Ross Reels Introduces The Canyon Big Game Series 
Product name: Canyon Big Game
Number of reels in series: 3
Introductory Price: $295.00, $335.00, and $375.00
Rod coverage: 7wt.-13wt.

When developing the Canyon Big Game (BG) series, our design objective was simple; create a product that would meet or exceed the performance of any saltwater reel on the market, at a price substantially less than the top brands.

In the process of developing our new reel, we extensively tested all drag materials that are currently used by fly reel manufacturers. We also tested other braking materials that have never been applied in a fishing application. During the course of this testing, several brands of the industry’s most popular fly reels failed. Some of the reasons for drag failure were excessive heat build-up, surface glazing, material degradation and seizing. By determining the cause of each failure, we were able to eliminate unsatisfactory drag materials and drag mechanisms from the final design of the Canyon BG series.

Our extensive testing determined that the optimal reel designed for big game fly fishing would include the following features:

• Drag Material: A friction base material that is impervious to heat, compression, glazing, aging and crumbling.

• Drag Engagement: An escapement (one-way drag) that provided smoothness, simplicity, redundancy, corrosion resistance, ease of conversion (L/H to R/H wind) and simple field replacement, if ever required.

• Body Materials: An aerospace grade aluminum alloy specifically blended to provide the best combination of strength and rigidity.

• Spool Design: A large arbor/wide spool configuration that optimizes line retrieval and lessens drag variations that result from spool diameter changes as line and backing are quickly pulled from a reel.

• Finish: A deep penetrating anodized finish to provide the highest level of corrosion resistance

• Components: The incorporation of titanium in the drag system to ensure unwavering performance in saltwater and the elimination of vulnerable fasteners and spring(s) typically found in saltwater reels

• Spool Release: A spool release that securely fastens the spool to the frame without sacrificing the convenience of a quick release system.

By incorporating these features into the final design of our Canyon BG series, we have developed a reel that will set a new performance standard in big game fly fishing.

The testing eliminated all possible materials except a space-age polymer composite that consistently outperformed every material tested. In both static (dead lift) and dynamic (full-drag rotation) testing, the polymer composite outperformed the drag materials in every competitive reel tested by a minimum of 25%.

The drag system in Canyon BG series is smoother and more consistent than the conventional cork drag systems tested. Heavy drag loads, extreme cold, extreme heat and submersion in water all degraded the drag performance and drag consistency of the cork drag systems. The Canyon BG series experiences no loss in performance when exposed to the same challenging elements. In fact, under high-speed, heavy load testing, cork drag systems fatigued before the Canyon BG showed any signs of wear. This incredible success is the result of a revolutionary drag system that is totally corrosion resistant, uses no springs that are easily lost or rusted and has quadruple redundancy. This redundancy provides three backup systems within the drag to ensure dependability under the most demanding fishing conditions. We even cross drill the drag surface, similar to Indy car disc brakes, to eliminate the possibility of hydroplaning or drag contamination.

The Canyon BG series has over 6 square inches of effective drag surface; more drag area than any competitive reel of which we are aware. Set at maximum drag, the Canyon BG series accomplished a dead lift weight of 13.5 pounds - three times the effective drag of every cork drag reel we tested.

A reel is only as good as its drag, and when it comes to blistering hot runs from heavyweight fish, a reel must be built to take serious abuse. When tested against a cork drag reel, the Canyon BG series excelled at heat dissipation. In fact, following a heavy load speed test with both reels, the cork drag system generated heat that could be felt through the spool before any noticeable heat could be measured through the Canyon BG’s frame. To handle the strain of really big fish, a reel needs to keep its cool, and the Canyon BG has been designed to do just that.

The spool for the Canyon BG series has the perfect ratio of width to arbor diameter to provide all the benefits of large arbor technology. The spool configuration effectively maintains drag consistency as line and backing are quickly removed from the reel. The arbor is fully ventilated to provide maximum air circulation to fly line and backing.

Saltwater reels are exposed to some of the harshest elements known to man. Keeping any fly reel free of salt and debris in surfcasting or flats wading conditions is an impossible task. We therefore took it upon ourselves to design a system that could easily be restored to 100% performance following contamination. Side by side, we packed a Canyon BG series reel and a cork drag reel full of muddy sand. Enough debris was loaded into each reel to cause a drag failure. Simply removing the frame from the spool and vigorously rinsing the two pieces in water returned Canyon BG to full working condition. The cork reel, however, required more extensive cleaning. To return this system to full working condition, we first had to first remove the oil and grease from all surfaces including the cork drag system and then had to re-lubricate the entire reel, including the cork drag surface before the reel was ready for use.

We have designed a spool release system that combines the best features of locking and quick release spools. The system is absolutely secure, eliminating any worries about the spool separating from the frame when exposed to heavy stress. However, unlike many big game reels on the market today, the spool can be quickly removed from the frame to facilitate line changing, freshwater flushing, retrieve conversion, etc. The spool locks into place by rotating the spool cap 180 degrees clockwise and engaging a positive lock. The removal of the spool requires no tools, and best of all, no pieces must be removed to accomplish the separation.