Spending my own money

I had a birthday recently. I’m still waiting for your gifts to arrive, any tracking numbers to share?

Anyway, I had some gift certs to that little on-line marketplace called Amazon. I get a lot of gear on loan for trips, so I thought it might be interesting to know what I spend my own money on, and why.

The newest member of the family

First, I would normally try to buy from a shop. Getting the Amazon gift certs ruled that out. There are some shops around here, but they don’t sell through Amazon, so that was not where I was going to drop my money.  I had $300 to spend and on Amazon there really weren’t that many choices for saltwater appropriate reels.

My options were limited. The reel options were Hatch, Galvan, Ross, Hardy and Lamson, for the most part.  When you look at the right size at the right price, the pool was reduced further.  Would I like a Hatch or an F1 from Ross or a Nautilus?  Yes.  Would I have bought one of those if they were $300?  Yes. I would also buy a Tibor if it was $300, which they just aren’t.  So, confined by price, I looked for value.

I have to say that I know Aaron Adams and Davin Ebanks haves been fans of Lamsons and that did come into play.

I also put a Lamson through reel testing and it passed with flying colors.

It feels a bit like a modern consumer tale. It was vital I was not restricted by where or how I could buy the product.  Additionally, I was swayed much more by what I saw through my social network and through non-aligned social media than I was swayed by commercials, ads or any of the industry hype I have a habit of drinking like so much Kool-Aid.

So, that’s the story of my new Lamson Velocity 3.5. This reel is intended to take the place of my TFO 375, which has frozen up, corroded from saltwater exposure and is no longer fit for service. This will be my 7-8 weight bonefishing reel of choice (within my stable of options), until and unless it makes me regret that decision.

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10 comments

  1. Lets have an indepth review six months from now. The good , bad, and ugly. Lets look for 60 hours or so. About ten days. I thing that the report would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Mac

  2. Yeah, that is really where the value starts to be seen. Maybe I’ll put this reel through the reel testing I was doing… that is a way to get a good view early on of how durable the thing really is.

  3. Aren’t the terms “bonefishing” and “value” contradictory in some way? Let’s read the 6 / 60 review. Cheers

  4. I’ve had the Lamson Litespeed 4 for years, and I love it. It’s probably very comparable to this one. I’ve got an Abel, Billy Pate, Bauers,etc, but my fave for bones is still the Lamson. Great outgoing sound, picks up line fast. No complaints. Although the drag got a little messed up. I don’t really take good care of my reels. But I sent it to them and they sent it back good as new.

  5. Met an Aussie on Oahu whilst I was there chasing bones. Walked into the fly shop there to see two guys huddled over something at the counter. I meandered over, and saw that it was a Lamson Litespeed spread apart like a schematic. The Aussie went on to say that the reel exploded on him mid-run, popping the spool off. Was this human error? Not sure, but the dude knew his stuff (and caught that particular bone btw. I was impressed). Down here on the coast Lamsons have a rep as rusting together on you – not trying to talk smack, just chucking my two cents into the collective pool. I hope it works for you for years to come.

  6. I have a gift certificate for 1,000. that is for you to use toward any skiff we build. Send me your mailing address when you want it. Happy Birthday, Hal

  7. I have two Lamson 3.5s. They go back to the days when Lamson was just Lamson (made in Redmond, WA about 20 years & 3 mergers ago, I guess, before Velocity, Litespeed, hard alox, etc.), and they’re still fishing great with that remarkable coffee grinder sound every time a bone runs. Sweet music. I think you’ve made a great choice. Fish hard.

  8. Kelly J. Bandlow

    Galvan is made right up the road from you. You know, support the local guy. The Lamson V3.5 should work fine for your garage test & 7-10 days a year of saltwater fishing. This reel will then give you a good excuse to get back into steelhead.
    Next time you have the chance, check out the Galvan Torque (T-8 for 8/9 weight). The drag system on this reel is as good or better than the reels made in southern CA which are double the price.

  9. I’d love a Galvan Torque. Really, I would. Getting one from Amazon for $300 was the challenge. I know my friend Shane loves Galvans and he’s fished his all over the world with over 365 days of bonefishing.

  10. That sounds pretty good Hal. The odds are low, but I like the idea very much.

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