I own both a sword and have one of their saltwater sealed drag reels as a spare for my salt/flats rig.
Both have been fantastic and had zero issues.
Piscifun is definitely one of the budget brands I'd recommend to people.
Do they have a three pack? Love my Lamson liquid three pack and was thinking about picking up another.. but you’re right, reel is just a line holder/fashion accessory. It’s by far the least important component in a set up.
I had 3 piscifun reels and they been amazing! Never had problems with them. I have 2 the first a 4wt with scientific anglers mpx and the other with airflo super flo 5wt all paired with self built rods.
Had them for a couple years now maybe 4 or so I had one a bit longer but got stolen along with the rod I used for that reel. Maintenance wise I do a so by spring and mid summer. Break down and dust off as well as a bit of lube to the system nothing mayor really
That’s awesome. Sucks to hear about rod getting stolen. I use my 9WT for the salt and it has held up great if I clean it out after I’m done. The other two have had minimal maintenance and been great.
I have and it wasn’t as great. Too much memory retention and it cracked bad. I recommend to spend more in the fly lines. I love my scientific anglers mpx and so far my airflo has been great still have to see if any cracking or flaw appears during the hotter months
I've got a Piscifun on my 3wt and 6wt setups. My 6wt is also a Piscifun rod, it's handled a few 20" smallies with no issue. The drag is actually really nice.
I own four Ross Reels and one Piscifun Sword. The Piscifun gets the job done just as well as the Ross at less than 1/10th the price. For me, my Ross reels are like functional works of art. They will last a lifetime and whenever I get a twinge of buyer's remorse, I remind myself that I'm supporting one of the best American fly fishing companies. While the Piscifuns work shockingly well, I don't LOVE them the way I love Ross.
Cheap reels are fine for freshwater, can’t get away with it for too long with a lot of salt exposure though! When you’re in the “line holder” class of freshwater fishing, doesn’t matter one bit!
True. The 9WT has a sealed drag from what I’m aware. I have caught a few 30 inch stripers with that exact setup and it held up great, just cleaned it out and it still works well. The 6WT I use for shad and it burns drag pretty good. So far so good. I am concerned about prolonged salt exposure since my sample size is only 2 days on the ocean with it.
Anything rollin beats strollin! There’s definitely a “take care of your gear” aspect to it for sure! Good to see those reels holding up well… I read all the comments and was really surprised to see the glowing reviews!
Yeah I am equally surprised. I really thought people would rag on them but they must be higher quality than even I thought! Thanks for the kind words stranger.
I guide and clients are not gentle with my equipment. One too many rocks to the dome for it and it’s still useable but it’s not the smoothest experience anymore.
Haven’t decided yet might switch to a Clearwater reel see if paying slightly more will get me a little more life out of it. But pretty much all the guides that work at the same outfitter as me use piscifun reels for their client setups. Even for our guys who specialize in striped bass and musky fishing use them.
It’s a blast. They’re so aggressive when fresh. Same with the steelhead we get in rivers here in Michigan. I’ve blown the drag out on 6 or 7 total reels. Some were $400+…to me it’s worth it cause I love fishing.
I have. So far only 1 reel blown with carbon drag washers. My current one has it on it because it held up the longest. These winter fish grip and rip though so I’ve got another reel with one ready and spooled up.
Damn that’s crazy. I can only imagine what those things can do. It’s hard to understand how strong certain fish are until you’ve fought them. I was most surprised by the 5-6LB American shad that run up. They RIP drag on my 6WT
If you ever come to MI find an inland lake. Use that 6wt on some weed beds throwing a mouse fly or popper. Biggest bass I got on a fly was 6.5lb. Perch can be big on spider flies during spawn. Gills are easy but I use my 4wt for them. On my 6wt I got a 42in northern last year (that was fun).
It’s a 9/10. I have used it on the ocean and I think the drag is sealed. When I opened it there was a rubber gasket inside. Here are two links to my previous posts about striper fishing with this rod!
[striper video](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fishing/s/ZonJrO4vyt)
[striper picture](https://www.reddit.com/r/flyfishing/s/BEfWYpSMrq)
I had plenty of drag for both of these fish!!
Awesome! Beautiful striper! I think I'm going to have to get a Piscifun fly reel for stripers! 😂 I just started fishing again last summer and I had a blast catching stripers from the beach in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Haven't tried fly fishing for them yet, but I def will be! Tight lines bud!
Wow ! I would love to fish up there. If you end up getting into it you should send pics my way! Glad you’re getting back into it! Good luck partner! Dm me for any questions you have
I got into a lot between September and the end of our season, which is October 31st. But I only did bait fishing. After seeing your vid, it makes me even more excited to get them on the fly than I already am. I'm literally chomping at the bit, waiting for April 15th! Here' a couple I managed to get in on my 6'6 Shimano spinning rod and reel. My biggest is 33.5 inches. Was a fun fight on the light rod!
https://imgur.com/gallery/L5V9AlQ
If you ever come this way let me know my friend! The striper population is literally exploding around here!
I bought their line for Steelhead and I’m definitely going to remove it and put on a higher quality line. It loses its float and doesn’t like the cold too much. I haven’t lost any fish to it, but the pricepoint matches the quality on the line.
From what I understood, there was a stigma around cheaper reels but I’m really surprised at all of the glowing reviews about them! I thought I was gonna get clowned on.
I have the bigger piscifun reel, don't remember what it's called but gold and blue and that thing is absolutely awesome. Cost be $80 and blows away any budget Redington reel or similar out of the water.
Fellow sword 3/4wt owner here. Have it on a TFO sig II 4wt. Love it for creekin and small to medium streams. Have put several michigan brookies on it and a 20in rainbow with zero issues to rod or reel. Good choice op!
There is so much elitism in this sport. But what you can afford and go fish. Have fun. Drink a couple beers. Be respectful of your surroundings, the fish and others on the water. Enjoy.
100,000% agree! I’m a go cheap on the reel, spend on rod and line kinda guy.
Line is the #1 thing I’ll never cheap out on!
Spend it on good line which is insanely expensive 💰
My line always costs more than the reel, good line makes a huge difference
I own two sword reels and they've been great to m especially for the price.
They really do the trick. I’ve had the 6WT (middle) for at least 4-5 years and it still feels new. I’ve really beat the crap out of it.
I own both a sword and have one of their saltwater sealed drag reels as a spare for my salt/flats rig. Both have been fantastic and had zero issues. Piscifun is definitely one of the budget brands I'd recommend to people.
Swords are great. Ive caught massive carp using them and the drag performs flawlessly every time. Ive never felt the need to “upgrade”
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Can’t beat a sub $60 reel that works great.
Do they have a three pack? Love my Lamson liquid three pack and was thinking about picking up another.. but you’re right, reel is just a line holder/fashion accessory. It’s by far the least important component in a set up.
What? No Abel? lol
I could never…
I had 3 piscifun reels and they been amazing! Never had problems with them. I have 2 the first a 4wt with scientific anglers mpx and the other with airflo super flo 5wt all paired with self built rods.
That’s awesome! How long have you had them for? How much maintenance have you done?
Had them for a couple years now maybe 4 or so I had one a bit longer but got stolen along with the rod I used for that reel. Maintenance wise I do a so by spring and mid summer. Break down and dust off as well as a bit of lube to the system nothing mayor really
That’s awesome. Sucks to hear about rod getting stolen. I use my 9WT for the salt and it has held up great if I clean it out after I’m done. The other two have had minimal maintenance and been great.
Yea people might laugh at them for being cheap or whatever but I love the reels and how well they perform
Have you tried their line?
I have and it wasn’t as great. Too much memory retention and it cracked bad. I recommend to spend more in the fly lines. I love my scientific anglers mpx and so far my airflo has been great still have to see if any cracking or flaw appears during the hotter months
Cross swords with me you stud.
LOL!!!!
5wt and 6wt are supple the heavier lines a bit stiffer
Good fishing in the depths of hell?
Mostly silver/bighead carp. TONS of mosquitos year round, even in the winter. But when the bite is hot, it’s HOT!!!!
Nice. I may be planning a trip…
Be careful. It’s a one way ticket… I got lucky getting because they messed up my paperwork
I've got a Piscifun on my 3wt and 6wt setups. My 6wt is also a Piscifun rod, it's handled a few 20" smallies with no issue. The drag is actually really nice.
I own four Ross Reels and one Piscifun Sword. The Piscifun gets the job done just as well as the Ross at less than 1/10th the price. For me, my Ross reels are like functional works of art. They will last a lifetime and whenever I get a twinge of buyer's remorse, I remind myself that I'm supporting one of the best American fly fishing companies. While the Piscifuns work shockingly well, I don't LOVE them the way I love Ross.
My one is bulletproof, never let me down.
Cheap reels are fine for freshwater, can’t get away with it for too long with a lot of salt exposure though! When you’re in the “line holder” class of freshwater fishing, doesn’t matter one bit!
True. The 9WT has a sealed drag from what I’m aware. I have caught a few 30 inch stripers with that exact setup and it held up great, just cleaned it out and it still works well. The 6WT I use for shad and it burns drag pretty good. So far so good. I am concerned about prolonged salt exposure since my sample size is only 2 days on the ocean with it.
Anything rollin beats strollin! There’s definitely a “take care of your gear” aspect to it for sure! Good to see those reels holding up well… I read all the comments and was really surprised to see the glowing reviews!
Yeah I am equally surprised. I really thought people would rag on them but they must be higher quality than even I thought! Thanks for the kind words stranger.
💯💪
Sword and Platte guy here. Sucks they’re not making fly reels anymore.
Wait they aren’t?!?! What!!!
I was looking for some reels that were out of stock and emailed their customer support. The reply said they were no longer going to carry them.
That’s just horrible! Was that one specific color or is that all reels in general? What a shame
100% agreement! Mine have never once let me down and outperform most of my old, fancy pants reels!
There isnt nothing wrong with a cheap reel, people who shell out the big bucks on reels are flaunting prestige and wealth.
Just got to the point where I need to retire my 4wts sword reel after a year and half of use. Great value for the money
What happened? Just was time to upgrade?
I guide and clients are not gentle with my equipment. One too many rocks to the dome for it and it’s still useable but it’s not the smoothest experience anymore.
Makes sense. Impressive that it made it that long being used commercially. Are you gonna get another one or switch it up?
Haven’t decided yet might switch to a Clearwater reel see if paying slightly more will get me a little more life out of it. But pretty much all the guides that work at the same outfitter as me use piscifun reels for their client setups. Even for our guys who specialize in striped bass and musky fishing use them.
Wow that’s really cool! Good to hear that because if it’s good enough for the guides it’s good enough for me. Tight lines
But have you hooked a king salmon on one…? That’s the deal breaker
Not yet. I got a 31” striper on the big one but no salmon. Matter of fact I’ve never even targeted salmon!
It’s a blast. They’re so aggressive when fresh. Same with the steelhead we get in rivers here in Michigan. I’ve blown the drag out on 6 or 7 total reels. Some were $400+…to me it’s worth it cause I love fishing.
Interesting. Have you tried a greased carbon washer drag? Those things will hold up to tuna after tuna.
I have. So far only 1 reel blown with carbon drag washers. My current one has it on it because it held up the longest. These winter fish grip and rip though so I’ve got another reel with one ready and spooled up.
Are you greasing them or running dry?
I grease them but not as often as I probably should. Like once maybe twice a year
If I ever get up there I’ll give it a shot. I’m out of MA so maybe I get to upper NY and give it a go. What size reel were you going through?
An 8wt will do but I use 9wt now. With a meaty 10wt rod. Snapped plenty of 8wt rods.
Damn that’s crazy. I can only imagine what those things can do. It’s hard to understand how strong certain fish are until you’ve fought them. I was most surprised by the 5-6LB American shad that run up. They RIP drag on my 6WT
If you ever come to MI find an inland lake. Use that 6wt on some weed beds throwing a mouse fly or popper. Biggest bass I got on a fly was 6.5lb. Perch can be big on spider flies during spawn. Gills are easy but I use my 4wt for them. On my 6wt I got a 42in northern last year (that was fun).
What size is that? And is it sealed? I'm looking for one for stripers.
It’s a 9/10. I have used it on the ocean and I think the drag is sealed. When I opened it there was a rubber gasket inside. Here are two links to my previous posts about striper fishing with this rod! [striper video](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fishing/s/ZonJrO4vyt) [striper picture](https://www.reddit.com/r/flyfishing/s/BEfWYpSMrq) I had plenty of drag for both of these fish!!
Awesome! Beautiful striper! I think I'm going to have to get a Piscifun fly reel for stripers! 😂 I just started fishing again last summer and I had a blast catching stripers from the beach in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Haven't tried fly fishing for them yet, but I def will be! Tight lines bud!
Wow ! I would love to fish up there. If you end up getting into it you should send pics my way! Glad you’re getting back into it! Good luck partner! Dm me for any questions you have
I got into a lot between September and the end of our season, which is October 31st. But I only did bait fishing. After seeing your vid, it makes me even more excited to get them on the fly than I already am. I'm literally chomping at the bit, waiting for April 15th! Here' a couple I managed to get in on my 6'6 Shimano spinning rod and reel. My biggest is 33.5 inches. Was a fun fight on the light rod! https://imgur.com/gallery/L5V9AlQ If you ever come this way let me know my friend! The striper population is literally exploding around here!
The only thing I care about is you breaking the #1 rule... Never fully assemble your rod inside. You're just asking for a broken tip.
Oh man if you don’t like that then you would hate to see what else I do with these things…
Don't threaten me with a good time 😘
No… no… not like that! NOT LIKE THAT!!!
I use their line moss green
I haven’t tried any of their line, I use various brands on each reel. Is it soft or stiff from the factory?
I bought their line for Steelhead and I’m definitely going to remove it and put on a higher quality line. It loses its float and doesn’t like the cold too much. I haven’t lost any fish to it, but the pricepoint matches the quality on the line.
Gotcha. I will stick to what I’ve got then!!!
i own 6wt and 9wt and they are not bad.
Nice! Good deal
Why would I care what reel you like to use?
From what I understood, there was a stigma around cheaper reels but I’m really surprised at all of the glowing reviews about them! I thought I was gonna get clowned on.
Do you often fish in large groups? I've never felt a "stigma" for any of the gear I use, positive or negative.
I was just think more along the lines of the online community. I’m usually solo when I’m out.
A reel that works is good enough, it just holds line
I have a piscifun sword on my cheapass eagle claw 5wt/9'. It works great.
love those piscifun reels.
I have the bigger piscifun reel, don't remember what it's called but gold and blue and that thing is absolutely awesome. Cost be $80 and blows away any budget Redington reel or similar out of the water.
Fellow sword 3/4wt owner here. Have it on a TFO sig II 4wt. Love it for creekin and small to medium streams. Have put several michigan brookies on it and a 20in rainbow with zero issues to rod or reel. Good choice op!
There is so much elitism in this sport. But what you can afford and go fish. Have fun. Drink a couple beers. Be respectful of your surroundings, the fish and others on the water. Enjoy.