The opportunity to fly fish in remote, tropical locations like the Seychelles ranks high on the bucket list for most anglers. The pay-to-play may be high, but so are the rewards. While much of the non-angling civilian world might think it's a bit crazy to pay an arm and a leg for the opportunity to fish far-off, hard-to-access destinations, you live a little differently than most people. However, when you’re fishing somewhere, say, the Farquhar Atoll, you’ve got to be prepared for everything a harsh, remote environment can throw at you… and your gear. 

For our 2023 11wt Big Game Reel Shootout, we had the opportunity to test Shilton’s SR10. Shilton claims they built the reel specifically for remote and harsh environments and the hard-charging gamefish like GT that reside there. If you want to know more about why these reels are worth their weight in gold for Seychelles guides, you will not want to miss this review.

Big Game Reel Shootout Full Results

Weight

At 9.9 ounces, the SR10 was around middle-of-the-pack in the shootout and felt similar to reels like the Hatch Iconic.

Drag

Shilton loudly boasts about their reel’s stopping power to the extent that it borders on arrogance. We don’t have a problem with confidence if you can back it up, and the SR10 backs up the bravado with a whopping 22 pounds of max drag strength - about 15 lbs of which is usuable. On the flipside,once the drag is turned halfway, only 3.75 pounds, or 17% of its max, is accessible. Like its sibling, the SL7, the SR10 drag has no lower limit and bottoms out at .03 lbs. Your line could look like a plate of spaghetti if you are not careful. 

We love the three-turn drag rotation for its adjustability, and the cork drag is perfect for the remote-destination angler for its repairability factor. However, the unsealed drag means cleaning it thoroughly after each use, and lubricating it periodically is a must to maintain performance. This particular reel likely needed some lubrication as it was already starting to show a little startup inertia. Not enough to worry about though.

Drag Test Graphics

Sound

One of the SR10’s unique aspects is it’s completely silent on the outgoing, but its incoming was one of the loudest (and best) in the shootout.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

We’ll be painfully honest; the SR10 loses some points for its spool design. The mid-ish arbor only holds 245 yards of 30lb Dacron, which was dead last in the shootout. A quick spool change is out of the question since the SR10 requires you to take it apart. Not only is this time-consuming, but you also risk dropping a small piece in the middle of nowhere. Its line retrieval rate of 10.4 inches per turn doesn’t exactly set the world on fire, either.

Looks & Ergonomics 

Like a classic Tibor, the SR10 is bulky and clunky but super solid and well-built. The machining is excellent and should be completely resistant to corrosion and rust. While not as sexy as a Hatch Iconic, it still looks cool, but more Testarossa than 458. We love the SR10’s big drag knob, and the handle was pretty comfortable, albeit on the smaller size. 

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner

Conclusion

We had high expectations for the SR10 thanks to Shilton’s lofty reputation for building reportedly bomb-proof reels. We know they’re used and trusted by great guides in the Seychelles and other far-flung destinations for their reliability, on-the-fly repairability, and fish-stopping ability…

However, we aren’t able to test durablity here, and in this test. It was too slow, bulky, and lacked adequate volume and backing capacity to really break into the best of the best. Still, the drag is solid, and there is definitely some retro appeal. Fans of classic cork drag Tibor and Abel's should find the SR10 appealing. If you’re in the market for a Shilton, we recommend the SL7 as it delivers better overall performance at a lower price point.

Pros

  • Well-Built
  • Field-friendly maintenance

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Slow line retrieval 
  • No quick-release spool