Allen Alpha II
I recently had cause to buy a single-handed 8 weight set up for my son, Schpanky, who is off at college and has fallen in with some young fellers who like to angle with a fly (which pleases me to no end, by the way). Over the years I have justified purchasing 2 of every setup I have because I figured I would eventually give my second set of gear to the boy. Well, the one rod/reel setup that I do not have a duplicate of happens to be a single-handed 8 weight.
Being on a college budget (translation: with two kids in college, I am on a budget) I had to shop intelligently. I will not by junk just because it’s affordable, however, so I looked for the best combination of price and quality. Enter Allen Fly Fishing.
Evan Burck, a fishing friend of mine, works for Allen and so I have seen the quality of their gear first hand. I’ve read customer reviews and have recommended Allen to others. One person in particular is a steelhead guide who asked me a year ago if I could recommend a good reel that wouldn’t break the bank. It felt odd to be approached by a guide seeking advice from me, but pretended to be an authority on the matter and steered him toward Allen. He ended up getting an Alpha II reel and last I heard he loves it.
So, when my need for another 8 weight reel arose, I looked no further than the Alpha II. Within 3 days of ordering the reel arrived. First impressions are that it’s a great looking reel with silky-smooth action. The drag is reported to be excellent. Once I get it lined up and sent off to Schpanky, I hope he hooks into a Clearwater or Grand Ronde steelhead so he can test the drag himself.
Right now the Alpha II (as well as apparently most every other piece of Allen gear) is on sale. You can pick one up for the outrageous price of only $149 (marked down from $249). So if you’re in the market for a new reel, you may not want to wait much longer to get the Alpha II.
To Evan I say, you are welcome. Glad to help you pay for your new mortgage.
Disclaimer: I was not paid, nor was I given preferential pricing in exchange for this blog post.
