TackleTour Fly Reel Review

The Real World Test: I have had the pleasure to test this reel primarily on big waters such as the Lower Sacramento River and Feather River.  The large arbor allows for quick line retrieval, and a line carrying capacity that conventional reels just can’t match up to.  The result is a better hook-up to land ratio.  After all, it’s not how many fish you hook into; it’s how many make it into the net.

The guts of the M3 show the Teflon and cork drag system
The Weight of this reel is very deceiving when looking at its size.  At 6.8 ounces it balances perfectly on a 7 or 8 weight rod.  I immediately noticed that managing your line while a fish is running is much easier on a large arbor reel like the Bauer M3.  If you have the cash to fork over you can immediately expect to be releasing more fish consistently.

Tightening or loosening the drag is a cinch with the same side drag dial of this reel.  You can actually tighten or loosen the drag with one finger on the 5 star knob.  The Bauer M3 has been a problem free, hassle free, piece of equipment every single time I have used it.