Hardy SDSL 6000 Fly Reel Review

Mar 06, 2018 · 3 min read

Hardy SDSL 6000 silver machined aluminum fly reel with blue anodized drag knob, black handle and skeletonized spool

Please remember that there are no ads on this page and 100% of our funding comes from your purchases, so if you find this review to be informative, please help us keep the reviews coming by purchasing your next fly reel from us. Hardy has been making fly reels as long as anyone and we have been a fan of Hardy from day 1 at Trident. The SDSL replaces the little talked about SDS in the Hardy lineup and sits between the hardcore Fortuna and the freshwater oriented Ultralite series. While I always thought the SDS was a fabulous reel, it seems like the Hardy marketing team just forgot about it and I doubt if we sold 5 throughout its lifetime. They’ve stepped it up bigtime with the SDSL and we’re excited to see how it performs. 8-Weight Shootout Full Results

Weight

8.8 ounces. One of the heavier reels.

Drag

Hardy SDSL 6000 fly reel spools, machined silver aluminum with blue anodized hub, large-arbor vented design

While the SDSL lacks the massive drag of the Fortuna, its 10lbs are no slouch. Because it’s got a hard stop on the end, all of those 10lbs is actually usable! That ranks the SDSL in the top 10 in terms of usable drag. Unfortunately, with a mere half turn this drag drops below a pound, losing over 90% of its power! Back it all the way off and you’ll be looking at a free-spooling .16lbs. It’s another case of a reel that lacks the necessary adjustability. The SDSL also lost some points for having a bit too much startup inertia.

Drag Test Graphs

Blue line force vs distance chart for Hardy SDSL 6000 fly reel drag test showing ~10 lb steady drag on white grid background

Sound

We’ve come to expect great sounds from Hardy. Heck, they practically invented a great sounding fly reel. The SDSL doesn’t really live up to these expectations. It’s a little too muted.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

The SDSL just screams middle of the road here. It picks up line at 8.9 inches per turn and, despite being labeled a “6/7/8” can hold a very reasonable 300 yards of backing.

Looks & Ergonomics

The SDSL is a good looking reel, but it’s not going to turn any heads. It’s got the very familiar finish that we’re used to seeing on many overseas built reels. On the ergo front, we really would have liked to see the Fortuna’s great big game handle on the SDSL. The current handle, while adequate, just leaves something to be desired. It’s the same story with the drag knob. It’s big enough to grab, but has a slippery surface and that makes it just a bit too hard to turn on the top end.

Finish and durability

Silver machined aluminum Hardy SDSL 6000 fly reel with anodized blue drag knob and skeletonized spool cutouts

While it took scratches like a champ, the SDSL seems to have a softer finish and/or be made of softer aluminum than some of our other reels. The pot marks from the drops are much more noticeable.

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + $35. Price: $399

Conclusion

While this reel has been dubbed the “Hatch killer” by some, I was pretty skeptical. While not a bad reel, the SDSL is just a touch behind the competition across the board, and that kept it from being a real competitor in the shootout. Buy it with Free Shipping here.

Pros

Great, historic brand
Reasonable price

Cons

Not a lot of drag adjustability
Just left us wanting a little bit more across the board

Written by

Ben Freeman

Ben Freeman founded Trident Fly Fishing in 2012 to cut through the marketing fluff and provide anglers with the technical info they actually need. He’s built his reputation by putting gear to the ultimate test in the world’s most unforgiving fisheries. With fishing stamps from over 22 countries and 17+ states, Ben’s passport is a roadmap of bucket list angling—from landing a 25lb Golden Dorado in Bolivia and 150lb Arapaima in Guyana to sight-casting for Roosterfish off the beaches in Baja. Whether it’s battling 60+mph winds to land a 20lb Rainbow at Jurassic Lake or a full day of casting 8in streamers in Mongolia, Ben has spent decades ensuring his gear performs when a trip of a lifetime is on the line.

At Trident, Ben serves as the lead gear geek, specializing in the deep-dive mechanics of rods, reels, and lines. Over the past 15 years, he's reviewed 250+ fly rods and 150+ fly reels and is likely one of the most prolific rod reviewers in the world. But he doesn't just curate the catalog; he scrutinizes every taper and drag system through the lens of a traveling angler who knows what it's like to have gear fail a thousand miles from home. For Ben, the mission is simple: leverage his experience across nearly 100 species to ensure that when you head into the wild, you’re equipped with gear that has been vetted by someone who has actually been there.

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