Euro Nymphing Reels: Find the Best Reel for your Money

At first glance, Euro nymphing reels might seem to be a redundant term. Like other fly reels, they could be considered just a way to store line while you fish. This is a big mistake when you consider you'll immediately need to play fish directly from the reel following your hook-set - and you'll need to protect light tippet from some of the biggest fish in the river...

What is Euro Nymphing?

Well, there's a detailed description in my Euro Nymphing article here but the short answer is it typically involves fishing with very direct contact between your rod tip and normally between two and three weighted nymphs. There is little or no fly line extended out beyond the rod tip and as much of your leader and tippet as possible is held off the water surface. 

The flies are tracked through the water over relatively short drifts - usually with a dedicated Euro nymph rod - which are long, sensitive and flexible (commonly rated anywhere between AFTM 0 and AFTM 4 and measuring between 10 and 11ft long). While it is possible to use European nymphing leaders and tactics with any fly rod, those dedicated Euro nymphing rods make it much more pleasant and effective.

Whether you are short line Czech nymphing under your rod tip or fishing with a French leader, mono rig, Spanish leader or other tight-line nymphing leader, you will always be fishing your line tight to your reel (there are descriptions of these different styles in the article linked above).

Because of the lack of any loop of line between your rod hand and your reel (and because stripping or playing big fish by trapping leader material with your "trigger finger" will lead to cuts and line-burns) there is one main thing you need from Euro nymphing reel design: A smooth, adjustable drag with very little start up inertia. Coming in a close second, having a large arbor reel means faster line retrieve per handle turn and also less line memory for your leader and any fly line on the spool. 

Best Euro Nymphing Reels at Premium and Budget-Friendly Price Points

While it is perfectly possible (and enjoyable if you are able) to spend a small fortune on European-style nymphing reels, above a certain point the performance gains aren't particularly noticeable. A fly reel is such a simple mechanical device that you really need to get a few key components right. Of course, artistry and aesthetics are a key part of the enjoyment of angling and that is a very personal choice. Here I'll focus on arbor design, stealth-friendly finishes (for a close-range style of fishing) and drag capability with light tippets and larger fish - with a nod towards reel weight. The end result of that is it does not seem right to push you towards the top of the price range, just because it costs more (since that may harm my credibility if you are looking for function more than the price tag and aesthetics).

The products linked in this article use my Amazon Associates links - and qualifying purchases earn me a commission of around 4% (thank you for supporting Fishing Discoveries when you choose to buy via that route and, btw, it does not increase the Amazon retail price you pay).

Euro Nymphing Reels at "Affordable Premium" Pricepoint

Lamson Liquid (3+ or 5+)

I've always enjoyed fishing with Lamson fly reels when I've had the opportunities to do so. However, rather than just rely on my personal opinion, the customer feedback on this very modestly-priced reel from them says a lot more. The following quotes are from verified purchases on Amazon:

• "...the drag is very smooth with no startup friction that I can detect. There is no slop, wiggle, or run out anywhere on the reel."
• "This reel has the best drag by far compared to my other reels If you fish anywhere with sand or fish when it is below freezing a closed drag is very helpful."
• "...if you fish light tippet this drag is smooth, and will help prevent breaking off fish."
• "I'm a Lamson guy so I might be somewhat biased here, but this is by far the best reel at this price point that there is! The drag is awesome, finish is awesome and the looks are not unlike the rest of of the Lamson line. It looks like a high end reel but at 1/3rd or less the cost!"
• "It's an awesome buy for the money. I Especially like the sealed drag system"

With its large arbor, sealed conical drag system and reduced-weight design, it can easily handle protecting 5x tippet and lighter when encountering larger fish. Whether you are into competitive fly fishing or just out for a great experience with tightline nymphing, this reel delivers killer performance at a much lower price than you'd imagine when looking at premium fly reels. Taking this reel in the spool size 3+ or 5+ (depending on your capacity requirements) will be a great foundation for some wonderful European nymphing experiences.

Being US-made, availability, delivery-speed and shipping cost will tend to be better for Amazon USA customers...

Budget Friendly Euro Nymphing Reels (US and UK choices)

For this category, there is a noticeable split in availability between Stateside and UK picks - with import tax and shipping fees making it less attractive to order internationally. Therefore, it seems sensible to customise the picks for each location at this pricepoint.

US Budget Euro Nymphing Reels: Echo Ion (2/3 wt or 4/4 wt)

While the Echo Ion is more of a mid-to-large arbor, the line-lay due to the concave spool design is excellent. It also provides ample room for backing. A full disc drag without stickiness on start-up is a remarkable selling point at this price. While heavier than the Lamson, offsetting the nose-weight of longer nymphing rods can be a desirable quality for this fishing style; so it could create an ideal Euro nymph rod and reel combo.

Plus, matt black reels automatically have stealth value on sunny days compared to reflective, metallic reels.

Here's what customers are saying:

• "Caught lots of fish and with a fair number of 16 to 18"ers. Drag is smooth and built out of qualiity parts and the best thing is it cost the price of a really nice fly line"
• "Love these reels. I have several and they are amazingly strong. I'm an aggressive wader and I drop these all the time and the reels keep on taking the hits. If having a fancy drag system in a reel is what you want then look elsewhere."
• "Outstanding at this pricepoint!"
• "...More importantly, it performs REALLY well. The drag is actually adjustable (unlike many reels in this price range), it strips evenly, and it remains consistant (so far)."
• "...The concave spool makes the line stack up better than flat wide spools"

The Euro nymph friendly sizes for this fly reel would be the 3/4 wt and (for longer/higher AFTM rods) the 4/5 wt options

Greys Fin Fly Reel (34 size)

A budget fly reel with large arbor spool, fully enclosed cage reel design and fitted with a full rulon disc brake system - plus a stealth matt-black design. That certainly checks out when you compare it to our ideal Euro nymph specifications. 

Customer feedback also indicates it should work well with Euro nymphing rods and for the overall style of fishing:

• "Very happy! Good brake and great design!"
• "First impression...The Fin feels heavier and more sturdy (than the GTS300), I can only assume the material that it's made from is of better or higher quality. As a decent click reel sound, not too fast and sharp...On my grey 9ft #6 it sits perfect"
• "Does what it says on the tin!!!"

This is quite a new offering from the Hardy Greys lineup and offers exceptional performance at this highly affordable pricepoint. Hardy Greys themselves recommend the 3/4 size of reel to match their 10ft and 11ft European nymphing rods

Getting the best out of your Euro Nymphing Reel...

One Free way to arm yourself with the best chances of success is through my no-cost nymphing course:

Want More Like This Article on Euro Nymphing Reels?

Bible of European Nymphing (Print Book)

Best Euro Nymphing Rods for Your Budget