8wt Fly Reel Reviews
An 8-weight fly reel needs to do it all, smooth drag for bonefish sprints on the flats, enough stopping power for a redfish in the mangroves, and the corrosion resistance to survive season after season in saltwater. This is the most popular saltwater reel class, which means the options are deep and the differences between top performers and overpriced disappointments are significant.
Fifty-plus 8wt reels tested in real fishing conditions - that's the foundation behind these reviews. Drag performance, corrosion resistance, line capacity, and durability under sustained pressure were all measured. The full breakdown is below.
Old Mariner Inshore Fly Reel Review
Old Mariner might be a new name in the fly reel world, but it comes with seri...
Echo Ion Fly Reel Review
The Ion is Echo’s mid-priced, all-purpose freshwater reel, but keep in mind t...
Galvan Swing Fly Reel Review
The Swing is Galvan’s new spey-specific fly reel built using technology and d...
Bauer SLT Fly Reel Review
The Bauer SLT fly reel is Bauer’s new saltwater big game fly reel, ending a n...
Redington Ace Fly Reel Review
Redington has replaced the beloved Rise fly reel with the new Ace: their late...
Nautilus GTS Fly Reel Review
Nautilus Fly Reels have garnered an almost cult-like following thanks to reel...
Hardy Cascapedia Fly Reel Review
Hardy has a rich history of producing fine fly reels for freshwater anglers, ...
Sage Spey II Fly Reel Review
Sage has been making big strides over the past few years with their reel desi...
Lamson Hyperspeed M Fly Reel Review
Lamson has been edging their way into the saltwater reel market more and more...
Lamson Liquid Max Fly Reel Review
The Liquid Max is Lamson’s new entry-level saltwater reel, and we’re here to ...
Echo Bravo Fly Reel Review
The Echo Bravo is Echo’s top-of-the-line fly reel, which might shock you when...
Ross Cimarron Fly Reel Review
Ross Reels has brought back the Cimarron fly reel, a USA-made freshwater reel...
Orvis SSR Disc Fly Reel Review
The Orvis SSR Disc Fly Reel is Orvis’ spey-specific reel built on the popular...
Shilton SL Fly Reel Review
Shilton has a longstanding reputation in South Africa for producing solid, tr...
Greys Tital Fly Reel Review
The Greys Tital is the new “all-water” big game fly reel from Greys. As we’ve...
Ross Evolution LTX Fly Reel Review
The Ross Evolution series is a longtime crowd-pleaser due to its durable natu...
Ross Evolution FS Fly Reel Review
The Ross Evolution series has been around for quite some time now, and for go...
Sage Enforcer Fly Reel Review
The Enforcer is Sage’s brand-new reel that replaces the Spectrum Max in its m...
Nautilus CCF X2 Fly Reel Review
After much ado, it’s time to announce the winner of our 2018 8-weight Reel Sh...
Orvis Hydros SL Fly Reel Review
Back in our 2015 5-weight shootout, we noted that the Hydros LA was a solid r...
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