Lamson Speedster Fly Reel for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

Have fished this reel for an entire spring and fall. Great reel...I was a bit skeptical at this price point as I have typically invested in more expensive reels...but this one does not disappoint. The action is great, fights fish well. Well balanced, I have been fishing it on a 4 wt rod. Would buy it again.

Great reel! it is super light weight and goes very well with the Gloomis Short Stix.

This reel is dynamite, its light, its aesthetically pleasing, and it has a smooth, strong drag system. Not to mention, the reels that Lamson make are durable as all get-out, I previously owned a Konic and it lasted me the better part of 7 years or so. I paired the 1.5 with my 950 Winston BIIX and am glad I did, going down to the smaller size allows for a light and balanced setup. If you are in need of a great upgrade, look no further

Son in law took it to the Bahamas: Nice large arbor reel, fast retrieve fly line, and nice drag system that held up well for bone fishing

I picked this reel up for a buddy as a wedding gift. He's only got a few days on it but he says the reel feels very well built, the line runs through it smooth with just the right amount of drag. He is pretty stoked overall and nothing but happy fishing days ahead.

This reel is a gem. First thing I noticed was how light and balanced my set up was after strapping this guy to my rod. Large arbor allows you to real in some serious amount of line in a hurry. Conical disk drag is flawless. I purchased the 2 after fishing with an old reel I've had for many years. Was glad to put the old reel to rest, just wish I wouldn't have waited so long. Awesome reel made in the good ole USA! Also got this in a 6 weight, same unbelievable performance.

I'm no pro. And for the most part, a reel just holds fly line. Right? While I'm not in situations that always test the best drags in the world, it's nice to know I have a few better than average reels ready when I do get that opportunity. But I do get to fish quite a bit. More than most. So I like to invest in good gear when I can. And I like some, consider fly reels more than holders of line, some are just works of art. While the Speedster is no Ari Hart, it is unique looking. And as far as doing its job, it does fine. My stable runs a gamut of various price points ($15 - $850, sealed drags, click and paw, cork, rulon, Japanese, Korean, US, limited edition, mass produced) so I have a little experience with different reels.

I have no complaints about my Speedster 3.5. It balances well with my light Orvis H2 8wt. That was one of the main reasons I bought it, to balance a light rod. But the fast pickup rate is also appreciated. The drag is plenty for our local smallies and while I don't plan to use it in salt (I'll use a completely sealed Hatch 7+ for that) I've known others who use Lamsons in salt and are sure to wash them afterward.

I'm very happy with the Speedster and plan to pickup some extra spools. Right now the reel is sporting a Orvis HD Bankshot 8wt. For the price you get a lot of reel. It's light, great for throwing big flies in the upper weights all day long, has a smooth drag, balances well on light reels, and is US made.

I have used the Speedster (3.5) for the past two years paired with either a 6 or 7 weight rod (including Spey - being honest, limited time on the Spey setup) and found a lot of pro's and some really picky cons. As with all Lamson reels, construction is first and foremost. It is funny to think that they would call themselves a design company (first) that creates performance reels - but that is the case. I wanted a large/oversized arbor coupled with a thinner spool. The Speedster fit the bill and has provided very rapid line retrieval while ensuring a uniform spool when reeling in lots of line, fast. Getting geeky, the slight inward placement of the reel handle increases the ease of winding and the balance from such a large reel is spot on and have even used it on a 5 weight ZAxis with dries - no complaints (the light drag delivers a clean set and easily increases pressure when going after larger fish on a streamer). The drag performance and adjustability across all Lamson products has always been high on my wish list, very smooth, quick to adjust and very clean/simple - instant drag engagement is continued in this reel too. The overall smoothness of the retrieval is great, very tight and super fast line winding. The spool has a ton of porting which helps with weight and expedites line drying. Line barreling is eliminated with the narrow spool. Again, cons were pretty picky, but the drag stopping power is a bit light and the 'cheaper' spool handle remains fairly consistent across all Lamson reels. I have found that Lamson's enclosed drag is up to the task and all their reels have held up like my Nautilus. That said, always good practice to clean your reel. Durability has been strong, I am hard on reels whether in the boat or on foot. Nice to have that confidence, especially paired with a lot of sun and your beverage of choice. When going after big fish, I have loved the fast retrieval - especially when my partners on the boat are fishing too (not too mention the extra emphasis on a quick release for the fish in question). This thing simply powers your line back into the spool and no need to use that finger to help guide the line back in. End result, Lamson continues with their quest to make a good thing better with a cool/classic styling and incredible attention to detail for the price.