Nautilus FWX compared to Galvan?

[simms]

Hey Guys,

Sorry for anothet thread, however someone on here mentioned to take a look at the nautilus FWX and the reel is a GEM! WOW! Looks are awesome and apparently the drag is top notch! Anyone have any reviews on the Nautilus FWX? Now I am on the fence again! Help me out guys! Thanks!

 

[imxer]

FWX & 100 bucks doesn't look bad either.
Then there is Allen & 200.

 

[MoscaPescador]

The FWX reels are remachined FW series reels. Reel frame sizes are the same, but the porting is different. The spool dimensions are new. The drag systems have not changed.

Compared to other reels, the Nautilus FW/X drag system is butter smooth on startup, but it lacks some high end stopping power. For a trout reel, that's ok. For larger fish, like Steelhead or Striped Bass, that isn't ok. I fished a FW7+ that belonged to one of my fishing buddies for Steelhead. I had to set the drag almost to its highest setting to get some stopping power. If I used my Abel, my drag would had been set half way.

MP

Edit: I found the Galvan Torque drag system has more drag on the high end compared to the Nautilus FW/X reels.

 

[simms]

Thanks Guys!

Well, this reel MAY see some steelies during spring time on my six weight...Perhaps I should stick with the Galvan then?

These reels looks super cool and drags are nice, however after you just told me they lack high end power, I am skeptical.

Ill tell ya, I think the Nautilus takes the Galvan in the looks department!

 

[ddombos2]

For what its worth, my FW 7+ is my steelhead reel. I can tell you that it does not have the ultimate top end that some drags have, but I've not had an issue. I do palm all my reels when a little extra drag is needed.

The new FWX reel is compatible with the old FW and FW + spools, which is awesome for me. I'm looking at the FWX 3/4 to use on my 4wt and a FW 3+ spool for my 5wt rod.

 

[bass bug]

:thumbup:Hi i live and fish in Norway.Sea bass sea trout, i use the Lautinus ccf fly reel on a #7 spey one hands cast awsom reel:thumbup::thumbup:

---------- Post added at 01:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 AM ----------

:sorry:Never heard of Lautilus.Try Nautilus:thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[gaflydawg]

I am also looking at a Nautilus FW 7+ reel for myself! Anyone have one for sale?

 

[mcnerney]

FWX & 100 bucks doesn't look bad either.
Then there is Allen & 200.

Imxr: Just wondering where you saw the Allen reels priced at $200.
Justin's website shows the Trout series priced at $110-115 and the Alfa series priced at $105-115 (but he will give members of the forum a nice discount). Allen Fly Fishing

Larry

 

[imxer]

Larry, I was referring to the savings on The FWX & Allen compared to the
Galvan price. i.e. FWX + 100 bucks = Galvan price: or: Allen + 200 bucks = Galvan price. In other words, a good reel, Allen, with $200 bucks left in your wallet. Hope this is at least as clear as mud. Sorry about the misunderstanding. Paul

Did you get to the San Juan?

 

[chicagojohn]

I have an FWX 3/4 and a FW 5. The drag system is adequate for most freshwater species. If you are ultimately looking for a reel with a drag system capable of routine steelhead fishing and light saltwater fishing, then I would recommend the NV 6/7. I am very satisfied with the Nautilus reels I own.

 

[kwb]

Just an FYI, while the claims these drags are not very stout on the top end, that is true, they are set that way as most of their use is with light leads...

HOWEVER

That does not mean the drag itself is light, it can be adjusted to work better with stronger tippets, just have to send it in to Nautilus to have it done...

 

[sweetandsalt]

I am new to Nautilus, I got an NV with the Giga 8 spool option for my NRX #8 bonefish rod last year. This reel is in the upper eschelon of light reels with linear, potent drags with but a handful of legitimate contenders to compare it to. NV is quite different from FWX despite similarities in appearance. For big strong gamefish, the NV is clearly the way to go, however, I am suitably impressed to the extent to be considering a FWX for my 5 weight this soon to come season.

 

[schizz]

I just picked up a FWX 3/4 today. It's so sexy. I thought it was great reel for the price. I was trying to stay under 300, and there are some great reels to be had in that range. No question that the drag is not as stout as some others in this category but, I fish almost exclusively for trout and I have always palmed when needing more drag vs. adjusting drag mid fish. So under 300 was my goal and coming in under 250 I think it is really hard to overlook these reels. I think it is a nice fit with a 4 wt rod. May be more reel than needed at this wt, but my hopes are usually bigger than my fish.

 

[sweetandsalt]

OK, just striped line from the FWX 5/6 adjusting the drag as I did. Very smooth and linear with excelent fine tuning adjustability. The drag setting at max is not like an Abel for sure but stouter than I am ever likely to set on a trout rod. Probably suitable for steelhead but this is not a big game reel, that is the terrific NV's roll in the Nautilus line up. Wisely, they recognize that it is awkward to have a uniform design that encompasses trout to tarpon, few reel designs are optimal accros such a spectrum. I now have more experience with NV than this little FWX and the NV is a great reel. I look forward to the FWX proving itself to be as good a trout reel as the NV is a bonefish reel.

Incidently, a virtue of FWX compare to some of the other hub-drag reels mentioned above is the larger sweep area of it drag is bound to be smoother under load than the smaller diameter set ups on some competitors.

 

[ddombos2]

Just an FYI, while the claims these drags are not very stout on the top end, that is true, they are set that way as most of their use is with light leads...

HOWEVER

That does not mean the drag itself is light, it can be adjusted to work better with stronger tippets, just have to send it in to Nautilus to have it done...

I never realized that. I might have to send in my FX 7+. I've always been concerned about taking it out for steelhead. I wonder if they can just beef up the pretension setting so the drag adjustment doesn't top out as soon.

Cool!

 

[ddombos2]

I just requested the drag adjustment spring from Nautilus. According to them, it reduces the amount of "play" in the drag knob near freespool and can add a little extra pressure on the top end.