Galvan Grip G-8 Fly Reel Review

Mar 22, 2018 · 3 min read

Silver machined aluminum Galvan Grip G-8 fly reel with blue anodized center and ventilated 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. Galvan is no newcomer to the reel game. They’ve been quietly making some of the best reels on the market for years – the Torque even took 3^rd place in our 5-weight shootout. Despite their success in the freshwater game, Galvan was always missing a hardcore saltwater reel. Enter the Grip. The Galvan Grip marks Galvan’s entrance into the saltwater game. They’ve taken the very good Torque and sealed it to give you a maintenance free version of their award winning reel. Here’s how it stacks up. 8-Weight Shootout Full Results

Weight

8.3 ounces. About average, but about half an ounce more than stated.

Drag

Silver machined aluminum Galvan Grip G-8 fly reel with ventilated spool and blue anodized drag knob, sleek modern design

If there’s one thing Galvan gets, it’s drag. The Grip is no different. With over 10lbs of max drag, it’s got you covered when that bonefish gets eaten by a… shark. Back it off a quarter turn and you’re at a still respectable 5.4lbs. At the halfway mark, this drops down to 1.9lbs or 18%, while not the 50% we’re hoping for, it’s better than most. So, what does this mean? In about 3 turns you’ve got about 2 turns of adjustability. Pretty good! Turn it all the way down and something weird happens – there’s really no drag to speak of, but it seems they’ve figured out a way to seriously curb free-spooling. I’m not sure what it is, but it works pretty well!

Drag Test Graphs

Galvan Grip G-8 graph showing blue line of fly reel drag force (lbs) vs distance on white grid

Sound

The incoming retrieve is fantastic and one of the best, but the outgoing is a little more muted than we’d like. Still it’s a great sound reel!

Spool & Retrieval Rate

The one area that could be upgraded on the Grip is the spool. It’s very wide, it’s near mid-arbor, and it’s about average in size. You’re going to get 8.8” per turn, which is quite a bit slower than the top reels.

Looks & Ergonomics

While the Grip lacks the fancy color options of the Torque, it’s a good looking reel. Not in an “Oooo let me see what you’re fishing with,” kind of way, but more in a, that’s a quality piece of machining kind of way. It’s also got some really good ergonomics. The drag knob is big, and so is the handle. Both are easy to grasp. They are top notch, but just not *quite* as good as the Nautilus CCF.

Finish and durability

Close-up Galvan Grip G-8 fly reel with silver aluminum frame, blue anodized drag knob, white fly line and small rim nick

Like every other reel we’ve tested from Galvan, the Grip is super durable. It stood up really well to our drop and drag tests, but wasn’t quite as good as say the Orvis Mirage USA.

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + $0. Price: $535

Conclusion

As we expected, the Galvan Grip is a great saltwater reel. It delivers pretty much across the board for a price that’s less than a lot of high-end reels. Sure, it fell short of the top 3 this time, but the testing was tough and the competition was stiff. If you’re looking for a great reel backed by a great, family-run company, this is the one. Just a few tweaks needed for the Grip II and this will be one of the top reels out there. Buy it with Free Shipping here.

Pros

Drag
Durability
Warranty

Cons

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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