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Galvan Fly Reels are all about solid freshwater performance and USA-made attention to detail, and their Brookie reel is no exception. The Galvan Brookie is an innovative clicker reel with an adjustable click tension. In addition to its new tension system, it comes in a variety of colors and sizes to appeal to a broad range of anglers. Longtime fans of Galvan and hardcore creek junkies alike will appreciate the Brookie’s handsome design and clever features. Read along to learn more about the Galvan Brookie and what makes it a standout in the category of premium click-and-pawl fly reels.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• High quality USA craftsmanship
• Adjustable click-ball tension system
• Available in 5 fully anodized color options

Cons

• Drag click is extremely muted
• Expensive for a clicker reel

Who It’s For

The Galvan Brookie offers creek anglers the simplicity and lightweight convenience of a click-and-pawl reel with the added benefit of an adjustable click tension. This is good news for those of us who want just a little more tension than a standard click-and-pawl reel offers, which is usually nearly nothing. What’s more, the Brookie is offered in beautifully anodized colors, a fun feature that will undoubtedly appeal to a younger generation of creek anglers who are bored with the typical silver, black, or bronze options. Lastly, Galvan reels are built and tested right here in the USA, so for anglers who prefer to support US manufacturing, this is a great option.

Weight

At 3.18 ounces in the 4/5 size, the Galvan Brookie is pretty light - just what we expected of this simple, highly ported trout reel. It will balance out most shorter creek rods quite well, but be aware that these featherweight reels may be too light for 9-foot or longer rods.

Drag

Although the Galvan Brookie doesn’t feature a disc drag system, it does offer an adjustable “click-ball tension system”. This is a non-directional tension that can be adjusted by removing the spool and rotating a small screw with a provided allen key. At its maximum setting it provides a noticeable amount of pressure, certainly enough to slow down a larger fish if absolutely needed. I probably wouldn’t trust this simple tension system repeatedly against stout fish, but it’s nice to know you have the reserve pressure available if you find yourself in an area with larger fish, like in a high alpine lake with hefty cutthroat.

Sound

One of the most enjoyable aspects of a clicker reel is, well, it’s click! We adore loud clickers that harken back to the reels of our grandparent’s generation. Unfortunately, the Galvan Brookie’s click is very muted and the incoming and outgoing sounds are not differentiated. On the bright side, the click does sound good, it's just not loud enough to thoroughly enjoy. If you prefer a quieter clicker, this may be a great option for you.

Spool & Cage Design

The 4/5 size Brookie measures a maximum spool diameter of 3.2”, a width of 0.85”, and an arbor diameter of 2.15”. These specs equate to about 7.5” of line pickup per turn - a very solid retrieval rate for a freshwater creeker. Despite not being an ultra high-performance machine like the Lamson Purist (9” per turn), the Galvan Brookie is more than adequate for creek fishing, backpacking, and other small water environments.

Looks & Ergonomics

Kudos to Galvan’s design team, the Brookie is a very cool looking clicker reel. It’s ultra-ported design looks sleek, and the anodized aluminum provides a shiny finish that looks sophisticated and strong. Quite honestly, it’s the best looking reel in the Galvan lineup.
Ergonomically, the Brookie is functionally simple. The reel handle is on the small side, but considering how infrequently you’ll need it on small water, this seems like a fair tradeoff for a lighter reel. The spool pops out of the frame without a button or lever, which keeps the spool free of excess buttons or levers.. Like we mentioned above, adjusting the click-ball tension system requires the use of a small allen key - not ideal for on-the-water adjustments, but fine for doing at home the day before fishing.

Warranty

Galvan Fly Reel Warranty

Value

Price: $305.00

Premium clicker reels typically fall somewhere around the $300 mark, with reels like the Hardy Ultraclick ($275), the Sage Click ($330), and the Ross Colorado ($375). Considering all of these reels offer similar solid performance specs and beautiful craftsmanship, what sets the Galvan Brookie apart from the others? First, its tension is adjustable, meaning you have more control over the amount of clicker tension than just the pre-set factory setting. Secondly, the fully anodized finish is available in five different colors - appealing to more anglers and offering a splash of color to a somewhat bland market. Lastly, the Brookie is made from start to finish in the USA, which is important to us at Trident, as well as a lot of consumers. Overall, we see a lot of value in the Galvan Brookie. Sure, $300 is a lot of money for a clicker reel, but the Brookie offers excellent design features and performance compared to the other premium clickers on the market.

Conclusion

Click-and-pawl fly reels are beloved for their simple and timeless charm, so it sometimes feels like a contradiction to label them as “premium” fly fishing products. They aren’t generally known for their cutting-edge technology, but rather for paying homage to heritage products of yesteryear. The Galvan Brookie, however, delivers an innovative clicker system in a handsome, USA-made package. Its click-ball tension system offers anglers the ability to adjust their clicker tension to find their personal sweet spot before a day on the water. And with a variety of fun colors available, it can complete a rod and reel outfit in style. We wish its clicker sound were more audible, and $300 is not a budget reel by any means. But for anglers who want a well-crafted creek tool that can be fished hard for generations, the Galvan Brookie is a very compelling choice.

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