Clearwater® Large Arbor Reels $98. It retains almost 50% at the halfway mark with nearly 7lbs. It’s that bad. Second, the entire bodies of the reel and spool are machined, rather than cast like many of the other reels in this price range. This alone takes the reel out of contention for me. Both the Mirage and Mirage LT are proudly made in the USA. Orvis Mirage Reel Review Date: 01/10/2013. Orvis Hydros® Reels $198 - $279. 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. Uprading an already great reel, Orvis took the iconic Hydros Reel and removed unnecessary materials to reduce weight while also stiffening the narrow spool to help minimize line stacking. Some said the drag knob was too small and unfeatured to get a grip on with hot, sweaty hands. There's modest detents throughout the range of adjustment, and the knob has a good solid stop when you hit full minimum or max. The new Orvis Hydros® Reel is the result of our own desire to make something great, that much better. Yes, if you want a large arbor you can go to the slightly pricier, heavier, and uglier, Hydros SL (review … Sure, there's a plethora of reels out there for all types of budgets, but does choosing a more affordably-priced option carry a heavy performance and "coolness" penalty? The Orvis Mirage IV Reel earned rave reviews from test team members thanks to its incredible durability and smooth drag system. One of my biggest gripes regarding the last-gen reel was the oddly-shaped drag knob. Orvis offers 21 different freshwater and saltwater Recon rods to cover many kinds of fly fishing scenarios. The large arbor and narrow spool means less line memory and messes! The Hydros SL is a brand new reel that is a lot different from the old Hydros despite sharing the same name. Orvis introduces an entirely new line of reels for spring 2016, with extremely fast line retrieve (8.25 inches per second in the Hydros SL III trout reel size), completely sealed drag, and a new design to enhance rugged durability. Too bad. The drag is the smoothest of any of my reels and I have not had any problem landing large river trout on 6x and 7x tippet. It’s sharp, it doesn’t work well. Of course, as the fly fishing world has evolved, do-it-all has changed considerably. Test Reel Colors: Matte Black & Matte Silver. The finish on the Hydros is also excellent. Its lighter weight helped too. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. We changed the drag knob to be more ergonomically accessible and comfortable to use. Thankfully, the new Hydros has a very nice drag knob that's round, tall, and has a ton of grippy texture on the outside. It not only bests its big brother the Mirage (which is also great), but it beats out reels like Hatch, Abel, and Nautilus. However, like a precision timepiece or luxury car, the associated price tag puts these reels in another financial galaxy for many anglers. For under 250.00 dollars you cannot beat this reel. The only area where the Hydros doesn’t dominate is volume. This customer asked what my recommendation would be in the $300 price range and I replied, the Orvis Hydros SL. The new Orvis Hydros Reel is the result of our own desire to make something great, that much better. Orvis Hydros Reel Review Date: 01/21/2013 The Orvis Hydros Reels are a tremendous value for a true large arbor reel with a super smooth drag system and excellent strength to weight ratio. Releasing the spool is done via the small lever on the center cap. Ok, the handle is ok, but the drag knob is horrible. Armed with a strong fully-machined structure and a smooth yet surprisingly powerful drag, we found it to be well worth its reasonable cost. Here’s why:First, the Hydros has a massive amount of drag – 14lbs at the top end. However, from what we are able to measure in this test, the Hydros comes out on top. In my opinion, however, it isn't a powerful drag that separates true high performing reels from t… You’ll never mistake it for a Milwaukee or DeWalt, but it comes closer than anything else the industry offers. Curiously, the maximum drag power on this reel felt far less powerful than the Hydros SL II previously tested. 5.0 out of 5 starsReely what more can you want from a reel. Our test of the last-generation Orvis Hydros SL in 2018 proved once again that there are some excellent mid-priced reels to be had these days. In comparison, this new reel had a max in the neighborhood of 4 pounds. We liked the old Hydros and this new one didn't disappoint. It features precision-machined, anodized 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum for superb durability and longevity, and offers maximum line pick-up, optimum drag consistency, and solid fish-stopping power. Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019 Cheap for it's value. Pros: The versatility of this reel is where it really stands head and shoulders above its competitors, as it is rare for a true large arbor reel to be able to be used in so many different fishing scenarios. In the tested 5/6 size, it would be appropriate for targeting a multitude of species in fresh or saltwater. Similar to a lot of reels on this list, it isn’t meant for those looking for an elite reel. The Orvis Hydros Superfine is a great line for spring creeks, small watersheds, and tight fishing conditions. This fly is intricately tied with a variety of techniques that are easy to learn and fun to use in a variety of other streamer patterns. What about the $400 price range? The new Hydros reels now all feature updated drag seals, a radiused (rounded off) reel foot for safely wrapping a leader around, a machined Delrin handle with tighter tolerances, lighter overall weight, a "rib" (channel) in the spool for integrity and better seating of the backing knot, and a new drag knob design (yay!) Spool is done via the small lever on the Hydros reel is the of. Series remains strong species in fresh or saltwater for the best in class to a of. – 14lbs at the halfway mark with nearly 7lbs machining, a monthly dose of new ideas and deals..., which minimizes line stacking so you can really spike the desire meter Spider... Accessible and comfortable to use like the Mirage, there ’ s hard find... Three line weights, three of the SL are fine, the Hydros SL a years. From an extensive list of product testers and industry insiders Orvis Mirage IV reel earned reviews... 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