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With a name that sounds a little too much like a Hatch, the little brother to the Invictus is the Einarsson 8Plus. It’s lighter. It’s cheaper. But how does it perform?

 

8-Weight Shootout Full Results

 

Weight

8 ounces. Actually not too bad!

 

Drag

 

 

Ironically, the thing that makes the Invictus great (no startup inertia) is where the 8Plus completely failed. It has more startup inertia than any other reel in the test, including cork drags! It saddens me to think that a company could make something so awesome in the Invictus and totally ignore it in the 8 Plus. Startup inertia aside, the 8Plus has only 4lbs of max drag, only 2 of which is usable, and less than 1lb at the halfway mark. No Bueno.

Drag Test Graph

 

 

Sound

Like the Invictus, the 8Plus sounds pretty good. It’s got a pleasant sound that’s the same on both incoming and outgoing.

 

Spool & Retrieval Rate

On the 8Plus you’ll get a middle of the pack 9.2 inches per turn of line pickup combined with some really decent backing capacity. Easily enough for your favorite 8 or 9 weight line. But there’s nothing standout in this department.

 

Looks & Ergonomics

While the 8Plus looks pretty nice and has a very good handle, it’s got some issues in the ergonomics department. First, the drag knob is way too small. It’s really tough to grip. What’s worse is that it’s got the same terrible spool cap design that Loop uses.

 

 

Finish and durability

 

 

Like big brother, the 8Plus stands up pretty will to drops and scrapes.

 

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + a variable fee. I’m not quite sure what that means, but I would expect it to be a lot.

 

Price: $698

 

Conclusion

If you’re curious about Einarsson reels, I’d really recommend checking out our review of the Invictus. It’s a spectacular reel that showcases what the company is all about. While the 8Plus may have finished last in our test, it’s actually not all that bad of a reel… it just has a horrible drag that cost it a lot in our shootout.

 

 

Buy it with Free Shipping here.

 

Pros

  • Really a very decent reel across a lot of categories

 

Cons

  • Horrible drag
  • Bad ergonomics