Ross Big Game Reel

Before my last great bass fishing trip that wasn't, I headed over to the fly
shop to buy a new reel for the 8 wt. I've been learning what I wanted in a
reel, mainly solid feel and quiet operation, before using Roger Ohlund's rod
& reel at Penn's while he was testing my Orvis Clearwater 4 wt.. rod and
Battenkill reel and proclaiming it a piece of crap (while I recognize some
'differences' with that set-up, thanks to DavePA's streamside instruction, I
am more comfortable with the rod than ever). Using Roger's Guideline Sense
reel, I was confirmed in what I thought I wanted in a reel.

The shop owner didn't carry Guideline, nor had he heard of it (for that
matter, I can't find it online either. Roger, that was Guideline all over
your equipment, yes?) I knew the other demands I had of the new reel -- the
same thing I ask of all my new fly fishing equipment -- perform the widest
possible range of tasks and perform them all reasonably well. This rod/reel
will likely be used for largemouth and steelhead, hopefully for
muskellunge...and just maybe if the stars align correctly, some salt water
duty sometime in the future. I decided on the Ross Big Game 4 Reel. It
seems solid, the drag seems easily adjusted, the spool comes off quite
nicely, and it was the quietest of the few brands the shop carries (I tried
a Bauer, Abel, Ross & Orvis)...though there is a slight high pitched
metallic sound that is destined to either become music to my ears or will
always be just that one thing I'd always like to change about it. I tried
the Big Game 5 on the rod, thinking that it might offer a better range of
possibilities, but it seemed a bit too heavy for the rod and the 4 just
seemed to fit much nicer.

The question, then, is, does anyone have any experience with this reel? Any
problems/quirks/praises? I know this is something one would normally ask
*before* buying the reel, but since there just aren't many fly shops in
Columbus, OH, I wasn't expecting to have a large selection to test and
choose from anyway. The only complaint I have as of now is so minor it's
ridiculous, but I'll mention it anyway...the reel case is a neoprene case
with a Velcro attachment that has a large, somewhat garish, in my opinion,
logo printed on it. I would prefer something that zips and is a bit more
refined looking.

"Tim Carter" wrote in message
....

The shop owner didn't carry Guideline, nor had he heard of it (for that
matter, I can't find it online either.

You're not trying very hard, but you have to order them from accross the
oceans, I do not think they are imported into the US

it was the quietest of the few brands the shop carries

Jesus man, what's with this quiet stuff, you're politics are one thing but
quiet on a fly reel? There's nothing like the sound of a hardy in morning.

(I tried
a Bauer, Abel, Ross & Orvis)...


The question, then, is, does anyone have any experience with this reel?

The Ross Canyon Big Game reel is a solid reel. (see my response to the reel
for the TFO rod below). Price, as prices go, is not bad, the reel is salt
water rated, the drag is solid. This past jan I was steelhead fishing in
southern MI when I hooked a fish and got my self in a precarious situation
at the same time, figuring better to loose the fish than for my wife and
daughter to loose their meal ticket, I tightened the almost all the way. the
reel stopped the fish dead in it's track and for some reason the 1x tippet
did not pop, I got better footing and landed the fish. If one does not want
to spring for an Abel or a Tibor, Ross is definitely a good reel. FWIW, get
rid of that battenkill crap and get one of the evolutions by ross when you
have the spare funds.

but since there just aren't many fly shops in
Columbus, OH, I wasn't expecting to have a large selection to test and
choose from anyway.

Abel/Bauer/orvis/Ross is a decent reel selection

The only complaint I have as of now is so minor it's
ridiculous, but I'll mention it anyway...the reel case is a neoprene case
with a Velcro attachment that has a large, somewhat garish, in my opinion,
logo printed on it. I would prefer something that zips and is a bit more
refined looking.

And Frankie C. calls me an elitist? The Big Ross is a bit gaudy as you say
but it fits nicely over the reel and rod, but if you insist
http://www.arnemason.com/reelcases.html or
http://www.turtlemoon.com/acord/catalog/reelcases.htm.

"Tim Carter" wrote in message
...
Before my last great bass fishing trip that wasn't, I headed over to the
fly
shop to buy a new reel for the 8 wt. I've been learning what I wanted in
a
reel, mainly solid feel and quiet operation, before using Roger Ohlund's
rod
& reel at Penn's while he was testing my Orvis Clearwater 4 wt.. rod and
Battenkill reel and proclaiming it a piece of crap (while I recognize some
'differences' with that set-up, thanks to DavePA's streamside instruction,
I
am more comfortable with the rod than ever). Using Roger's Guideline
Sense
reel, I was confirmed in what I thought I wanted in a reel.

The shop owner didn't carry Guideline, nor had he heard of it (for that
matter, I can't find it online either. Roger, that was Guideline all over
your equipment, yes?) I knew the other demands I had of the new reel --
the
same thing I ask of all my new fly fishing equipment -- perform the widest
possible range of tasks and perform them all reasonably well. This
rod/reel
will likely be used for largemouth and steelhead, hopefully for
muskellunge...and just maybe if the stars align correctly, some salt water
duty sometime in the future. I decided on the Ross Big Game 4 Reel. It
seems solid, the drag seems easily adjusted, the spool comes off quite
nicely, and it was the quietest of the few brands the shop carries (I
tried
a Bauer, Abel, Ross & Orvis)...though there is a slight high pitched
metallic sound that is destined to either become music to my ears or will
always be just that one thing I'd always like to change about it. I tried
the Big Game 5 on the rod, thinking that it might offer a better range of
possibilities, but it seemed a bit too heavy for the rod and the 4 just
seemed to fit much nicer.

The question, then, is, does anyone have any experience with this reel?
Any
problems/quirks/praises? I know this is something one would normally ask
*before* buying the reel, but since there just aren't many fly shops in
Columbus, OH, I wasn't expecting to have a large selection to test and
choose from anyway. The only complaint I have as of now is so minor it's
ridiculous, but I'll mention it anyway...the reel case is a neoprene case
with a Velcro attachment that has a large, somewhat garish, in my opinion,
logo printed on it. I would prefer something that zips and is a bit more
refined looking.


Tim:

I have a Ross BG 5 which I have used to catch some big (for me) Steelhead
(14, 16 lbs). The reel functions very nicely, and the drag can stop a
freight train, if you so choose. The only negative is that I don't
particularly like the feel as line is spooling off under heavy drag. There
is a very definite "cogging" that I find somewhat disconcerting. I chose the
reel, among other things, for the beefiness of the arbor, and the elegant
spool removal mechanism. The annoying drag did not show up until I was
fighting the first big fish on it. When it comes right down to it, I am more
likely to grab my Orvis LA Battenkill (don't recall the size, but it is
equivalent to the Ross) - even for Steelhead. It is silky smooth, has a good
drag, is light, and you can find parts (like spools) all over the place.
Ross is a bit harder to find in out of the way places.

HTH,

Jim Ray

"Greg Pavlov" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 02:56:00 GMT, "Tim Carter"
wrote:

Before my last great bass fishing trip that wasn't, I headed over to the
fly
shop to buy a new reel for the 8 wt. ...


I bought a BG 6 at one point and then sold it.
It had that bicycle gear sound,

That's exactly what it sounds like...

something that
I suspect was designed in, rather than being a
byproduct of reel design, to hint at a very
complex but precise mechanism. Nevertheless it
seems to be a pretty good reel but doesn't seem
to me to be functionally any better than the much
cheaper Lamson Velocity or Litespeed (and others,
I would guess): they seem to handle sal****er and
larger fish just as effectively as the Ross line
(e.g., see Peter's striper story). And some
people over on the WW flyfishing forum who have
used the Bgs in sal****er have said that you should
make sure you clean them up very carefully afterward.

Thanks for the information guys.

Just out of curiosity, what do the Lamson's sound like?

I also tried pulling line out with the drag set exceptionally heavy. I
couldn't really detect the 'cogging' that Jim mentioned with exception to
what I perceived to be caused by the fly line rolling off itself on the
spool and tightening down. I guess I'll have to wait to get a large fish on
to see if it appears then.

And Wayne, as far as being elitist...I've been shopping in discount stores
compared to what you sent...at least when it comes to rod cases. Arne Mason
had one for $1,800...this one is just north of $500
http://tinyurl.com/2b3gn. I became interested in this one through a
wholesaler for a few hundred off, but I'd have to order 25...

Jim wrote:

Ross is a bit harder to find in out of the way places.

They's all sorts of inconveniences fishing east of the Rockies.....