Daiwa Crosscast BR LD Reels

PAY AROUND

£129.99

If the quality and performance of these Daiwa Crosscast reels is anything to go by, I could cross over into the freespool camp.

The wide big pit-style spools offer plenty of casting potential and generate an ironed-flat line lay. The freespool feature is very precise, going from virtually locked-up to all-but free running in around two turns of the setting knob.

They also make the most pleasing fast ticking sound – like a Swiss watch on an Alpine high – when a fast-running fish is striping line from them. On test, not once did the reels overrun or birdsnest.

To those admirable endorsements you can add a powerful 4.6:1 gearing which retrieves an impressive 104cm of line per turn of the handle, precision front drag mechanism, and Daiwa’s faultless Twist Buster line management system which prevents even heavy mono line from spinning up on the retrieve.