Gapen’s Wildriver™ Fly Reel series delivers the required performance expected of a medium/high priced fly reel, while many of its competitors fail to do so.
WHY? Due to the Wildrivers™ smooth ever curving parts this reel’s body is created to shed line and leader fouling as well as being the leading “STRONG” reel on the market today. Because every part hosts a rounded sphere design the metal parts can be thinned down, a factor which lessons weight. Even the reels outer spool plates are milled from a sphere of metal.
DESIGN: Gapen’s ALL METAL Wilderness Fly Reel carries a spool which attaches and detaches smoothly through a mechanism with no extra parts to fall away when replacing spools. The spool latch locks from the inside out and only increases its hold when line is ripped away rapidly. It is a fail safe spool lock.
This hallmark drag system is 99% sealed and maintenance free. This 4 disc drag, loaded with teflon grease, is warranteed for a lifetime. The Wildrivers™ drag mechanism operates off an aircraft sprag clutch and contains no finger springs.
Gapen’s Wilderness Fly Reels are completely made of stainless steel and hardened aluminum parts. Both reel housing and spool are perferated with multiple air ports. Not only do these air holes decrease drying time but decrease reel weight as well.
FIELD RESEARCH: Five years of extensive research by Dan Gapen, Sr. has seen this reel perform under all weather conditions on the hardest fighting fresh and saltwater species throughout the sportsfishing waters of the world.
EXAMPLE: Two years of dialy use at Midway Island in the South Pacific saw this reel perform without a single failure. The 4 reels used in this test were never cleaned, greased and didn’t receive any maintenance throughout the testing.
In the spring of 2000 Gapen’s Wildriver™ IV was used by Dan Gapen, Sr., in 4 days, to land 9 tarpon from 57 to 162 pounds at the mouth of the Rio Colorado River on the east coast of Costa Rica.