Ross vs. Hardy

[rubs96]

I'm trying to decide between the Ross F1 (#4) and the Hardy Cascapedia (8/9).

Both are to be fished on a 10', 8wt. single-hand rod (nymphing & swinging) for steelhead.

If anybody has either one of these reels, please leave a comment and opinion: performance, pros, cons, regrets???

Thanks!

[lpquick]

Nothing special about Ross fly reels IMO but Hardy is another story altogether. Buy the Hardy for sure. Especially if the Hardy is marked made in England.

[fishbum]

I would definately recommend any Ross reel. They are nearly indestructable and have never let me down. If the reel does break down they have a great waranty and the reel will take no longer than 2 days to repair.

I have a couple older hardy's and have only kept them for sentimental reasons. They never get strung up on my rods any more.

[rubs96]

Thanks for the input guys.

I would definately recommend any Ross reel. They are nearly indestructable and have never let me down. If the reel does break down they have a great waranty and the reel will take no longer than 2 days to repair.

I have a couple older hardy's and have only kept them for sentimental reasons. They never get strung up on my rods any more.

Good to know! I have a Ross Flow centre pin reel and love it. It's still a tough decision but I think I'm leaning more towards the F1!

[DUZBASS]

I would go Ross without a doubt! The F1 is an amazingly designed reel and is made in the US with a perfect warranty as mentioned. Hardy does still make some decent reels, but not with the design and features of Ross. Also, do yourself a favor and check out Tibor and Islander

[Mattman]

I can't comment on Hardy

I have Ross fly reels on my 8wt and 4wt. I couldn't be happier. Warranty...made in USA...quality/dollar ratio... My 10wt reel will also be a Ross.

[rubs96]

I would go Ross without a doubt! The F1 is an amazingly designed reel and is made in the US with a perfect warranty as mentioned. Hardy does still make some decent reels, but not with the design and features of Ross. Also, do yourself a favor and check out Tibor and Islander

Thanks for the input! I love the look and reviews of Tibor reels and my buddy has a couple islander fly reels and say they're amazing but his next purchase is going to be a hardy (Fortuna) so he's been pushing me towards getting the Cascapedia

I can't comment on Hardy

I have Ross fly reels on my 8wt and 4wt. I couldn't be happier. Warranty...made in USA...quality/dollar ratio... My 10wt reel will also be a Ross.

Thanks Mattman. Good to know! I was thinking of getting the size 5 for a two-handed rod but again, there's something about the Cascapedia!

[DUZBASS]

I would go Ross without a doubt! The F1 is an amazingly designed reel and is made in the US with a perfect warranty as mentioned. Hardy does still make some decent reels, but not with the design and features of Ross. Also, do yourself a favor and check out Tibor and Islander

Thanks for the input! I love the look and reviews of Tibor reels and my buddy has a couple islander fly reels and say they're amazing but his next purchase is going to be a hardy (Fortuna) so he's been pushing me towards getting the Cascapedia

Honestly the tibor and islanders reels are works of industrial art. They have the cleanest machining and anodizing, the simplest mechanics but arguably the best performance out of most any reel made today. I used to manage a fly shop and had a chance to fish or at least work with almost every reel out there and they are still the two most impressive non-custom factory fly reels in my experience. If you are looking for an 8 wt reel, the Everglades is the one from tibor, or the backcountry wide if you dont need a ton of backing and want a lighter reel. If you want a more traditional look check out the Billy Pate reels from Tibor. The LX 3.8 is what you would want from Islander.

[skinhead]

I worked for an ex managing director of House of Hardy. Some reels marked Made in England were apparently purely assembled in England by a 3rd party engineering firm, from parts sourced in Korea. If that was the case, go for the Ross.

A few years ago one of my customers brought a £600 Hardy rod in to get my opinion on build quality. The first thing I said to him was, "I like the made in Korea sticker, I hope you got a good discount". Guide wraps were uneven, the resin had pin bubbles in it, and the cork showed a fair bit of filler. Not the Hardy quality of old.

[rubs96]

Thanks a lot guys for all the input and I appreciate the help. I ended up purchasing a Hardy Zane No. 0 which I will match with either a Pro4X 10' 7wt. or another 9'/10' 7-8wt. rod. The reel is rated as a 7wt but has a large arbor so I'm sure I'd be able to throw on a 8wt line if I got with a 8wt. rod.

I worked for an ex managing director of House of Hardy. Some reels marked Made in England were apparently purely assembled in England by a 3rd party engineering firm, from parts sourced in Korea. If that was the case, go for the Ross.

A few years ago one of my customers brought a £600 Hardy rod in to get my opinion on build quality. The first thing I said to him was, "I like the made in Korea sticker, I hope you got a good discount". Guide wraps were uneven, the resin had pin bubbles in it, and the cork showed a fair bit of filler. Not the Hardy quality of old.

I didn't check the sticker but I saw a fantastic Hardy two-handed spey rod for an excellent price I passed on yesterday. I'm tempted to head back and pick it up next week if its still available