Islander LX 3.8 Fly Reel Review

Mar 20, 2018 · 2 min read

Blue anodized aluminum Islander LX 3.8 fly reel with perforated spool and silver drag knob, Trident Fly Fishing

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. 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. 8-Weight Shootout Full Results

Weight

8.0 ounces. About average.

Drag

Blue anodized aluminum Islander LX 3.8 fly reel spool with perforated rim, central brass gear and shaft, exposed drag washer

Like Tibor, Islander proves that you can have a cork drag, which, when properly lubricated, has some solid performance. It’s got very little startup inertia, with 4.5lbs of max drag – almost all of which is usable. It’s also really linear, with just over 2lbs at the halfway mark. At the bottom end, it doesn’t have any sort of break with .07lbs. One thing that’s worth noting is that the Islander doesn’t have any stop on the bottom end (the spool is removed by continuing to unscrew the drag), so we estimate that it has about 3 turns.

Drag Test Graphs

Blue force curve chart for Islander LX 3.8 fly reel drag test on white grid background with black title and axis labels

Sound

Honestly, the sound is probably my favorite part about this reel. If you don’t believe just how epic it is, you owe it to yourself to check out this reel. Of course, if you like quiet, this probably isn’t for you, but it’s got a great click on both the incoming and outgoing.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

The spool on the Islander is tiny. It doesn’t hold much backing and it doesn’t pick up line very fast. It’s another example of a classically sized 7/8 reel that really should be an 8/9.

Looks & Ergonomics

I would have preferred to review the classic gold color, but the new school blue looks great as well. Unfortunately, like the spool, both the handle and the drag knobs are both tiny.

Finish and durability

Blue anodized aluminum Islander LX 3.8 fly reel with white line, open-frame spool and visible scuff on rim

Durability isn’t the Islander’s strong suit. It didn’t hold up very well to either drops or dragging. The pot marks and scrapes were all very visible.

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + $0. Price: $649

Conclusion

The Islander LX is a classic. It’s a tribute to how the very best reels were made in the 90’s. Unfortunately, while they are still doing things much the same way, the competition has drastically changed. Still, if you’re looking for that old-school look feel, the Islander will do a great job reeling in that bonefish. And it will sound really great while doing it.

Pros

Sound
Warranty

Cons

Ergonomics
Spool design

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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