Gear Review: Redington RISE Fly Reels

A nice review on just one of the many many reels coming onto the market in '09. The consumer is spoilt for choice, apart from the one issue I have with this review, and that is what I call the tyranny of lightness.
Ill say now that Im a retailer, gear reviewer/writer and former journalist, but I don't sell Redington reels.

There has been a constant clamor from consumers, responded to by the industry, for lighter rods and reels, much like the clamor for higher modulous, faster rods in the 80s/90s, and we saw where that ended up.

The writer regards 1.25oz as whopping for a mid-150s reel. Such statements prompt humourous musings as whether the reviewer would be exhausted by drinking the 20oz bottle of Coke I'm sipping, and would be remarkably better served by one of 18.75oz instead.

Its a pity the review couldn't have done a little more research as to his claim that "Many similar sized models at the high end of the fly reel retail range come in at a respectable 3 to 3 1/2 ounces." I fear our reviewer was looking at reel diameters perhaps.

Ross Evolution 2 3.9oz
Galvan Torque 4.8oz
Orvis BLA III 4.4oz
Sage 4550CF 3 7/8 oz
Ross Vexis 2 4.7oz (incidentally this was a Midcurrent Best of Show Award winner in September
Sage 4550 4 3/8oz
W-L Force 2X 3.2 oz
W-L Litespeed 2 3.9oz
(Information from company websites)

More seriously I wonder whether the reviewer fishes anything longer than 8', or perhaps just high end rods.

The trouble with the tyranny of lightness in reels is it disregards the whole question of balance. Balance in a 9' rod isn't only determined by weight but where the mass is distributed along the length and wheree your fulcrum point is located.
I have a personal distaste for tipheavy rods, and in many fly fisher's hands this leads to more tailing loops. Extra tailing loops is something most of us can do well enough on our own without building in some more

This reel is priced moderately for moderate priced rods, and it will balance 9'ers in that price range.

The short rods 8' and under get the 3.5oz and lighter reels. But what about the growing popularity of 10'ers and the switch rods.

I can tell you from experience you need at least a 5+ oz reel to balance high end 10'ers plus an ounce and some for line and backing. So what about the cheaper long rods? Its actually hard to find something other than 8wts to meet the criteria.
Even the so called "heavy" rise gets there in the 9/10 size at 5.3 oz.

The bottom line is there is a place for superlight reels, and a place for heavier reels. Just don't always assume lighter is better.