For the money, around $30, Shimano Sienna FD. No sealed bearings so hose it off good if you use it for saltwater otherwise it's got almost all of the features of their more expensive reels. I've never caught a really big fish on my 2500 model but I've used it for freshwater and salt water surf fishing for around six years and so far it's worked as well as my 2500 Stradic for about 15% of the cost.
They discontinued the FD model a year or so ago but you can still find them on ebay. They replaced it with the Sienna FE, less bearings and a composite body. For all I know it's as good as the FD. Shimano makes good reels.
