Nautilus debuts new GTX fly reel

In the world of fly reels, Miami-based Nautilus Reels has become virtually synonymous with terms like "innovation" and "high-performance." Though the brand has high-end, saltwater roots, over the years, Nautilus has built a well-rounded lineup of reels that offer both saltwater and freshwater anglers approachable (or downright premium) options. But despite growing the Nautilus lineup, founder Kristen Mustad has always excelled at avoiding innovation-for-innovation's sake or bringing new reels to market that are based more on feature creep and complexity than truly offering new value to fly anglers. As a result, one can usually count on the fact that when a new Nautilus reel shows up on fly shop shelves, there's a good reason.

As luck would have it, this week's there's a new Nautilus reel adorning fly shop displays across the country—the brand's new flagship GTX. The new GTX slots into the Nautilus lineup as its new flagship model, aimed at anglers that are chasing big, powerful quarry like tarpon, giant trevally, tuna and so on. Or, as Nautilus puts it, the GTX is designed to "built to put the brakes on the fastest and strongest fish on the planet."

The GTX's Pentadrag braking system, which delivers over 25 pounds of torque, is an all-new design which Mustad calls "a hybrid NV-G/CCF-X2/X-Series drag—on steroids." The new drag system features three cork and carbon fiber surfaces, plus an two additional, free-floating carbon fiber surfaces, which are topped with a Kevlar®/carbon fiber hybrid precision plate which, according to Nautilus says insure "even pressure at all points of the drag surfaces."

Nautilus is also highlighting another new feature in the GTX, its all-new GripTorq drag knob, which it notes is "intricately machined on four axes to promote strength, lighter weight, and more grip than on any other drag knob in the industry."

Image: Nautilus Reels

Like the rest of Nautilus' current lineup, the GTX also features Nautilus' GigaSpool design, a large-arbor design that maximizes line pickup and features a grooved spool design that promotes faster line drying.