Hardy Sovereign Fly Reel Review

Should function beat out beauty? We put the Hardy Sovereign Fly Reel to the test in our in-depth review.
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Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:33 - Drag
2:38 - Spool
3:40 - Weight
4:13 - Sound
4:55 - Ergonomics
6:00 - Price
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[@i.o.3563]

Such a classic design with a rather contemporary performance. Amazing.

[@rogerchristian2226]

Yes, Ben, it's 2024... and the opinions flow... as one who actually owns two of these reels (the 7/8 I bought from Trident last Sept, the 5/6 I bought in Alnwick in January at The Hardy Store), I absolutely love them and feel I can speak about them... as we know, at the end of the day, the fish don't care about the reel attached to the rod... I just happen to love the "old school" look and feel of Hardy Heritage reels... I have fished both Sovereign reels and feel the drag is completely adequate for the fishing I do... and they actually do happen to be "classic" made-in-England reels, literally... I will say, the 7/8 is light enough (and small enough) to put on a 6WT rod... I put a 6WT line on it and use it on my 9' 6WT Hardy Marksman I bought from Trident... I put a 5WT line on the 5/6 reel and it works on a few of my 5Wt rods (Burkheimer, Hardy, T&T and Winston)... at the end of the day, everyone has their preference on rods and reels... I'm a Hardy fan and do most of my fishing with Hardy reels... I love a few different rod companies, and although they work for me for whatever reason, I would never say they are the "best"... I just have my connection with them...thanks for everything you do... love your videos, love your shop.

[@rossbickers8649]

Please do the other heritage Hardy reels as well. Would love to see perfect, bougle and lightweight reviews

[@henryearlevans]

A beautiful reel and a great review. That reel IS classic fly fishing culture. Very cool.

[@kosmophon]

Marquis best value for sure. The quality is awesome and it´s light weight. You can fish it on every modern carbon rod. Bouglé Heritage (I got 3 of them) best look and super feel. It is a light weight tuned Perfect if you will. Perfect is just the Perfect. No words needed.

[@normehlers4503]

I question your statement about the size of the arbor determining the rate of retrieve. Seems that it is the diameter of the spool. On a reel with a small arbor, I can use backing to make the arbor any size I want.

[@petdetectiveiii997]

I like the classic heritage Hardy reels like the Lightweigt and Marquis ranges etc and I’d be willing to compromise on functionality of a modern large arbor reel to get that classic look and feel, however this new Sovereign reel doesn’t appeal at all to me, it doesn’t look like a classic made-in-England Hardy reel, more like something made in the far east, in fact it reminds of the “retro” remake of the Pflueger Medalist.

[@jeremycoe9108]

Looks a lot like a Golden Prince or a Pall Mall Centenary to me. Both reels I’d put in the classic category…at least neo-classic?

[@4492573]

It’s 2024 Ben. I’ll keep my Lamson Speedster S -5+ in midnight with a great look, very light weight and awesome retrieval rate. The Hardy looks better in a magazine or on a desk.

[@kosmophon]

You never fight a fish on a click check he? Be careful with your Lamson. Do not drop it or bang it it can bend :D