The main idea
Tailwalk's ambition with all their reel ranges, and particularly with this series, is to offer products designed to cope with the biggest fish. The Stealz reels have been developed to fish for GT jacks, amberjacks and tunas, and it's the latter that I'm particularly targeting.
In this spirit of "specimen hunting", the range only offers sizes between 6000 and 14000, and is therefore aimed at exotic fisheries or catfish for freshwater anglers.
Choosing aluminium
In order to offer a product that is both light and strong, the Stealz frame and rotor are made of aluminum. This means they are rust-proof, resistant to shocks and to the relatively low stresses these parts can withstand, while remaining very light for maximum comfort. This is particularly important when you're casting lures all day long with a size 8000 or 14000 reel!
Stainless steel as a complement
On the other hand, for parts subject to very high stress, Tailwalk has chosen high-strength stainless steel. This is the material used for all gears and other gear components, ensuring strength and longevity.
The central shaft, also put to the test when fighting big fish, is made of the same material.
Great fluidity
Having owned one in size 14000, I can assure you that Stealz reels are extremely fluid and pleasant to retrieve. Spin-up is immediate and suffers no inertia.
The 8 bearings, of course rustproof, are more than enough to ensure efficiency and fishing comfort.
Carbon for the brake
Because Stealz have been developed for trophy fishing, they come with Carbontex drag washers as standard, made of high-density carbon as the name implies, a guarantee of power, longevity and fluidity. There are 3 Carbontex washers on the 6000 and 8000 models, and 5 on the 14000, which is obviously designed for larger holds. The latter allows a drag power of 20 kg, which is already too much for the average angler.
Low ratios
The feature that won me over with this reel is the low ratio of each model. In fact, it's 5.6, meaning that for one turn of the crank, the rotor makes 5.6 turns of the spool. Low ratios are a guarantee of power and help preserve the mechanics when subjected to heavy stress. Compare it to a winch: the lower the ratio, the greater the power developed and the mechanics preserved.
However, in spite of this low ratio, retrieve speeds remain high, at 114 cm for the 8000 and 14000 models, which is ideal for popper fishing.
An excellent first impression
For the moment, my Stealz is getting impatient in my cupboard, as I've chosen the 14000 model to stalk the red giants we're lucky enough to be able to fish in Brittany. It will be paired with an RPK 78 rod from Rodbuilder's Républic and fitted with PE8 braid. The main targets will be bluefin between 50 and 100 kg. I'll be back at the end of the season to confirm whether the Stealz lives up to its excellent and promising first impression.
