# Best 10wt saltwater reel



## Fishshoot

Abel


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## MariettaMike

I’ve been reel happy with a Tibor Gulfstream with the Gorilla handle on a Sage X for tarpon on 12#.

The rest of the time I use a Tibor Riptide.


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## prinjm6

This will be a thread full of personal opinions lol.


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## jmrodandgun

prinjm6 said:


> This will be a thread full of personal opinions lol.


That's half the fun! 

Anything Tibor or Abel. I have the Riptide and a direct drive Billy Pate Tarpon


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## jsnipes

mako. /thread


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## k-roc

Value and reliability: Nautilus


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## Sardina

It depends.... Fishing out of a boat where exposure to salt water does not include regular submersion? Hard to beat the reliability and simplicity of the cork Abels and Tibors. I have fished them both a lot, and still have several Super Series and my Pacific around, and would give the Abels a slight edge in durability but would give the Tibors the nod for aesthetics. Fishing on foot, particularly in places like the South Pacific, where submersion is just a fact of life? Still sorting this out. Older styles of exposed drag can be a problem. Newer models of sealed drags have not always been ready for prime time. Gen. 1 Hatch reels, for example, are like works of modern art, but simply cannot take the abuse (mine have been back for warranty repair three times) of fishing places were they’ll get dunked. Gen. 2? My Gen. 1 have all been upgraded to the Gen. 2 drag seal and new handle (both previously succumb to corrosion), but they have not hit it hard yet—fine out of the boat so far. Recently got a set of the Abel SDS in hopes they will be the ticket. So far, so good. Only issue is the capacity—it’s not great (200 yards of 60 lb. hollow Jerry Brown on the 9/10 with a 10 floater and it’s stuffed). Never fished a Nautilus; never touched a Mako. So what’s best? I don’t know. I only know so far nothing has been perfect.

P.S. Hatch service is the best I have ever experienced with a fly tackle company in close to 30 years of breaking stuff. Really first class. And, I get it’s asking a lot of a fly reel to be dunked time after time for days on end with minimal opportunity for maintenance and still perform. That is my expectation, though.


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## Backwater

Reelfun said:


> What is the best 10wt saltwater reel?


The one that happens to be on the rod I'm using at the moment, as the drag is screaming!


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## Caleb.Esparza

Correct me if I’m wrong, but from my understanding the current line of Mako’s and the Original Charlton Mako’s are not quite the same thing. I only have experience with the originals but I’m also skeptical of the marketing machine behind the current company. You see a lot of the same “legendary” anglers marketing for them as you see pimping those other “best” rods with the funny white wrap above the grip produced by everyone’s favorite dog bed manufacturer. 

Personally, I’m a Tibor guy but you’d be hard pressed to go wrong with anything produced by Tibor or Abel. Even the Hatch is a solid reel but they just aren’t my cup of tea for no particularly good reason.


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## ifsteve

k-roc said:


> Value and reliability: Nautilus


We'll I might agree on the value part.....


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## johnmauser

I love 'em all. Seigler, Tibor, Nautilus, Galvan, etc. But for what its worth I'm on my 7th year of saltwater guiding and I've sold basically everything I own in trade for a range of Hatch Finatics from size 3plus to 11plus. If I bought anything else, it would be a Seigler SF, MF, and BF.


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## jsnipes

On my last trip i saw a guy nearly lose a GT (if it weren’t for the guide being a hero) and lost a permit because 2 different hatch reels failed. They look cool but i would never own one.

If you aren’t getting wet tibor’s are great. The new Abel sds look sweet but at that price point i am going mako all day.


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## jmrodandgun

jsnipes said:


> If you aren’t getting wet tibor’s are great.


That's silly. They can get wet.


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## johnmauser

jsnipes said:


> On my last trip i saw a guy nearly lose a GT (if it weren’t for the guide being a hero) and lost a permit because 2 different hatch reels failed. They look cool but i would never own one.
> 
> If you aren’t getting wet tibor’s are great. The new Abel sds look sweet but at that price point i am going mako all day.


What failed on the Hatches? Drag locked up, free spooled? Just curious, mine have been nothing but solid on tarpon, albacore and other hard pulling/fast running fish.


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## sidelock

Sardina said:


> It depends.... Fishing out of a boat where exposure to salt water does not include regular submersion? Hard to beat the reliability and simplicity of the cork Abels and Tibors. I have fished them both a lot, and still have several Super Series and my Pacific around, and would give the Abels a slight edge in durability but would give the Tibors the nod for aesthetics. Fishing on foot, particularly in places like the South Pacific, where submersion is just a fact of life? Still sorting this out. Older styles of exposed drag can be a problem. Newer models of sealed drags have not always been ready for prime time. Gen. 1 Hatch reels, for example, are like works of modern art, but simply cannot take the abuse (mine have been back for warranty repair three times) of fishing places were they’ll get dunked. Gen. 2? My Gen. 1 have all been upgraded to the Gen. 2 drag seal and new handle (both previously succumb to corrosion), but they have not hit it hard yet—fine out of the boat so far. Recently got a set of the Abel SDS in hopes they will be the ticket. So far, so good. Only issue is the capacity—it’s not great (200 yards of 60 lb. hollow Jerry Brown on the 9/10 with a 10 floater and it’s stuffed). Never fished a Nautilus; never touched a Mako. So what’s best? I don’t know. I only know so far nothing has been perfect.
> 
> P.S. Hatch service is the best I have ever experienced with a fly tackle company in close to 30 years of breaking stuff. Really first class. And, I get it’s asking a lot of a fly reel to be dunked time after time for days on end with minimal opportunity for maintenance and still perform. That is my expectation, though.


The guys and guides running the operations in the S Pacific use Shiltons.


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## Tx_Whipray

I’m an old school cork drag kind of guy, so I’m a big fan of the Tiber Riptide. That said, I’ve also got a Ross Evo R Salt in 9/10 on my La Bull Redfish rod. I’ve been really impressed with the drag on that reel...granted, a bull red isn’t a tarpon, but it’s really smooth with plenty of stoping power and it’s just a really good looking reel. It’s supposedly the same drag as the Abel SDS, but I don’t know if that 100% true.


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## jsnipes

johnmauser said:


> What failed on the Hatches? Drag locked up, free spooled? Just curious, mine have been nothing but solid on tarpon, albacore and other hard pulling/fast running fish.


the gt the reel went into freespool basically. on the permit, it was sticking and then slipping and the tippet broke when it stuck.

i think the seals (obviously) busted loose on them both. i am starting to think that basically any modern reel, used on a boat, and cared for reasonably well is fine on most species. i think it's just the hard wading, sand, salt (and also air travel, sometimes in unpressurized luggage holds) that kills a lot of these sealed reels. i've also had a tibor sig and bauer rx seal bust fishing in the seychelles fyi. so, not trying to hate on the hatches.


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## jsnipes

sidelock said:


> The guys and guides running the operations in the S Pacific use Shiltons.


the shilton's do seem fairly bulletproof from what i can tell but all the AFC lodges are effectively "sponsored" by shilton. ask the guides what they want for a gt reel and going to get one answer...


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## Finn Maccumhail

I’m a Tibor guy and make no apologies for it. But the Mako is probably a better reel. 

However, there’s a balancing act in the cost vs. performance. Meaning, for the vast majority of us the improved performance, durability, and overall quality of a Mako over a Tibor is not enough to justify a price tag that’s nearly double. 

Just my 2-cents though.


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## LowTideFly

Tibor Riptide


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## johnmauser

jsnipes said:


> (and also air travel, sometimes in unpressurized luggage holds) that kills a lot of these sealed reels. .


That is a really interesting theory. Definitely some food for thought.


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## Caleb.Esparza

@jsnipes is probably right on the cabin pressure theory. I steer clear of sealed drag reels myself because once you get water in there, it tends to stay in there. For my needs (large redfish, jacks, sharks and the very occasional grown tarpon) it’s old school cork Tibor’s all day. I fish with a buddy that has a few original Charlton mako’s and I’m going to continue to pester him about selling me one every time we fish.


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## ifsteve

Well I have not been a fan of sealed drag reels and held off for a long time. However I took several to the Seychelles in April and one of them was my main GT reel. Abel SDS 11/12 and it spent a ton of time in the water. Fact is there is just no way around it there. Even if you are ultra careful. When you have to swim from one bommie to the next its going to get wet. And when its in your rod holder and you are wading chest deep across a deep section to chase a trigger or bumpie its going to be submerged. Now it was only one week but no issues. And the 9/10 I was using for my 9wt setup is my go to reel when chasing reds and still works perfectly. So I have warmed up to sealed drags, at least the Abel SDS. 

But I also had old school cork drags along on that trip just in case. Didn't need them but I KNOW they will work and if grit does ever get in them I can have them back in business in short order.


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## texasag07

I almost popped on a mako 9550 on eBay a while back that went for a good price. Then I looked up that it was only a 4.5” diameter and had a weight of nearly 14 ounces. 

I could of lived with the diameter but that’s some serious weight hanging off the end. Which for me that’s more weight then I want to be slinging all day. 

Lots of great reels when you step into the high dollar reels, I have also had two friends hatch’s break down in similar fashion to what has been described so I put them in the same group as Lamson and avoid them.


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## Tailer

My first saltwater reel was a Nautilus CCF 10 I bought back in 2005 or so. I've owned many sealed reels over the last fifteen years (Nautilus, Lamson, Ross, Bauer, Van Staal) and most of them have performed flawlessly. The problem that I've come to appreciate with experience however is that they work right up until they don't. The handful of issues I've had with fly reels over the years have been a result of seal failure and the symptoms of impending failure were hidden inside the hub where they can't be seen or tended too until after the reel fails.

Over the last year I've been slowly selling my collection of reels and buying Tibors. The ability to take the reel a part and inspect / clean / lubricate all of the moving parts is priceless to me. No more issues hidden behind a faulty seal. 



texasag07 said:


> I almost popped on a mako 9550 on eBay a while back that went for a good price. Then I looked up that it was only a 4.5” diameter and had a weight of nearly 14 ounces.


I went from ~12oz Nautilus Silver Kings to ~16oz Tibor Pacifics (real life weights with backing and #12 lines) this season and haven't regretted it. The weight difference is noticeable when you cast them side by side, but I haven't noticed it at all on the water in an actual day of fishing.


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## Sardina

texasag07 said:


> I could of lived with the diameter but that’s some serious weight hanging off the end. Which for me that’s more weight then I want to be slinging all day.


This was a primary reason, frankly even more so than price, that I went with the Abel SDS over Mako to match my Asquith rods. Just seemed counter productive to me to take a rod engineered to be super light and then match it with a reel that was made without regard to weight.


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## Chris R

I have a 20 year old Abel. It is still in great shape and works perfectly. Great reel. However,i can't speak about the current abel reels. Unfortunately when many great boutique companies get purchased by a larger company things change and often not for the better so I can recommend the older Abel , new ones don't know


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## Paul Mills

My personal fav's are Danielsson from Sweden. 

H5D series for this https://danielsson-flyreels.se/en/h5d-series/

Or a Hardy Fortuna. http://www.hardyfishing.com/hardy-reels-fly-reels-hardy-fortuna/hardy-fortuna-xds-reel/1405252.html


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## sholmes

Tx_Whipray said:


> I’m an old school cork drag kind of guy, so I’m a big fan of the Tiber Riptide. That said, I’ve also got a Ross Evo R Salt in 9/10 on my La Bull Redfish rod. I’ve been really impressed with the drag on that reel...granted, a bull red isn’t a tarpon, but it’s really smooth with plenty of stoping power and it’s just a really good looking reel. It’s supposedly the same drag as the Abel SDS, but I don’t know if that 100% true.


I've heard they have the same drag too, but would love for someone to confirm.


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## Gorma

classic cork Abel Super (any edition, lighter and better then Tibors; with all due respect! ) or modern sealed drag Nautilus CCFX2 or NVG. (CCFX2 much cheaper and as good as NVG, if not better?)


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## Stevie

Tibor Riptide for permit fishing and big bones on a 9/10 weight rod...sometimes Abel Big Game 4N— same as Super 9/ Super 11. 

I have Makos and Charltons, but always end up using my Riptides.


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## wardicus

Tibor riptide obviously .... followed by Abel’s


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## k-roc

Ross Evo R and Abel SDS share the exact same drag, built and assembled by the same people, in the same building, in Montrose CO. I have toured the factory.


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## el9surf

Just sold my ccfx2 and picked an Evo salt -7/8 weight size. Very impressed with the build quality and the drag. Can't speak to how well it's sealed but if it has the same drag housing as the Abel sds I wouldn't hesitate to take it on a trip.


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## Snakesurf

Colton Tarrapin. It is almost indestructible and has a smooth sealed drag. It is a beast for a beast. I have a 10-12 and it has been abused hard and it still works like the day I got it. I also have a Galvan Torque 8, I need to clean and lube the drag but it is an awesome reel also. You could spend more for a reel but you aren't going to get more out of it and they are both made in the USA. There really are a lot of good reels out there but many are overpriced, it just comes down to why you fly fish; to enjoy the sport or to impress others. To me the rod is the ticket and the fly reel just holds the line and it helps to have great drag.


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## sidelock

Snakesurf said:


> Colton Tarrapin. It is almost indestructible and has a smooth sealed drag. It is a beast for a beast. I have a 10-12 and it has been abused hard and it still works like the day I got it. I also have a Galvan Torque 8, I need to clean and lube the drag but it is an awesome reel also. You could spend more for a reel but you aren't going to get more out of it and they are both made in the USA. There really are a lot of good reels out there but many are overpriced, it just comes down to why you fly fish; to enjoy the sport or to impress others. To me the rod is the ticket and the fly reel just holds the line and it helps to have great drag.


I have both the Terrapin and the Torrent. The Terrapin 10-12 will only hold about 200 yards of #30 dacron with a #12 line but Torrent 1113 will hold nearly double that although it's much heavier. Both are solid reels and Bob is a great guy to do business with.


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## Reelfun

It seems as though the overwhelming majority are Tibor Riptide fans. On that note does anyone have one for sale?


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## JBH

Reelfun said:


> It seems as though the overwhelming majority are Tibor Riptide fans. On that note does anyone have one for sale?


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## JBH

Just sent you a message 

Joel


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## Str8-Six

Riptide


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## Reelfun

Looking for a Regular Tibor Everglades in gold or blue now if anyone has one...


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## flytyn

Backwater said:


> The one that happens to be on the rod I'm using at the moment, as the drag is screaming!


Can't argue with that. Thread closed.


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## Brandonssmith

Has anyone used a Gulfstream on a 10 weight? I'm looking at the Riptide/Gulfstream for a NRX 10 weight.


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## Smackdaddy53

Brandonssmith said:


> Has anyone used a Gulfstream on a 10 weight? I'm looking at the Riptide/Gulfstream for a NRX 10 weight.


My Gulfstream is going on the 10 and Pacific on the 12


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## Ferrulewax

Do yourself a favor and try a lamson cobalt. The only truly sealed drag on the market tested waterproof by a lab. I’ve played with some tibors and abels, and nautilus, and hatch but I’ve been extremely impressed with the lamson


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## Surfrat59

Most of my fishing is NE surfcasting, so the reels gets wet and submerged at times. The only cork drag reels that haven't failed when filled with sand are my old Bauer M series. Truly reliable and no tools required to disassemble for cleaning/lubrication. Have 6 of them, still in the regular rotation, only time they've ever been back to Bauer was for a new cork disc every few seasons.


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## Paul Mills

People still use cork in drags?? There should be a retro section here..


https://danielsson-flyreels.se/ Swedish made. I've never had an issue with Sage reels either.


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## mro

jmrodandgun said:


> Billy Pate


only reel that I regret not pursuing back in the day.


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