8wt reel

[FishHawk]

Did not pull the trigger yet. But I will also use the reel while yak fishing. So, I might go with the Natulius NV. But , the Everglades is calling me. FishHawk.

[E-Z MURF]

I have owned 3 Old Florida's and every one has had issues.

One of them had the cork disc come right off the drag plate.

Another had click pawl problems and squeeked like a flock of Seagulls.

My No. 66 has been sent back a couple of times for a reoccuring click pawl issue. I sent it back this past March, it took almost 2 months to get the reel back supposedly fixed. I spooled it up and took it out for a test drive, I didn't even get my fly line stripped off for fishing and the click pawl failed again and sent my line into a free spooling birds nest. The reel still sits on my bench as I am discusted and don't have the motivation to send it back for yet another repair.

I don't know if this reflects on the choice of materials, the enginering or the service personell. All I can say is that I am still waiting to be happy with my "OLD" Old Florida's.

I will admit that they where all from the first generation of reels and not from the new generation and ownership. Therefore I cannot comment on the latest Old Florida produts.

I have checked out the Nautilus and they sure look great and perform well in the fly shop but I can't get past my Old Florida phobia.

[cumberlandflyguy]

I have the NV for 2 years and am very pleased with it and have not had any issues It is the first high end reel i have owned and therefore I do not have a comparrison. Based on problems I have now heard I may have made a different decision, however, it appears to have worked out fine.

I am in the consumer electronics and I always recomend that you not buy anybody's first generation product as unfortunately the user tends to be the beta tester and has to deal with all the products faults. 2nd and 3rd generation are always better. I would venture that this is probably true for other products.

[Teezer]

I fish the Everglades, Abel and the Nautilus. I must say I have not used the the Nautilus enough yet but it seems to be great.

I can speak about the Abel and Tibor from years of experience.
Both reels are great, the Abel takes a little more TLC than the Tibor. As Peter said they are tanks. You can abuse them and they will work just fine. The Abel is beautiful but they need to be oiled. I have had the drag squeak on me.

You also might want to consider the drag noise. Some reels sound sweeeeter than others. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. It could come down to the audio and aesthetics. You also sound balance it with the rod you want to put it on.

Good luck, it is a good problem to have!!

[KironaFly]

Originally Posted by FishHawk

Thinking of getting an 8wt reel . Choices are the Nautilus , Tibor Everglade and Back Country Wide. Also added to the list might be a non ported Able.
Any suggestion of my choices. FishHawk

For the money (off of eBay) look for an old Islander FR2. While a bit heavier than the Tibor Everglades, it's a classic beauty with great audio ZZZZZs when a fish runs. Simple and Elegant that reel set the standard way back when (10 years ago). Then Tibor dominated and are GREAT reels. Abel might have the smoothest drags made but cost a bit more. The original Bauer reels are great and light weight.

Again ... when you're spending $300 bucks or more for a fly reel ... there are no bad dogs ... some are just more affordable than others. Catch a Big One!!

[okiplug]

Galvan Torques? I've got (2) 8's, (2) 10's and a 12. My 8's have caught everything from skipjack and yellowfin tuna, bonito and dorado ofshore to barracuda and bonefish on the flats to school stripers on my local lakes here in So Cal. VERY pleased with their drag performance, extreme lightweight, maintainability, and unique style!

The machining reminds me of custom aftermarket aluminum wheels. I use spectra a lot for backing and the spool design allows rinsing "through" the line without salt crystals collecting on the arbor. I've seen my share of corrosion on solid spool arbors.

Unlike cork which seems to get sticky or dry, the thermoplastic (whatever that is) drag has not required maintance thus far. Very, very smooth with stopping power to spare.

I originally came upon them as I was looking for a lightweight reel to balance with Loomis Cross Current GLX's which are pretty light. The only thing I wish that Galvan would do is to add a moss green finish (like Tibors) then they would be a "perfect" match for the GLX's!

Hope this helps,

Glenn

[fishnutcase]

You might check out Orvis Mid-Arbor reels. I've never had any trouble with them and they are an incredible value.