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Saltwater reel

3K views 33 replies 17 participants last post by  jasmillo 
#1 ·
Looking for a saltwater reel with a sealed drag for a 8wt rod, in the $200- 400(US) range.
From my research so far;
-Lamson Guru HD
-Lamson Litespeed ( being d/c, selling at a discount)
-Sage 4200( sealed drag?)
-Nautilus X
- Loop Multi 6/9

Any feedback on the reels above, good or bad?

Anything else I should look at?

Cheers.
 
#10 ·
Galvans aren't sealed. Neither are top of the line Abel, Tibor, or Islanders for that matter. Sealed drags aren't necessary if the reel is built for the salt. I have several Galvans and love them. Very little maintenance and they work flawlessly after years of heavy salt use. I had bad experiences with Lamsons where the "sealed" drag started to corrode even after following the care instructions for saltwater use.
 
#12 ·
I used non sealed Ross Canyons for years without issue.
I'm now using Galvan Torques. I just give them a good rinsing.
After fishing.
There is no right or wrong as far as sealed versus non sealed.

As Stuart said, many big name salt reels aren't sealed. If a sealed drag does fail, it is done and you won't be able to service it yourself like you could with a unsealed reel.

I know I'm certainly not going to take my unsealed reels apart every time after fishing them in the salt.

I've had nothing but bad luck with Lamson reels even though I never used them in the salt.

Good luck with your search.
SF
 
#16 ·
I haven't heard about many problems with newer Lamson reels. I would buy one without concern. They have lifetime warranties, so to SF's point, who cares if you can't rebuild them if something goes wrong? Send it back and have Lamson do it.

If the Nautilus X is in your price range I'd probably go that route with the Ross Evolution LT also in consideration. Pretty tough to beat in that price range. For a little less I'd consider the closeout Litespeed, Redington Rise, and Orvis Hydros. If you go more then throw the Galvan Torque on the list.

I preferred sealed drags in this price range. I'm sure the non-sealed high end reels are just fine, but for my purposes and maintenance habits sealed just makes more sense to me. It's not really make or break though as long as the reel is designed for salt use.
 
#20 ·
I haven't heard about many problems with newer Lamson reels. I would buy one without concern. They have lifetime warranties, so to SF's point, who cares if you can't rebuild them if something goes wrong? Send it back and have Lamson do it..
Matt,
I was referring more to in field service rather then rebuilding them.
When a sealed drag dies, it is dead. You aren't going to service it yourself.
You can at least take a non sealed reel apart and try to fix the problem yourself.

I'm not saying sealed drags are bad in any way and that they fail often. There are lots of quality reels out there with sealed drags.
When they do fail and you might be on the trip of a lifetime, it is nice to have the option to try and fix the problem yourself.
Been there, done that with a non sealed drag reel.

As far as Lamson goes, all my problems were with the early Lite Speeds. I finally got tired of the issues and sold them.
SF
 
#22 · (Edited)
I have found that many reels are pretty quiet these days both in and out. I prefer a louder reel, but you get used to it either way. The Ross reels have a pretty nice angry bike hub kinda sound. The Ross Cimarron looks like a great reel for the price, but it's way too ugly to actually buy. I really wish they would restyle it because it strikes a great balance between performance and cost.

Most reels are pretty good these days. I'd go to a shop and play with them all and see which one you like best in your price range. Is this for Puget Sound stuff, a trip to the tropics, or what? For Puget Sound, I wouldn't get too worried about it. I can't even remember the last fish I had on the reel while fishing the PS beaches.

@Stonefish Good points. Although if I'm on the trip of a lifetime I'm going to have at least one backup for everything. I also think a truly sealed quality drag has less of a chance of something going wrong simply because it's less likely to get contaminants in the drag system. Key word quality, and I think that the majority of $200+ reels are fairly high quality.
 
#23 ·
Last winter I bought a Daniellson L5W 6nine ( http://danielsson-flyreels.se/en/flyreels/l5w-series/) for Puget sound fishing. I absolutely love it.

It is incredibly smooth, great out of the box drag (with an overwhelming amount of customization levels if needed), and has a very satisfying click.

It is a solid reel with some wight to balance the bigger rods.

I haven't had it long enough to speak to the long term durability yet. I use it in the salt 85 percent of the time with a rinse after every trip.

The main drawback is ordering from Europe. It took me about two weeks to recieve the reel after order.

If you are interested but want to get a closer look before ordering online; I live across the street from Magnuson park and can meet you at the park to let you get your hands on it.

Tristan
 
#31 ·
Galvan Torque is a very nice reel and takes the salt on easily, as does the cheaper Ross Cimarron. Bauers' are good. I don't know about the newer Lamsons' but I have experienced salt issues with older reels which led me to never try them again in the salt. I still own a couple but they are FW reels only. You have a healthy budget and some good reels suggestions have been offered.....I think you can come to a conclusion with a bit of research from some of the suggestions and match it with your personal tastes in real reel appeal ;):)
 
#34 ·
Looking for a saltwater reel with a sealed drag for a 8wt rod, in the $200- 400(US) range.
From my research so far;
-Lamson Guru HD
-Lamson Litespeed ( being d/c, selling at a discount)
-Sage 4200( sealed drag?)
-Nautilus X
- Loop Multi 6/9

Any feedback on the reels above, good or bad?

Anything else I should look at?

Cheers.
When I first moved here, I was on mission to fish for SRC immediately so headed down to Sportsmans Warehouse to buy a cheaper 6 weight reel I would not worry about killing just to see if I enjoyed beach fishing. 3-4 years and a multitude of days on the beach later, my Ross Flyrise reel is still the 6 weight reel I use off the beach. Looks like shit but still very smooth and effective with just a quick rinse after use. Cost does not always equal performance...

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