Named for a Colorado river, machined in a Colorado town — ours. Every Animas is cut from bar-stock aluminum, anodized, and assembled in Montrose, on the banks of the Uncompahgre, about a mile from this shop.
The Animas is the reel that made Ross's reputation with working anglers: a fully machined frame with intricate porting and a Colorado mountain silhouette, a bell-shaped ultra-large arbor that picks up line in a hurry, and a time-tested open-faced composite drag that has been smoothing out runs in fresh and salt water for years. It is honest, light, beautiful, and it does not quit.
Full lineup
| Size | Weight | Diameter | Width | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | 4.10 oz | 3.25" | 0.98" | WF4 + 70 yds / WF5 + 50 yds |
| 5/6 | 4.43 oz | 3.50" | 1.02" | WF5 + 100 yds / WF6 + 75 yds |
| 7/8 | 4.74 oz | 3.88" | 1.02" | WF7 + 180 yds / WF8 + 160 yds |
Colors: Matte Black, Platinum, Matte Olive, Matte Blue. Current pricing is on the selector above.
Picking one
- Light trout rods: the 4/5 at 4.1 oz — the lightest disc-drag reel Ross builds.
- The everyday choice: the 5/6 for a 9-foot 5 weight.
- Streamers and bigger water: the 7/8 with 180 yards of backing.
Open-faced, and that is on purpose. Ross calls the Animas drag open-faced rather than sealed — fewer parts, nothing to fail, and you can see and rinse it. For trout and general freshwater it is all the drag anyone needs, and the spool release is maintenance-free.
Details that matter
- Fully machined frame and spool with structural porting and a machined Colorado mountain profile
- Bell-shaped ultra-large arbor — fast pickup, less line memory
- Upgraded composite drag, corrosion resistant, fresh and salt rated
- Low-profile two-tone anodized drag knob; canvas phenolic handle
- Hard-anodized in Ross's zero-discharge Montrose facility
Spare spools: Animas spools are stocked here in matching finishes.
Want a sealed drag? The Evolution R steps you up to a fully sealed seven-disc carbon and stainless stack for the same sizes — the pick if you fish grit, sand, or salt regularly. Also stocked.
Warranty: Ross limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, valid only on reels purchased from an authorized dealer — which we are. Service at the Montrose factory, usually inside four weeks.
Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
