Lamson Fly Reel Review · Speedster S | Liquid | Guru S | Remix
Welcome back! Do we have an excellent review for you this time! This review will step into the Waterworks Lamson fly fishing reel product line and cover six of their most popular fly fishing reels. First, we will start with the Lamson Liquid fly reel. Then we will move up the line to the Lamson Remix, Lamson Speedster S, and cap it off with the Lamson Guru.
We also included some helpful customer reviews in each section to let you know what others think after spending some time on the water with each reel. We know your time and attention are valuable to you, so thank you for stopping by. Let’s get right to it.
If you want to learn more about the best fly fishing reels for all skill levels, browse our Top Fly Fishing Reel Review, or our Top 10 Fly Fishing Rod & Reel Combos, where we cover everything you need to know about Fly fishing reels.
Lamson Liquid Fly Reels
Waterworks / Lamson brought the best of both die-cast, and machined reel tech to the Lamson Liquid (a.k.a liquid courage) fly fishing reel. They chose to amplify the best aspects of both worlds to make a low-cost but extremely capable reel. We think the Liquid fly reels are excellent. They look amazing too. Hats off to Waterworks-Lamson for such an awesome reel! At the $140.00 price point, it is hard to justify spending more (but we will help you do that further down in the review!).
Lamson Liquid Fly Reel Key Features
- Format: Large Arbor
- Materials: Pressure Cast Aluminum Frame and Spool
- Finish: Polyurethane Case and Spool
- Drag: Sealed Conical Drag
- Weight: 0.8 lbs
- Dimensions: 6 × 6 × 4 in
- Ambidextrous
Size Guide
| SIZE | DIAMETER | WIDTH | WEIGHT | ROD WEIGHT | LINE | BACKING CAPACITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -3+ | 3.34″ | 0.99″ | 4.20 oz | 2.3.4 | WF4 | 100 Yds 20# |
| -5+ | 3.61″ | 1.00″ | 4.65 oz | 4.5.6 | WF6 | 100 yds 20# |
| -7+ | 3.85″ | 1.14″ | 5.20 oz | 6.7.8 | WF8 | 200 yds 20# |
| -9+ | 4.65″ | 1.37″ | 6.70 oz | 8.9.10 | WF10 | 250 yds 20# |
Customer Reviews
The Liquid reel is very light for its size, solid, and strong feeling and the drag is very smooth with no startup friction that I can detect. There is no slop, wiggle, or run out anywhere on the reel. I bought mine for a 7 wt line. It has quite a bit of excess capacity, even for a bass taper 7 wt. I am a long-time fly fisher, and I have many expensive and inexpensive reels under my belt, and I like this one.
April 16, 2020
I might be somewhat biased here because I am a Lamson guy. The Lamson Liquid fly fishing reel is simply the best reel for the money. The drag is incredible, the finish is excellent, and the looks are not unlike the rest of the Lamson line. It looks like a high-end reel but at 1/3rd or less the cost! I own three, and they all look and operate flawlessly.
October 17, 2020
Lamson Remix Fly Reels
Available in Glacier and smoke, the Lamson Remix is a hybrid (the ultimate hybrid) CNC-machined and pressure-cast fly fishing reel from bar-stock aluminum. As a result, the Remix delivers both structural rigidity and durability. The spool has a precise fit and finish and is compatible with the Lamson Liquid fly fishing reels. This reel provides high performance along with a touch of sex appeal. The Remix is also available in a 3-pack style with all sizes, 3+ and 9+. The 3-pack comes with one reel and two spare spools, wrapped up nicely in a nylon carrying case.
Lamson Remix Key Features
- Format: Large Arbor
- Materials: Pressure Cast Aluminum Frame and Spool
- Finish: Polyurethane Case and Spool
- Drag: Sealed Conical Drag
- Weight: 0.8 lbs
- Dimensions: 6 × 6 × 4 in
- Ambidextrous
Size Guide
| SIZE | DIAMETER | WIDTH | WEIGHT | ROD WEIGHT | LINE | BACKING CAPACITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -3+ | 3.34″ | 0.99″ | 4.29 oz | 2.3.4 | WF4 | 100 Yds 20# |
| -5+ | 3.61″ | 1.00″ | 4.54 oz | 4.5.6 | WF6 | 100 yds 20# |
| -7+ | 3.85″ | 1.14″ | 5.49 oz | 6.7.8 | WF8 | 200 yds 20# |
| -9+ | 4.65″ | 1.37″ | 7.07 oz | 8.9.10 | WF10 | 250 yds 30# |
Customer Reviews
I have been using this reel on my custom Bart Rod 6wt. It has managed king salmon, coho salmon, Brown Trout, and steelheads without breaking a sweat. Hands down, a rock-solid fly fishing reel! I recommend this one without hesitation! Tight lines and great times, my friends!
September 30, 2021
Lamson Speedster S Fly Fishing Reel
Fire up your engines and do some burnouts with the Lamson Speedster S. A few things will stand out when you take a look under the hood. It has a narrower spool to prevent line barreling while inboard mounted handle and increased circumference improve the retrieve rate. Walking around the exterior is a beauty with classic styling and attention to fine detail. Lamson added material only where needed, so it is incredibly light compared to previous models. If you demand high performance and elegance from a reel, this one is a good choice.
Speedster S Key Features
- Format: Large Arbor
- Materials: Pressure Cast Aluminum Frame and Spool
- Finish: Polyurethane Case and Spool
- Drag: Sealed Conical Drag
- Weight: 0.8 lbs
- Dimensions: 6 × 6 × 4 in
Size Guide
| SIZE | DIAMETER | WIDTH | WEIGHT | ROD WEIGHT | LINE | BACKING CAPACITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -3+ | 3.28″ | 0.99″ | 3.26 oz | 2.3.4 | WF4 | 50 Yds 20# |
| -5+ | 3.65″ | 1.00″ | 3.83 oz | 4.5.6 | WF6 | 100 yds 20# |
| -7+ | 3.97″ | 1.12″ | 4.73 oz | 6.7.8 | WF8 | 180 yds 20# |
| -9+ | 4.29″ | 1.25″ | 5.07 oz | 8.9.10 | WF10 | 220 yds 30# |
Customer Reviews
I have two of these reels – 5 and a 7. These are now my go-to reels. Best looks, fit and finish yet. I love the design! Looks, fit, and finish are all top-notch. This is my new favorite go-to reel, along with the other one I got.
October 28, 2021
The new Lamson Speedster S is on a different level. I have been impressed with multiple Lamson reels pulling in trout and tarpon. It is lightweight, smooth, and beautiful. I highly recommend it!
October 28, 2021
Lamson Guru S Fly Fishing Reel
Take your fly fishing game to another dimension (totally enlightened) with the Lamson Guru S. The folks at Waterworks-Lamson pulled out all of the stops yet again with this one. It comes in three different finishes (OG, Blaze, and Artic). We love them so much we included another section of photos for our review so that you could see them all in one place! The Guru S is fully USA-machined and ultra-reliable.
To improve line drying, Lamson opened the porting a bit. They also increased the arbor to a bigger diameter and made the spool narrower. As a result, the new Guru S has a weight savings advantage over previous Guru S models. As a bonus, the Guru S spools are compatible with the Guru S HD. With this one, you won’t need to solicit the help of another Guru again. We can’t wait to take this one out again… if we could stop gawking at it!
Lamson Guru S Key Features
- Format: Large Arbor
- Materials: Machined 6061 Aluminum, Stainless Steel
- Finish: Type II Anodize
- Drag: Sealed Conical Drag
- Weight: 0.8 lbs
- Dimensions: 6 × 6 × 4 in
Size Guide
| SIZE | DIAMETER | WIDTH | WEIGHT | ROD WEIGHT | LINE | BACKING CAPACITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -3+ | 3.20″ | 0.90″ | 3.73 oz | 2.3.4 | WF4 | 60 Yds 20# |
| -5+ | 3.55″ | 1.00″ | 4.41 oz | 4.5.6 | WF6 | 100 yds 20# |
| -7+ | 3.97″ | 1.13″ | 5.04 oz | 6.7.8 | WF8 | 180 yds 20# |
| -9+ | 4.11″ | 1.23″ | 5.83 oz | 8.9.10 | WF10 | 220 yds 30# |
Customer Reviews
I just bought the Guru S -5+ at my local fly shop. It is a very satisfying feel, and I would recommend it to anyone. I’ve been fly fishing for 35 years, and this is without a doubt the best reel I’ve ever owned.
April 23, 2020
The reel sounds very satisfying, and the drag is entirely flawless. The Guru S is Instagram-level pretty on my diamondback rod. This piece stands above functionality and moves into the world of art, which is an excellent reason to pursue fly fishing!
December 8, 2020
I was given the Guru S -5+ for my birthday and have already taken it on many fly fishing trips. I prefer the Guru S over my other reels because of the sealed drag. I fished in 20-degree weather, and my line didn’t freeze even when I accidentally dipped my reel in the river. That was so amazing!
January 6, 2021
I am impressed with this reel. It has a buttery smooth drag and ergonomic drag knob that allows for subtle tension adjustment. It has a broad range, making it well suited for fishing anything from 6x to light-wire hooks.
It handles itself well, fighting large trout with big hooks and heavy tippet. The pickup is excellent. It lays the line down tightly and efficiently with a quick spool spin.
The Guru S arbor is sized generously for a 4/5/6 reel. I would say the line capacity is just about perfect. I can easily fill out the spool without a line crowding with 100 yards of 20# micron backing and a 6wt WF floating line.
July 20, 2021
The Jumping Rise Verdict?
So what do we recommend? We’re sure it is no surprise that we recommend them all! Seriously though, if you are like most of us and money IS an object, we feel confident sliding the Lamson Remix forward just a bit. It walks the line between affordability and performance that we think most would appreciate. Thank you for having a look. Tight lines y’all!
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