Reviewed – The Fox Stratos FS 10000 Reel

The Fox Stratos FS 10000 Reel

The Fox Stratos FS 10000 Free Spool Reel – First Look Review

Another view of the Fox Stratos FS 10000 Reel

Line capacity without reducer
– 0.3mm dia. – 10lb – 548m
– 0.34mm – 12lb – 395m
– 0.39m – 15lb – 304m

Line capacity with reducer
– 0.3mm – 10lb – 395m
– 0.34mm – 12lb – 304m
– 0.39m – 15lb – 243m

Gear ratio – 4.75:1
Weight – 625g (1lb 6oz)Ball bearings – 16Roller bearing – 1

Weight with line reducer and approx 250m of 15lb line is 1lb 71/2 oz

For years carp anglers have been looking for a long cast reel with a small compact body. The spool of the Stratos is precisely machined and measures almost 60mm in diameter and 30mm in length. In addition, the body is smaller than almost any other reel in its class. To achieve this the internal gearing had to be designed completely from scratch. Stratos uses a Mesh-Tech gear train which has been critically balanced to achieve the ultimate degree in gear meshing resulting in a smoother, more powerful, play-free mechanism.

The free-spool lever is disengaged when lying next to the base of the seat stem and out of harm’s way

If you want to cast the distance, line lay is critical. Stratos has a Supa-Slow Gear Cycle and an incredible 22 rotations of the bale arm are performed per linear oscillation of the spool. In tests this proved to be over 300% slower than some other reels. But what does this mean in practice? Each turn of the bale arm puts a ‘coil’ of line on the spool. The Stratos puts 22 coils of line on the spool (11 up and 11 down) on the retrieve creating incredibly consistent line lay which means incredible casting distances can be achieved.

The spool has quick release button, built in line clip and a micro adjustment front drag.The spool stays pre adjusted even when removed from the reel which is very useful when switching from one breaking strain of line to another.

Both spools are supplied with reducers that wrap around the spool which much reduces the line capacity and avoids the use of backing line.

The free-spool tension adjuster

The Stratos runs on 16 high quality stainless steel ball bearings plus one roller bearing which gives silky smooth performance and makes the reel a pleasure to use.

The gearing mechanism has been fine tuned to give perfect meshing which undoubtedly aids power retrieve which is critical when fishing in heavy situations like snags or weeds.The free spool system operates with the lever pushed forward against the reel stem for casting, playing, etc. and is pulled backwards towards the angler to disengage.

This gives the advantage of not having a protruding lever whilst the reel is in a normal position.

Push button spool release and drag adjustment

The free spool system has an adjustment knob that has a positive click to give an audible indication when tensioning the system.

The reel is supplied in a cloth bag with a spare spool.

FISHINGmagic VERDICT

Let me make it clear that this is a first look review and hardly a short term test let alone a long term one, although I have used the reel a few times. First impression straight out of the box is that it is heavy, almost 11/2 lbs. So it is not a reel that you want mounted on a rod that is going to be held for long periods. But considering that it is specifically designed for carp fishing it will spend the majority of its life on a rod-pod and the weight won’t be a significant factor. Second impression is amazement at the number of turns of the double handle you have to make for the spool to oscillate its full length. This is an obvious advantage for anyone who wants to cast long distances as line ‘dig-in’ is so much reduced and the flow much more efficient. The front drag can be finely adjusted and works well, and the free-spool mechanism feels good too and has its own fine adjustment facility, allowing the spool to spin freely or tightened right up to whatever the drag setting is. The bale-arm opens easily but locks firmly, which is important when striving for distance. It also closes easily with a turn of the reel handle or manually. Even with this extreme magnification line lay looks excellent The bale-arm roller spins freely as line rides over it and I haven’t noted any more line coiling than with any other reel that boasts an anti-twist roller. The anti-reverse mechanism lies underneath the reel and is easy to access and operate. I’m a fan of double handles so that went down well with me. But most of all I’m impressed with the line lay. I’ve never seen better on any reel. In fact I’ve never seen anything quite as good. The reel is mainly going to appeal to those anglers who are looking for a reel that lies between the largest of the free-spool type reels and big pit reels. Previously it’s been a choice between a standard free-spooler or a standard big pit with a gizmo to make it a free-spooler. The bigger spool and excellent line lay of the FS 10000 is going to be a big selling point. Faults? Apart from a slight squeak when turning the handle, even with the spool removed, it’s too early to say. Time will tell. But my first impressions are very favourable; it certainly feels like a quality job. The reel compares well with other popular free-spool type reels and in many areas surpasses them. The reel we’ve tested was kindly supplied by Poingdestre’s Angling Centre where the reel can be purchased at the introductory price of £ 99.99.

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