Einarsson 8Plus Fly Reel Review

Feb 26, 2018 · 2 min read

Silver machined aluminum Einarsson 8Plus fly reel with blue anodized drag knob and black tubular handle

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. With a name that sounds a little too much like a Hatch, the little brother to the Invictus is the Einarsson 8Plus. It’s lighter. It’s cheaper. But how does it perform? 8-Weight Shootout Full Results

Weight

8 ounces. Actually not too bad!

Drag

Silver machined aluminum fly reel spool, ventilated skeleton design with large circular cutouts — Einarsson 8Plus fly reel

Ironically, the thing that makes the Invictus great (no startup inertia) is where the 8Plus completely failed. It has more startup inertia than any other reel in the test, including cork drags! It saddens me to think that a company could make something so awesome in the Invictus and totally ignore it in the 8 Plus. Startup inertia aside, the 8Plus has only 4lbs of max drag, only 2 of which is usable, and less than 1lb at the halfway mark. No Bueno.

Drag Test Graph

Einarsson 8Plus fly reel drag test graph with blue line plot on white grid, Force (lbs) vs Distance axes

Sound

Like the Invictus, the 8Plus sounds pretty good. It’s got a pleasant sound that’s the same on both incoming and outgoing.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

On the 8Plus you’ll get a middle of the pack 9.2 inches per turn of line pickup combined with some really decent backing capacity. Easily enough for your favorite 8 or 9 weight line. But there’s nothing standout in this department.

Looks & Ergonomics

While the 8Plus looks pretty nice and has a very good handle, it’s got some issues in the ergonomics department. First, the drag knob is way too small. It’s really tough to grip. What’s worse is that it’s got the same terrible spool cap design that Loop uses.

Finish and durability

Einarsson 8Plus fly reel with silver machined aluminum spool, blue anodized drag knob and white fly line, close-up detail

Like big brother, the 8Plus stands up pretty will to drops and scrapes.

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + a variable fee. I’m not quite sure what that means, but I would expect it to be a lot. Price: $698

Conclusion

If you’re curious about Einarsson reels, I’d really recommend checking out our review of the Invictus. It’s a spectacular reel that showcases what the company is all about. While the 8Plus may have finished last in our test, it’s actually not all that bad of a reel… it just has a horrible drag that cost it a lot in our shootout.

Buy it with Free Shipping here.

Pros

Really a very decent reel across a lot of categories

Cons

Horrible drag
Bad ergonomics

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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