I decided to get that real for my first reel on an 8wt BVK I got. Tbh I wish I hadn’t. The reel is very light and seems better suited for a lighter class. I haven’t had any problems with it aside from the mechanism to release the spool being very difficult to loosen.. which has really annoyed me. However, with more reels handled, I believe there are better options for the price. I think there is better value out there. It feels like I paid for the nautilus brand without getting the benefits. For instance, the hydros is very well priced and is a great reel from my experience. I wouldn’t say anything too negative about the reel but this has been my thoughts since I got it. I’m hoping to put it on a 6wt for calmer days fishing for snook and reds and bones.

 

Thanks for the feedback, that's very interesting to me. It sounds like it's just too light for its own good? I can understand how that would make it feel awkward for an 8wt.

I was also looking at the Ross Evolution LTX since it's the same price, not sure if you know anything about that one.. I don't see too many salt guys with Ross (I have no doubt they're solid reels) so that's why I feel more like gravitating towards Nautilus.

 

I just picked one up (XL, not the Max- but it's the same body, just different spool capacities I believe) and used it for the first time this past weekend. I'll echo what KyleW said, it was bear to get the spool off (seems okay now). It was also much lighter than I anticipated. It's well built and feels solid, but not solid like my NV-G 8/9.

It's on a 6wt and balances great. No issues or concerns with use, did fine in the salt. I debated between this reel and the Hydros. I went with the XL since I'm familiar with Nautilus and anticipate it will provide years of service.

For an 8wt rod, it "may" be too light. See if you can try it first on your rod.

 

I just picked one up (XL, not the Max- but it's the same body, just different spool capacities I believe) and used it for the first time this past weekend. I'll echo what KyleW said, it was bear to get the spool off (seems okay now). It was also much lighter than I anticipated. It's well built and feels solid, but not solid like my NV-G 8/9.

It's on a 6wt and balances great. No issues or concerns with use, did fine in the salt. I debated between this reel and the Hydros. I went with the XL since I'm familiar with Nautilus and anticipate it will provide years of service.

For an 8wt rod, it "may" be too light. See if you can try it first on your rod.

Thanks for the feedback. I do like that it will cover lines down to a 6, so thats cool. I bet it's perfect on yours.

 

@scrapiron I wonder if the Classic X-series is about the same. It's only $35 more.

 

I have guided with that reel on my 8 weights in saltwater for the species you mentioned for a couple of years with no issues. If you were bonefishing all of the time I would saw bump it up to a CCFX. But its fine for what you are talking about doing. The Lamson Speedster S is another good choice in that price range.

 

I have fished this reel for 2 seasons on my 7 wt and love it. Its especially nice for walking the beach looking for snook because it's so light. I think if I had once complaint it would be the capacity on the reel, but it's highly unlikely that this will actually ever be an issue.

 

I won an xl a while back and it's been a great reel for my 7 weight. I like the oversized drag knob a lot. If something gets more than 150 yards away on a 7 weight I'm probably under gunned to begin with so capacity isn't really an issue. I also feel that if I had to rely on more drag than this reel has I'm likewise under gunned. The light weight is noticeable while casting and at least on a meridian I think it's great. Anyway, it's a hell of a free reel! Haha.

You might also check out Galvans. I had the T8 on my 8 weight and now my 9 since putting an Everglades on the 8. Great reel. And if spool removal is your thing you'll love the simplicity there.

 

I like mine. It is very light so needs a light rod to balance well. I haven’t had any of the issues previously mentioned. Drag is more than enough for double digit Jack creavelle and redfish. Drag is also very easy to adjust during the fight. Holds a ton of backing, more than enough, if you avoid using Dacron and go with GSP.

 

I'll add my two cents. I had one on a Sage X. I wound up selling it as the tippet always was getting caught in between the spool and the frame. This necessitated removing the spool which as others have said can be a bear.

Gad

 

My reels that aren't Tibors are typically Lamson Speedsters. Worth a look in that price range.

 

thanks for all the replies, guys! I've trying to respond to each of you for days now but there must be a glitch or something because I keep getting the same error message when trying to reply. I've contacted the admin but no answer yet.

i don't see bonefishing in my near future and truthfully I haven't even seen my backing once so I'm not super concerned about that but it's something to think about.

the hydros keeps getting mentioned, and for good reason, so i feel thats pretty high on the list. if im being honest, it would be nice to have something with some "sex appeal" like a nautilus or ross, but the hydros still a great looking real. i've heard nothing but outstanding reviews on build and performance. besides, aesthetics aren't going to help me catch fish..

 

besides, aesthetics aren't going to help me catch fish..

true, but if you aren’t going to to catch anything you may as well look good doing so

 

@Karlee haha can't argue with that too much!

 

@Gadaboutgaddis what stick did you pairs yours with?

 

sorry that was meant for someone else.

that's a bummer, so you never found a solution to fix that?

 

@karstopo what stick did you pair yours with?

 

I had it on a 7’6” 8/9 weight G.Loomis Short Stix.

 

Here's my advice (when asked)... The first thing you ought to consider once you figure out size and capacity (and price) on any fly reel is exactly how you're going to use it... A great bullet-proof reel that you're going to be using from a boat might be a tad heavy for someone who intends to fish on foot, wading for hours at a time. By the same token, someone on foot may be willing to put up with a bit less line capacity or other drawbacks if the reel is more lightweight and comfortable in hand a long way from where you started out on foot...

Hope this helps.. I get to see a variety of reels on my skiff with anglers and have everything from a Billy Pate to a Finnor, to a half dozen Nautilus reels myself... Once you find a reel you like for a given line size it should provide a lifetime of service...

 

@lemaymiami thank you for that sound advice!!

"Once you find a reel you like for a given line size it should provide a lifetime of service" Exactly!! that's why I want to do everything I can beforehand to make sure I make the right choice that will last me many many years.

 

get a nautilus x series reel. If you ever need to go smaller you can get a xl spool. the xl max and xl spools are interchangeable. they have the same size frame.

 

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. After much deliberation, and finally getting an XL Max in my hands at my local fly shop, I decided to go with an Orvis Hydros.

The XL Max is no doubt a beautiful reel, but after having it in my hands for a bit I really felt like it was just too light and the frame super open. As much as I like the reel's aesthetics, I had to be honest with myself that I (personally) might get caught up babying the reel. I'm not reckless with my gear, but I definitely put it through the ringer, and if I can help it I would like the mental peace to not always be worrying about a ding here and there. The frame also has very sharp edges, which are hard to tell from pictures, and I can definitely see how that could be a recipe for heartbreak if tippet or fly line gets snagged or caught. And I'm sure we all understand that in this sport, we only have the ability to control the things we can control, i.e. flies fowling, coiling line, rusty hooks, etc.

Now if I happen upon $400 down the road, I'm not saying I wouldn't consider swiping one for a second rod or something but as my daily driver, I think the Hydros is my best option.

Thank you all again for chiming in and sharing your thoughts!

 

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. After much deliberation, and finally getting an XL Max in my hands at my local fly shop, I decided to go with an Orvis Hydros.

The XL Max is no doubt a beautiful reel, but after having it in my hands for a bit I really felt like it was just too light and the frame super open. As much as I like the reel's aesthetics, I had to be honest with myself that I (personally) might get caught up babying the reel. I'm not reckless with my gear, but I definitely put it through the ringer, and if I can help it I would like the mental peace to not always be worrying about a ding here and there. The frame also has very sharp edges, which are hard to tell from pictures, and I can definitely see how that could be a recipe for heartbreak if tippet or fly line gets snagged or caught. And I'm sure we all understand that in this sport, we only have the ability to control the things we can control, i.e. flies fowling, coiling line, rusty hooks, etc.

Now if I happen upon $400 down the road, I'm not saying I wouldn't consider swiping one for a second rod or something but as my daily driver, I think the Hydros is my best option.

Thank you all again for chiming in and sharing your thoughts!

i don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Good luck

 

so I'm resurrecting this discussion with an honest review after owning an XL for 2-3 months (for those who previously contributed to this discussion, I bought an XL for my 6wt). I felt this information might be helpful for someone down the road who comes across this thread and is thinking about buying this reel.

overall it is a good reel. very light, impenetrable drag housing, large arbor, lots of porting (quick drying), nice big game handle, good looks, all that stuff. the drag and the drag knob are my only two gripes about this reel.

the drag has been a little sticky in my experience. i bought it knowing it had a significant amount of startup inertia and didn't think it would be an issue, but I started noticing it on the last few fish I've caught. during those blistering runs the drag has a soft jolt before it kicks into action. don't get me wrong, once it gets going the drag is smooth - it's just the startup between runs is sticky not smooth. i fish light tippets 8-15lb for our fish and I dont feel super confident that I'll have the protection for hooking a slot/mature fish that wants to take off zero-60 in a blink. if you fish 20lb+ i'm sure this won't be an issue. while i have not lost any fish as a result, its a little unsettling hearing ......ZZZZZZZZz........ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz..... instead of .....zzzzzZZZZZZZZZzzzzz.....zzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz.... when a fishing starts peeling off line.

the drag knob feels great but is peculiar in that it takes a good amount of turns to actually crank down. the first 3-4 turns do absolutely nothing. if you don't need to adjust your pressure frequently or during fighting a fish then you can disregard. i just found it a little odd and worth noting- something you dont read in the reviews.

considering price and performance I guess I've started to second guess if it's worth the $$. I own a hydros for my 8wt and that reel has zero startup inertia and is a fraction of the cost. while admittedly not as light as the XL, the full frame design is much more durable and can take beatings and drops really well. can't say the same about the XL, it is a gorgeous design and you feel that in your hand but i would cringe if it were to drop. again, all of this may not be a factor for you depending on what you're fishing for and how you fish and what you need from your gear.

 

Thank you for providing this review with your experience.
I am currently looking for a new saltwater reel for my 8wt rod.
On my last trip to fish in saltwater, upon returning the drag on my Orvis Hydros IV was completely stuck, I opened it to clean it and found a lot of sand inside. How have you been doing with your Orvis Hydros? Have you had any problems with the drag seal?

As a replacement I was wanting to buy a Nautilus XL Max, but I had doubts due to the problem of high startup inertia, I thought it wouldn't be a big problem, but with your experience I'm thinking about buying another reel, but I'm not sure about buying another orvis hydros because of the problem I had with the brake.

I would appreciate if anyone can recommend a saltwater reel up to $400, to fish for bonefish and reds.

 

I would check out the Galvan Torque 8

 

I’ve been really happy with my Lamson lightspeed IVs. No start up inertia and wide range of drag make it a great bonefish reel.

 

Galvan's website lists the Torque 8 at $485. I suspect you can do better via another online vendor or maybe gently used on eBay. I've had mine for a half-dozen years and it's been very good most of the time. However, the drag did freeze a year ago and sent my out-of-warranty reel to Galvan where they replaced the drag assembly for free (taking about a month) and sent it to me postage prepaid, a nice touch. Since then, it's worked fine. The maximum drag setting, however, limits its applications to baby tarpon or peacock bass 15lbs or less unless you're palming the spool hard.

I own two Orvis Hydros IVs, and there was a long thread on this board two or three years ago. The original models were prone to drag failure and high start-up inertia. However, I think Orvis re-vamped the reel and relaunched it last year, so perhaps they fixed the issues.

 

Don't think the Nautilus XL / XM can be beaten for the price. Had one with a couple of max spools, covered me from 6wt through to 8wt. Only thing I didn't like was the x frame and how tippet got wrapped up. Tried to find a classic XL to replace the frame but too hard to come by so ended up selling. Just picked up a Hatch Iconic which is lovely but quite a bit more expensive....and heavy