There had been at least 20 tarpon in the string cruising the shallow azure ocean along the beach near Captive Pass. My guide had spotted a couple of the fish breech the waves when they were still 100 yards away, and when several tarpon porpoised at 50 yards he had their line of travel figured out and poled the flats boat to intercept. I laid out a 40-foot cast well in front of the advancing line of tarpon and allowed the big 3/0 purple and black fly to sink a bit. Just before the huge chrome-sided leader of the pack arrived I stripped in some line and bumped the fly into their path, and with a sudden dash and swirl the second tarpon in line rushed past the frontrunner and engulfed my feathered offering.

Forty-five minutes later my arms felt like jelly, my hands ached and I was a wash of sweat in the humid, 88 degree temperature and glaring sun, but the huge tarpon was near the boat. Atypical of most big ‘Poons this brute hadn’t wasted energy by jumping, but had made several typically long, strong runs taking all my fly line and over 200 yards of backing. Then, within three or four rod lengths of the boat, the fight got down and dirty, with head shaking, unexpected half-leaps, bulldogging, breaching the surface and then diving to bottom and even swimming under the boat twice.

Finally, in just more than an hour, my guide got a hold of the leader and grabbed the great fish by the lower jaw, posing for a quick photo. We changed places for another picture and as he drove the boat I held and revived the fish, which soaked me with a tail splash as I released it. During the fight I had to adjust drag tension on my reel no less than six times, often very quickly, and had I not been able to do that I’m sure the 150 pound Silver King would have broken off. Having experienced numerous times the awful dismay of losing a trophy tarpon mid-fight, as every fly caster does, I was using a new reel this trip hoping to turn the odds. There’s no question that without the Tibor Gulfstream and its angler friendly features, I would not have been posing for a photo with my largest tarpon ever.

The reel choice

Lake trollers don’t think twice about spending an extra several hundred dollars to install a fishfinder/GPS combo on a new boat, and hunters often spend as much on a high quality scope as they do on the rifle. In each case that decision is going to make them a more effective sportsman. Conversely, time and again I see fly fishermen with expensive, state of the art rods and top shelf lines who choose to skimp and spend only a couple of hundred dollars on a reel; to my mind the most critical piece of any fly-casting outfit.

Anglers casting to trout and salmon on regional lakes and streams may be well served by a good quality moderately priced fly reel, but Mainers regularly doing battle with Atlantic salmon, musky, large stripers and bluefish need a reel equal to the task. A factor that becomes even more acute to outdoorsmen battling dozens of salmon a day in Alaska, especially the large, hard fighting kings. Sports who fling feathers and fur to tough fighting saltwater species such as snook, permit, tarpon, tuna, and sailfish will fail the test with mediocre reels, and when marlin and shark are the quarry, only the very best reel will yield occasional success.

Over the decades I’ve fished with a number of quality reels, well known names such as Bogdon, Seamaster, Abel and Fin-Nor, all with good results, but over the last 10 years my front line of defense when facing the toughest fresh and saltwater game fish are reels produced by Tibor (Tea-bor). In 1976 a Hungarian immigrant tool and die master craftsman and fly fishing enthusiast named Tibor (Ted) Juracsik changed the face of big game fishing with a revolutionary new reel. Combining his craftsmanship with his own fishing experience and teaming up with multi-record holder and professional angler Billy Pate, an innovative high performance reel was created.

In 1995 Juracsik followed his line of Billy Pate reels with his own series of high-tech Tibor saltwater game fish reels and then in 1999 a line up of Tibor Light freshwater reels. Recent proof that Tibor isn’t just another reel manufacturer was the presentation of a second consecutive International Game Fish Association (IGFA) World Record Achievement Award for setting the most world records in the fly reel division. Presented in April, 2005, this award recognized an astonishing 41 world records set in 2004 using Billy Pate and Tibor fly reels. According to Bob Brewer, general manager of Tibor Reel Corporation, Ted Juracsik Sr. and Jr. are still hard at work designing new technology and creating more refinements for future reels and future fishermen.

Quality qualifications

A list of five requisites guided my long, indepth search for a fly reel to handle all my angling situations, and in the process I found that most dedicated fly casters seek most of these same qualities. Durability ranks right at the top of the list. Designing and building a lightweight reel that is sturdy enough to endure years of long use and abuse in fresh and saltwater and still perform its task without fail is no small chore.

Tabor reels are built from high-grade heat-treated aluminum to keep weight low and durability high. Interior mechanisms of gear and drag systems, often referred to in the industry as “wear parts”, are all constructed of either stainless steel or hard-coated anodized aluminum. Juracsik feels that even though interior parts aren’t readily viewable that’s no reason not to give them a fine exterior finish and to heat harden them for a long life.

A feature considered by most veteran anglers to be just as important as durability is a solid, dependable drag system. Good is not good enough when a trophy fish is the prize, perhaps the largest of a lifetime. Pate and Tibor reels utilize a large graphite impregnated cork disc to exert drag pressure, rather than one-way bearings, Rulon or Delrin synthetic composites used by other companies, and the cork setup is superior.

Along with being strong and dependable, game fish drags must be smooth, allowing no hesitation, jump or jerk when a big fish suddenly reverses direction, leaps or dives. Drag adjustment knobs must be easy to reach, large enough to adjust simply and quickly, and offer immediate sensitivity to even minor adjustments. As I mentioned previously, being able to alter drag tension on my Tibor Gulfstream to match circumstances in the heat of battle was the main reason I finally landed my huge tarpon.

Gearing and line-retrieval options are the next consideration when selecting a fly reel for game fish that make long runs and surging leaps during long tug-of-wars. This choice involves a lot of personal preference and no small amount of acclimation. Billy Pate reels offer anti-reverse, which I dearly love but many guides despise. Anti-reverse is an internal gearing mechanism which allows a running fish to strip out line without causing the external spool and reel handle to turn. For an angler, especially a novice trying to stem the line-stripping escape of a big fish, anti-reverse prevents the knuckle scraping, hand banging abuse of a wildly spinning reel handle on a direct-drive reel.

Conversely, direct drive reels like the Tibor lineup allow veteran anglers to maintain closer control of a fish. And guides who have to keep asking the sport or checking the reel spool of a quiet anti-reverse model to make sure how much backing is coming out and how much is left on the spool, can judge the line direction on a direct drive by the sound and spinning handle. When an angler cranks a direct-drive reel, line has to come in, but an anti-reverse reel can be spewing out more line while the fisherman is still cranking wildly but not gaining an inch.

I own both styles and each has an important role in the quest for specific quarries, and that both styles are available from Tibor is a great asset. Another retrieval feature that is very beneficial on saltwater fish that make very long runs is the large arbor model. My Gulfstream’s large arbor spool allows me to retrieve line at least twice as fast as a regular reel spool. When it’s necessary to chase a fish or when a fish runs toward the boat, this feature will cut the chance of losing the quarry by half.

Since most fly fishermen designate specific rods for a favorite species, it’s imperative that the reel of choice fits the rod. A well balanced outfit assures comfortable, controlled casting without tiring the arm and shoulder out within the first hour. For intermittent spot and cast sight fishing for stripers, tarpon, bonefish and permit, balance is important, for constant casting to salmon however, a properly balance rod and reel is crucial.

My final criteria for selecting a fly reel may be of little importance to some sportsmen, and certainly has nothing to do with effectiveness, but to many of us exterior appearance is significant. Size, shape, color and design are all considerations and no other manufacturer offers the variety and alternatives of Tibor and Pate reels. Not only does each product offer an eye-catching finish, but the exterior is anodized, wear-resistant and can even be personalized. High quality, custom engraving of various fish species, removable name tags, or permanent names of clubs, boats, or organizations can be requested. In addition to the regular gold, silver or black exterior finish, Tibor offers six custom colors for their reels and each one can be easily altered between left and right hand retrieve.

Billy Pate anti-reverse reels are available in four models from 6 weight up to 14 weight, and Tibor direct drive and Quickchange spool series start at 7 weight and run to 15 weight in four increasing sized versions. New Tibor Light fresh water reels featuring the Constalube System come in three models for 3- to 8- line weights. Check them out on line at www.tiborreel.com or call 561-272-0770 for a catalog or more information.

Anglers in the mid-Maine area can actually see and handle Billy Pate and Tibor reels at Hachey’s Rod and Fly Shop in Veazie or call Gayland at 945-9648. It was Gayland who first introduced me to Pate reels years ago, and more recently to the Tibor line. Likely no man in Maine repairs, cleans, refurbishes and maintains more makes and models of fly reels than Hachey, therefore he understands first hand the qualities of a top-rate product and when he makes a suggestions I listen closely. Furthermore, Gayland not only praises the quality of Pate’s and Tibors, he uses several on his own rods.

Quality isn’t inexpensive as the Tibor and Pate reels have a price range of $250 to $650, but special trips and trophy fish deserve reels with excellence in engineering. Bitter memories of lost fish can be avoided and photos of 150-pound tarpon like the one I’ll tell you about next week can be secured with the right reel. My Tibor Gulfstream helped me land my largest ever tarpon, and hopefully will perform just as admirably when I try to take my first sailfish on a fly rod early next year.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com