thinking about getting into an 8/9 weight spey rod, however, i'm looking to possibly save some $$ by using an existing reel I already have. Its an 8 weight Lamson Velosity 3.5 I believe. Obviously I would need new lines but would this reel work? What is the difference between a spey and fly reel anyways?

Thanks guys
Jesse

**btree** · January 25th, 2011, 11:49 AM

I dont really know the reel, but I'd guess it will be quite a bit on the small side, even with ultra thin gel-spun backing. Probably a better match with a 6wt spey...

**Jesse** · January 25th, 2011, 01:04 PM

The reel is a 3.9' diameter, 1.38' width and can apparently hold 200yds #20 WF9.

**btree** · January 25th, 2011, 02:19 PM

Well, I'm not expert on this, but I'd guess you'll still be tight for space with an 8 or 9 wt spey line. Depending on the type of line, you can think of an 8/9 wt spey line like about a 12/13wt single handed line as far as space requirements. For my 8/9 spey rod, I have an 11/12wt rated reel. Not only does it hold the 200 yards of #30 backing and the required spey line, but it also has the mass to balance the rod for casting. I've tried loading a spey line on my 7-8wt rated wide arbour reel and it didnt come close to fiting, so i tried on a 9-10wt rated med. arbour reel and again, it didn't fit - I was about 10 reel turns short even when I cut back to only ~75 yards of gel-spun backing.

But besides the practical considerations of space for line, do not underestimate the positive effect that an large reel can have on helping you cast your spey rod due to balancing. I don't put my 4-5-6 wt reels on my 8wt single hander... and put your larger 8wt reel on a light 5wt rod and you'll notice the opposite effect.

That being said, you can still cast effectively with too light a reel or too heavy a reel that does not balance the rod, but it's not something I'd choose to do.

**TieFlier** · January 25th, 2011, 09:06 PM

I would tend to agree with btree here. With some spey lines you might be able to cram all the line on your lamson but you would need to cut your running line short. It pays to spend the extra few bucks to get the right equipment sometimes and this might be one of them. I hope we've helped you out.

**btree** · January 25th, 2011, 09:17 PM

I'm surprised some of the spey veterans haven't chimed in on this one - there are plenty of members here who know their gear a whole lot more than I do, and I'm sure they could point you in the right direction, especially if you are in the market for a new reel that does a great job but doesn't break the bank... or if you have $$$ to burn on a reel... then there are plenty of options out there!

If you are set on using your reel with a spey rod, look into either a 6-7wt switch rod (basically a short 10'6" - 11'6" spey rod) or a 6wt spey rod.

I assume you are looking to catch steelhead and salmon on your set up... You'd be surprised what is possible with some of the new "light" spey rods these days...

But it looks like if you want to get into a spey rod, you're best to get a complete matched setup.

**Jesse** · January 26th, 2011, 08:37 AM

Thanks guys for you help! I had a feeling the spey line would be larger and might not fit.

**FlyByNight** · January 26th, 2011, 03:25 PM

You'd have to cut yourself short on backing to make it fit, but it will end up being so tight on the reel it will annoy the crap out of you. Grab a marquis 2 & don't look back