There are few fisheries that draw a following like the Spring run of Striped Bass along the New England Coast. Fly anglers wait patiently all winter for what is often some of the best saltwater fly fishing all year. As veteran anglers know it is a rare moment when the fish are concentrated in a relatively small area, hungry from a long winter, and close enough that fly anglers can target them from shore. In fact, it’s quite common for anglers to come from all over to fish Long Island Sound’s Connecticut coast during the early season. It’s that good.

For my annual trip tarpon fishing in Boca Grande, Florida this year, I brought a new reel -- the Abel SDS 11/12 wt.