Lamson Speedster Fly Reel Review
One of the most exciting new products of 2013 is the Lamson Speedster. For those of your unfamiliar with Waterworks-Lamson, they produce some of the finest fly reels on the market and are unquestionably one of the leaders in design. Lamson's newest creation is 2013 Lamson Speedster Fly Reel which combine's Lamson's silky smooth drag and lightweight design with a new, larger arbor.
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Weight
Weight is always a top concern with fly reels, especially when fishing one of today's ultralight high performance rods. At 4.25 ounces, the Speedster is certainly not heavy, but no lightweight either.
Drag
One of my biggest concerns (before testing) with the Speedster's new larger arbor was that the "standard" Lamson drag wouldn't be sufficient. True, when compared directly with the Velocity, the drag is reduced, but you can easily dial in plenty of drag to stop that big brown trout. It's also sealed to keep out dirt and sand.
Sound
As with all new Lamson reels, the Speedster sounds great. It's got a click in both directions, which I prefer to a silent retrieve.
Arbor Size
The key feature of of the Lamson Speedster Fly Reel is the new extra large arbor, but how much larger is it? It's about 4/10th of an inch larger than the Lamson Velocity. The largest diameter of the reel is 3.75 inches (measured with a digital caliper) versus 3.3 inches for the Velocity. The base of the spool is 2.41 inches versus 2 inches on the Velocity.
What's the bottom line? You'll pick up line about 15% faster with the Speedster.
SPOOL
The other new feature of the of the Lamson Speedster is it's narrow spool. This is one of my favorite features, as I routinely find myself having to use my fingers as a level wind.
Warranty
All Lamson reels come with a limited lifetime warranty. As good as it gets in this business.
Conclusion
I haven't had a chance to fight a fish with this reel yet, but I'm betting the Lamson Speedster a fantastic trout reel. Lamson also addressed one of my pet peeves by narrowing the spool so that you'll spend a lot less time wishing you had a level wind on your reel.
Pros
- Silky smooth Lamson sealed drag
- Great new narrow spool
- 15% faster retrieve
Cons
- Not as light as most Lamson reels
- Drag isn't as powerful as other Lamson reels