Machined in Montrose, Colorado — about a mile from our shop door. Every Ross reel goes from raw bar-stock aluminum to anodized finish in one building on the banks of the Uncompahgre. We have been the hometown dealer for the hometown reel for a long time.
The Evolution R is Ross's sealed-drag flagship for fresh, warm, and salt water: a fully sealed, bonded carbon fluoropolymer and stainless steel seven-disc stack with start-up inertia that is, in Ross's words, virtually non-existent. That last part is the whole point — it is why you can fish 7X behind it and why a hot fish that turns on you does not snap off in the first two feet. Every model weighs under 5.2 ounces.
Full lineup
| Size | Weight | Diameter | Arbor width | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | 4.82 oz | 3.53" | 0.97" | WF4 + 100 yds / WF5 + 75 yds |
| 5/6 | 5.03 oz | 3.78" | 0.97" | WF5 + 115 yds / WF6 + 90 yds |
| 7/8 | 5.18 oz | 4.03" | 0.97" | WF7 + 180 yds / WF8 + 150 yds |
Colors: Matte Black, Platinum, Matte Olive, Matte Blue. Rated 4 through 8 weight. Current pricing is on the selector above.
Picking one
- Technical trout, light tippet: the 4/5. The sealed drag's smooth start is worth the most here.
- One reel for everything: the 5/6.
- Streamers, bass, carp, light salt: the 7/8 — sealed means grit and brackish water do not get in.
Details that matter
- Fully sealed seven-disc carbon fluoropolymer and stainless drag — no maintenance, no seasonal rebuild
- Fully machined 6061-T6 proprietary aluminum; all internal components machined stainless steel
- Type II anodizing for the balance of hardness and color
- Machined canvas phenolic handle on a 7075-T6 chromated aluminum post
- Quick-release spool; converts left-hand to right-hand retrieve easily
- Hard-anodized in Ross's own closed-loop, zero-discharge Montrose facility
Fishing real salt? The Evolution R Salt takes this same architecture to a sixteen-disc stack producing nearly 30 pounds of drag pressure, with salt-coated internals and dual counterbalances. We stock it in 7/8 through 11/12.
Warranty: Ross limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, valid only on reels purchased from an authorized dealer — which we are. Service is done at the Montrose factory, usually within four weeks. You can hand it to us over the counter.
Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
