Gear Review: RIsen Ichthus Reel - my night fishing companion

I was provided with the Risen Ichthus about 4 or 5 months ago to review. I received the 3/4 and I wanted to really test it out on dry/terrestrial fishing before I had a chance to write about it.

Risen is a new name to the fly fishing world. They sell quality products at decent prices. I heard a lot of people starting to mention how nice the reels were, so I was looking forward to getting a chance to test one out.

Here's the specs:

Precision machine cut from pure aerospace aluminum bar stock and stainless steel for maximum strength and corrosion protection 

Large diameter Cork/FXB polymer disc drag delivers ultra smooth, low start-up inertia 

Two sealed, precision, stainless steel ball bearings

Fitted with one-way roller bearing

Quick left and right hand handle reversal

Counter balanced spool

Large arbor design

Easy drag adjustment

Drag clutch with zero-backlash

Silent retrieve with a crisp out-going click

Quick release spool

Exposed palming rim for additional control

MODEL	GEAR RATIO	BALL BEARING	INNER DIA (in)	OUTER DIA (in)	WIDE (in)	VOLUME(in3)	WEIGHT(oz)
Ichthus 3/4	1:1	2+1	1.65	2.87	1.06	4.33	4.06
Ichthus 5/6	1:1	2+1	2.00	3.50	1.06	5.00	6.17
Ichthus 7/8	1:1	2+1	2.36	3.74	1.30	6.29	7.76
Ichthus 9/10	1:1	2+1	2.00	3.74	1.30	7.32	7.76

After spending the last month night fishing with this reel with surface flies, I can honestly say, you won't find a better deal for the price. I have the brushed metal finish, and it's very nice looking. It's also pretty light compared to some other $100 reels I've checked out.  I've caught fish from 3 to 17 inches on it, and it's handled perfectly fine. The drag is decent, and it strips line nicely.

My only complaint would be the handle. When I first got the reel, it was very stiff on rotation. It was nothing that a tiny shot of WD40 and a little counter clockwise twist of a screwdriver didn't solve though.

The Ichthus is currently 30% off at Risenfly.com for their grand opening sale, and they even have free shipping until 4/26. Tell them I sent ya :)

And by the way, when I said I caught fish that were 3 inches long on it, I meant it..literally.

disclaimer- This product was provided to me free of charge for review purposes. As always, I try to keep my reviews as honest as possible. Feel free to contact me with any further questions on the product and I will do my best to honestly answer them.