Ross Animas Fly Reel Review

Jan 31, 2015 · 2 min read

Ross Animas fly reel in matte blue anodized aluminum with orange anodized drag knob and ventilated spool cutouts

One of the two exciting reel launches from Mayfly Outdoors is the Ross Animas. At first glance, the Animas looks like a change of color on the drag knob and handle. So, you can understand why we didn't get that excited about it. But this Vexsis replacement is a sleeper. Read on to find out why. 5-Weight Challenge Full Results

WEIGHT

5.1 ounces. Heavier than average.

DRAG

One area in which the engineers at Ross made a conscious choice not to compete is drag strength. The Animas has a hard stop in the drag so it will never exceed a limit of 2.25 lbs. It's hard to put that against, say, the Galvan Torque, with it's 7+lbs of drag. On the plus side, there's no startup inertia.

Sealed?

No.

DRAG TEST GRAPH

SOUND

Ross/Abel are far and away the leaders in the sound category. Like other reels in the family, the Animas is excellent.

SPOOL & RETRIEVAL RATE

Spool design is where we tend to disagree with Ross reel designers. Ross and Abel (with the exception of the F1) have the slowest retrieves in the test. The Animas, while better than most of the family, is still quite slow at 7 inches per turn, and holds an estimated 115 yards of backing.

LOOK & FEEL

The Animas looks great, if a little non-traditional at first. You can feel the great care with which they machine them.

Ergonimics

Handle: While I prefer the skinnier handle of the Lamson Litespeed, the Animas is a close second. It's comfortable and just the right length. Drag Knob: Like all of the new reels this year, the Animas has a HUGE drag knob. When you look at it, it seems strange. When you fish with it, it's rad. They really got this one right. Spool Change: One-button release - it doesn't get any easier than that.

The Drop

Excellent. Divots and scratching were hardly noticeable. It didn't fair quite as well as the Litespeed, but very close. If both reels were dark colored, it might have been even closer.

WARRANTY

Lifetime to the original owner + $30 Price: $235

CONCLUSION

Third Place! There's so much that we like about the new Animas. It's got a great finish and some of the best ergonomics of any reel we tested. Combine that with a very smooth drag and you've got a really great trout reel. A bigger arbor might have made it come in 1st place. This is easily the best reel under $250. Get yours here.

PROS

Top-of-the-line ergonomics
Super smooth drag

CONS

We really wish Ross/Abel would make a large arbor reel?
Could be lighter

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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