Redington Behemoth Fly Reel Review

Mar 23, 2018 · 3 min read

Olive-green anodized Redington Behemoth fly reel close-up showing radial spokes, textured drag knob and embossed lettering

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. I really like seeing great value-based reels. Unfortunately, there aren’t many good ones out there. Fewer still that have any drag strength worth talking about. That’s where Redington decided to attack. They made the Redington Behemoth to out compete every single reel in the price range in one very tangible way – BIG drag. And they did it well. All you have to do is turn it up to feel that it’s got some serious stopping power. But is it a well-rounded reel? 8-Weight Shootout Full Results

Weight

10.8 ounces. Heaviest in the test. This would be a lot for a 12-weight.

Drag

Olive-green anodized aluminum Redington Behemoth fly reel split into frame and ventilated spool showing radial cutouts

When the Behemoth came out, Redington was making some big claims about its drag. They were not wrong. It maxes out at over 16lbs! On a price-to-drag strength ratio, there’s no reel even close. About 9lbs of this drag is usable, but when you drop it down to the halfway mark, you’re looking at a mere 1.5lbs. Turned all the way down, the reel (almost) completely free-spools with just .02lbs.

Drag Test Graphs

Blue line chart of Redington Behemoth fly reel drag test: force peaks at ~17–18 lbs then slowly falls to ~16 lbs over

Sound

The Behemoth is a nice sounding reel, but it’s a little muted on both incoming and outgoing.

Spool & Retrieval Rate

The spool on the Behemoth is triangular. That means we had to come up with a new formula for calculating volume and line pickup. I won’t bore you with my poor explanations of integral calculus, but suffice to say our calculations are nice estimates and are pretty close to reality. Triangular spools have some inherent pluses and minuses. On the plus side, they pick up line faster than a standard spool. This is because there’s way less volume near the arbor and the backing will fill the reel faster. The downside of this is that the spool is wider (and therefore more prone to line pileup) and in fact the Behemoth has the widest spool of any reel in the test. Overall the Behemoth has middle of the road line pickup at 9” per turn, but has some really great capacity (it is a 9/10 after all).

Looks & Ergonomics

The Behemoth is very cool looking reel. It’s one of the more unique looking reels out there for sure. That said, I’m not really a fan of the “desert” color, but if you’re looking to blend into the sand dunes, then I guess it’s a good option. The ergonomics on the Behemoth are top notch. It’s got one of the best drag knobs in our test and the handle is not too bad either.

Finish and durability

Olive-green anodized aluminum Redington Behemoth fly reel spool with open-spoke frame and white fly line

As we’ve seen time and time again, cast reels don’t like to be dropped. The Behemoth is no exception. In fact, this was the only reel in the test to completely fail after being dropped.

Warranty

Lifetime to the original owner + $15. Price: $129

Conclusion

Why did the powers that be send us a 9/10 for an 8-weight shootout? I’m not sure, but I’m also not sure that the results would have changed much. In fact, I probably could have written this entire review before actually testing the reel. It’s got a huge drag, a great price, and pretty good ergonomics. It’s actually probably one of the best backup reels you can buy, though, I might go for the 7/8 instead. Buy it with Free Shipping here.

Pros

Drag strength
Ergonomics

Cons

Heavy
Don’t drop it…

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!