Best fishing reels for Alaska fishing are designed to withstand the demands of battling large and powerful fish species like salmon and halibut. These reels selected by the Editors at Fish Alaska offer durability, smooth operation, and ample line capacity to tackle the challenges of Alaska’s diverse fishing environments.
Best Fishing Reels
Hardy 1921 Wide Spool Perfect Reel 3-3/4” HREPER1921LH080
Tradition. Quality. Classic aesthetics. The unmistakable screaming growl as a big fish goes on a long run…This reel has all of those in spades. It’s made in 5 sizes in diameters ranging from 3” up to 4”. We tested the 3-3/4” size. It’s a great match for two-handed rods from 7- to 9-weight for large trout, steelhead, and salmon. This full-framed reel is made of machined aluminum with a 1-piece naval brass spindle.
It has a significantly stouter check than the standard Wide Spool Perfect. It also has a solid, non-ventilated winding plate so it weighs more than a standard Wide Spool Perfect of comparable size. The revolving line guard is a prominent feature of the 1921 Perfect. The 3-3/4” size has over 200 yards of 30-pound-test Dacron backing capacity. If you are into click-and-pawl reels and swinging flies, especially if you’re targeting steelhead-sized fish, you’ll love this reel.
Lamson Liquid S HD -9+ 3-Pack
This is a fully caged fly reel designed for two-handed rods. It’s available in 3 sizes for everything from Euro nymphing to switch and Spey rods for large anadromous fish. We tested the largest (-9+) size which holds 250 yards of 30-pound-test backing plus a WF10 line. The spool is 4.45” in diameter, and 1.25” wide. With such a large arbor, retrieve speed is impressive. The reel weighs 7.8 ounces and the -9+ matches 8-, 9-, and 10-weight fly rods. The fully caged design helps prevent thin running lines from jumping out of the frame.
Most reels for Spey rods cost hundreds of dollars, but by using a pressure-cast process instead of machining the reel from bar stock, this reel comes in at an affordable price point. The 3-pack includes 1 complete reel plus 2 spare spools in a padded Cordura case. This enables you to have spools rigged and ready for different applications. For instance, you might have 1 spool with a heavy mono running line and Skagit head. An extra spool might be rigged with a Scandi line for skating flies, while the third spool might have an integrated head to be used for stripping streamers or perhaps indicator fishing.