Hatch Finatic 7-Plus Fly Reel Review

Mar 02, 2013 · 2 min read

Close-up silver Hatch Finatic 7-Plus fly reel spool with red engraved cap, machined aluminum finish and mint green fly line

Winner of our 2013 8-Weight Challenge! It suffices to say that we love the Hatch Finatic 7-Plus. Here's why.

Silver Hatch Finatic 7-Plus fly reel with mint turquoise line, CNC-machined large-arbor aluminum spool and red USA logo

WEIGHT

8.4 ounces. One of the few complaints about Hatch reels is that they are a little heavy. True to form, the Hatch 7-Plus was heavier than 75% of the reels in our test. Our testers didn't feel it was "too heavy" to balance most 8-weight rods.

DRAG

The Hatch 7-Plus has one of the best drags on the market. It's fully sealed, silky smooth and has a reasonable amount of power. It also had virtually no start-up inertia (see the graph below).

DRAG Test Graph

SOUND

The Finatic sounds great. It's got a click in both directions, which I prefer to a silent retrieve.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

The Hatch is one of the few fly reels that offers interchangeable spools of different sizes. This gives you tons of flexibility when it comes to using your reel. The reel can easily cover line weights from 7-10 with gel spun backing. The large arbor spool had a lightning fast retrieve rate, yet wasn't overly wide.

Look & Feel

The next time you're in a fly shop, pick up a Hatch. It feels great. The handle is comfortably made from machined from aluminum. It also looks great, but you can see that from the photos. The spool is incredibly easy to remove and replace and the retrieve switches from left to right, easily.

WARRANTY

We were really shocked when I found out that there was one company left that offered a true lifetime warranty. No fees. Hatch truly stands behind their products.

CONCLUSION

Go. Buy. It. Now. If you're in the market for a new saltwater reel for your next trip to the flats, you can't do any better than this. Help support more reviews by purchasing this reel here.

PROS

Great looks and near perfect feel.
Zero start-up inertia
Highly flexible spool design

CONS

Could be lighter
2-4 lbs of extra drag strength couldn't hurt, particularly if you're putting 10-weight line on the mid-arbor spool.

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.

Comments

(0)

No comments yet. Be the first!