Danielsson L5W Fly Reels

I am a klutz when it comes to steelheading as I do tend to fall in the river. My reels often get wet, dirty, iced up and I do little to maintain them other than a rinse and wipe. It is based on these experiences that I am reviewing this reel. I look forward to getting them salty but that has yet to happen.

The L5W series is Danielsson's high end, light duty reel. By light duty I'm referring to the drag and a focus on weight savings. That being said, for the fishing I do (Bass, Trout Steelhead, Salmon) they're more than enough. And honestly I don't know why I would need more than around 3-5lbs of drag on a fly reel although these will go higher than that.

I won't get into technical details that are already available at the Danielsson website regarding the design. They've summed up their product very well without getting too carried away, and being that I own two of their products, I can vouch for it's accuracy.

So here's what I like about them..

Heirloom Quality. Despite the abuse these reels have endured, they operate like the day they were bought. My LW 8Twelve is going on 7 years old and works like new. These were designed and assembled without compromise and with the act of fishing in mind. All stainless and aluminum and very high quality anodizing.

Very well sealed clutch, drag and bearings. The clutch bearing is sealed along with the drag. This is not always the case. Many clutch bearings in reels are exposed, even slightly, and can get wet. They will ultimately become contaminated over time if not serviced. No clutch means no drag. One doesn't matter without the other. Danielsson drags are sealed with the clutch and then they are tested in a pressure chamber to 100m. In 7 years, no water has got into the drag and clutch of my LW 8Twelve. None. I've checked.

I have another reel from a well know manufacturer that was only a little less money than the Danielsson. It had a "sealed" drag but the nut that held the shaft on was not stainless. It's rusted on and won't come off. Evidence of lack of testing during the design of this particular other reel.

Also if you remove the spool, nothing is exposed. Even disassembled, the clutch and drag sealing are not compromised. Take the spool off. Drop the reel and spool in the mud. Reassemble. No problem.

My favorite thing: The L5W 4Seven and 6Nine are the same reel with different size spools. My 4Seven was my 6wt reel for trout and bass. I bought a 6wt switch and needed an 8wt reel to accommodate a 6wt switch line. I just got a 6Nine spool for my birthday and now my one reel can service both rods. About $400 for the reel with two spools. That's cheap for a high end reel.

On the left is the 4Seven Spool with a 6wt weight foreward, on the rod is the 6Nine spooled with Airflo 5.5wt streamer switch line.

Issues I've had with other reels that Danielsson has designed around include locking up due to ice, free-spooling from fouled clutch bearings, drags ("sealed" ones)  that vary in retention force depending on how wet they are, poor drag adjustment range, etc.

Oh and regarding warranty. I've never had to use it. I've owned other reels that had great warranties but I prefer the one I don't need.

I can't think of anything else worth mentioning. Being able to tune the drag tension rate is pretty cool. They're light. They only come in gray. The drag is as smooth as any I've tried. The anodizing seems more durable than some I've seen.

Best reel I've used. Highly recommended.

CB