The Cast: Combined with Scientific Angler's Mastery line (which is weighted like wire) the Celilo is a confident caster. The tip of this rod is good at bringing your fly up and back, and even better at forcing line forward and down into your target zone. When fly fishing for stripers it sometimes make sense to further weigh down your tippet with one or two split-shots, this not only causes your fly to sink faster and deeper but also helps you cast farther in windy conditions.

The Integrity reel is easy to pull line from and can be set with minimal drag pressure so line rolls smoothly with good inertial start-up but wont backlash your main line. While casting in windy conditions will undoubtedly do a real number on your arm, the contoured cork grip does help you maintain a comfortable grip on the rod.

The Retrieve: To work subsurface flies I strip in one foot at a time as erratically as possible (similar to fishing a jerk bait). Don't be afraid to pull faster or harder, these are not shy fish...and will rise up to strike when properly enticed with the opportunity to engulf what they think are injured baitfish. When fishing for stripers I prefer to strip the fly and smaller fish in by hand, but when the large fish get a hold of the fly it is time to turn to your reel for support. The Integrity offers drag free retrieval which we found can even be adjusted even during a fight by palming over the reel and rotating the uniquely large handle of the star drag!

The Drag: Unlike traditional gear or cork drags the Integrity makes use of a one way disc drag system complete with a roller bearing. The function is similar to an infinite anti-reverse in a spinning reel. While we were initially skeptical to the feel of such a system we quickly changed our minds when we saw how smooth the drag could apply vast amounts of constant pressure. 

Fish On: Small Stripers will hit the lure and thrash violently below the surface trying to break free, while the larger fish will hit the lure like a freight train and use brute force to challenge you and your tackle to an exciting game of tug of war. During our tests we hooked up tons of schoolies (small stripers), it seemed every time the wind picked up just a bit the fish would feel more confident to strike. After going through what seemed like endless diminutive fish I eventually hooked into a substantial striper that stripped line and pulled the rod tip towards the water as it unexpectedly turned and ran right under the boat!

The Celilo rod tip flexed under the pressure of the lunker but the base of the rod still had plenty of muscle to keep the rod up and line tight, preventing the fish from shaking the fly. During the fight there was an audible rapid "click, click, click" of the drag as the Integrity released line as the fish ran. I palmed the Integrity waiting for the fish to begin to tire out, and as he slowed to regain himself I began gaining ground by reeling in more line then he could strip in each subsequent burst. Finally when the fish was within reach TT Editor, JIP, was able to position a net under the fish right as my flashtail popped off the lip of the fish whipping me backward and the fish into the center of the net....what a landing!

Noticeable Okuma Benefits: After two days of fishing the Okuma Celilo/Integrity Combo we were impressed with the durability of both products. The biggest benefit of the Integrity is the unique drag system which is reliable, problem free, and very easy to maintain. There is no oiling of cork, or worrying about foreign materials interfering with this reel's operation. While unconventional, this design really works. Another benefit we noted was pure rod fighting power, the Celilo is designed to take some serious abuse from hard hitting fish and never show a scar. The high modulus graphite is tough as nails and sports a butt foundation that inspires confidence when fighting large fish.