Aventik FLK Fly Fishing Reel Aluminum Trout 3/5, 5/7, 7/9wt Large Arbor Freshwater Fly Reel

I gave it 4 stars because the first reel I ordered had problems. The spool rubbed on the frame and the drag was very uneven. Amazon replaced it quickly and the new reel is really very nice. It's CNC machined aluminum with a good looking hard anodized finish. The drag on this one is smooth and it's lighter than a die cast reel. This is the best reel you're going to find for under 35 bucks anywhere. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a good reel that won't break the bank.

I bought this as a cheap spare and it has stood up to many fishing trips and a lot of abuse, and caught many fish.

Pros- The components are accurately CNC cut, which is stronger than cast aluminum usually.- The retrieval smoothness and precision is entirely satisfactory- The drag, though simply a Teflon disc compressed between stainless steel washers, is strong, easily adjusted, and smooth. I caught a 20 lb carp on my #8 outfit and the drag ran smoothly on several slow but long runs.- The finish is a pleasant frosted texture with durable anodizing. Not equivalent to higher end reels but entirely satisfactory.- Good customer serviceCons- Drag is not sealed against saltwater (requires careful rinsing the reel in tap water after a trip)- Tiny quality assurance issues: (a) one reel was missing a drag disc but this was promptly remedied by customer service, and (b) tiny shards of aluminum from the CNC milling were present in the internal mechanisms of both reels.- Bright green color might feel ugly to some, cool to others. Subjective.SummaryThis reel is a cost-effective option when fly angling with a #8 or #9 rod for species up to 20 lbs. If you spend a lot of time fishing for powerful fish in saltwater, I'd recommend a reel with a high-performance, fully sealed, carbon or Teflon drag and more backing capacity, such as the Piscifun Platte ($150), Cabela's Gold Cup ($165), Redington Grande ($285), or Orvis Hydros SL ($240). Disassemble this reel upon purchasing it, clean any metal shavings out of it, ensure the drag disc is present, re-lube, and reassemble.

They reel had me worried no joke, large arbor type I have never used before but gave it a go. The drag was great the reel preformed way better then expected. An the color is really cool. Can't wait to take it back out again, an plan on it being first of many..

Great value for CNC. Smooth, clean and light while seemingly strong. Can’t speak to durability yet. This company amazes me. Great value in rods, reels and fly lines. This 7:9 wt may be a little short on capacity. Seems more like a 7/8 to me

Really nice reel. I tried the 5/6 before ..wasn't impressed with the green and the build had slop. Gave the blue 7/8 a shot to complete a sporty little bass rod....just what I was looking for drag is nice and this is a great working mans reel . the slop problem does not exist and this time around it was nicely deburred and the tolerance is very tight no wobble. And a nice drag clicker sound ... nice cheap little hot rod.

If you are the type of fly fisherperson who doesn't like to tinker with equipment or are a rank beginner, I don't think this is the reel for you. I think it will work ok since the drag is smooth and has a decent, but not good, range of drag adjustment and is type 2 anodized for frame/spool.The problems are:1. Sharp edges. Corners were cut on deburring the otherwise good machining on this reel. If I kept this reel I would take a piece of sandpaper and lightly smooth out the burrs and sharp edges so they won't cut or wear out the fly line.2. Corrosion on drag adjustment disks. I took the drag knob off and found that the washers in there were corroded in various places. Not so much that the drag didn't work, but if these washer corrode while sitting dry in a box, what's going to happen when they get wet?3. Drag knob turns too freely. The drag knob turns easily and with the relatively short drag adjustment range, could lock up the reel by bumping it against a finger or even your jacket and there goes your 20" trout.I figure it would take me about an hour or 2 to fix all these problems - sanding, replacing corroded drag adjustment washers with good stainless steel ones and maybe try locktite on the drag knob. But I've got plenty of other reels and better things to do with my free time like go fishing.

I have the 3 wt, gunmetal version. The first thing I said when I held it was - Wow! The finish, color and texture look great! It's smooth.