VR Fly Reel Review: A European-Made, Heirloom Quality Reel at a Fair Price

Small Water Fly Fishing | The Trutta Perfetta Aluminum

The reel that caught my eye is the Trutta Perfetta Aluminum. This is a small trout reel that is perfect for the streams and creeks I enjoy fishing. Vladimir makes them in 2 to 5 weight, and 2 3/4" or 3" in diameter. The Trutta Perfetta is made with an eye towards the traditional fly reels of the past. There are some added modern considerations to improve performance, but these additions don't detract from the classic look and feel of the fly reel. 

Beauty and Built for a Lifetime

The reel I have is dark brown, almost black, with brass accents. The brass is starting to develop a nice patina that is adding to its richness. I regularly fish this reel in the creeks and streams of the Appalachian mountains. I pair it with a Winston rod, stuff a single fly box in my pocket, and head into the woods. This is fly fishing at its simplest. 

Classic and Smart Come Together

The Trutta Perfetta is a click and pawl reel with a palming rim to assists in fighting larger fish. The click and pawl usually provides enough control for small stream trout, but if the fly fishing Gods shine upon us, there will be those times when you hook into a monster trout that peels line off your reel, this is when the palming rim comes into play. I'm a big fan of fly reels where you can palm the spool and manually play the fish as it runs.

Let My Skills Determine the Outcome

A palming rim allows me to be more physically engaged in the playing of the fish, more connected to the outcome of the battle. In contrast to relying solely on a reel's drag, applying my skills, my physical body, and just the right amount of touch to act as the drag feels like a more honest fight. I liken it to using a bow instead of a rifle when hunting. With a bow, the outcome of the hunt is more dependent on the hunter's physical and mental skills when the fight intensifies. That's the kind of engagement I crave when a big fish is on the other end of my fly line.

Confessions of a Fly Reel Geek

When I'm not fishing this reel, I'll sometimes have it on my desk where I write. It becomes a fidget toy if I'm struggling to find words. I'll hold the reel in my hand and rotate the spool forward and back just to hear the click and pawl at work. The "click" of the Trutta Perfetta is so dang clean and precise, you can feel each tooth of the gear when you slowly turn the spool. Fly reels that don't "click' when the spool is engaged just feel soulless to me. A reel without sound when a fish runs is a reel that I don't want. 

^{The VR Salar Incomparabile 3 5/8″ for when you want to go bigger.} 

Quality Materials and Simple Design

The Trutta Perfetta boasts a fully machined one-piece spool and full cage frame with an integrated axle, all crafted from aerospace-grade bar stock aluminum. The brilliance of the Trutta Perfetta lies in its remarkably simple design: only 22 parts are used in its construction. Fewer moving parts mean fewer things can go wrong. Each part, crafted from superior materials and held together with exacting tolerances, contributes to the reel's quality and dependability. 

A Fair and Honest Price

Here's the kicker, the VR Trutta Perfetta Aluminum is a reasonably priced fly reel. It retails for $320-$338. For an heirloom quality reel this is more than a fair price.

My Trutta Perfetta sits on my desk as I write. When I can't resist the pull anymore, I'll slip it onto my Winston and sneak out to some small water. It all becomes medicine when I step into the stream. - KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover