6 Best Fly Reels for 2026

The Piscifun Sword earns our Best Overall spot with a machined build and by far the largest review base among the fly reels here.

Piscifun lists CNC-machined 6061-T6 aluminum, a multi-disc carbon and stainless drag, a one-way clutch bearing, click-drag adjustment, a hard-anodized finish, a mid-arbor design, and a left-hand retrieve that converts to right-hand.

The AVID PRO earns its spot with a super large arbor and a refined drag.

Maxcatch lists CNC-machined 6061-T8 aluminum, a hard-anodized finish, a one-revolution drag knob with numbered settings, a hybrid cork, Teflon, and stainless disc drag with one-way clutch, a super large arbor with 36% more line retrieve per turn, and sizes from 3/5 to 9/11 weight.

The Maxcatch ECO earns its spot by arriving ready to fish with line, backing, and leader.

Maxcatch lists die-cast all-aluminum construction, a large arbor, a Teflon and stainless disc drag, a one-way bearing for easy retrieve switching, and pre-loaded weight-forward floating line, backing, and leader in 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8 weights.

The Orvis Clearwater earns its spot as a well-known fly reel with a sealed drag.

Orvis lists die-cast construction with a powder-coat finish, a corrosion-resistant sealed carbon-to-stainless drag for fresh and saltwater, an updated reel foot, left/right conversion, and support for 3–9 line weights across sizes.

The Crosswater IV earns its spot as a multipurpose reel with a size for bigger gamefish.

Redington lists a disc drag, a durable composite design, an easy-change spool, left/right conversion, a large arbor, a 1-year warranty, and a 7/8/9 size for salmon, large bass, stripers, and redfish.

The Pflueger Automatic earns its spot with a unique one-handed trigger retrieve and a good review base.

Pflueger lists one-handed operation that frees your grip for paddles or poles, an aluminum alloy frame and spool, an 11.2 oz weight, and a line trigger that winds line with a quick pull.