Lamson Radius Hybrid Reel - R3.5

I haven't had a chance to try this reel on the water, bur from what I can tell it will be a nice addition to my collecton. Fully sealed drag is a huge plus, although it is a bit tight when trying to screw it down. I guess we'll see if the extra elbow grease required to really crank the drag down is worth the effort when you get a substantial red hooked. My guess is it will be. This reel balanced my 9' 9 weight rod very well.

[...] this reel is great so far. Smooth drag, great look, lightweight, etc. For the price, you can't go wrong!

Low-end reels have come a long way. This Radius 3.5 is about all anyone needs in fly fishing in size 6-8 weight rods and 4x and up tippets. Sure, this isn't a Ross or Abel, but it comes at 1/3 the cost. I plan to fish this reel about 5-6 times a year for steelhead, shad and stripers. If I fished any more than that, I would bite the bullet and go with a Ross Evolution. I've only fished the Radius 3x, so don't know how well it will hold up after dozens of fish caught or a trip to Alaska. But so far, so good. Other low end reels tried and panned: Redington GD (drag wont hold steady at a given setting) and Redington AL (great reel, but 3 ounces too heavy).

Given the fact that Lamson put it's patented conical drag in this reel, I figured I couldn't go wrong. I have 3 of their reels in other models, all with the same drag and have been nothing short of ecstatic with the performance, durability, and pricing. Looking forward to casting to the Missouri Bonefish (carp) with this beefy 8 wt.

This first day I got this reel I strung it with the new Steelhead taper Sharkline and attached it to my Sage VPS 896 and hit the river in search of summer steel. The third cast I hooked into a 12lb sumer that gave the reel a good test and I am happy to say it was flawless. I would recommend this reel to anyone. It is buttery smooth on the drag and is well balanced. I love it.