When I started out fly fishing in the 60's everybody had autos, and many old guys still fished bait with fly tackle. I take one out now and again to remember the old timers.

I have two favorites. The best working IMHO is the old Shakespeare Tru Art. Like their saying, it is built like a watch (OK, a cheap mass produced watch). I also like the older Meisselbach auto. They are truly built like a tank and have a little nickel silver trim that goes with an old bamboo rod. However, they are as heavy as a tank as well. Martin and Perrine auto reels were probably the most common when I was a kid.

When I started fly fishing, automatic reels were used because it simplified one handed fly fishing. The other hand was used for sculling the boat. We all developed an ability to cast with either hand so we could work either side of the bank. When we hooked a bass or needed to shorten a cast we could take up the fly line slack with the same hand the fly rod was held in and kept the other hand sculling.

I live in the metro area and the favorite rivers are a day trip....but I have 3 nice little lakes near me that are full of Bluegill, so I am going to pick up an auto to use with my Wright McGill Sweetheart for Bluegill for when I don't have a full day to devote to fishing.

i have a fondness for oren-o-matics,and use them for warm water fish.i think they go great with fiberglass.i especially like them with level line.

i never use them for trout,because i like to take trout on the reel,but blue gill,i don't mind stripping in.i use the auto just to take up slack of line between my stripping hand and the reel.

i have an 8ft presidential wonderod with brown over black wraps.it came with a brown shakespeare auto and bass line.really makes the rod not "tippy" as i feel the long wonderods are.came with some good bass bug line on it and it casts well.really a great looking combo.wonder if it was sold as a combo.