I really like reel threads. Yup, I do. Members often offer up personal experience and unlike rod threads, there is a greater amount of fact, less holding back on any negatives, and, a lesser amount of opinion thrown around (not that there is anything wrong with opinion). Like rods, I favor good reels, and not especially specific to brand loyalty. Early on in my fishing....a few 35-40 years back...we didn't have (without really stepping up to high end custom private makers) the terrific options we have today...we had basic Pflueger, Hardy, Cortland, Fenwick, etc. click and pawl reels....My first was a Pflueger...then I got serious and saved up and bought a Hardy....in the early 1980's Hardy's and Orvis reels were the mass commercial benchmarks and I began my guiding with them....mid to late 1980's Steve Abel transitioned out of aerospace machining and started making reels (although he had made his own and a few for friends before commercially available)....when Abel hit the market...almost all guides I knew at the time went to Abels....I guess that's when I got hung up on Abel's and still yet today they comprise the majority of my reels. Although Ross caught my attention with the San Miguel around 1990 or so, and the original Ross Colorado was a nice light little small water reel, and the Ross Gunnison was a standard for Guides client rods and even their personal rods. As rod design started changing for trout rods and becoming faster and more powerful, reels followed suit and drags became more standard fair. Today we undoubtedly have some of the finest and capable reels ever produced, Ross is now a top tier maker, Abel still is, Hatch, Nautilus, Galvan, Bauer, and many, many, other makers can arguably present a top offering.
In my personal collection I still have Hardy, Ross, Abel, Hatch, and Galvan....for 5wt class reels I have Hardy, Ross, and Abel....my Hatch is 6wt (5 plus) and my one Galvan is a 3wt. The Hardy's are reserved for my more classic rods. The reels I fish on Modern rods are Ross, Abel, Hatch, and Galvan. My personal favorite is the Abel SD/SDF series, followed VERY closely by Hatch Finatic, Ross Evo R & LTX, and Abel "New" Super (2017+), although I still have great fondness for Abel TR's (originals), Abel PT. 5, Abel Super "N's", and Ross San Miguels....which all still get fished occasionally. To Answer the original post....I have found my Hatch to be in the top tier mix and solidly reliable and of very high standard and quality. I do not own a Nautilus but have examined them, cast them, and fished them, and they are also VERY nice reels.
Personally, I think we are likely spoiled by all the quality choices available to us as anglers today....and we likely must choose for ourselves what makes us most comfortable....luckily, there are fewer bad choices today. I don't think a guy could miss choosing between any of the top makers, or for that matter, most of the incoming new brands of quality design and manufacture either.
I'm sure I'll add a few more reels before I call it quits and for me, to keep it simple and somewhat standardized in my quiver, and not loose what's left of my mind researching alternatives, my plan is to stick with Abel, Ross, and Hatch from here on out. I'm comfortable with that, I'm satisfied with those makers for selection purposes, and feel I can do so without having to spend the time needed to garner trust in the reliability of other less familiar to me products. FWIW, Your mileage may vary and likely will.
