by Jimmy Harris
Unicoi Outfitters
Recently, I read an article where a guy was essentially talking about his love affair with an old Ross Saltwater fly reel. They were made almost 30 years ago, and many technological advances have come along since then, but the Saltwater was his go-to reel. It caught my attention because I also own one. It was the first serious saltwater big game reel I purchased, and even has my name engraved on it. I had fished for trout with a Ross Gunnison for some time and was convinced you could drag it behind your truck all the way to the river, and it would still work perfectly. Plus, Ross Reels had a click that was very distinctive, not your wimpy little whirring noise some reels make when a fish is screaming away from you. No, the Ross Gunnison sounded the way an engineered piece of equipment would sound if it were something you relied on every day at work. The Saltwater has a similar sound and feel to it, and I’m convinced that should we find ourselves in the middle of a nuclear Armageddon, this reel will still function perfectly.
It’s interesting how certain sounds, like smells, bring back memories from years ago. My favorite “sound” in all of flyfishing is not that of a screaming reel hooked to a big fish, but the unique sound of an old Pflueger Medalist reel. It’s a great, solid yet soft sound that is unmistakable. It is very similar in sound and cadence to another timeless piece of equipment from my past, John Deere’s 2 cylinder Poppin Johnny tractor. If you grew up with this kind of machinery, you’ll know what I mean. They were simple but solid pieces of equipment that you knew would be handed down for generations. I can’t think of anything today that would come close to them.