Why you need a reel with a smooth drag (35 of 38)
A trout reel is mostly a line-holding device. Right? It is most of the time, but if you fish in a river where you may occasionally hook a big one, you’ll need a reel with a smooth drag—especially when fishing with light tippets. If a reel stutters or doesn’t allow line to flow smoothly out of the guides, a trout that makes a sudden lunge can break your tippet. And who likes broken tippets?