Galvan fly reels released "The Grip" a few years ago. Basing a lot of the design and quality off of their premier reel the "Torque," The Grip steps up the game with a few notable tweaks to the already highly respected Torque. If you browse the Galvan web site, the only "Galvan Technology" that is not included while comparing the Torque and Grip is the "Water Lock Hub." Well, there seem to be a few others as well...
- Sealed Drag - This is where the "water lock hub" comes into play. The biggest change from the Torque is that the Grip has a fully sealed drag system which shields it from the elements. This has become increasingly popular in today's reels, specifically for saltwater fishermen.
- Drag System - Slightly different compared to the Torque as the Grip has an additional amount of carbon fiber plates and plastic ball bearings - this is still using the same "torque drag system" technology but with some additional muscle.
- Monster Grip Handle - This is a larger/longer handle which gives better accessibility while reeling/fighting a fish. It definitely makes it easier to find when not looking at the reel and I feel more "secured" to the handle when fighting a fish and felt like I had more leverage....but, I did find that this was also another "snag point" as it tended to get line tangled on it from time to time...This became increasingly noticeable while wade fishing with a stripping basket directly under the reel. But, this certainly was not a deal breaker.
- Porting - You can see from the pictures that The Grip has some added porting. It also boasts slight different design + aesthetics. The porting will inherently make the reel weigh less, but comparing the Torque #8 vs. The Grip #8 - the Torque is lighter. I assume this has (mostly) to do with the sealed drag housing. The Grip #8: 8.2oz -- Torque #8: 7.5oz
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