Fly Fishing Benefactors SNAKE I Fly Reel

The SNAKE I reel from Fly Fishing Benefactors is a great reel at at great price.  Lightweight, smooth with a nice responsive sealed drag system, it accommodates a Cortland 4.5 weight line on a Sage 4 wt. XP just perfectly.  Cortland has discontinued the half-weight lines, but the new AVID line from RIO is very similar in design.  Everett  of TEAM7x is very impressed with this new offering from RIO.  The inexpensive spare SNAKE I spool carries a 4 wt. Cortland Sylk for a 3 wt. custom 9 footer or an Orvis Superfine 4 wt.  The thin, supple Sylk line seems to perform better a weight over; i.e. a 4 weight line on a 3 weight rod especially with a faster rod like the Sage XP.

I'm very impressed with the SNAKE I.  It is nicely machined, a great color and competes with the Lamson Litespeed weight-wise.  Although spec'd for a 3 or 4 weight line, I see no reason why it would not carry a 5 weight line with perhaps a bit of trimming on the running line end.  Best of all, FFB donates a portion of it's profits to several great causes!  Check out their other offerings or give Carl a call at FFB, he'll be glad to assist you with any questions.

 Note the porting on the spool which helps to remove weight.  The spool knob  (above) will NOT fall off in your hand when changing spools.  FFB has a great video on their site that highlights the features of the SNAKE I.  They also offer some good deals on lines/leaders and accessories.