Ross Reels Colorado LT Review

Immediately upon inspection, the Colorado LT Reel impresses with its featherweight feel in hand, with all models weighing in at less than 3 oz. This reel is what happens when a fly reel manufacturer wants to produced a rugged reel with an elegant and classic design. When most of us new age, flat brim wearin’, dirt bag fly fishermen and women hear the words “click and pawl,” we either a.) have no idea what this means, or b.) think of our grandpa’s old rusty shakespeare reel collecting dust somewhere in his basement. But this ain’t your granddaddy’s fly reel.

Inspired from the original Colorado click and pawl reel from back in the day, the new Colorado LT arrives on the modern day market with fresh features like highly detailed porting and an extremely large arbor. The reel features machined marine-grade bronze bushings which rotates on a stainless steel spindle with a quick release spool and easy left-hand to right-hand retrieve conversion. Colorado LTs are built with such a high tolerance between the frame spindle and the spool that the connection is actually air-tight. This creates a high-quality seal that prevents any intrusion by grit or water. To remove the spool from the housing, simply pull apart, and push to snap it back in. This reel comes in weights ranging from 0-5, retailing for $285-$295, available in matte black and platinum.

Truthfully, in most freshwater trout situations, a quality click and pawl drag system is all you need. The drag is perfectly set at just what you would want on your over-engineered sealed drag system anyway, without constant manipulation. If you really need to put the brakes on a pig brown trout, simply add pressure to the reel with your palm. However, rest assured that this reel’s drag is set at the right resistance everytime, without fail. The classic elegance of the Colorado LT fly reel is complimented with a reel handle designed with a rugged epoxy layered canvas post for increased grip and reduced weight, eliminating the need for a counter weight. The handle feels secure in wet hands, yet has a fresh look you haven’t seen on a reel handle before.

Aside from technical aspects of a fly reel, many anglers factor in other features which are typically only experienced in person, such as sound which we think is important. Especially on a traditional click and pawl setup. So, what does the reel retrieve and drag sound like on a Ross Colorado LT? Well, we’ve included sound bites here so that you can hear for yourself. If you're still interested, we've got the Ross Colorado LT Reel here.

Listen Here: