Shootouts

Sage makes some killer fly rods, but for some reason, they’ve had trouble making a truly competitive big game saltwater reel. They’ve had the 6000 series, the 8000 series, the 6200 series, and now the Spectrum Max.

I really like seeing great value-based reels. Unfortunately, there aren’t many good ones out there. Fewer still that have any drag strength worth talking about. That’s where Redington decided to attack. They made the Behemoth to out-compete every single reel in the price range in one very tangible way – BIG drag. And they did it well. All you have to do is turn it up to feel that it’s got some serious stopping power. But is it a well-rounded reel?

Galvan is no newcomer to the reel game. They’ve been quietly making some of the best reels on the market for years – the Torque even took 3rd place in our 5-weight shootout. Despite their success in the freshwater game, Galvan was always missing a hardcore saltwater reel. Enter the Grip. The Grip marks Galvan’s entrance into the saltwater game. They’ve taken the very good Torque and sealed it to give you a maintenance free version of their award-winning reel. Here’s how it stacks up.

Rounding out the classic reels in our shootout is the Abel Super 7/8. These reels haven’t changed much over the years, and that’s either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. Generally, we fall on the side of innovation, but let’s see if the tweaks that have been made to the Super Series are enough to keep it competitive.

Abel is perhaps one of the most storied names in saltwater fishing. Few reel companies have the pedigree that companies like Abel do. While Abel is certainly famous for its cork drags, they’ve come a very long way when it comes to creating a reel that competes with the best of the best modern fly reels. Enter the SDS.

While this is the first time we’ve tested an Islander reel, they are far from new to the market. Islander has been making high-quality reels in their machine shop in British Columbia for nearly 30 years. The LX is their large-arbor disc drag model, and we’re excited to see it perform.

We’re starting to get into the very best saltwater reels. Enter the Ross Evolution R Salt: long name, amazing results. It’s Ross’s first true entry into the saltwater game since the Momentum was discontinued a few seasons ago. While the Momentum was kind of a meh reel, they’ve done tons of R&D and this reel is a game changer.

Last time around, Cheeky came out as one of our favorite reels with the Mojo. This year, we’re testing the value-based Boost. Cheeky introduced the Boost to give customers a more wallet friendly option. Can it live up to the legacy?

Winner of our 5-weight shootout, the bar is high for the Litespeed. Now in its new “Micra 5” incarnation, it sits at the top of Lamson’s “all-water” or freshwater lines, offering massive performance and super lightweight. Can it compete with today’s top saltwater reels? Find out.

Last but not least from Hardy is the Ultralite MTX 7000. Like a sports car, Hardy has added a little extra carbon fiber, a few extra letters after the name and raised the price in the name of performance. Yes, the MTX is like the souped-up version of the Ultralite series. But do these enhancements mean that it’s also… better?