Hmm...the Sage might be pretty smooth, but on an UL rod, I find it hard to justify the cost between the Dennison and the Sage. In fact, if I need a reel lighter than my BBS I, I will probably grab a Dennison just for that setup.

My thoughts exactly Andy. I've even shown the "Home General" the J A Forbes reels on ebay for less than $100 and she asks about the necessity for a reel of that price when the Dennison is out there for less.

Still.....if there was a huge and noticeable performance difference........I could probably get away with spending some money.

David

The biggest difference is in the spool diameter and general appearance. I have a Sage 3100 and it is much bigger than the Dennison or 2" and 2 1/2" Avons. It is very high tech in appearance and so I reserve it for long graphite rods. The Bass Pro is a bit larger too, and has a weak click although the champagne version was quite attractive. The Forbes Magnesium is a sleeper, a great reel with good line capacity. It is not particularly stylish though and dents if dropped. I have either a Dennison or Avon [2 or 2 1/2 inch] on nearly every ultralight rod because of the light weight, although the Avon is much more handsome. The Avon represents the cadillac of the bunch. Hope this helps. Don

Mine is the Ross Colorado zero. At 3.3 ounces it works just fine on the majority of UL rods I own, And with the extra spools, I keep it busy at work on my 1-2 wrt rods.
Les

I like my BBS I, thanks Jerry...and I cannot wait to break it in on some of our stream fish.

There are 3 versions of the Avon, 2, 2/1/2, 3" at 1.6, 2.6, and 3.4 ounces respectively. They are all pretty similiar, but as I recall the larger models have a simple drag adjustment. It allows you to put more pressure on the clicker with a leaf spring. I don't find such adjustments generally useful and leave it alone. Only the 3" takes a full length DT in the heavier line weights. The 3" Avon is best suited for 9 foot rods due to its size. In addition to the Avons, there are a couple of other JAF models that are quite nice, including the Aerial, which is an English free spool reel. Rare over on this side of the pond. Don

Paul, get to feeling better man...it is going around here as well.

Got a couple of little Ultra light reels that I like, and that I dont see around much anymore, The favorite is the Hardy flyweight. Others are a small Cortland Embassy 40 and a Teton #3 they all are used with 2 and 3 weight lines. I quit buying new reels every time I wanted a new line and started to buy spare spools. I can still get spools for older reels, but in some cases the spools cost as much as the reel did initially ..Paul

Andy, I was at the Metolius Bamboo rod gathering this past summer in Oregon & there were quite a few older Hardy reels for sale. Could not believe the prices on the Hardy reels made in England. Some were in very poor condition with nicks and scratches all over the reel and they still were asking $300-$400. The Hardy reel that I really want is owned by my brother, He has a Hardy Multiplier, it is about the same size as the LRH. I cant get him to part with it.Tried to trade him many things of interest, but the asking price is too high at this time. Ive got for this English Seagul outboard motor he wants, but I wont part with it, We saw the Multiplier on some dealers page for $695, there arent many of them around. Now that they are made overseas they will become even more valuable ..Paul

It's all about mystique and image.