I started fly fishing in about 1980... with the Martin "outfit" from the local "got a little bit of everything" store. Cheap was an understatement... That reel (and subsequent replacements of the same contraption) was an adequate place to store line, but it would occasionally catch the fly line in the gap between the spool and the frame. Extremely irritating, and because of the damage to the fly line, and my pre-pubescent line to tippet tying skills, it sometimes looked like I had a green bird's nest as a strike indicator.
I've had several versions of "affordable" reels since, and the tolerances seem much better, but I must strip pretty hard, because I've eaten several plastic clickers in my casting experience. That's a factor that may make me lean towards the more expensive.
I've bought every single clockspring reel I've found at yard sales... for under $5, and I love those old things... although I did blow one out recently by getting a little too far out there without relieving the spring. (But I was WAY out there!) I have a dozen of them at least.
I'm not sure how it happened, they certainly didn't get it from me... but my two outdoorsie sons are hoidy toidy brand name brand name snobs! Not just in outdoor gear, but in many other things. They can't afford the $300 reels, but they are buying the 70-100 units. (I just scored a floor model off ebay for half price, just to rub it in on them!) But I must admit, they've got some gear that's a pleasure to play with!
My opinion... Cheap = $30-50 retail, and entirely adequate. Expensive... well, if I can get it for almost nothing to half its value from an estate sale... hey!
No yard sale left uncombed!
