Leland on the Red Truck Diesel 7/8 Fly Reel
Remember when it was cool to fish for steelhead with a single hand fly rod? Long before two-hand fly rods appeared on North Americans' radar, committed steelhead and large trout anglers happily fished with
longer, single hand fly rods. Roll casts and longer, classic “vertical” casts were used to get lines and flies to the mark. Naturally,
vintage fly reels were the logical reel of choice.
Well, we at Red Truck still like this concept so we offer our Diesel 7/8. Smartly-sized for
summer steelhead and Alaska rainbows, the Diesel 7/8 has more than ample backing and works more like a large arbor fly reel, due to its
refined dimensions. When hooked to a fish, you’ll rejoice in the
Diesel’s sweet sound, as the traditional
“click and pawl” drag system sings its song. Between casts you might take a peek down to view the traditional looks of your new favorite fly reel…the Diesel 7/8. Although designed to pair well with a seven or eight weight single hand fly rod, this reel
complements lighter switch and Spey rods, too.
Specifications:
- Weight: 6.0 oz.
- Spool Diameter: 3.4 in.
- Spool Width: 0.7 in.
- Capacity: WF7F + 140 yds. 20# ; WF8F + 120 yds. 20#
Leland on Red Truck Diesel Fly Reels
When we set out to design the Diesel Series of fly reels, our main goal was to make reels that we ourselves would enjoy fishing.
We jogged our memories for ideas from our favorite reels from the past
and pored over our huge selection of modern designs, picking and
choosing the features and styles that, to us, embody the perfect freshwater fly reel.
The criteria were fairly simple: the reel had to be functional, durable, and beautiful. It had to look and sound like a fly reel.
It had to have the appeal to stand the test of time. In short, it had
to deserve to exist. Fully machined from anodized aluminum, the Diesel
is corrosion-, scratch-, and impact-resistant. The proven
click-pawl drag system is dependable, simple, and easily convertible
from right to left-hand wind. Should you need to apply more pressure on
fired-up trout and steelhead, the exposed palming rim is there for you.
With sweet incoming and out-going clicks, Diesel reels will satisfy anglers yearning for the simple elegance of yesteryear.
And by narrowing the spool and increasing its diameter, we engineered
large arbor performance into the Diesel, with the superior backing
capacity of a standard arbor reel. We've also included a couple of nice
finishing touches, like a machined brass line guard and a leather and
cotton-weave zippered reel pouch to keep your reel safe for decades.
We won't go so far as to say that the Diesel reel will catch you more
fish. But its sweet sound and downright classic style will help you
enjoy the fish you do catch all the more.
Welcome to Red Truck Diesel Fly Reels.
Leland on Red Truck Fly Fishing Company
With all the fly fishing tackle available today, why would Red Truck
Fly Fishing Company bring to market our own offering of fly fishing
gear? Our honest answer is: with over 25 years of face-to-face retail experience with you, our customer, we’ve learned a few important things...
You told us that you were confused with the “over the top” marketing hype manufactured
by our industry’s big brands. You were baffled by proprietary names
for graphite modulus and confused by overly complicated reel drag
systems. You told us there were too many bewildering product choices and that you wanted concise answers and recommendations to your questions and fishing needs. When purchasing fly gear, you wanted to feel confident that you were making a smart investment in a product that would not be replaced next year with a “newer” version. In essence, you wanted stuff that works and was worth your hard-earned money!
At Red Truck, we've listened to you and leveraged our staff’s combined 300 plus years of fly fishing experience to design equipment that is strictly necessary
and that raises your level of enjoyment from purchase to use. We
tested this gear with hard-working, no-nonsense, professional guides
who rely on their tackle in the same way as a carpenter does his hammer. With each project, we always asked ourselves, “Does this product deserve to exist?”
Our Red Truck fly rods embody this honest thinking.
Unlike some fly rod brands that employ a myopic marketing campaign,
stating their rod is the lightest, at Red Truck, we focus on the big
picture. We believe in the essential characteristics of a truly good rod: balance, minimal swing weight, true-tracking, stability and efficiency. The result of this balanced rod design approach is a selection of fly rods that are a joy to cast and fish.
For our Red Truck Fly Reels, we took the same angle. Instead of inventing a new marketing slant or a hyper-technical pitch, we designed reels that speak to the core reason most of us fly fish: simplicity. We wanted to offer reels that get the job done, look good while doing it and last a long time.
Take apart our Red Truck Premium fly reel and you’ll know in a glance
how the drag systems work and more importantly, why they won’t fail.
Sure, all our Red Truck equipment employs the latest in quality materials and manufacturing. Heck, we even work in titanium when necessary. But we never push any unproven concept or pseudo-technology, especially when we deem it unnecessary.
At Red Truck, we believe that fly fishing should be fun and that your fly tackle should always work as intended. We like fishing memories of friends, dusty handshakes, wet dogs, great casts, beautiful places and even a fish or two. We design gear that takes you into the outdoors and gets the job done in the field, every time.
