Orvis Hydros Large Arbor Fly Reel Review

Jan 30, 2015 · 2 min read

Orvis Hydros Large Arbor Fly Reel Review

Silver machined aluminum Orvis Hydros large-arbor fly reel with perforated spool, polished finish and engraved logo

By now you know that we like Orvis products. The high-end Mirage did very well in our 8-weight reel shootout, but we've never tested any of Orvis' value-oriented reels, and we wanted to see if they did as well as their top-of-the-line counterparts. The Orvis Hydros Large Arbor has a lot to live up to. 5-Weight Challenge Full Results

WEIGHT

5.55 ounces. On the heavy side for a trout reel.

DRAG

Long ago, I fished the predecessor to the Hydros and it didn't really have the drag to stand up to big fish. Needless to say, Orvis solved that problem, and then some. The Hydros has tons of drag totaling 5.12 lbs. Pretty great for a trout reel! Better yet, the Hydros had a mere .13lbs of startup inertia.

Sealed?

Indeed.

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

The sound on the Hydros, like all of Orvis reels, is fine, but nothing special. Clicks on both incoming and outgoing.

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

The spool on the Hydros is nearly identical to that of the Mirage. The only difference is that the Mirage has a little more capacity. It's got a pretty fast retrieve at 7.78 inches per turn, and easily holds 180 yards of backing and a GPX line. While not the narrowest spool, you're not going to see any pile up either.

LOOK & FEEL

The look and feel on the Hydros is pretty similar to other reels made in the same factory (Orvis Access, TFO BVK, etc). Orvis hasn't done a lot to tweak the near standard design on this reel. It's certainly not machined like a Scotty Cameron.

Ergonimics

Handle: Ironically, the handle on the Hydros is better than the Mirage. In fact, it's one of the best in class. Drag Knob: One thing I really didn't like on the Hydros was the drag knob. It's not comfortable to adjust, particularly when there's some torque involved. Spool Change: The quick release works really well.

The Drop

Above Average. The Hydros looked fine after we dropped and dragged it. You can definitely see what happened, but it's a lot better than a lot of reels in its class. Divoting, in particular, was minimal. No Damage.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $30 Price: $275

CONCLUSION

Like the similar TFO BVK, the Orvis Hydros is yet another middle-of-the-pack reels that didn't stand out much. While there's a lot to like about the Hydros, there are simply better reels for $275 in every way. Like the BVK, we also felt the Hydros would have been a particularly excellent reel with a new drag knob and a ~$150 price point. Like this review? Support us here.

PROS

Good spool design
Very smooth drag

CONS

For just a few more $ you can get the far superior Lamson Litespeed.

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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