16 replies to this topic

[picketpin]

Hi Guys. Have any of you Gentleman tried the Shimano fly reels yet and what do you think? I use lots of Shimano reel ,spin, trolling baitcasters. and have great luck I was just wondering how their line of fly reels would be.


Tight lines MIKE

[steeldrifter]

To be honest Mike I had no idea they even made a fly reel ......wouldnt have a link would you so we could take a looksie?

[fishyfranky]

I read several UK fly fishing magazines and it annoys me to no end why we don't get the fly gear from Shimano, Diawa, etc over here in North America. Here's the reel (real nice!):
Shimano fly reel

[steeldrifter]

Hmm ..I had thought it might be something "cheap" like along the lines of a base model medalist or something like that, but that reel actually looks pretty darn nice.

[picketpin]

Steeldrifter Iagree that reel looks fine. that 7/8 wt with 230m of backing looks pretty nice



Fishyfranky thanks for the web site , looking around the us, and canadian sites to try and find a dealer. the thing I like is the 10year warrenty on this reel. did you happen to see a prince for the Ultegra series reels


thigt lines guys Mike

[Gary Madore]

[fishyfranky]

Well, you can get it for about 60 pounds but you have to add shipping etc. As an alternative, you can get a relabel from G Loomis:

G Loomis version

These should be easy to find

[Pujic]

That Shimano reel looks identical to the G.Loomis one. Does anyone know if they are from the same manufacturer?

Those G.Loomis Venture (or Adventure in Canada) reels are awesome. I have an Adventure 5 which I have been using for 2 full years now and I've never had any problems with it.

Nick

[fishyfranky]

Yes, the G Loomis Ad/Venture and Shimano Ultegra are the same reel. Shimano is G Loomis's parent company.

[Dave]

Is the Venture and Adventure the same reel? I was recently in a fly shop looking for a reel for bass and light saltwater and the clerk there said he used the Adventure 7 and really liked it. It did seem to have a very smooth drag. I'm kind of torn between the Adventure and the Pflueger Trion which also seems like a pretty good reel. Both sell for around $100.

Dave

[Gary Madore]

No kidding.... Wow.

Well, that clinches it: I've been sitting on the fence, trying to decide whether or not to shell out the big bux for a Loomis reel to grace my Loomis rod.... The answer, now, is "hell yes!"

Funnily enough, when I looked at the Shimano link provided above I thought to myself "Wow: That looks just like the Loomis. I wonder if it's a knockoff?" heh heh

Thanks for the info. The things you learn.....

Cheers!

Gary

[picketpin]

Thanks for the info. guys. The venture or adventure does looks like the shimano reel Iwas looking at on the web sites


thanks all , glad to here yuo like yours Nick!!

TL Mike

[appalachian angler (tn.)]

I know this may sound funny but can anyone vouch for the clicker in this reel. I hate plastic "clucking" clickers. I guess I am just used to my old battenkill. The reel seems like a good product for the $$$

A.A.

[nightfish]

The clicker is fairly quiet, but I don't have the right blade screwdriver at the moment to take mine apart to see the clicker mechanism. It sounds to me like a bearing against detents rather than plastic though.

My review of the G-Loomis Venture 5, that I've had for a year:

The reel looks nice, with an attractive color, and seems well-balanced. The drag is smooth, with a great deal of fine adjustment. Outgoing click is fairly quiet, and the clicker is silent on retrieve. Without my dissasembling of the drag knob, it appears that the drag is sealed. The frame is very open, with lots of surface for rim control (palming). The construction appears to be machined after casting (MAC), and is aluminum. Weight is slightly heavy for it's size, but not horribly so. Left to right retreive change is fairly easy...remove one screw and a plastic retainer clip, remove & flip the bearing, & replace retainer & screw. I paid approximately $100 (US) at retail.

There are some things I don't like about the reel. The metal is very soft, & scratches easily, and the frame edges could have been rounded to prevent abrasion to line when stripping (slightly sharp edge). There is no ventilation on the drag knob side of the frame or the drag knob side of the spool. The drag knob, at the lightest setting, has a gritty sound (like poorly fit gears), but has had no wear problems that I have detected. The brand & model labeling is painted on the frame & wears away quickly. The foot is cast, which will bend or break easily. There is absolutely no resistance on the retreive, which bothers me slightly, but is no big deal. The screws are of a very soft metal, and several require very small heads, both philips & straight, which would make field maintenance a bit difficult if needed.

After a year of use, I have not had any problems with the drag, retreive or spool retention, but cosmetically, it has shown more wear than I feel it should based on use. The retail price, in my opinion, is fair to slightly overpriced based on material quality, and fair based on performance. I recently replaced the reel with another brand, and I haven't decided if I'll keep it or sell it.

[appalachian angler (tn.)]

Thanks, for the thorough review nightfish! I light of your testimony I think I will pass on that one and maybe buy a tioga when I put together my next 5wt set-up. Also thinking about a J.RYALL Julianna model if I decide to throw in the extra $75 smackers.

A.A.