Going Old School Click Pawl Reels

10.27 in a, and, animas, at, Boat Plans, cimarron, click, closer, going, ii, look, old, pawl, reels, ross, school, the

Hardy Clickers

Reel technology has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years.  From stacked disc drags to fully sealed, saltwater-proof drags; there are a ton of choices in reel platforms out there.  All of the fancy drag systems out there have benefits that provide an edge to the most skilled anglers.  Sealed drags are the latest and greatest systems out there.  They are impervious to sand, silt and saltwater, giving anglers a peace of mind that there will likely never be a problem with their reel.  It wasn’t long ago that cork drags were the latest and greatest, offering the smoothest function of any reel.  Before that, the latest were conical clutch systems which were preceded by stacked disc drags and previously by drum brakes.  But in the beginning, it all started with the click pawl. 

Hardy Bougle

Most modern anglers go for the latest, most modern system, or at least the most modern that they can afford.  Let’s be honest, people love having the greatest, newest technology out there.  That is why people stand in line for days in order to get the new iphone when it comes out. 

But some of us are cut from a different cloth.  I believe that some of the best reels ever made are still made today in much the same way as the very first production fly reel designed in 1874 by Charles Orvis.  His click pawl reel was the benchmark for countless generations of fly reels, and not much has changed in click pawl reel design since then.  Now the gold standard in classic fly reels across the world is the Hardy Perfect.  It has been made in Allenwick, England since 1891 and almost nothing has changed in its design because it is Perfect. 

The mechanics of such a simple design leave little room for failure.  The pawls (triangular pieces of metal) in the frame click against a gear on the spool that prevents the reel from overrunning if moved quickly.  There is little to no stopping power on click pawl reels.  While the pressure that it takes to move the pawl can be adjusted on some models, running fish should be slowed down by applying pressure to (palming) the spool.  Anglers can almost never blame a lost fish on a drag that was too tight or too loose on a click pawl reel, nor will you see anglers fiddling with the drag knob at crucial moments, because there isn’t much that can happen between the loosest and tightest setting on a click pawl reel.  Lost fish can only be blamed on an angler’s own lack of controlling the pressure on the reel.  It does take more skill to control the pressure on a click pawl reel, but it takes one back to the simpler times long ago where it was just man vs. fish.

Inside the New Pflueger Medalist

The original reels only had one pawl, forcing anglers to retrieve with only their right hand.  The biggest change in click pawl reel design in the past sixty years is the addition of a second pawl so that anglers can change their reel from right to left hand retrieve.  One pawl or the other is engaged by turning it so that the teeth interact with the gear while the other pawl sits at an angle so that it is not functioning.  Another adjustment in design is the addition of an “adjustable drag”.  It is a simple addition; a small tensioner pushes against the pawl to increase the pressure that it takes to move the gear.  There is not much difference between high and low pressure (hence my quotation marks), but it is enough to give anglers peace of mind and to quell the doubters. 

Hardy Bougle

Now the best part of a click pawl reel...  Why I love them so much:  the sound.  Oh the sound of a screaming click pawl reel cannot be paralleled!  A digital recording of a screaming Hardy Perfect was set as my ringtone for a couple of years, but just made me want to fish too much every time my phone rang.  Now, I have had anglers in the shop compare the sound of a click pawl reel to nails on a chalkboard.  For them, I suggest a quieter reel like a Bauer or a Galvan.  Not everyone needs a reel like this. 

 

Hardy Bougle

Why else should you buy a click pawl reel?  You’re buying a piece of history. The Perfect has been made by Hardy since before any of us were born.   The Hardy Bouglé and Lightweight series have been around since before WWII.  The Marquis is one of Hardy’s newer reels, although it has been in production since before the founding of most other reel companies in existence.   

There are some newer click pawl reels on the market, and they also have the same worry-free drag, awesome sound and classic look as the old stand-bys.  Hardy introduced the Duchess last year in both trout and spey sizes.  They are simple, yet elegant and look just as good on the water as they do in the store.  They are also a bit lighter in weight than a Perfect or a Bougle. 

Hardy is not the only game in town when it comes to click pawl reels, even if they are by far the top dog on the street.  Abel has been building their TR trout models since the mid 1990s, and their Classic, Spey and Switch reels since 2012.  The cool thing about Abel reels is the multitude of color and porting options to choose from.  You can customize your reel to the last detail while still getting that classic click pawl experience and the finest craftsmanship, perfect machining and unparalleled attention to detail. 

Abel Classic Spey and Switch Series

Yes, it’s true, click pawl reels are not just for steelhead fishermen, although that is where the majority of our sales go.  As mentioned earlier, Hardy has been making their lightweight series trout reels since the 1930s, with four models to fit any of your trout rods. And Abel’s TR models are beautiful reels with a classic design; but there are more options out there. 

 

Pflueger Medalist mounted to a Fenwick Fenglass

Most seasoned anglers have owned a Pflueger Medalist at some point, or at least have seen them at a garage sale.  I have two old Medalists; one of them is from the 1940s and still works just as smooth as it did on the day it left the factory in Akron, Ohio.  The original Medalists used a drum brake system, which was one basic engineering move above a click pawl, but far less complex than any type of disc brakes that we see today.  Pflueger, which is owned by Pure Fishing, the same parent company as Hardy, re-introduced the Medalist this past year, and the new model incorporates a click pawl system instead of the old drum brake.  This is the most affordable click pawl reel in the store and comes in trout sizes too, plus they look pretty darn cool on the new fiberglass rods.

Galvan Brookie on left and Sage Click on right

Other companies offer a modern hybrid version of a click pawl reel.  Sage’s new Click series reelsfeature a composite pawl that is quieter, yet just as smooth and efficient as a traditional reel but with large arbor design and modern looks.  Galvan’s Brookie reel features a Click-Ball system that is similar to a click pawl design but with modern bearings, smooth operation and a similar, modern, large arbor design.  Both of these reels are top-end alternatives to the traditional click pawl reel but with even smoother function and a quieter click. 

Hardy Marquis

I have heard concerns from anglers about using click pawl reels for trout.  They are afraid that delicate tippets will break easily because of the “startup inertia” required to move the pawls.  A couple of thoughts on this:  In the past one hundred years, tippet strengths have increased dramatically while engineering abilities have improved substantially.  Anglers back then caught plenty of fish on poorly machined reels bought at local drug stores using the weakest of tippets.  Abel, Hardy, Sage and Galvan are big names in reels today.  Many of their best small stream trout reels are click pawl (or similar) designs.  This should give you a little comfort in knowing that these systems have been designed by the best reel manufacturers in the world and after more than a hundred years, they are still the go-to reels for some of the best anglers on earth.

The only thing that has really changed that would hurt an angler fishing light tippet for big trout is a fast, stiff rod.  If you prefer a fast rod for sneaky trout fishing, I would suggest reading Ryan’s article on Soft Rods and Light Lines There is a lot to be said for the capabilities of soft rods when it comes to casting at, hooking and playing big fish on light tippet.  His article is definitely worth the read. 

Maybe a click pawl reel isn’t for everyone and I am ok with that.  I still own plenty of reels from names like Ross, Bauer and Lamson and I will continue to collect reels like my girlfriend collects shoes.  But when I am looking to find that reel that I will never sell to put on the one rod that I will own until I die, there is only one thing for me to do, and that is to go old school.   

Read Soft Rods and Light Lines

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

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Gearing up for Meat Eating Trout

12.26 in Boat Plans, click, eating, for, gearing, going, meat, old, pawl, reels, school, trout, up

meat eater

Hi, my name is Ryan and I have a streamer problem.

Some would say I have an addiction. 

Some would say it’s not “real” fly fishing. 

Some would say you might as well fish with a spinning rod. 

I would say bite me!

 I have been a die-hard streamer guy for over a decade now and I will do my best to try to explain why and how I am setup for slinging big flies to monster trout.

There are 3 reasons I have become a streamer junkie:

• Streamer fishing is active fishing or what they would call power fishing in the tournament bass world. You are casting and moving a lot, and really looking for fish that want to play ball. It isn’t a finesse game, but it will work when you can’t move fish other ways. 

• Streamer strikes are often vicious and jarring. Once you have felt a few big trout crush a sculpin pattern it is hard to go back to watching a bobber… 

• Streamers will move the biggest fish in the system. If you want to catch big fish regularly, then you better learn how to feed them some meat! 

Sculpin pattern

There are some important things to think about when considering the whys, whens and hows of streamer fishing. If you think about a simple energy used to energy gained equation, it is easy to understand why a trout would eat a sculpin, dace, leech, or another trout. How many midge larvae does it take to equal the calories in one sculpin? A bunch, I would say. Another crucial aspect of streamer fishing is understanding territorial behavior and reaction strikes. Trout, particularly large trout, will defend their area even if they don’t eat what they attack. Large trout will also strike invaders for no other reason than instinct. If a big “thing” is suddenly slapped in front of them or jigs right through their field of vision, they will often strike with malicious intent.

There are many ways to fish a streamer, and I can’t possibly cover it all here, but there are a few major categories: slapping the bank, swinging, and jigging/twitching. As you dive into the streamer chucking realm you will find out when and where to use each of these, and often I will use all of them in the same day. Now don’t get me wrong, if there is a good steady hatch I will put the streamer rod down, but when the insects aren’t prolific, you will most likely see me with a leech or sculpin on my rig. And I can tell you that I have caught as many sporadically rising trout on a well placed streamer as any dry fly I have tried to present.

Meat Locker

Rainbows on the Yakima River

So let’s get down to brass tax; gearing up for the streamer game… Let me start by saying that you can fish streamers on any trout rod and line you already own, but a dedicated streamer rod will make your life easier, and give you the ability to fish effectively, especially with bigger flies. For me, a single hand trout streamer rod should be a 6 or 7 wt that isn’t too fast. Some of my favorites are the Winston BIIIx, Sage ONE, and G Loomis NRX. I know these are top end rods, but trust me, you want a rod that performs well and is light enough to cast all day when you are throwing big flies. The fly line is equally as important as the rod. For most western rivers you will need a sink tip line. My favorites are the RIO InTouch Outbound Short full floater (WF6) and intermediate/type 6 sink tip (WF6I/S6), the RIO InTouch Streamer Tip intermediate and type 6 and the RIO InTouch 15ft Sink Tip type 6. Of these the 15ft sink tip is the most versatile and the outbound short is easiest to cast. I prefer the type 6 tips for all of these because I rarely if ever wish my flies would sink less, but often wish I could get deeper.

Winter Brownie

Now let me tell you that not all streamer fishing has to be aggressive and with big flies. Fishing a streamer in smaller water or quiet pools requires some finesse and working the fly in a seductive manner. For smaller water, i.e. spring creeks, small freestones and slower tailwaters, etc. you will like a shorter rod in a 5wt as it will really help your accuracy and will load quickly. There aren’t as many choices in short 5wt rods these days, but a few I can recommend are the Loomis Shorestalker 8ft 5wt, the Scott G2 8’4” 5wt and the Winston 8’6” 5wt BIIIx. If you are in really small water or fishing for smaller fish don’t hesitate to throw small streamers on your 7’6” - 8’ 3 or 4wt too! You will also not typically need a sink tip line for small water, but a good all purpose line should get the job done.

Trout Spey Chronicles

Microspey, trout spey, small ball, whatever you call it, trout sized spey/switch rods have changed the streamer chucker’s game for good. How I would have killed for one of these rods 10 years ago. The ability to make long casts with big flies and sink tips across a river and into that deep slot has always been the bane of a streamer nut, but we did it anyway. Now we have rods and lines that can do it with nary a thought. If you find yourself deep in the throes of streamer addiction, grab a trout spey rod from Winston, Sage, Loomis or Echo, put an Airflo Streamer Switch or OPST Commando head in the appropriate size and a T-8 through T-11 tip and huck meat!

Sculpins

Reels for the streamer game need not be too complicated, but having a good piece of equipment that won’t fail you when you hook a monster, is wise. Some of my favorites are the Tibor Back Country Wide, Lamson Litespeed, Ross Evolution and Galvan Torque in the appropriate sizes. I try to avoid very heavy reels as it is a bear to cast with those all day. Just make sure you have something that is dependable.

Leader and tippet should be fairly short and strong. I rarely use anything less than 8# or 3x for streamers and mostly 2x or 1x. I am a big fan of fluorocarbon tippet, but for the most part good mono is just fine. Leaders on your sink tip setup should only be 3-6ft long with a heavy butt section to help turn over your flies. I like to build my own with Maxima or heavy Rio shock or saltwater tippet in 30-50# and then double uni knot to my tippet off of that.

Streamers are as varied as the anglers that fish them, but my most successful flies have been heavily weighted rubber legged buggers, bunny leaches, and big articulated sculpins. My favorite fly, one I dubbed the Mohawk, is a bunny or squirrel strip/bugger mutant. It can be tied with a cone, bead, or dumbbell eyes, but it should be fairly heavy. Some other really good choices are the sculpzilla and skulpin bunny. Colors should range from natural olives, tans and browns to bright colors like yellow and chartreuse, but the go to when all else fails is black.

BB - Before Beard

The bottom line is this: if you want to try a new technique, or are sick of watching a bobber, or want to find out what the biggest fish in your local water is, grab a big meaty streamer, drop it in and find out!
If not...Then Bite Me!

The Bearded Pescador

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

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