The Lamson Conical Drag System - Patented

The drag system in all Lamson fly reels consists of a pair of precisely matched conical elements which are drawn together with spring tension to produce variable rates of smooth rotational braking. By re-configuring the surface area of traditional disks into a pair of matching conical elements we were able to seal the drag completely from moisture, salt and grit. And since the mass of the drag elements is centralized, the spool's rotating mass is much lower which makes the reel more responsive to light drag settings. Because the average radius of the contact  surface is much smaller (being conical rather than disk-shaped), start-up torque is too low to measure. Most premium reels rely on a pawl type clutch mechanism. These are often vulnerable to stress related failure, contamination and wear. All of our reels employ a Torrington zero-lash roller clutch. This mechanism relies on the locking effect of a number of ramps and rollers to achieve torque transmission. There are no "teeth" or "steps" to break off or wear out. And the zero-lash feature means instant engagement. This improves feel and eliminates "spike" that the reel, line and leader experience when a typical pawl clutch hooks up.

Fly Line Buyer's Guide:

We have 2 suggestions on floating fly lines for trout.  This is based on our experience and consumer input.  If you would like a fly line installed, we will spool it up and provide backing at no cost.  Just be sure to let us know in the order comments if you would like left hand or right hand retrieval.

Rio Gold - a high performance line that has a non-textured slick coating and is very good for experienced casters that don't necessarily need to "feel" the rod load in order to get a good cast.  This is our best selling floating fly line.

Scientific Anglers GPX Textured - another high performance line that is 1/2 a line weight heavier than traditional lines making fast action rods feel slightly more forgiving.  You will be able to feel the rod load a bit more.  The textured surface seems to float high, mend well, and we see great customer satisfaction with this fly line.

FREE - Backing and setup with purchase of fly reel and fly line!

What Size Fly Reel Should I Buy?

The 1.5 is great for 3,4, or even a 5 weight if you won't commonly be in situations where might hook a steelhead.  Many of our guides prefer the 1.5 for trout because the mass weight of the reel is so light.  The #2 is perfect for a 5 or 6 weight and has plenty of backing capacity.  The 3.5 is perfect for a 7-8 weight rod and is good for steelhead or bonefish.  The #4 is the choice for spey and switch rod applications, or a fisherman that wants to get a reel for their 8 weight and "might" want to use it on a spey rod at some point.

MODEL	DIA	WIDTH	WEIGHT	ROD WT	LINE	CAPACITY
KONIC 1.5	3.10"	1.00"	4.40 oz	3,4	WF4	100 yds 12#
KONIC 2	3.40"	1.10"	4.70 oz	5,6	WF 6	100 yds 20#
KONIC 3.5	3.70"	1.22"	6.10 oz	7,8	WF8	200 yds 20#
KONIC 4	3.90"	1.25"	6.80 oz	9,10	WF10	240 yds 30#

Lamson Konic #4 - Best affordable fly reel for Spey Rods, Switch Rods, and 8 Weights

The Lamson Konic is a great value reel for anyone that is feeling their way into spey fishing, switch rods, or buying an 8 weight rod on a budget.  Many times, anglers getting into a new genre of fly fishing aren't sure yet just how much they will use one of these rods.  The Konic #4 is a great affordable spey or switch rod reel.  We encourage the #4 because spey lines are very long and thick and require a much larger reel, plus you want lots of backing for those big angry steelhead.

Other Fly Reels in this Category:

Finding another reel to compete with this at roughly $150 is going to be difficult.  There are some competitors to this reel but they cost slightly more, but also offer a bit more in the way of features as well.  The Ross CLA is going to be the closest match.  It is a great reel and has a machined frame from a slightly higher grade of alloy.  The Ross CLA also seems to spin a bit faster upon retrieval when you "spank" the reel.  The next competitor is going the be the Lamson Guru.  The Guru is a fully machined reel and has sharper edges than the Konic and machined reels by nature have a more "true" relationship between spool and reel.  The Guru also carries the appearance of a reel that should cost a lot more than it does!  All of these are great choices, but at the end of the day if your budget is around $150 the Lamson Konic is unbeatable.

Lamson Fly Reel Warranty:

Lamson has a fantastic lifetime warranty and repair team.  Although we don't send very many reels back, when we do they are super fast and the reels work perfectly.  The warranty is for the original owner of the reel.  We have sent them reels that we lost on the bottom of the river for weeks at at time and had them back in a week!

Rod Cases and Rod Tube

This reel comes with a nice neoprene reel case, but many anglers choose to get a Sage Rod and Reel Case as well so that they don't have to take their reel off of their rod each and every time they want to use it.
 
Questions about Lamson Fly Reels?... Ask a Pro! info@redsflyshop.com or call 509.933.2300