Orvis HYDROS Reel Review - New for 2026 - Great Looks and Impressive Price-to-Performance
How is this reel so good for such a reasonable price? Insanity. It looks very nice, too! New Colors: Flats Blue, Coffee Brown, Olive.
*And yes, it also comes in Black for you cool kids who have to have that. Get a color, live a little.
First of all, I'm getting a few of these reels for myself. It's just a ridiculously good reel now. Ever since Orvis let me test these out, I have been truly impressed. I already liked the Hydros series just fine before, and they sold very well, but of course there were things that could have been improved. And Orvis, to their credit, definitely listened!
The general shape is certainly familiar but everything else has changed and improved.
From a sales perspective, keep in mind I own a major saltwater fly shop and recently also a pretty nice freshwater fly shop too. Saltwater reels in particular are usually quite expensive. Honesty is an important part of why customers love to shop with me though. I wish this reel wasn't so good because I'd love to sell you reels costing three times more. I really would. But dammit Orvis, you went and made this too good. Hope I make it up in sheer volume (and I probably will). And I'm not just saying it. I plan to offer these reels in combos with most rods we carry, for freshwater and saltwater. I know customers will love these reels and I know they are great so it just makes sense to offer them as the primary option in combos. It's pretty much this or Lamson for value.
The price for an 8-9wt Hydros went from $289 to only $319 for the new one. A modest 30 bucks more, and you are getting a big improvement. Thanks, Orvis, for not killing us on this pricing (cough cough certain other brands at $430! cough cough)... Why pay 35% more for the other guys when you could buy this Orvis reel? Both are made in Korea! What are the other guys trying to pull? Jeez.
Keep in mind this is an entirely different reel from the previous Hydros, only the name is the same. Granted the general shape is certainly familiar but everything else has changed and improved. Even the new handle has been machined of aluminum. Everything is machined now! Many premium reels don't even have a metal handle!
The Hydros has been completely updated and fully-sealed to stay waterproof even with the spool removed. It is being machined and manufactured at a new facility, no longer in China but in South Korea which is excellent news. This is also where all of Sage's reels come from, including their most expensive ones exceeding $700! Note that several other reel manufacturers won't confirm or deny it but they have their reels made in Korea then they assemble them in the USA but still call them "Made in USA" ....shhhhhh.... didn't hear it from me. The point is, this is a big step up for the Hydros reels and I am excited.
Complaints
In the interests of fairness to all brands I review, I also list everything I do not like about a new product. Contrast color (black) for drag knob and reel foot is odd, should just be matching the reel color although it's not terrible. Just a bit of a miss from a design or aesthetic standpoint.
*No larger size V for the Hydros series (10-11wt) - but there is another brand new Orvis saltwater-specific reel which is better for that size of fish anyway (review should be up soon for that one).
*No silver color ... People tend to like silver reels, but I expect this will be addressed at a later date. And this time, Orvis, you can probably skip Gold since even the Pink special edition far outsold that color. Actually looked pretty cool too. So more pink, less gold. And do a nice Key Lime green for me, will you? I like the bright tropical colors. Flats Blue is excellent so I can't really complain but another vibrant color in the lineup would be cool too.
Great Looks and Impressive Price-to-Performance
Guys, it's only $289 for a great 8wt reel! How much can you even criticize given the value?
Nothing much under $500 will touch this reel. Naturally there are some competitors such as Sage but their new reels have come in around $100 higher than this price point (30% more) so the value isn't really there for similar performance. They have gotten greedy lately with even their "entry level" prices. Orvis, on the other hand, seems like they want to price these so aggressively that nobody would even consider other options. And I think they have. Finally an affordable reel from a major brand (Let's be honest, it's "the" major brand) in fly fishing. You get the ridiculously good Orvis warranty, a fully machined reel with a carbon drag (now much better-sealed, too). And it costs how much????? And it looks cool too? And it comes in blue? (I bothered Sage for several years to bring back their old Teal Spectrum LT or make a fully blue reel but they refused and still don't make anything in fun or tropical colors for those of us not living in Seattle gloom). Orvis gets it. They listened to customers, they listened to their dealers (fly shops). This reel is great. Get one. Get two.
Disclaimer: Some of you might be new here. Those of you who read my reviews know I am honest and don't get paid to write any of this. We want you to find the right gear and be happy with what you choose. I will criticize any brand just as much as I will praise. Some brands have actually attempted to silence me or put me out of business for what I say but I don't care. Customers have a right to transparency and expert advice. If I find any flaws over time or my customers report any issues, best believe I will be posting about them.
