Whichever reel you use, but especially with freshwater models, rinse them thoroughly in freshwater at the end of every day spent out on the water. The best solution is to buy a specialist saltwater reel. Nowadays there are some good saltwater models being sold by companies such as Fishtec and Sportfish at the lower end of the price scale. Reels costing between £100 - £200 will cope with occasional trips but if you are serious about saltwater fly fishing, a Loop, Orvis, Tibor or Abel will cost around £500 but should be a life time investment.

The staff at specialized suppliers such as Fishtec and Sportfish will advise you about the pros and cons of individual models and the advantages of direct drive and disc drags.