Product Field Review - Waterworks Lamson Vanquish V8LT & V10 LT

Waterworks-Lamson Vanquish V8LT & V10 LT

This is probably somewhat late in that I have fished the Vanquish for Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit, and Steelhead for a couple seasons now but I figured "better late than never".

When the Vanquish product release was announced we were excited for a few reasons:

- the customer satisfaction and reliability of other WL reels was outstanding and the Vanquish was to be a step up in design, performance, and durability.

- the fact that the Vanquish is manufactured in the United States is a big plus for us. So many reels, even high-end, have moved production overseas (Asia). This means that there isn't the hefty duty on these reels and without question quality control will be superior!

But anyways, I'll cut to the chase. I have fished the Vanquish in the salt for a couple of years now, primarily for Tarpon and Permit. I have fished it for Spring, Winter, and fall Steelhead. I think this makes for a pretty good test on a reel!

The big plusses we have found on the Vanquish are:

- LIGHT!, these things are state of the art when it comes to design and machining. But don't think for a second they're not tough. they handle the bangin' and crashin' just fine.

- DRAG, an upgraded, larger version of their time tested conical drag system is as smooth as I have ever seen. Drag adjustment is huge, all the way to stopping levels for species like Tarpon. And there is no inertia at any level of drag. This system performed flawlessly for me in the tropics also in the reel test...the cold conditions of November Steelheading. Only a few reels pass my test of fishing them all day, inundating them with rain and snow, and then hanging them on the side of the cabin for a night of freezing temps. The Vanquish performs flawlessly! The sealed drag system means I can trust it whether it's warm, cold, dry, or wet.

- CAPACITY, the Vanquish will carry a lot of backing. Like many manufacturers, WL is on some kind of drug when they print their backing capacities. On the V10, they say something like 250 yards with a WF10.

This is incorrect, we put 400 yards of 30# Gel on the V10 with the WF10. I would never even consider the V12, it's overkill. In fact, if you don't want the largere arbor, you can use the V8 for a 10 weight if you wish.

I use the V10 for my 550 to 650 grain Skagit setups with about 400 yards of Gel.

- LOOKS, I know this shouldn't be an issue, but to some of us it is! And these reels are stunning!

- MAINTENANCE, as close to zero maintenance as there is. I'm kind of anal about my reels and how they're cleaned and maintained but I can service a Vanquish (after salt use) in about 5 minutes. can't do that with cork drags!

The downsides we have found on the Vanquish are:

PRICE, I list this as they're not cheap but then I look at the price of an Abel, Tibor, Islander, etc. and the Vanquish is right in the group. But they're still not cheap, but for the angler doing a lot of big game fly angling, fresh or salt, they're worth it.

RETRIEVE, the only design flaw I have seen is for the anglers who reel right handed. If the seal cap on the drag system is not tightened down hard it will loosen on a right hand retrieve with lots of drag, leading to free spool. This is not a big deal for us as we torque the seal caps in pretty good here at the shop but if it's missed the "lefties" can have a problem.

DESIGN, this isn't necessarily a negative, but I 'm trying to be neutral. This reel is very "new-age" looking, which will not appeal to the angler who prefers the traditional look in a reel.

For more info on the Vanquish, go to http://www.countrypleasures.com/store/ or
http://waterworks-lamson.com/