shopping for a new reel. i have narrowed it down between nautilus ccf #8 and ross momentum 4. need some input, pros and cons. thanks in advanced.
brandon
I have a nautilus, my buddy has a ross, both are awesome. Kinda partial to the nautilus though.
well lets break it down this way…
Nautilus CCF: The CCF is built around the drag system. The frame itself is one piece machined aluminum. Nothing really special within the fly-reel comunity. The Drag however is completely revolutionary. It is completely encased in a “Hub” that is sealed from the outside world, and cannot be accessed by anyone, other than the factory themselves. Internally though It works alot like the disc brakes on your car, in that there is a “disc”, in this case, carbon fiber, that is pinched between two plates. This aplication of friction allows a smooth and even distribution of drag at every tension level. These reels will stop a truck, and can dissipate heat faster than it can build. I own one and have fished with others… In short, bomb proof. Also they carry a lifetime warranty on the “Hub”… not the whole reel just the drag system. You don’t find that on many reels.
Momentum and Momentum LT: These reels are, like all Ross Reels, build around an aluminum one piece frame. The difference between the Momentum, and Momentum LT is the amount of material removed during the machining process… hense the LT (which means light) is much lighter than the standard Momentum. This reel was based off of the old faithful Ross Canyon… but shares very few similarities. The drag for this reel is like many other fly reels in that it uses a spring pressure aplied friction system. Which means that a spring powered shaft forces two materials, usually the spool and a drag plate, in this case multiple drag plates, together to cause friction when the spool is moving. There are six 1 inch drag plates in the Momentum, all composed of Carbon Fiber, giving the reel 6 inches of drag surface. The reel is also fitted with a micro adjusting drag knob that will allow you to add only slight amounts of drag pressure at a time, this means you can really fine tune your fight with larger species over an elongated battle. Another feature in the Momentum that is present in all Ross reels is their pat
thats an “all in” response, thanks for the input. so if you had a choice, ross or nautilus which one would you pick?
brandon
not that it matters… but I fish Nautilus… and I wouldn’t change that. I also wouldn’t be complaining if I had a Momentum either… take your rod to a shop, get a feel for both, mount them on the rod, and pick the one you like.
Like I said… there is no right or wrong… They are both great reels… Just figured I would give you the specs so you could see the minute differences.
Mad Mike
"to hell with insane… I’m OUTsane!!! "
I have the NV for my 8 and the momentum for my 10. I will say the drag on the momentum is amazing, I love the micro adjustments. The NV I just got and I only have caught smaller reds on it. I will also say the momentum is heavy. Get the LT if you are gonna do it. Both are beautiful, but the nautilus has an edge here.
Just my 1/50th of a buck
ROSS, ROSS, ROSS.
Seriously, I’ve had Ross Big Game reels, and now have a Momentum. They work like champs, and if you EVER need it, the customer service is outstanding. It appears that Nautilus makes a great reel too, but I would give the nod to the Ross.
I think that Ross and Nautilus are the 2 best reels. I have a Ross and have had others such as lamson, Orvis, other Rosses and Galvan. i fished my cousins Nautilus and LOVED it. I like the weight and aesthetics of it. I will be getting a nautilus soon but I also really LOVE Ross as well both are great great reels. Do what Mike said and take your rod in an affix the reel to it and see which one you like.
“Plan like you will live forever but live like you will die tomorrow.”
What about Scientific anglers?/ I hear their reels are a bomb!!! 
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I was at the Angler today and held both the Momentum LT and the Nautilus CCF. The LT was a little lighter. I was having a hard decision as to which one I would choose. probably the Nautilus but dang that Ross felt nice. The one thing I liked about the Nautilus was there was no clicking noise when reeling in.
“Plan like you will live forever but live like you will die tomorrow.”
I have all ross reels and love them. If you wanna throw mine sometime hit me up.
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I have the momentum 7 for my 12 wt and it is a great reel with a serious drag. If it is the your price range I would check out Tibor they make one hell of a reel. I have an everglades Tibor and had a large striper break a 10 wt by torqueing down the drag and putting a lot pressure on the fish trying to keep it out of some down timber. The drag never slipped just not enough rod.
Tibor is very nice but it’s a reel that requires a lot of maintenance. If you can work on your own reels then it is a fantastic reel but if you a worry free reel then go with the other 2.
“Plan like you will live forever but live like you will die tomorrow.”
Just bought a G Loomis Venture. 100 bucks at bass pro. Perfect for reds as they rarely hang the backing. I’d worry more about rod, as presentation and accuracy are more relevant in this gig. What MM said however is hyper relevant as he is the resident expert. That’s on the level. You old house wife you.
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