I had a chance to give the Nautilus XL Max fly reel a test run in the Bahamas this year. The reel is offered in sizes to fit 2wt through 9wt line sizes depending upon the model. The reel is so light my first impression was to put it in a freshwater category. Sizes XS or 3/4 and XM 5/6 will be focused freshwater for sure, but XL 6/7 and XL-Max 8/9 will take line sizes for use in both fresh and saltwater. I used the XL-Max with an 8wt line on a SAGE X 9ft 8wt rod. The reel performed fantastically in the saltwater for bonefish!

The reel is shockingly light, the XL-Max is only 4.7 ounces. Compare that to some classic bonefish reels like Abel’s or Tibor’s and the Nautilus is 40% lighter. I found this weight to be a serious difference maker in terms of balance swing weight with the super light ounce weight of the SAGE X 8wt.

The XL-Max has a super large arbor, with an outside diameter of 4 inches the reel catches up to a fish running at you quicker than almost any reel I have used. The large arbor design does not compromise capacity as it does in other models. I was able to fit an 8wt line and over 100 yards of 30lbs backing on the reel. I find this to be plenty of backing for bonefish if your reel has a quality drag mechanism. Nautilus suggests more capacity is possible but they tend to exaggerate a bit in my opinion.

The Nautilus X series drag was another question I had, again it’s super light reel and it’s drag is the same for all the models XS-XL-MAX. How did it do when a bonefish tried to head from Abaco to Nassau? The drag was super smooth and the fast runs of a bonefish produced a balanced, zero wobble, out going rotation. The drag knob is large and easy to adjust. The drag range is wide, turn it down to accommodate 6x or up to deal with 20lbs hard mono on the flats. The sealed teflon drag mechanism could not have been better. I am seriously thinking about using the XL reel for a 5wt set up, why not it’s super light, the retrieve is great and the drag with be fine for any trout tippet.

The X design or open frame looks super cool but how did it perform? I was a bit worried the fly line or leader would find it’s way between frame and spool with the open frame design. Nope, the machine tolerances and “trueness” of spool and frame prevented this from happening. Another concern I had was the ability to palm the reel and have a solid feel for the rim as it was rotating at mach 3 during a bonefish run. Again not a worry the spools 1/8″ “secondary palming rim” was easy to feel and palm during out going runs. How about overall strength? The reels weight is deceptive, it’s not a solid feeling as a Hatch or Bauer RX but but it’s performance is up to the task at hand. The reel actually felt more solid in the field than I gave it credit for in the shop. This is an arbitrary measure but what I am getting at is although the reel has a “light feel” it’s super solid in it’s strength and performance when in use.

Miscellaneous other items that worked well on the Nautilus X series reel. The spool release is an easy on and off locking mechanism. It differs from the classic spring pin design of the Nautilus FWX or even classic Hardy reels. The old system is proven for sure but the simplicity and lock down sealed mechanism keeps the internal parts of the spool protected from the elements. The super ventilated spool and frame are strong yet light and the super large arbor resembles the Giga arbor series from Nautilus that is twice the price.

In summary the new Nautilus X Series reel exceeded my expectations for a saltwater reel. I would not hesitate to recommend the XL or XL-Max models as bonefish/permit reels. I very much look forward to fishing it in both salt and freshwater again soon!

CD

390 gr AIRFLO SCOUT head on left and 350 gr OPST Commando head on right.

Fly anglers fishing single hand rods with short head fly lines now have more options to choose from – thanks to the entry of AIRFLO’s new for 2016/17 Scout fly line.

These very short shooting heads have been my go-to last winter while swing fishing the coastal rivers with 6 wt and 7 wt switch rods of 11 ft to 11.5 ft also.

The AIRFLO SCOUT lines start at 150 gr and go in 30 gr increments up to 480 gr.

The OPST COMMANDO heads start at 150 gr and go up in 25 gr increments to 475 gr.

The two heads pictured above are both 15 ft long. The shortest heads in the  OPST Commando series may be as short as 12 ft and the heaviest as long as about 18 ft long.

The shortest heads in the Airflo Scout series are 13.5 ft (150 gr) and the longest is 18.5 ft (480 gr).

Airflo decided to product their Scout heads in lengths that are 6″ to 18″ longer than the Commando heads – in order to reduce the instances of overpowering an anchor on the cast.

AIRFLO tip and butt (left and right) loops on SCOUT head.

The Airflo heads and the Commando heads have slightly different loop characteristics, and I think the angler will decide if either is better than the other.

COMMANDO head gr wt marking – The AIRFLO SCOUT will be similarly marked on the line for convenience.

My AIRFLO Demo head was only color coded to indicate head wt. but the retail SCOUT heads will have the gr wt printed on the line, like the OPST line designation shown above.

We are both blessed and cursed with the number of choices we have in fly lines (and all goodies provided by the Fly Fishing Military Industrial Complex) — So begins the challenge of sorting our brand loyalty versus deciding if either of these fly lines is superior to the other under particular circumstances.

OPST has proven the functionality of these Commando heads. AIRFLO has a proven track record of producing quality fly lines, and this is especially true for the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes angler fishing two hand rods.

Now you have two brand options and yet one more topic for debate around the campfire in the evening.

JN

This is a bare bones set of recommendations for the angler who is about to head out and try a hand fly fishing for fall Chinook on the Oregon Coast.

We will be pleased to offer more detailed advice and tackle options if you drop by the Caddis Fly Shop — recognizing that the sport can get complicated. This blog post is intended to lay out the foundation for fall chinook fly fishing in such simple terms that it will allow most people to get started with a solid rod/reel/line/leader/fly set up and have a decent chance to hook a salmon on a fly.

Knowing that there are many exceptions to the advice I’m about to offer, here goes. (I am not mentioning brands here because we have a wide range of great rods and reels by many manufacturers.

Chinook rods: single hand 9 wt, switch rod 8 wt.

Chinook reels: saltwater safe reels capable of holding 150 yds of 30 Lb. backing under a fly line. This means a pretty hefty reel with a good drag system.

Chinook fly lines: I’d start with a RIO OUTBOUND Short Intermediate fly line. The next fly line would be the OUTBOUND Short with a sink-3 tip. The former line will meet a wide range of needs for the Chinook angler – the faster sinking line will come in handy when the water is deeper and the current or tide running faster.

The shooting head system is another very good option, and I’d start with a RIO OUTBOUND Shooting Head  fly line in Intermediate and Type 3 sink rates. If you go this route, you will also need to get a shooting line that goes between backing and shooting head. The RIO coldwater series shooting line is a good choice and there are others we can help you select as well if you call or email the Shop.

Backing: already mentioned, at least 150 yds 30 Lb backing.

Leader: Maxima Ultragreen – 9 ft long, in 12 Lb. or 15 Lb. test tippet.

Fly: Chartreuse Clouser of about 3″, Boss flies in flame orenge, black, and chartreuse green.

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That’s it. The bare bones. Hope this helps assure the prospective Chinook angler that they have a decent set-up to begin the quest.

Jay Nicholas -Early October, 2016

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