The two both have the same reviews and the same cost at Cabelas. I am new to fly fishing and was hoping to throw out the question since I keep coming back to these reels. Anyone fish with either?

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"If I'm not back in five minutes... just wait longer."

Hmm...the lamson konic is definitely a good one start with. it has the same drag system as their top end reels. literally, its the same components. DIfference is that Konic is cast aluminum instead of machined. But do consider that all Lamson's are life time no questions asked warranty. I bought a used Lamson Lightspeed and it was rusted inside out, got it for $30 (its a $250 reel), sent it back to Lamson and they gave me a brand new one for free, not questions asked. Same goes for the Konic, i sent it back when I accidently dropped it and slightly dented the spool (downside of cast alum, they arent as strong), they sent me a new spool, completely free. Also, the large arbor on the Konic will pick up line quicker, get the fish faster to you, as opposed to mid arbor on the Trion.

as for the pflueger trion, i haven't heard much about it but does have good reviews and is fully machined instead of cast. I think I heard that they are made by the same manufacturer that makes Redington reels... BUT Pflueger only has limited warranty so keep that in mind. Also consider that other than the Pflueger Medalist, their fly reels haven't been the most popular.

I'd lean towards the Konic to be honest. Unless you drop it from far up, cast aluminum isn't bad.

One more suggestion...if you're looking at reels in the 150+ range, Lamson Guru is basically the Konic but fully machined and smooth as butter and just a little higher price point than the Trion...

are you just looking to get one for trout fishing? like a 5 or 6wt?

I've got 3 Konics and I bought them for the drag (same as their top end reel). My reels are used on steelhead and salmon rods where a drag is actually needed. If the use is only for trout or panfish, any reel will work as they rarely ever run into the backing. The Trion is a solid design that is built in Korea for several different companies. The only difference is the machining patterns and the finish.

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Life's short - fish hard!

5wt is a good weight to start with. You'll be able to catch everything from high lakes trouts to SRC's and rezzi coho's in the salt. Yeah a bit too light for steelhead. I caught a nice dolly on my 6wt and it had it bent over and thought the rod was gonna explode. Depending on the rod, If you wanted to go for light steely during the summer, I would've recommended a 6wt atleast. You want to get the fish in as soon as possible without tiring him out into exhaustion and death. Very frowned upon when/if you fish for native steelhead.

anyway, Konic does have a great drag system, again, just the only downside is that it is cast aluminum instead of machined but one can argue they're just as strong and reliable, slightly heavier.

If you're willing to budge slightly on your budget, the Ross CLA is possibly one of the most recommended reels out there and with good reason. It is SMOOTH and fully machined out and light too.

but yeah, as Wolverine said, the Trion shared the same reel as many other brands I believe, including Orvis (may be wrong) and Redington reels.

One thing to note is that with a 5wt reel up in the high lakes, the drag system won't come in much use. You won't be catching anything that would require the drag to engage so a 5wt reel acts as nothign more than a little circle that holds line. You'll find yourself stripping your line in to bring the fish in instead of reeling in also.

Guess you really can't go wrong with either the Konic or the Trion. Both solid reels for the price but the Konic has been recognized as one of the best reels for the price because of the fact that it shares the exact same conical drag system as their $300+ reels.