Need some insight. I picked up a Beulah 13' 8" 8wt and need to pair it with a reel which will balance it nicely. In a perfect world it'd be an antique but I am thinking of the Galvan Torque T10. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
balance is irrelevant.. buy the reel you like typically something that carries a WF 10 and 250 yards of backing is the right size for spey rods in the 12- 13 foot range.
While I wouldn't go as far as to say that balance is completely irrelevant, the advice is solid. You'll want to go up at least one whole reel size, so, say, if you went with a Hatch, 7 Plus would be the 8-weight single hand size, you'll want a 9 Plus. I'm not familiar with that particular rod, but most 14' rods will be fine in the 9-10oz range.
E bay. You might consider what style line you intend to use. Short Skagit heads wouldn't need a really large reel like a long bellied spey. To me that's more of a concern than where the rod balances out.
I would strongly urge you to consider buying used. You will have many choices and people willing to part with their lightly used and in like new condition for about 1/2 what you would pay for a new reel. Decide if you want a clicker or a drag reel....then hunt one down on EBay, this site, or on Spey pages. You will have no problem locating what you want and won't need to buy new.
Thank you all for your advice. I am looking at a few models: Nothing set in stone. I'll keep an eye out online for deals.
Go used as suggested above. I just picked up a Lamson LP4 on the classifieds here, had the seller ship it to Archuleta Reelworks where Bill serviced it, including an upgraded clutch and sold me a spare spool to match. Total cost, $200. Previously found a mint Lamson Velocity4, found a spare spool (new); total cost less than $175. Either one balances and carries enough line for a 13’-6” eight weight.
FWIW, my 13' 9" 8-weight Sage balances fine with my Leland British Columbia Steelhead reel (between 10 and 11 ounces, empty).
