The Redington Rise  looks good and functions well in general, but the reel really stands out in one aspect: its drag. It outshines many reels that cost well more. It’s also quite stout, and proved nearly indestructible despite the rough handling we put it through.

Size and Weight
The mid-arbor Rise runs a bit heavy for a reel of this class, tipping the scales at nearly 5 ounces (4.95 ounces, by our scale, without line or backing). But some anglers actually favored that little extra butt-end ballast. Their argument is that the extra ounce or so at the butt helps them swing the tip more efficiently. We couldn’t get consensus from our testers on that theory, which just proves once more that sometimes, personal preferences trump other, more concrete factors in gear selection. What everyone did agree on was the fact that the Rise’s arbor size – the reel runs 3.25 inches in diameter—helped pick up line more quickly than smaller reels. That means less cranking is needed to bring in big, hard-fighting fish.

Performance
The mid-sized arbor on the Rise  picks up line quickly and cleanly. The spool nestles tightly into the reel frame, with no gaps or lateral slop in which you could pinch line while winding it in.

The cork-and-Teflon drag system performs exceptionally well. The drag provides consistent, slip-free pressure throughout its adjustment range. Making those adjustments in spool tension proved incredibly easy – even when there was a fish on the line – thanks to a large adjustment wheel. No tiny little button-knob to try to grasp and twist here. The textured adjustment knob measures more than an inch diameter and rises a good 3/8-inch off the face of the reel. When tension needs to be tweaked, the knob moves smoothly with a few flicks of the thumb or finger.

Durability
The Rise took some hefty bounces when dropped during a rugged slog down the Henry’s Fork boat slide – a steep dirt track run 600-vertical feet from the campground below Lower Mesa Falls to the river. Aside from a few nicks in the colored coating, the reel was undamaged. Grit from sand-laden water of the lower Yakima River, though, did occasionally get caught up in the slight space between the spool and the frame rim – not enough to impede function, but enough to give a slight grinding noise to the reel. Something to watch for when fishing turbid waters. A few hefty puffs of breath blew the grit free.