Nautilus NV-G 5/6 Fly Reel Review

Jan 31, 2015 · 2 min read

Silver machined aluminum Nautilus NV-G 5/6 fly reel with green anodized drag knob and perforated spool

The Nautilus NVG is one of the most talked about reels on the market today. It's a quality product that's made right here in the US. Better still, it's received many awards and acclaim. But all of that has been for how the NV would perform as a SALTWATER reel. We're here to see how it stands up to the rigors of trout fishing. 5-Weight Challenge Full Results

WEIGHT

5.55 ounces - too heavy for the average trout reel.

DRAG

At 6.23 lbs, the NV-G is unsurprisingly one of the best in our test! Better still, Nautilus drags are EXTREMELY smooth and they exhibit virtually no startup inertia.

SEALED?

Totally.

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

If there's one thing we didn't like about this reel is its sound. There's no sound on the incoming and it's muted, although pleasant, on the outgoing.

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

The NVG has a solid spool design as well. It's got a very fast retrieve (almost 8 inches per turn!), but is just a little wider than we'd like. It holds an estimated 125 yards of backing.

LOOK & FEEL

Nautilus makes a great looking reel. It's very well machined and we like the ability to choose between custom colors and parts. They've also added some great features like a fully ported spool so your backing dries extra fast. There's a reason you see more and more of these on the flats.

ERGONIMICS

Handle: The handle is excellent. It's long enough to be comfortable and has a curve in just the right place. Drag Knob: The drag knob isn't exactly oversized, but it's actually really easy to grab and very comfortable. Spool Change: The spool is very easy to change.

THE DROP

Average. The finish on the Nautilus showed average scuffs and divots despite it's light color. It's not a reel that you'll want to drop frequently. No Damage.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $20 fee. Price: $560

CONCLUSION

There's no question that the Nautilus NVG is an amazing reel and one of the best reels on the market today. If this were a lightweight bonefish reel test, this would have been undoubtedly one of the top contenders. For trout, it's just a little too much. Too heavy, too wide, and too expensive to be in the top 5 trout reels. But if you're going to be taking it into the salt, consider it carefully. Like our reviews? Get it here.

PROS

Great made-in-the-USA workmanship
One of the top drags in the test.
Fast retrieve

CONS

Heavy
Expensive

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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