By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

We graded each reel on a 1-5 scale in three areas:
1. Price
2. How the reel felt and reacted as the motorcycle sped away
3. How we like handling the reel

Then we made “judges deductions” for any beefs we had about the reels.

Price/Features
$295 in the Featherweight model, which intentionally does not include the CCF disc brake drag element of the larger saltwater models.
Score: 4.5 out of 5

How it "Met the Street"
Pretty darn good, especially at the startup. There’s nothing jerky about this drag, and at trout speeds, it’s plenty muscular. Very impressive, all around.
Score: 4 out of 5

Functional Review
Nautilus reels are great values, throughout the range of weights and classes offered. It’s easy to pop the spool on the move, and frames are very light. This is a “thinking man’s” reel.
Score: 4 out of 5

Knocks
We’re scratching our heads here. The price isn’t cheap, but it is pretty fair. We like the quietness, and really like the resistance-free forward cranking. Why don’t more people know about Nautilus?
Deductions: 0

Total Score: 12

Watch More Reel Tests:

Trout Reels

Hatch 3-Plus
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By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Was it scientific? No. But we did do our homework, learning that a max trout burst is about 9 mph; bonefish race at around 23 mph; and big game fish like mako sharks can reach speeds of 50-plus mph. Was it fair? We tested each reel only at the top speed of the fish it was designed to handle, but we’ll let you debate that question. Was it honest … hell yeah. And we've got the videos to prove it.

Trout Reels

Hatch 3-Plus

Nautilus 5

Abel Pt. 5

Ross Evolution

Orvis Battenkill

Mid Arbor

Scientific Anglers

System 2L Model 45L

Bauer JM2

Bonefish Reels

Sage 3400

Nautilus 8

Bauer MX4

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By Keith McCafferty

A lightning bolt is like a snakebite. Either can occur without warning, but most often the strike, whether it carries 100 million volts of electricity or a few drops of paralyzing venom, is preceded by ample signs of danger. By noting these and taking prompt action, hunters and fishermen can avoid becoming victim to a weather hazard that claims upwards of 100 fatalities each year in the United States.

BOLT COMING
Most lightning strikes occur at the beginning and end of afternoon storms. This is when positive and negative charges, which collide to produce the flash between clouds and the ground, build up the most electricity. Thunder (see sidebar), the sound waves produced by the explosive heating of air in the lightning channel, is the obvious omen we need to heed, but there are many other warning signs. Darkening skies, the buildup of anvil-shaped cumulonimbus clouds, and a sudden drop in temperature and increase in wind often presage the storms that are most likely to produce lightning. Immediately preceding a bolt, low levels of electricity fill the air, causing phenomena such as the hair on your body standing on end, a tingling sensation on the skin, or a metallic taste in... [ Read Full Post ]