Tioga Reels
From the folks who brought you Teton fly reels, comes the line
of Tioga fly reels, and Tiogas seem to be causing quite
a little stir.
It's not that the reels are in the same class as Tibor, or Abel.
In fact, it's quite the opposite. Admittedly, some production corners
have been cut, but by doing so, the manufacturer has been able to drop
the price tag.
| Model |
Reel
Wgt. |
Spool
Diameter |
Line
Wgt. |
Recommended
Capacity |
| 4 |
4.5 oz. |
2.95 in. |
4 |
100 yds.15 lb. |
| 6 |
5.1 oz. |
3.25 in. |
6 |
150 yds. 20 lb. |
| 8 |
6.5 oz. |
3.45 in. |
8 |
230yds 20 lb. |
| 10 |
8.1 oz. |
3.75 in. |
10 |
280 yds. 30 lb. |
Essentially, Tiogas and Tetons are the same with the same
drag system, and parts. The difference is in the machining. While Teton
Reels have a significant number of "perfs" in the reel frame
and spool, Tiogas have just a few. This cuts down on production
time and effort, but it makes Tiogas heavier. The Model 10 weighs
in at 8.1 ounces while a comparable Teton Model 9-11 weighs 7.1
ounces. Tetons also carry larger diameter spools (4 inches). The
Tioga Model 10 has a 3.75-inch spool and is rated up to a 10-weight
line.
The other noticeable difference is the spool shaft. It's bronze on the
Tetons and stainless steel on the Tiogas. Bronze is better
and more expensive, but stainless is fine, as long as you're somewhat
diligent about rinsing the reel with freshwater after an outing and you
apply an anti-corrosion protectant.
Tioga Reels carry glossy black anodization, perhaps not as thick
as Tetons, but thick enough. In all, it seems to be a very durable
reel.
