Now, you didn’t expect me not to comment on this one, right?
Yeah, appears Redington is going to release their new Classic Trout reel tomorrow, February 3rd, 2026. As both a Classic Trout rod and general click & pawl reel devotee, I can only say it’s about time!
See, the one thing that’s bugged me about the Redington reel lineup over the past few years is that they kind of deviated from the timeless aesthetics used on their previous click & pawl reels. For years, like when the Classic Trout rod first joined my quiver about a decade ago, they had a pretty standard looking clicker to go with it called the Drift. It was no frills, about $99 at the time (maybe even less), and a perfect match to the CT rod. Very lovely all around.
Now even today, I still absolutely love my Drift 2/3 clicker. It balances the Classic Trout rod well (as well as my Orvis Superfine Carbon), is compact, and very sturdy. While it’s not offered anymore, you can find something very similar called the TREK for only $69 through Graywolf Rods… or a reel I’m becoming more enamored by with each use, the Slim from Maxxon for $129.
But somewhere between then and today, Redington took a swerve, retired the Drift, and launched the Zero. And by all accounts it may have been a nice click reel… but cosmetically, it was, ummm… kinda gross. No thank you.
Which brings us back to this new product, the Classic Trout Reel… a no brainer if you could ever ask for one!
First off, gone are the Zero’s futuristic stylings, including that awful cage, replaced with a more traditional look, sort of like an Orvis Battenkill or CFO. It comes in 3 colors – Silver, Black, and a stunning Gold, and 2 sizes – 2/3/4 and 4/5/6. The silver version natively matches the Classic Trout rod’s hardware, but all three look really nice.
As for the other details, it’s a mid-arbor, machined 6061-T6 aluminum, fairly lightweight reel that comes in at either 3.5 or 4.2 ounces. I haven’t seen photos of the guts, but it’s an adjustable dual-clicker configuration, which sounds the same as the O.G. Drift. It does look a bit “taller” than the Drift though, with a more narrow spool design.
The one drawback (perhaps) is the price. The Classic Trout reel is clocking in with a $219.99 MSRP. While not the most expensive click & pawl reel, it is quite a bit more pricey than its predecessors or some of the competition I mentioned above. I mean, at that point you could save up your allowance a little longer and get a Hardy.
All that being said, odds are I’ll probably pick one up. I’m a gear addict with a weakness for shiny new things. But I’ll probably wait to find a fly shop that is carrying it so I can give it a few cranks in person first. I need to hear that reel purr…
What are your thoughts on the new Redington Classic Trout reel?
It’s a great-looking reel. Like you, I’m also a gear junkie and will almost certainly end up buying one. It looks fantastic, and as we all know, fish are extremely judgmental about aesthetics. =)
100%. As gentlemen of refined tastes, how we and our gear looks is paramount. All part of the game of impressing those selective bluegill.
Michael,
After reading this post, it has me thinking — do I really need another fly reel, even if it’s the new Classic Trout version? As you know, I’m a fan of light reels and light fly rods, and the 2/3 weight would be a great match for my 7½-foot 3-weight or even my 7½-foot 2-weight.
To make the purchase work, I would have to sell my old 3-weight Orvis on eBay. I know I would never get what I think it’s worth, so I’ll have to give that some thought. One of my fishing buddies kept begging me to sell him my 2/3 weight Drift reel, and I finally gave in and sold it to him about four years ago. I replaced that reel with an Orvis Battenkill I (2/3 weight), which is probably the best 2/3 weight reel I’ve ever used. I liked the Drift reel, but I could never quite get used to the clicking sound it made compared to the sound of my Orvis reel. I have a feeling that the new Classic will be a step above the Drift reel.
My first love, as far as fly reels are concerned, are still my five G. Loomis reels that I use for my 4-, 5-, and 6-weight rods. Sorry to ramble on here — but for me, fly reels have to match the quality of the fly rods I use so I put a lot of thought into a purchase of any fly reel that I might want to purchase.. Thanks for sharing a great post!
Thanks for all the comments! If you’re happy with your Battenkill, no reason to update, but then again, new year, new gear… I think you should take the plunge. But what color?
You know you are a bad influence on me!
I was disappointed when the Drift series were discontinued a great reel for $100. Not a fan of the cast zero. I mostly fish for trout, bass and panfish and use a lot of click drag reels. I like the looks of this new Classic trout and will probably get one but it’s definitely over priced at $220.00. I think the price will hurt the sales of this series
It very could… we’ll see. I agree with you on the Drift, still use and love that reel to this day.