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3. Sage, Lamson Konic, or Other?

All right, get ready because here I go down my repetitive little rabbit trail.

I asked a friend for his opinion on a reel and he suggested a Lamson Konic reel. I was wondering if anybody has had any experience with the Sage 1800 or the Konic and which one you would recommend for a 8wt rod.

Also do I really need to spend $150-$200 for a quality fly reel? Any other suggestions??? I don't want to throw to much money at something that I'm just paying for the looks and the logo on it! Of course for some reels like Orvis or Sage the quality probably does increase with the price, but what is the cut off? It is not like I'm going to be fighting Tuna off Mexico or Tarpon around Florida. If I was, I likely would not be worried about the issue of money.:) I want something that can take a pike or an occasional king, but those times with the kings will be rare. I also want the reel to last. What is the balance?

Okay, Time for me to close my own mouth, get a breath, and let someone else get a word in. :)

Thank you in advance,

Samuel

I own three Konics and love them. For the money they are hard to beat, in my opinion. I have one for my 8 wt that I use for bass, steelhead and salmon. I haven't had any issues with it.



Even so, I would feel confident doing that with a Konic. The drag system is the same as Lamson's higher end reels, the difference is that it is cast not forged. Because of that the frame is a bit softer than a Lamson Guru or any other higher end Lamson, and it is heavier.

Another reasonably priced reel to consider would be an Echo Ion. I have never used one, but have heard good things. They are less expensive than a Konic as well.

Hope this helps. Good luck buying!

I love mine.

While I don't have any Konics I do have a 1.5 & 2 Lamson Litespeed and the drag is as good as you will ever need for pretty much any trout, pike, or king salmon. Although I don't know how it would hold up on the Kenai with 40# kings. I have no trouble with any brown trout and have landed steelhead to 12# and the reel performs flawlessly. Check out Ebay as I saw the #2 Litespeed there in an auction. I bid on it and won it for $170.00. It was listed as "Used" but I couldn't see any wear, dings, or scratches on it so it's as good as new for me.

Sierra Trading Post has had some great prices on Lamson reels; I picked up several Radius reels a few years ago and like them. Recently STP's had other models, but I don't know if they still are in stock.

Lamson does make some good reels. Always hear good things about them.

The question of whether you need an expensive reel depends on your type of fishing. If you rarely have a fish take much line off of you then no there's no real reason to get a pricey reel. If you're seeing your backing pretty often, in cold conditions that you need a sealed drag, or just want something of greater quality then yes go for it. Don't buy something you don't like and don't spend more money than what you're willing to.

That said, check out our reels. You might find something of better quality than you expect for a nice price.

www.risenfly.com

Thank you all for your help.

I have looked into all the reels mentioned. As far as I can see they all look like they will do the job well. The prices are all very reasonable for my pocket book, except the Lamson Litespeed and the Lamsons on Sierra which look like amazing reels;I just don't have the money though.

I am noticing also that I might be able to get a deal on the slightly older model of the Lamson Konic. I saw on the Sportsmans Warehouse website that they are going for $99.92. My only worry is that it would be harder to get spare spools for them.

Risenfly, those reels look really good. I will keep those in mind.

Martinlf, I checked into to the Radius reels, but it looks like they were discontinued. Thank you anyway for your help.

Kyle, Thank you for your comment. I am leaning now towards the Echo Ion.
It looks like a good reel for the price.

Matt, Thanks for the idea of checking Ebay for some deals. I will be looking on there.

Thank you all for helping me do my homework. Thanks to you, the chance of me ending up with a reel I am be happy with has just increased.

Sam

P.S. Any other help will still be greatly appreciated.

GldstrmSam - The spools for the new version of the Konic are compatible with the old. They are a different color, but functionally they are no different. I raised the same issue buying a Konic a couple months ago. I also got mine at a nice discount!

Thank you Kyle,

That is a useful piece of info.

Sam

Konic baby!

Konica is a great reel. I own one.
But, durability is an issue.
I hope Lastchance chimes in here.
The frame bends easily with trauma, and Lamson will not repair it or replace it because "abuse" isn't covered in the warranty.
So, you're out a hundred bucks with a reel that's major advantage is it's phenomenal drag and the rubbing of the spool on the frame diminishes it's effectiveness.
My $.02

Thank you Gutcutter,

I like to every bodies perspective on it from both sides. Do you have a reel in my price range that you could recommend?