East fork 5-6 is a GLoomis mid price level reel

When GLoomis sent me the East Fork reel I really did not know what to expect as I had never used one before. They asked me what size I wanted to try and I had them send me the 5-6 version as I was going to review the GLoomis Shore Stalker 6wt and figured it would be nice to use booth together as a unofficial GLoomis outfit.

Out of the box

The East Fork is a mid level fly reel for the the company and when I pulled it out of the box I really liked the look of the reel and color. The reel can be palmed to add more pressure on the fish then just using the drag. The first thing I do when I look to purchase a reel is to take the spool off and look at the guts of the reel. A cheap reel will have some plastic parts. No plastic here! The drag system is sealed. One of the most interesting features of this reel is the drag system. It takes a little getting used to that there is absolutely no resistance winding line on the reel. You can literally spin the reel and wind line on the reel! The drag for the line going out is very adjustable and has a nice smooth feel to it. The drag clicks as it is tightened or loosened and no part of this reel feels cheap. The drag will protect a lighter tippet do to its smooth feel.

Out on the water

Like the rod review I fished this reel all spring, summer, and fall. I was not fishing for bluegill with this setup. I hooked, fought and landed ten pound pike and carp and some big smallmouth and the combination of this reel with the Shore Stalker rod. The drag worked smooth and was easy to adjust during a frantic battle. You can also palm the reel to add more pressure on a fish if needed. This reel is not a glorified line holder but a real tool to help you land really big fish! I kept thinking if this is GLoomis idea of a mid level reel I can only wonder what the top level reel is like. The Shore Stalker rod paired up with the East Fork reel and you have a great one, two punch on the water!

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