Ross Colorado Reel Review — Click-Pawl for Small Water

The Ross Colorado lives on my Scott F Series glass rod, and I’ll be honest — that outfit doesn’t come out of the closet nearly as much as it should. The F Series is a specific tool for specific water. But when it does come out, this reel is exactly right for what that rod is.

Click-pawl drag, light frame, clean machining. It looks like it belongs on a fiberglass rod. It feels like it belongs on a fiberglass rod. Does a click-pawl reel on a 3-weight need to match the vibe of the rod? No. Do I care anyway? Apparently a lot more than is reasonable.

Click-Pawl on Small Water

Here’s the thing nobody wants to admit about small-creek reels: they’re mostly there to hold line and look good. On the small unnamed creeks where the F Series earns its keep, you’re not dealing with fish that make 50-foot runs. You’re dealing with wild trout in tight water, short fights, fish that need to be landed quickly and released. A click-pawl drag system is everything you need and nothing you don’t.

The Colorado’s pawl engages smoothly. There’s no startup spike, no stutter. When a 10-inch wild brown comes off the bottom and runs toward you, the reel keeps up. Palming is easy — the frame is shaped for it.

The Build

Ross builds the Colorado in Montrose, Colorado, same as all their reels. Machined aluminum, tight tolerances, finish that holds up. I’ve dropped this reel on creek rock and it’s come away unmarked. The spool seats cleanly and spins without wobble.

I love all four of my Ross reels — yes, four, we’re not going to do the math on that — and the Colorado is the smallest of the bunch. It’s built for 3wt and 4wt applications, and it’s as well-made as the San Miguel or the LTX. Ross doesn’t downgrade their build quality at the small end of the lineup, which is the kind of thing I’d happily pay for and apparently did.

The Character Match

The Scott F Series is an old-school rod. Slow action, fiberglass, deliberate presentation. The Ross Colorado is an old-school reel. Click-pawl, simple, reliable. When I’m on a small creek in the trees, making 15-foot casts at trout that have never seen a fly, this outfit feels exactly the way it should. Nothing out of place.

That’s the whole point of building an outfit that works as a system. The reel shouldn’t fight the rod. The Colorado doesn’t — it just gets out of the way and lets the rod do the talking, which on a slow glass 3-weight is most of the conversation anyway. No notes. It just works.

Price: Check mayflyoutdoors.com (Ross reels sold through Mayfly Outdoors)

Part of my five-rod South Platte quiver.