“Picked up the 9# strike and 11# Gyre. In terms of quality, both are built extremely sturdy with enough porting / clever design to make these reels reasonably light, considering how large these are from the insane large arbour. Benefit from my testing is excellent line pick up speed coming at a minor cost of added weight against competitor options. This thing is built tough and I don't baby my gear so is a perfect addition for me.
The matrix drag system has a high degree of adjustability, which means these reels have max (usable) drag settings equal to or greater than the top reels in the segment, however the system also adjusts the start up drag setting (i.e. it adjusts both the start and max drag, such that the higher the max drag the higher the start up drag). In higher line weights in a saltwater setting I prefer this as you will never accidentally have an overly light drag setting and potentially free spool, which is why I went with these reels.
Service from Tom's was excellent as always.”
“Smooth, strong and stylish. You can instantly feel the quality of the build when you handle this reel. Ample drag for those ‘monsters’. My new favourite reel.”
