Abel or Hatch????

[Gerard]

I'm in a real dilemma. I'm going to get 2 new saltwater reels for my 8wt & 10wt Helios rods.
Where I'm based means that getting to handle the reels in question is difficult though I have checked the Abels out (Super 8 & Super11N) but unable to find Hatch reels other than mailorder. ( I have checked out the other usual suspects but have narrowed it down to these two because of of either: reviews, costs, quality, aesthetics or availability).
I've not been able to check the reels out on a Helios for balance either.

Hatch for the 8wt and a Super 9 for 10wt?
Any thoughts?

 

[sandfly]

what about a orvis reel or a nautilus.

 

[Gerard]

what about a orvis reel or a nautilus.

I looked at the Mirage and was a little disappointed in the finish...given they've just upped the price by £50 here. Not many reviews either. I did want to like them as they would match the rods.

Nautilus availability in the 8wts etc is limited....Mid to end March. I go mid March.

 

[kwb]

In my experience if Nautilus gives you a date of availability, multiply it by 2 at least...

Doubt you will find a fly shop around that disagrees with that above statement either...

Honestly, any way you go with all the major manufacturers is gonna give you a good reel, comes down to personal preference more than anything!

 

[Mrtrout]

All good reels Gerard, the Hatch always seem a tad heavy in the hand to me.
I reckon Nautilus take some beating though if you can locate one.
S.

 

[sweetandsalt]

Both fine reels with different personalities and design concepts. Always good to have an Abel as it's user maintainable, draw-bar design is a form of insurance and I am not sure I wouldn't go with the S11N for the ten weight. I fish a Hatch 7+ on my Scott S4s #8 and I consider it, along with the Nautilus the top picks among "sealed" drag reels. One caveat on the 7+ is backing capacity; I like 200 yds. of #30, not for strength but for mangrove abrasion protection in the Bahamas, and the Hatch will only take #20. The solution, which I recommend to you, is to buy the Hatch with the mid-arbor spool option. It dramatically improves backing capacity and has no impact on aspect ratio once loaded. On my current favorite bonefish rod, Loomis NRX #8, I mounted the Nautilus NV 10/11 with the "Giga 8" spool option, the opposite of what I have done with the Hatch. I have had no reliability issues with any of these reels and they are all beautifully crafted and delightful to fish.

Do I presume correctly that you are located in Britain? Have you considered Hardy's Fortuna X? Though built in Korea, it is a fine piece of work with a very stout drag and much better than Orvis's Chinese Mirage.

 

[Gerard]

Both fine reels with different personalities and design concepts. Always good to have an Abel as it's user maintainable, draw-bar design is a form of insurance and I am not sure I wouldn't go with the S11N for the ten weight. I fish a Hatch 7+ on my Scott S4s #8 and I consider it, along with the Nautilus the top picks among "sealed" drag reels. One caveat on the 7+ is backing capacity; I like 200 yds. of #30, not for strength but for mangrove abrasion protection in the Bahamas, and the Hatch will only take #20. The solution, which I recommend to you, is to buy the Hatch with the mid-arbor spool option. It dramatically improves backing capacity and has no impact on aspect ratio once loaded. On my current favorite bonefish rod, Loomis NRX #8, I mounted the Nautilus NV 10/11 with the "Giga 8" spool option, the opposite of what I have done with the Hatch. I have had no reliability issues with any of these reels and they are all beautifully crafted and delightful to fish.

Do I presume correctly that you are located in Britain? Have you considered Hardy's Fortuna X? Though built in Korea, it is a fine piece of work with a very stout drag and much better than Orvis's Chinese Mirage.

S&S
Many thanks. I was thinking of 30lb gel-spun as backing so thought I would get 200yds or so on the Hatch.
Yes in the UK. The Mirages come out of Korea, not China (clear label on the one I handled yesterday) and a suggestion has been made is it is the same factory which produces Hardy & Sage. it's not uncommon certainly in the outdoor industry Rucksacks manufactured for Arc'teryx, North Face etc which come out Vietnam are all from the same factory....it is all they make though.
Consequently given the finish on the Orvis (in comparison to the US made reels...play in the spool when mounted) I discounted the Hardy and the Sage 6000/8000.

I'll give it more thought.

 

[jsquires]

Well, I guess there are worse problems to have.
I have two Hatch reels and am very happy with them. However, I know Abel makes excellent products (I have an Abel knife and pliers). I doubt you could go wrong with either. It's like trying to decide between a Nikon and an Canon camera.

 

[moucheur2003]

Helios is a very light rod. The Abel or Hatch may be too heavy to balance it well. Hardy Ultralite DD or TFO BVK might be worth a look, if you don't like the Orvis offerings.

 

[1move]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWUAM9mDDU]Abel Reels - YouTube[/ame]

Need I say more? Their Anodizing is awesome for Salt water

 

[gshankuf]

I have a Hatch 7+ and over 250 yds of backing with 9wt. bonefish taper. Hatch has a new Backing out that is 65lb breaking strength and smaller diameter than most 20lb dacron. Best reel I have had so far. But like many have said before me. They are all quality reels. When you pick one, it will be the best one for you.

 

[shotgunfly]

I have:

Hatch Finatic 3+ on ZG Helios 5wt
Hatch Finatic 5+ on ZG Helios 7wt

You can't go wrong with either from what I've read and seen about Abels. I don't own one but would like to.

Besides the mechanics (the reel and foot are completely integrated, no screws, and the drag is completely/truly sealed) it was the looks of the Hatch that was the deciding factor.

Hatches tend to run a little heavy as you can see for a superlight Helios rod.

 

[makrel]

I have a Hatch Finatic 7+ and an Abel Super 9. Both are great. I fish the Abel on my 9 and 10wt rods with sinking lines from the boat when chasing Longtail tuna, Spanish Mackerel etc in my home waters (Tropical North Australia).

Reading many of these forums has made me a bit paranoid about the non-sealed drag in the Abel (though it has not posed a problem for me). Thus my purchase of the Hatch for flats fishing.

My Hatch 7+ is my newest addition to the family and I just fished Autitaki with it for 2 weeks and loved it. Those big bonefish there gave it a great work out and it is one smooth bit of kit. It sits well on my 7, 8, and 9wts.

My next reel will be a Hatch 9+ or 11+? But I note Abel Supers are being run out at good prices these days.

 

[Gerard]

Well as usual things never quite go to plan!!!
I have bough 1 reel....and neither of the ones I mentioned. I am still going to get another.

I got an incredible deal (way below list) on a Sage 8080pro...their latest offering.
It is marketed as an 8wt, however from the little info available I understand it will take a 10wt line with 200yds or so of gelspun backing.
I will put some pics up when I get a chance. The quality is excellent (Korean I know) and the drag.....wow! The drag was designed by Jack Charlton of Mako fame.

Many thanks for the suggestions etc.....I'm still looking

 

[grouch]

Reading many of these forums has made me a bit paranoid about the non-sealed drag in the Abel (though it has not posed a problem for me).

I see it a little bit differently. I think the open drags of the Abel are a benefit as they are user maintainable. I have a Nautilus NV and while I like it, I started to see that the performance relies on the roller bearing inside the sealed drag unit. I have seen a few other makes that used roller bearings in a "sealed" unit rust up and fail. The nature of the failure is one doesn't know it is coming until it happens. In the case of the Abel, if the owner is willing to take the spool off and inspect the drive dogs and springs from time to time and occasionally oil the cork, there is little chance of anything ever going wrong with it.

A few people in the North East have squawked about the Abel's open porting not being good in heavy surf conditions as it is possible for the pawls to stick open due to sand getting in there resulting in a drag free reel. Even if that does happen, all one has to do is take the spool off and rinse the pawls off and your back in business. That piece of mind is the reason I will be switching the Nautilus to an Abel on my 8wt. Plus they are just so freaking nice and well made it's hard not to want one.

 

[djtjr]

Both great but the Abel is bombproof

 

[45srbest]

On a smaller scale, I use a Hatch 3 Finatic on my 5wt, but I just ordered an Able 5n for my 6wt. I will let you know what I think comparison wise when I receive and get a chance to use it. By the way, my Hatch is great but I just wanted to use the Able on my 6wt because I never used a super series and hear good things about them to. It will be used primarily for smallmouth, occasional small carp and smaller bonefish when I go on vacation.

 

[sweetandsalt]

If I am not mistaken, Nautilus NV uses a fully sealed ceramic bearing to avoid the damage prevalent among lesser and more exposed bearings in less costly reels. I have put my NV and Hatch through their paces bonefishing and they are winners, however, I agree with Grouch that an Abel Super is user maintainable thus all but failure proof so I own and fish both top quality sealed drags and top quality draw-bars and go merrily on my way to anywhere.

 

[kuch]

I have:

Hatch Finatic 3+ on ZG Helios 5wt
Hatch Finatic 5+ on ZG Helios 7wt

You can't go wrong with either from what I've read and seen about Abels. I don't own one but would like to.

Besides the mechanics (the reel and foot are completely integrated, no screws, and the drag is completely/truly sealed) it was the looks of the Hatch that was the deciding factor.

Hatches tend to run a little heavy as you can see for a superlight Helios rod.

I also use a 3 plus Finatic on my 4 and 5 weight Winstons. I run a 5 plus Finatic on a Scott S4 7wt. All of these rods balance nicely with the Hatch reels. I also have an Abel Super 4n that I used to use for my 5wt until I got the Hatch 3 plus. What did it for me was the Hatch's ability to easily change spools as well as the drag system. The Abel's are very very nice but I feel Hatch edges them out in terms of functionality and in my opinion are every bit as nice looking. You can't go wrong either way but I would recommend the Hatch over the Abel.

 

[highjumper]

I have a Hatch 3+ that I use for a 9' 5wt Scott S3. Honestly, I wish it were heavier on occasion. So I guess I don't fit into the ultra light / perfectly balanced camps. As for performance, the reel is superb. My only concern is how soft Hatch's aluminum seems to be. It nicks fairly easy and even the threads for the drag fastening screw tend to strip. I suspect an Abel is more durable.