Imagine a 7wt Saltwater Outfit...

[sharky]

Which reel would you choose for a 7wt Saltwater Outfit?
Insight into your decision is welcome.

Bauer MX3
Bauer Rogue 3
Sage 2560/2580
Galvan Torque
Lamson Litespeed 3 or....
Nautilus Featherweight No. 5+

Usage: Random, multipurpose salt use. Wont have enough $ to have a specific setup for location/species.

Additional Notes I'd like to share. Please note that these are just random bits of info I found looking through a multitude of boards:

Galvans use some sort of plastic brushing in their drag system.
Sage's disc drag is off center and might cause the reel to wobble.
Bauer MX series' star drag tends to loosen slightly after setting desired drag level needing constant attention.
Bauer Rogue's V Arbor causes uneven drag (more drag over time) due to the decreasing spool diameter as fish pulls line out of reel.
Lamson Litespeed uses a rubber "O" ring to secure frame and spool (no locking mechanism) Might wear and become loose.
*Personal Experience* Nautilus customer service is terrible, I requested a brochure from them and got one in the mail that was all torn up with a hole in one of the pages.

So what do you guys think? Given the potential negatives, which reel do you think stands out from the pack?

Please don't sell a story of your lovely Tibor/Abel/Hardy/Danielson etc etc. I don't want to sell my kidneys just to own them...

[sharky]

Oh and I almost forgot.

I'd love to start fly tying and I know absolutely nothing about it.
I randomly found urm...HMH Silhouette and a Dyna-King Kingfisher as "recommended" beginner vices but they still cost an arm and a leg.

Do you guys work with any tools that kinda have the quality of the above vices but is cheaper perhaps?

Advice is greatly appreciated once again.

[pirate!]

Hi sharky... that's a lotta output in 2 posts... let me see if i can help you there... i too, am actually looking into a new set up, except that i'm looking at a 6wt freshwater set up that is able to go into saltwater too, so our needs are similar... what rod do you intend to get? i think the weight of the rod will help with deciding with what reel to get.

the bauer rogue 3 is attractive, actually i'm looking at that and playing it off against the Superlite, and i'm leaning the the M3SL. i have a nautilus featherweight no7... its married to a scott STS and its a match made in heaven... very pretty reel with a nice sealed drag and its not heavy, plus it looks good in pictures. and did i say its smooth too? well yes its smooth...

if you could get your hands on one... perhaps you could get a Ross Canyon BG4... i have one of those on my 9wt and i think its a little on the small side (just managing 300yds of 30lbs tuffline) but i think it would be perfect on a 7wt. potcy's got one on his albright A-5 so perhaps he could give some imput. i've not managed to hear much about the galvan torque but it looks cool and i'm considering it... seems like a really good reel.

about fly tying... i started with a danvise which is probably the cheapest rotary vise on the market... its great! at under 70 USD without shipping, id say value for money. that being said, its quite a chunky vise and has a nice big portion after the stem for you to rest your hand on when you're holding a hackle to be tied in, also its convertible from left hand to right hand or vice versa if needed. overall very comfortable vise to use... umm... in addition i've now got a renzetti traveller (thank you to the person who sold it to me-totally having fun with it)... that being said, i still use the danvise on and off. the renzetti doesnt have the big chunky piece to rest your hand on and took a little getting used to. the rotation is smoother than on the dan vise AND has a base instead of a clamp. which is great because you can rest your elbows on the table when you tie. perhaps you can "upgrade" when the danvise is worn out, you're welcome to have a go at tying a few flies on either of my vises if our schedules allow. frankly speaking, the renzetti is built like a tank and probably going to out last me and i'm not exactly old

take a trip down to coho! ogle at the reels in the window and perhaps you could get a fly tying lesson from Henry or Moses, our local fly shop's friendly staff yes i mean it, they rock!!

tight lines!