WeeHooker

So back around 1986 I remember Berkley Tackle Company making an entry into the fly fishing world with their GR series graphite reels and Specialist fly lines. At that time, they ran just such a promotion. i.e. Buy a Flyline ( for around $25 if memory serves) and they would send you a free fly reel in a matching size. I purchased a wf8F line ( for a Fenglass 9' 8 wt bass bugging rod I was building) and sent the coupon in for their GR558 reel. Honestly, while the reel was basic( press off graphite spool, duel pawl click drag, skeletal aluminum frame) it worked well and still does to this day. Mine conquered a few stripers and blues in it's early days. BTW, I still have that line and it's still fishable too!

The Danielson L3W is still new to me but I feel it is every bit as good as the Guru in quality and function. My F3W actually took the place of a Gen 1 Guru 3.5 set up for 9 wt lines. The Guru was nice but I didn't like how wide it was. I also felt I needed to baby it's finish due to reports of them not holding up. The Guru, like all Lamson's could be run silent or with a clicker by removing/replacing the pawl. The L3W does have a click in both directions but it is more subtitle/ quiet. Other thoughts: a) The L3W has a positive screw down spool retention where the Guru has a press off design. Not sure it matters but it's comforting. b) Customer service for Lamson is USA based and very good. I have not tested Danielsson's but note they ship quickly. c) The new Lamsons have improved finish's . The L3W has a good anodized finish but IMHO, could be polished a bit better as their are faint (!) machine marks. ( I use car wax on all my reels to help protect them anyway.) FWIW, I still run a Lamson Speedster on my 7 wt schooly rod. I like it well enough but struggle with the price of spare spools.

Check out the recently discontinued Loop SX rods on Thebay or the Loop site.. These are $700-$800 rods marked down to $400 or so. I've bought several. Extremely nice rods at any price!

Unbelievable that they ask for enough personal info to buy a new car in your name just so that you can buy a fishing license Hint: The system now requires a SSN but doesn't actually verify it's correct.

Wow, you were an early adaptor! Mine is 3441. p.s. Any idea when the company itself and this particular model get launched?

Welcome to the club. I'm thinking about upgrading my 9/10 wt setup to a L5W now..............:-)

Here is the factory video on overview, breakdown and drag adjustment of the F3W series. You have to follow the subtitles (unless you speak Swedish) but it's pretty informative and worth the time to watch.

Not to mention the frequent 50% off deals on discontinued Loop rods. You can currently get a new in tube Loop Q series for just over $200 (us) these days and a Cross S1/SX series for under $400. IMHO, a 50% off deal on a new , mid/high end rod is usually a better option than paying full price for a budget rod . Plus there is resale if you don't love it.

So again, I haven't had a chance to fish it yet but I'm kind of liking the drag arrangement. The adjustment knob is smaller than most and has just the right tension with a positive feeling. I don't see it getting bumped off setting by accident yet it will be easy to adjust. As for range, it is adjustable and it tightens down REALY well within a turn ( as set from the factory). I don't ever see myself utilizing more than 1/2-2/3 turn for estuary fishing but time will tell.

Their website spec sheet says 6.45 oz MT and I did verify that on my postal scale. Based on my experience I'd estimate the weight around 7.1 +/- oz with 200 yds of backing. The reel as filled with backing and line comes in at 8.8 oz on the same scale. That's pretty light for a quality 9wt SW reel. I think it will work great for my purpose but I'm not sure I'd want it any lighter to balance a 10' rod.. I look forward to testing it out.

For those that come along, I did some experimenting today and found that the 7ten will accept 200 yds of 50# PE braid ( 0.147" diameter) and a 100' wf9f SW fly line. ( that pretty much fills it to the top!) That should equate to around 165 yds+/- of ( o.18") 20# Dacron and the same line by my math. Obviously, that # will change with the type of backing, line type and size but it's a starting point. The attached picture will give you an idea on where the backing ends. ( about the center of the handle on the spool ) hth

I used to own a Loomis Gl3 9'9" 7wt. It NEEDED to be overlined to a wf8 to load properly IMO. Not sure on your rod but I'm thinking I'd start with a 9wt line for sure and maybe one that is 1/2 heavy. Your tastes may vary. though.

It's worth noting that the drag range on the F3W7ten is adjustable for overall range. I have not fished my reel yet but I can tell you that as it was delivered, I can crank the drag down hard enough to near completely freeze the spool. It's not weak . In my opinion, it's got more drag force than my Lamson's. I am not worried about this drag handling stripers/blues in the least.

With online vendors like BigY selling many FW flies for less than 75 cents each, I don't bother with trout flies (or anything under size 10). I even buy most of my woolly buggers because it's not worth making my own at that price. Where I do believe (right or wrong) I save money is with saltwater and bass flies ( that often cost $3 to $20 a pop). In any case, tying flies isn't so much about saving money as it is enjoyment and adding to the overall experience. Rarely do I sit down to make 1/2 dozen of one exact pattern. I like to experiment and make each a bit differently and that's where the fun lies for me..