Solitude Reels

The Solitude Reel Company is located in the Skagit Valley just north of Seattle. The valley, bordered by ocean on one side and the North Cascade range on the other, is home to some of the most diverse fishing in the Northwest. Originating from the Midwest as a reel designed for the steelheader the new Solitude has cut its teeth in the heart of big steelhead country and has proven itself worthy of

the task. Tested on the famed steelhead rivers and intimate beaches of North Puget Sound, the Solitude Reel has found a home in the Pacific Northwest. Many additions and improvements have been made to the original design, most notably is the reversibility of the retrieve. The reel can now be easily converted by the angler himself. All standard parts found in our reel have been designed for increased functionality and strength. The parts themselves, all twenty of them, are high- precision machined parts made in our CNC (computer numeric control) machine shop. All materials used in our reel are corrosive resistant. The drag surfaces are cork on Teflon in the SR2 and SR3 and cork on Type III anodized aluminum in the SR4 and SR5 reels. Both drag systems provide unsurpassed smoothness. A new custom spring system has allowed for superior range in both drag systems, providing the angler who targets large fish with light tippets a multitude of micro adjustments to land their fish. More recently, we have upgraded the SR4 and SR5 reels with stronger springs and larger over sized drag discs. These reels now produce up to 17lbs of drag. The combinations of these modifications have increased the drag capabilities in these reels to include larger saltwater species. We utilize a stainless steel one-directional clutch bearing, which is encased in a machined Type III anodized aluminum clutch housing. The housing, as well as the hub, rotor sleeve, and spindle are machined with tolerances of .0002” providing a solid and smooth rotation of the spool. The frames are reinforced with added material to reduce flex or contortion and to increase strength and durability. The spools are designed to lock onto the frames easily and smoothly with a tight fit. Large Arbor spools are available for the SR4 and SR5 as an option to the Standard Mid Arbor spool. Intense polishing is done to each part that receives anodizing. The spool flanges and frame are polished to a number 8 finish (mirror finish) before being sent to anodize and then re-polished before assembly. The result is a beautiful finish that compliments the precision feel of the reel. You can expect a reel with an amazingly smooth drag and equally smooth feel and look. We have now introduced a Type III hard anodized finish to all our black reels in order to provide the highest quality finish for use in extreme environments, particularly marine. Type III anodizing vitually penetrates the aluminum with near ceramic hardness while building-up on the surface by an equal thickness. Although the cost is many times that of Type I or Type II, it becomes worth it to the angler to own a reel that appears like new after many years of severe use. Careful thought has been put into the functionality, performance, and durability of our line of reels. This attention to detail has led to a reel that will stand up to the toughest of tests. These reels have been designed by folks who fish and understand what a reel should do to give the angler the performance needed to land some of North America’s strongest and most explosive fish. We hope that you will enjoy our product and that it will serve you well on your adventures.