Years ago when I began searching for a new saltwater fly reel, I did what almost everyone else does nowadays. I did a lot of research online, read reviews, and narrowed down my choices to a few different reels I wanted to look at. Although online window shopping and reading reviews are helpful in narrowing down your choice, nothing beats going to a local fly shop and putting the product in your hands.
I ultimately decided on Galvan fly reels. They are 100% designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States by the Galvan Family in Sonora, California. Bonifacio Galvan founded the company over 20 years ago with the belief of superior quality and value should go hand in hand. Bonifacio wanted to make reels that would last a lifetime. That shows with the quality and workmanship the family puts into these reels. As a testament to this belief in quality and workmanship, all Galvan fly reels come with original owner lifetime warranty.
My goal for this article is to not write a typical review but to focus more on sharing my own experience with Galvan Fly Reels. I also want to share with you what I personally look for in a reel. I do encourage you to go check them out for yourself and make your own decisions on what works for you.
Deciding on a fly reel is a little different than a fly rod in the fact that you can cast a rod to get a feel for the action, and to see if it fits your casting style. You can’t really do the same thing with a fly reel. It is still important however to put one in your hand to check out all of the features you are looking for. The biggest thing I look for in a reel is it’s drag system. I spend most of my time fishing in saltwater so a smooth and powerful drag is essential. I like to get a feel for the drag knob to see how easy it is to adjust. I prefer larger drag knobs as they are much easier to find while fighting a fish. This is I something I think is overlooked when people are looking at new reels. I like a large arbor reel for quicker line retrieve and it can also hold the necessary amount of backing for saltwater fish. As a personal preference, I really like fly reels that have a sweet clicker sound too.
Here is my take on the Galvan Fly reels that I personally own.
I own a 5 wt. Brookie and I have used quite a bit it in both fresh and saltwater. I’ve caught Rainbow Trout, Large Mouth Bass, Panfish, Speckled Trout, and Mullet on my Brookie. It has handled all these species with ease and I have no doubt it can handle more. A few things I would like to mention is that if you have never used this type of drag system before, it can take a little getting used to. The other thing I would like to note is when I am using the Brookie in saltwater I like to set the tension adjustment on the spool a little tighter than I would for freshwater.
My Rush 8wt was my first Galvan Reel that I bought and still use today. In the time that I’ve owned this reel, it has performed flawlessly under all conditions. I use my Rush 8 as my heavier freshwater setup and it goes out with me almost every trip out on my kayak rigged for smaller Tarpon. This reel has caught Speckled Trout, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook, Jack Crevalle, Flounder, Mangrove Snapper, Ladyfish, and Large Mouth Bass.
My Torque 8wt is like my best friend. It has never let me down and I do not think it ever will. I have a lot of confidence in this reel because I have seen what it can handle and I have used it and abused it the most out of all of my reels. This Torque has handled everything I’ve thrown at it and has performed flawlessly on every catch. Just recently in the Florida Keys this reel proved yet again to me just how good the drag system is. If it can stand up against a 29 inch Permit and perform flawlessly, it can handle anything in my book. That is the thing I like the most about my Galvan reels. The very powerful and smooth drag leaves you with no doubts. I have caught Permit, Bonefish, Tarpon, Redfish, Jack Crevalle, Flounder, Lady Fish, Grouper, Mangrove Snapper, Schoolmaster Snapper, Sheepshead, Blue Runners, Snook, Speckled Trout, Barracuda, Large Mouth Bass and more with the Torque.
If you are interested in learning more about all of the reels that Galvan makes. I have listed the current lineup and features below:
Brookie- The ultra-light series, which is an entirely new reel for Galvan. It has a new click and ball system that has a customizable tension to the spool with a few turns of an Allen wrench. The Brookie is available in weights from 0 to 5 and it is available in Black or Clear. It features a fully machined and ultra lightweight frame and a ported pop off spool.
Rush Light- The Rush has an ultra-smooth compression drag system. It is a large arbor design, with low start-up inertia, and a De-tented drag knob for precision settings. It comes in seven sizes from a 2 wt through a 12 wt and is made from 6061 bar stock aluminum. It is easily interchangeable from right to left hand retrieve; it is corrosion resistant and is saltwater safe. The Rush is available in Black, Green, Clear finishes.
Torque- The Torque is the premier reel in the Galvan lineup. This very unique reel contains many of the same features of the Rush Light, including its drag system, large arbor design, and De-tented drag knob. Both of the reels are close enough in design that the spools are actually interchangeable. However the torque’s spool, frame, foot, knob, and handle are machined very differently than the Rush, it is ported to the maximum, strength-weight-ratio. which gives the torque its very unique machined look. Like the Rush it has a very low start-up inertia on the drag system, it is easily interchangeable from right to left-hand retrieve. A few of the other differences between the Rush and the Torque is the handle on the Torque is a little larger than the Rush and also the drag knob is machined more to make it lighter. The larger drag knobs on both of these reels are a very nice feature for making fine adjustments while fighting a fish. The drag is made up of stainless steel, a self-lubricating Peek HPV bushing with a drag surface made of heat and wear-resistant materials. Like the Rush, it’s also corrosion-resistant and saltwater safe and is available in Bronze, Green, Clear, and Black finishes.
Torque Tournament Series- These reels set the standard in saltwater big-game fly fishing. These reels were designed to help catch some of the biggest fish imaginable on a fly rod. The Tournament series is made for mega-stopping power and have an excellent retrieval rate. It comes in three sizes T-14 fast, T-16 faster, and T-18 fastest. It has a compression drag system with imperceptible startup inertia. It is corrosion-resistant and is saltwater safe, it is ported to the maximum strength-weight-ratio. It has a large handle that is easy to grip, a de-tended drag knob for precision settings is easily interchangeable from right to left hand retrieve, and comes in Blue, Clear, and Black finishes.
Spoke- The spoke is one of Galvan’s more unique reels and it is the lightest compression disc drag system reel they make. It has a large arbor design, low startup inertia, de-tented drag knob, and is easily interchangeable from right to left hand retrieve, and it is available from a 2wt to 7wt. The spoke comes in a Black finish with the Blue, Green, or Clear spoke options.
Honestly, with so many good reel manufacturers out there, it can be hard to make a decision on which one to get. In the end, it boils down to what fits in your budget and what type of reel you are looking for, what features you want and quite honestly word-of-mouth. These were the basic things I looked at in before selecting my first Galvan. Don’t forget to look at the customer service and how the company is setup. Because inevitably as with all products you may need to utilize customer service at some point, and you will want a company that will stand by their product.