The Lightest 5-Weight Fly Reel?
Updated: Nov 29, 2021
There are a lot of important things to look at when it comes time to choose a new fly reel. Stuff like drag type, dimensions, and looks all surely come into play, but weight has always been one of the most critical specs I make note of.
If I have a rod that feels like a feather in my hands, choosing a super-lightweight fly reel is a great way to compliment it. When a rod and reel setup feels extremely light for its size, that combo typically becomes one that I REALLY look forward to fishing with. Luckily, there's a healthy amount of lightweight rod and reel choices out there for today's fly anglers to choose from, so it isn't too difficult to put together a great setup.
My latest lightweight reel acquisition came in the form of a Lamson Litespeed F -5+. Designed for 4, 5 and 6-weight lines, its minimalist design gives it an incredible weight of just 3.65 ounces on my personal scale. In hand, the Litespeed F5 feels crazy light and is an awesome companion to the best premium rods out there. By the way, I'll be posting a full review of this reel very soon after I get some more time on the water with it!
The main purpose of this post is to take the Lamson and compare it to some of the lighter reels (no click-pawl models) on the market to see how it measures up. Is this reel THE lightest of its size, or simply just one of the lightest currently available out there? Let's quickly run through a bunch of reels in the 4–6 weight range and check out the advertised weights given...
ECHO Bravo LT 4/5 ($119.99) -- 4.85 ounces
Galvan Torque T-5 ($420.00) -- 4.8 ounces
Redington RISE 5/6 ($219.99) -- 4.6 ounces
Orvis Mirage LT III 5/6/7 ($398.00) -- 4.5 ounces
Taylor Enigma 2.0 4/5/6 ($210.00) -- 4.4 ounces
Cheeky PreLoad 350 5/6 ($99.99) -- 4.4 ounces
Temple Fork Power I 5/6 ($324.95) -- 4.3 ounces
Sage Spectrum LT 5/6 ($400.00) -- 4.24 ounces
Hardy Ultradisc 5000 4/5/6 ($349.95) -- 4.2 ounces
Nautilus XM 4/5 ($345.00) -- 4.1 ounces
Ross Animas 4/5 ($360.00) -- 4.1 ounces
3-TAND TF-50 4/5/6 ($219.95) -- 3.9 ounces
Bauer RX2 4/5/6 ($575.00) -- 3.8 ounces
Waterworks-Lamson Force SL Series II -5+ ($579.99) -- 3.31 ounces
As you can see, when compared to some of the lighter full-drag reels I could find, my 3.65-ounce Lamson Litespeed F slots into second place...just behind the Force SL II also from Lamson! In fact, the weights of these two reels (and others on the list, too) puts them among the weights of some click-pawl reels on the market. Impressive!
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