Stella 2500FJ
The Shimano Stella is the best reel I have ever owned. I have been using this reel for about a year and a half and I have no issues at all. It's silky smooth every time I pick it up, which is important with me wading as much as I do. I need a tough reel that won’t corrode after falling in the water. I have also set this reel on the ground, and in the water with no adverse effects so far. I use the 2500 FJ model on the rivers and streams here in western Pennsylvania. I usually match the reel up with a Gloomis or Shimano medium action rod with a 6lb-8lb test line.
This reel excels at controlling big smallmouth in fast water with its superior drag. I can feel confident landing a 5lb smallie in the river with it. When working a bait, you can feel the smoothness of the reel and feel everything through the handle. This is an expensive reel and not for a casual angler. This reel can and will improve your experience on the water. ~ Wade Guide Pete Cartwright
Shimano Stella FJ is smoother, more efficient, and durable than the previous generation, the Stella FI.
Featuring Micro Module II, the all new gear design and gear teeth surface provides for amazing smoothness and nearly doubles the strength of Shimano's already unmatched gear durability.
The X-Protect makes this Stella up to 5X more water resistant than its predecessor, which ensures each turn of the handle will feel as good as it did right out of the box for years of trouble free use.
The all new Silent Drive, eliminates play at the micron level and increases tolerances to a level never seen before in a Stella reel. On top of these three revolutionary upgrades is a long stroke spool and tangle proof rotor design that truly takes the Stella FJ to a new level and sets the benchmark for Shimano spinning reels moving forward.