Shimano Nasci Reels review

Without using a good quality reel, a rod is practically useless. Recently, the opportunity arose to run the rule over Shimano’s Nasci in the three most popular body sizes – 2500, 3000 and 4000.

To keep the test fair and impartial I used the same 36g Hybrid feeder on all three reels but had them clipped-up, with the shortest casting distance married to the smallest reel, and so on upwards.

So, let’s now take a closer look at the smart grey and chrome- liveried Nasci reels. All three have a fairly fast 5:1.1 gear ratio that retrieves around 73cm (29ins) of line per handle crank. All three were a little faster than I’m used to, but using a short Method feeder hooklength there were absolutely no issues with spin-ups and the like.

They run smoothly, silently and completely wobble-free thanks to high-quality Hagane gearing and a 5+1 bearing assembly. With plenty of winding power, and zero play between the handle and the gearing, they respond instantly when the handle is engaged.

They weigh around 8.5oz which, in my book, is quite acceptable for both float and feeder fishing, and they slot painlessly into their seatings on the rods and are forgotten about once in situ, just as it should be!

Key components include the use of Shimano’s AR-C spool technology, featuring an angled front lip said to reduce the diameter of the coils as the line travels towards the guides on the cast. This adds distance with less effort on the angler’s part.

Whether that difference is significant is a tough call to make, because you soon become used to how any reel handles unless you’re struggling to cast far enough with it.

Shimano’s excellent X-Ship line gearing management and durable Coreprotect line-roller proved completely trouble-free and dependable all day long. All this is only what you’d expect from Shimano, widely regarded one of the world’s greatest reel designers and manufacturers.

The Nasci does not have an anti-reverse facility and Shimano gave me these answers:

“Not adding the anti-reverse lever improves the waterproofing quality of our reels. It is easy to imagine that the lever section allows water and dirt to slip into the reel over time, potentially damaging or hampering its performance.

“Shimano aims for long-lasting smoothness and durability on our reels, and the lack of an anti-reverse lever contributes to this. Our engineers are now able to design more compact bodies and rotors, resulting in a more lightweight reel.”

THE VERDICT

Now, I was using a relatively thick mainline to test the reels’ line roller and line management system. If that roller doesn’t work properly or, let’s say, is a little too ‘enthusiastic’, it will twist the line on the retrieve. That can lead to all manner of issues with line-lay and tangles, especially when feeder fishing. Again, not a problem – step away, nothing to see here folks

So there you have it. For me, playing a fish straight off the clutch is something I do anyway, I can back wind if I have to, but so precise are front drag clutch systems these days that there seems little point. The absence of an anti-reverse didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the Nasci reels.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT AND OTHERS FROM SHIMANO HERE.

TECH SPEC

- Gear ratio: 5:1.1

- Retrieve rate: 73cm (29ins)

- Weight: 240g

- Bearings: Five SA-RB bearings and one Precision Hagane gearing

- Gearing: X-Ship alignment

- Line roller: IPX4 Coreprotect

- Body material: XT 7

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Author Mark Sawyer holds the position of Tackle Editor at Angling Times, boasting more than thirty years of experience working within different fields of the angling industry.