# Hatch or Loop Reel



## BayStYat (Sep 12, 2012)

I don't have any experience with those two reels, but I would look into the Tibor Everglades. 

It's one of the best on the market.


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## PLANKTON7 (Jun 14, 2011)

hatch 7 is badass paired with the gloomis pro 1. awesome redfish/ everything rod. deff one of the best iv felt.


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## hype143 (Jan 29, 2011)

Hatch. It's a lot more solid. Drag is smooooth. Loop reels are great but overpriced. Hatch is made right here in the USA and the guys are awesome. You will NEVER have a customer service issue with them.


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## junkin35 (Nov 20, 2011)

HATCH. HATCH. HATCH. ALL THE WAY.
I've got 7+, 9+, and 12+ and have gotten rid of all others except for one old Sage beater that lives on my back floorboard. You can't kill the damn things, no BS cork drag(gonna catch hell for that) and completely sealed.Pm me for phone number if you want stories on what the 7+ is capable of. OK, I'm done........ Hatch. 
;D


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## reallyshallow (May 19, 2010)

Neither....Nautilus NV


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Hatch over Loop and its not close. Others to strongly consider would be the Tibor but my preference is an Abel Super 7/8N.

Nautilus per my local fly shop buddy "we have more Nautilus' turned in to be sent back to the factory for drag problems than all other brands together." Nuff said.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> Neither....Nautilus NV


The drag on nautilus reels sucks, unfortunately. Nautilus did good by giving discounts on their reels to all of the major guides and fishporn social media peddlers on instagram and the like so they sell lots of them, but the FWX and NV really aren't good reels.

Hatch isn't that good either. My local fly shop sent 3 hatch reels back for repair just last week. Loop isn't great either, especially for their $700 imported price tag.

Sure, if you want a cool looking swedish reel, go for the loop at almost $700.

The best reel in that price range is going to be ABEL or TIBOR.


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## yeffy (May 6, 2012)

Loop is a great reel. Very exspensive as well but if your going to spend 700 on a graphite stick infused with resin then balk at a similar price tag for a piece of precision machined metal with sealed drag and a bullet proof finish then Maybe fly fishing isn't for you. I love the loop reels they are true large arbor reels and by that I mean the spool is tall not wide the narrow spool increases line pickup as you reel in. This whole sport is overpriced when you break it down. It is what it is


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## acrittenden (Jan 18, 2012)

Got a couple Hatch reels, a 7+ and a 5+ both VERY solid. I use my 5+ on a saltwater 5wt Scott. That setup is the tits. I never use the 7+ because I use a Tibor on the 8wt. 

Tibor > Hatch > Loop, IMO.


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

maybe i'm too "old school" (or just old)... but it's always been tibor or abel... it's all i really fish... they've been doing it longer and better. might as well just pull the trigger and do it... you'll have it forever. they're both reputable companies that make a great product.


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## junkin35 (Nov 20, 2011)

Who has NEVER had to tighten the reel seat screws after fighting tarpon, tuna, cobia, 40" redfish, etc, etc, etc all summer? Me.......cause my Hatch reel seat is machined into the reel not held on by 2 screws! And I'll put the Hatch Rhulon/stainless drag up against anything. That is all.


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## hype143 (Jan 29, 2011)

If you want to talk FACTS, since i am not payed or given any free things The Hatch Drag is smoother than any tibor or abel. Plus if your like me and want to throw your reel down under water in the soft Bahamian sand for a pic you never have to worry about sand in your cork.. Cant go wrong with Loop, Hatch, Nautilus, Tibor, Abel, High end Sage reels.. etc but just because something has been around since the beginning of fly fishing does not mean its the best, i.e. Cork Drag systems. Don't be surprised in a few years when Tibor and Abel switch over to sealed drags.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Not sure how someone can state that Hatch drag is smoother than Brand X as a FACT. But here are some true facts:

Abel Super 7/8 N weights 6.8 oz
Tibor Everglades weighs 8.5 oz.
Hatch7+ weighs 8.6 oz.

I think Hatch' are great reels with great drags. They are just too heavy for my desires.


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## acrittenden (Jan 18, 2012)

> but just because something has been around since the beginning of fly fishing does not mean its the best, i.e. Cork Drag systems. Don't be surprised in a few years when Tibor and Abel switch over to sealed drags.


Tibor already has. It is called the Tibor Signature. Cork drag AND sealed. The very best of both worlds and it is one sexy and bombproof reel. 

Disclaimer: I own a Signiture 7-8 so I might be biased, but I am not paid to talk about it being a good product. The reel whipping fishes asses does that for me!


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## junkin35 (Nov 20, 2011)

The OP simply asked "Hatch or Loop" and this turned into a "my reel is best" discussion!  I would say, how about the guys fishing Hatch and Loop chime in, but no way in hell that works around here!  Then again, that's what I love about this site, WE ALL have strong opinions and are not scared to let them be heard.  MS'ers are the S#@T!   Nuff said!
;D
Who cares what you fish....... just as long as you're fishing!


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## reelaggressive (Feb 7, 2013)

How many people in this discussion with something to say has Loop or Hatch reels?

I own 3 Hatch reels, 5+ 7+ & 11+.
I have never owned a loop reel because I felt the quality was not there. one of my good friends I fish with regularly has only Loop reels some have had a chance to use them enough to form a opinion.

First of all we are talking about high class fishing gear.
Anything above $400 for a reel is nice but to me it's about longevity.
I purchased my reels for charter use because I wanted to buy a reel that would last years if not decades.
After going through Galvan, Orvis, Nautilus, Abel, & Tibor I stuck with Hatch.
Not saying the other reels were bad, but that when held side to side with its competitor it always felt better.

I fish night time snook with a 6wt and pulling out 17"-30"+ from pilings I needed a reel with a drag or hold them.
With the drag almost all the way down it is solid and smooth.
We go and pull out 50-75+ fish a night with zero failures or hiccups from the Hatch.

My 6wt is also my go to redfish rod. with the fun battles a slot redfish can do on a 6wt the 5+ has never let me down.

My 7+ has been abused by more than its fair share of large mackerel and Little Tunny. Long runs into the backing by LT have proven its worth on my boat.

The same goes for tarpon with the 11+
Anyone who has landed a full grown tarpon on fly knows the abuse a drag takes. 

I am not the type of person who babies their equipment.
My reels get dunked regularly and you can usually find dried salt on them.
Honestly I found a reel that withstands me.

If you have any questions feel free to email me.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

This is the most comprehensive review done in the last 5 years of fly fishing reels:

http://www.tridentflyfishing.com/blog/2013-8-weight-wt-challenge-fly-reel-review#.UbzFkfnCZcY

Form your own opinion and read it well. Hatch, hardy, and Orvis were the top 3, and this was a scientific review and not a pissing match on a forum.


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## yeffy (May 6, 2012)

Loop is not represented in the "scientific" testing. This thread was started to ask about loop vs hatch. Furthermore pissing matches are good reading. 
Carry on


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## Benzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Loop reels I believe are made in the orient... wouldn't be my top choice because of that alone.  The Hatch reels are decent but I'm not a fan of plastic (rulon) drags and extra weight.  It's a toss-up but if you are fishing anything smaller then an 11wt, you probably can get away with any reel with a decent drag.  If you are looking for something from 7wt to 9wt, then I'd buy whichever you can find for cheaper. If this is something you plan on tarpon fishing with (10wt and above), I'd probably say go with the Hatch over the Loop just because of build quality (made in US). Personally, I'd prefer fishing a Nautilus (considering the smooth sealed drag and size to weight ratio). 

One thing to consider when considering the drag on a fly reel is that unless you are planning on fishing for 100lb tuna or other bluewater pelagics; a smooth drag with zero startup inertia is much more important then how many lbs of drag pressure you can apply.


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## yeffy (May 6, 2012)

Per loop. The internals and drag are made in Sweden the rest is machined in Korea. My iphone was made in the orient and I bet your phone and computer was too, so what if things are made overseas it happens all the time. To the op, see if you can get your hands on the reels you like and give them a good once over then put them on your rod and go give it a wiggle. I think you'll be happy with either


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## Benzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Jeff... good point.  My iPhone is assembled in china and it works fine.  Heck, my favorite tarpon stick is made in Korea.  I've walked through some retailer shows and have seen some generic fly reels by Chinese nonbranded companies trying to sell to some bigger names (and have seen some bigger names sell that same chinese reel).  Didn't realize the Loop reels had internals from Sweden.  I used to fish the old school Danielsson/Loop reels and they were decent.  

I think that we can all agree that if the OP is shopping for an 8wt reel and is between the 2 brands mentioned, either one will do the same job.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I didn't really like the Loop stuff too much. There's not much drag to them. Sure, they look nice, but they didn't feel too good. I have never used a Hatch, though. To say the Nautilus NV is trash, is ridiculous. The FWX is a nice reel, but the drag can malfunction if it's not taken care of. I had an issue with mine and just took it to their facility and Nautilus put a whole new drag system in it, no questions asked. I love their reels.


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## natasha1 (Jul 27, 2009)

> If you want to talk FACTS, since i am not payed or given any free things The Hatch Drag is smoother than any tibor or abel. Plus if your like me and want to throw your reel down under water in the soft Bahamian sand for a pic you never have to worry about sand in your cork.. Cant go wrong with Loop, Hatch, Nautilus, Tibor, Abel, High end Sage reels.. etc but just because something has been around since the beginning of fly fishing does not mean its the best, i.e. Cork Drag systems. Don't be surprised in a few years when Tibor and Abel switch over to sealed drags.


this is troof right here.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

> I am looking to buy a NICE fly reel, im looking at either the HAtch7+ or the Loop Opti Speedrunner....Any Pros, cons, opinions...Reel with be an 8wt redfish setup primarily and occasional bonefish/tarpon 9wt when i travel. Thanks


If you get a chance, check out a Galvan T-8 too.. I have them from a T-6 on my 7wt. all the way to T-12 for my 11wt. tarpon stick.. Super smooth drag, non-existent startup inertia and will reliably whip a poon's butt. Very light weight to boot.

I have switched out all of reels to Galvan, except for one Abel Super 12x that is mainly a backup tarpon reel these days..


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