Waterworks Konic Fly Reel 1.5 Review

Posted by Vera Smith on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had been looking for a smaller reel to take on a high Sierra backpacking trip and this reel seemed to fit my needs perfectly being so light and sturdy.This was my first Waterworks reel and my first quality fly fishing reel of any type.I spooled it with good 4 weight line and packed it up for my trip.When I got up to the first lake (just above 10,000 feet) I found that the leader and tipped had wrapped itself all around the spool.This was no fault of the reels... I had been showing it off to a buddy the night before under headlamp light and he must have wound it a few too many times.

With daylight falling and a long trip back to camp, I unwound the drag mechanism in order to split the reel in half and get the line back "in line".Everything unscrewed, I popped the reel apart and had everything untangled quickly.Moments later I screwed the drag adjustment knob back on and finished a good afternoon of fishing.The reel performed marvelously.

The interesting part of this story is when I got back home to clean everything up and I noticed that the dust cap on the drag adjustment knob was wobbly and seemed to need a special tool to tighten in.I went to the Waterworks site and checked the FAQ page.I quickly realized that one is NEVER supposed to undo the drag adjuster and the dust cap.They are set at the factory.Instead the reel separates from the body with a gentle push by your thumbs.Much easier. Well.. I had stripped out the some of the threads on the adjustment mechanism (not that this had effected it's performance from what I saw.. but the trout at the end were no monsters...) and decided to contact Waterworks and see what they recommended.

I had an email back in hours saying send it in and they would take care of it.Tim in their warranty department changed out the Clutch Assembly, Washers and Dust Cap and Fed Ex'd back my reel just a day later.No charge.It is like brand new.I had offered to pay for the service since I was clearly the cause of the issue and they refused to take any payment.

So.. I hope to have many more trips catching bigger trout to really test the reel, but from my experience with Waterworks customer service, I can say this is a great reel and a great company.

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Product Description:
Lamson KonicTM Fly Reels and SpoolsThe KonicTM is a fully machined reel that brings top quality and performance to anglers at an incredible price. Equipped with the Waterworks zero-maintenance, fully machined, fully sealed conical drag - the same drag system that's used on Lamson reels costing $400 and up. Unlike other drag systems that use two flat surfaces for braking control, Lamson's conical drag utilizes two cone-shaped elements that are matched together for a precise fit. This system acts to completely seal the drag from the effects of moisture, salt and grit. When the drag is adjusted, spring tension draws the two elements together, creating variable rates of ultrasmooth braking. Because the mass of the drag elements is centralized, the reel is more responsive to lighter drag settings. The average radius of the contact surface is also much smaller than a disc-shaped drag, eliminating start-up torque. Frame and spool are cast and then machine-finished.