Hardy Ultralite DD Reels

by James Anderson

This year Hardy's new Ultralite reels won "best in show" at the International Fly Tackle Dealer exhibition in New Orleans. Normally we don't put much emphasis on the kudo awards given by shows or magazines, but when our rep Jon Malovich stopped by the shop we were equally impressed, especially when he told us they retail for around $200.00! Clearly Hardy has matched art form and function with these incredibly light, super large arbor, performance driven reels that not only look cool, but are relatively inexpensive for the consumer.

While we knew these reels looked and felt great in our hands, in the end what we really wanted to know was how they performed on the water. What better testing ground than Bristol Bay Alaska, where George put the Ultralite 7000 DD (perfect for an 8 weight line) to through multiple hot runs from hog rainbows ranging in the 25-28" range. On previous Alaska trips, George has always fished with an Tibor Everglades, a reels that costs nearly three times as much as the Ultralite DD!

Here are some of George's thoughts about how the reel performed: "The first thing I noticed was how light this reel was in comparison to the Tibor, even when loaded with line. It seemed to weigh only about half as much! To me, lighter is almost always better. I was also concerned about how well the drag would perform once I hooked a really hot 6-8 pound fish in one of the big rivers, where they have room to run a long way. I quickly found that the drag worked perfectly in evey way. There was plenty of adjustment so I could fine tune the setting perfectly, and once that was done I never had to touch it again. The drag detent was also firm enough that it never got knocked out of adjustment. So often on less expensive reels the drag setting will get knocked out of adjustment while you are fishing and you are always fooling around to get it right. Not so with the Hardy DD. The drag setting stayed put and I never had to fuss wih it again. I like to use a fairly low drag setting and then over-ride with some palm pressure if I need more drag or am close to landing a fish. Palming this reel was easy, and nothing there to hang up on - smooth all the way.

The biggest improvement I noticed over a more standard reel like the Tibor Everglades was the ability to retrieve line extremely quickly. The DD has a super wide arbor for an 8-weight size reel, and this really paid off helping me keep a big fish on the reel. There were times when thes big rainbows would come running back at me and I could almost always keep the fish on the reel by reeling rapidly, rather than having to stop reeling and start stripping. This can be a huge factor in helping any angler land big fish. Switching spools was painless and positive, just unscrew the center arbor nut. They also make it impossible for the nut to fall off if you unscrew it too far, a smart move.

The durability and toughness of these reels seemed to be good. I never took any hard falls or slammed it in the rocks, but I used the reel hard, kicked it around in rafts and jet boats and probably landed 150 rainbows on it that went from 2 lb. to 9 lb., with a lot of 5 and 6 lb. fish. It just performed perfectly all week.

Finally, this is an elegant reel that will look good on just about any outfit. Hardy has done a great job with these DD reels and I'm impressed, particularly when you factor in the low price."

Here are a few factors which make the Ultralite DD the reel deal:

The Frame

Unlike other reels in this price range, Hardy's Ultralite reels are machined from aircraft quality, bar stock aluminum (rather than melting down the aluminum and pouring it into a pressure mold). The end result is a stronger reel with more integrity, as the properties of the metal were never changed under the high temperatures associated with casting and molding. A machined reel also will hold up better to scratches and nicks over molded reels.

The Spool

Large arbor reels (reels which the line sits further away from the center of the reel) have become exceptionally popular in the last five years. Just recently super large arbor reels have become the new fad, which hold less backing but also help you reel in line more quickly. This can be important when playing a fish and it comes at you quickly - if you can keep the fish on the reel instead of switching to a strip retrieve, you stand less chance of a line wrap mishap. We expect to see more and more of these super large arbor reels showing up at the boat ramp, partly because they look cool and are in vogue, partly because they perform better. Unless you need more than 100 yards of 20 pound backing, (if you do please call me and tell me where you fish) these Ultralite reels have plenty of capacity for 95% of anglers.

The Drag

Right away we noticed that the Ultralite DD has a wide range of drag settings, making for one of the better drag "detents" on the market today. From almost no drag setting at all to overkill stopping power, this reel is sure to satisfy any freshwater angler's requirements and probably 80% of saltwater anglers. The fibre composite drag system is completely sealed, which is one of the beauties about this reel in terms of reliability and virtually no maintenance. There is also very little "play" or drag time in the upstart of the reel. While it may not be as smooth as a cork drag system, it certainly feels smooth enough. As you'd expect from Hardy, the Ultralite DD has a pleasant "clicking" sound when reeling in or when a fish is taking line, although it is not nearly as loud as the older Hardy "classics" like the Perfect or LRH.

The Weight

Unless you're trying to counter balance a switch rod or spey rod, in this day in age, lighter is better. While a heavier reels feel substantial and quality built, we feel lighter reels compliment today's lighter rods better, especially if you are blind casting and dredging all day long. A possible down side to a feather light construction is durability, but the structural integrity of the Ultralite DD reels feel extremely well built, unlike other brands that are infamous for denting or bending if you drop them on a rocky river bank.

The Aesthetics

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think this is a seriously nice looking reel for the money! With it's aggressive cutouts, sexy contours, and attention to detail, the Ultralite DD reels are easily in the running for one of the better looking reels on the market, especially after you consider their cost. Does it have the bling factor of a Derek DeYoung Copper John Abel Super 5N? Probably not, but it also won't cost you $975 bills. As with all reels, you either like the looks or you don't. We think the Ultralite DD looks fantastic, especially when matched up with a Hardy Zenith reel seat - clearly these two are a match made in heaven