Redington Behemoth vs. Lamson Liquid: Which is Better?

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Are you looking to purchase new reels for your next trout fishing or spey fishing? The Redington Behemoth and the Lamson Liquid quickly come to mind as they easily stand out from the competition, thanks to their friendly prices and innovative designs. Having tested both die-cast aluminum reels, permit me to be your guide to making a choice in this Redington Behemoth vs. Lamson Liquid comparison article.

Redington Behemoth vs. Lamson Liquid : a Side By Side Comparison Table

Let’s give you a highlight of the article with a review of how they both compare side-by-side.

Redington Behemoth Fly Reel
Redington Behemoth
Lamson Liquid Fly Fishing Reel
Lamson Liquid
Product
Product
Redington Behemoth
Lamson Liquid
Construction
Construction
Die-cast
Die-cast and CNC machined components
Material
Material
Aluminum
Aluminum
Apllication
Apllication
Freshwater and saltwater
Freshwater and saltwater
Ideal for
Ideal for
Northern pike, trouts, steelheads, or salmons
Trouts, pike
Bag/case
Bag/case
Nylon reel case included
Carry case included
Weight
Weight
Heavy
Lightweight
Water resistance
Water resistance
Sealed drag
Anodized design
Warranty
Warranty
Lifetime
Lifetime

Redington Behemoth Reviews

As its name suggests, the Behemoth is a large, heavy-duty reel supposedly designed by Redington for both freshwater and saltwater. Does it live up to users’ expectations? Together, we’ll find out!

The specs

  • Die-cast construction
  • Large arbor design
  • Convertible to right hand retrieve
  • Comes with a reel case
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 4 color options
  • 5 size options

The Features

Below, I’ll tell you what’s great and what is not about the Redington Behemoth reel. Keep reading.

Build Material and quality

The Behemoth is built in die-cast aluminum and unmachinable. However, it has a carbon fiber drag with the benefit of being able to adjust it.

In terms of finish, this isn’t going to be the most durable reel on the market because of its cast design. It won’t hold up well to dings and scrapes, especially in the boat or on the rocks. But Redington ensures this is as high-strength as possible while still having a light cast frame.

The Design 

The Behemoth from Reddington is a 2015 piece designed by Paul Richardson, one of Reddington’s brilliant young designers at Reddington Paul. It’s a beautiful piece ergonomically.

The Behemoth works on the idea that you have a magnum torque drag that will go as far as anybody needs to take it. So, this gives you several feet of fishing distance.

It has some smart design moves, such as building the counterbalance into the spool V drive spool, which really impressed me.

The Behemoth is available in five color options: black, desert, gunmetal, hunter orange, and O.D. Green.

I especially like the aesthetics of the hunter orange version. It has a nice look, finish, and stands out well on the rock side while fly-fishing. But the 7/8 version in this color comes $33 more expensive than the O.D. Green, which is the least costly.

Retrieval Rate

Like the Lamson Liquid, the Behemoth is designed for true large arbor retrieve speed thanks to the large and very ergonomic based handle.

The fast retrieval rate offered by the large arbor ensures you can reduce your line memory and make an easy retrieve conversion.

On Amazon, this is described as an ambidextrous device, but I don’t think it is. It is a left-hand retrieve, actually.

Note: You can easily switch the reel retrieve orientation back to the right so that you can use your favorite hand to cast with it. Perhaps that explains why it’s indicated as “ambidextrous.” Besides, instructions are included for this purpose.

Size

At inception, the Behemoth came in four sizes of 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12. But now, as you can find on the Redington website, you have the 4/5 size option, which is also followed by the mainstays, the 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12 sizes.

The Behemoth in a 5/6 is excellent for trout fishing; the 7/8 and 9/10 are ideal for spey casting, while the big boy, the 11/12, is great for big spey and saltwater.

Drag System

The drag in the Behemoth is both wide and far. When I say that, I’m referring to the idea that when she’s all the way off – all the way off is at zero and all the way up is 10 – it has a long-range to go from zero to ten. One of the most dangerous things in a fly reel is when you have a drag that takes one-half a click. And on a 0 to 10 scale, you go zero to nine. That’s usually a disaster on the other end of the line.

This one has a long-range drag in the upper range. The torque gives it exceptional power.

Weight

The Behemoth measures 0.95 lbs in weight. This is not the most lightweight on the market, and neither is it the heaviest. The diecasting of aluminum contributes to its low weight.

However, this is not as light as the Lamson Liquid, but it still gives you great ergonomics and a faster drag on the water.

Line Capacity

For this reel, my advice is that you will need 30 pounds of backing for 200 yards of backing. This way, you’ll be able to use whatever line you prefer or have. Try to get up to 250 yards if you’re using a nine-weight line on the reel, for example.

Note: The model doesn’t come pre-spooled.

Water Resistant Sealing

The bad news is that the aluminum casting of this reel isn’t anodized. So, what that means is, with the aluminum material, you’ll have a great fight with abrasion. It’s unlike the Lamson Liquid in this aspect. However, the reel is advertised as saltwater-ready, and Redington offers a lifetime warranty to reassure prospective users of its durability in saltwater.

The Price

There’s no particular difference between the Behemoth and the Liquid. The Behemoth, like the Liquid is in a reasonable price. With the die-casting construction, I didn’t expect it to be more expensive than this anyways.

Note : The price varies depending on the color, size you pick.

Pros : What I liked about the Behemoth

  • The drag is sealed for more water resistance
  • There are lots of color and size options
  • Large-capacity, heavy reel
  • Great for going after northern pike and salmon

Cons : How Redington can improve this

  • I think this reel can and should be anodized for more heavy use in saltwater
  • Its weight reduces drag; lives by its name

What sets it apart from the others

The oversized drag knob and the twin-molded handles set the Behemoth on top of the competition. The large-sized drag knob design is the industry’s first.

It ensures you have better drag control while pulling your fish out of the water. The twin-molded handles, on the other hand, are ergonomic, have a soft touch, and give you great feedback while pulling large fish species.

Who it is for

In my opinion, this reel isn’t the best for saltwater fly-fishing. Although the drag is sealed, and some users mention that the 11/12 size can be used in the saltwater, I still don’t recommend this.

The material is die-cast aluminum, and it is not anodized. Using it in saltwater will expose it to abrasion and corrosion, significantly reducing the durability. However, you can use it for spey casting on freshwater for trouts, steelheads, or salmons.

If you have to use it for saltwater fishing, I don’t recommend heavy-duty use. Also, ensure it’s cleaned and greased after each use.

Lamson Liquid Reviews

The Lamson Liquid packs all the features I love about Lamson and modern reels into a simple, affordable design. It boasts of high performance where it counts.

The Specs

  • Conical drag system
  • Large arbor
  • Simple clicker system
  • Comes in 3 packs
  • Vapor and gunsmoke color options
  • Die-cast and CNC machined components
  • Comes with a reel bag
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Made in the US

Features

In the feature descriptions below, I’ll show you how the fly reel looks like; how it can be of benefit to you, and how it lags in comparison with the Behemoth and other great models on the market:

Build Material and quality

So starting with the construction material, this is a die-cast aluminum product. I know that a cast frame design isn’t as durable as a machined reel. But it makes the Liquid lightweight.

With the Liquid, Lamson puts in your hands an ergonomic cast frame design that is going to make more sense while out in the water than heavier machined models.

However, the downside to me is that die-cast aluminum doesn’t go well with saltwater fishing. But seeing that it’s anodized, and by properly caring for it, you should have no big problem with abrasion.

The Design

The Lamson Liquid set comes in two color options: vapor and smoke. The device used to be available in black too, but that has been replaced by gunsmoke.

I bought the black version a while ago, but aesthetically, whenever I got it out of the package, it didn’t look fantastic to me and many users too. I didn’t quite like the black finish. But it’s great to see Lamson listened to their customers, stopped producing the black version, and replaced it with the gunsmoke one, which to me, is a pretty decent-looking reel.

The Lamson Liquid comes in a three-pack with spare spools for anglers who prefer fishing with more than one fly line at a time. The spools are easily interchangeable, and they pop off in classic Lamson style.

Retrieval Rate

The reel has a large arbor design which increases line retrieval rates. This means you don’t have to wind it too much to retrieve the lines.

The Lamson reel is ideal for right-hand casting as it is pre-set from Lamson for a left-handed retrieve. However, like the Behemoth, you can easily convert the retrieving hand with the help of your instruction manual for convenient retrieval and a faster retrieval rate.

Size

You can choose to buy this reel in four size options – 3+, 5+, 7+, and 9+. You can use the size three option for 2 to 4 weight fly line; 5+ option for 4 to 6 weight line; 7+ for 6 to 8 weight lines, and the 9+ option for 8 to 10 weight lines.

Drag System

The Liquid has the same conical drag system as all the higher-end Lamson reels. For example, the twice-expensive Lamson Guru S Series also features this same system.

So, in the Liquid, you’re going to get a trout reel that has incredible drag capacity – a high max drag – and can lock down tight on some of the bigger freshwater fish like pike. And this, for a slashed price, compared to the more premium models in which you have this system. The drag on the liquid also has low startup inertia and is fully sealed when the frame is engaged.

Finally, the multi-prong drag knob on the Liquid makes adjusting the drag on the water very seamless. This reel has perfect drag adjustability. It also has an excellent clicking sound. It’s not like a click and pull reel, but it makes a good sound, and it looks pretty good. You can hear it as a simple clicker system that is not extremely loud.

Weight

Again, the diecasting has taken off a bit of the weight, so this is a little lighter than a lot of reels would be. At 0.56 pounds, this is one of the most lightweight trout reels on the market.

This pushes the limit of what you can do with the die-cast fly reel. But it remains very affordable, which is one of the benefits of a cast fly reel. So, see the extra lightness as an ergonomic benefit that can add extra two hours of fishing activities every time you go out for fly fishing.

Line Capacity

The line capacity depends on the weight of your fly line, considering you can have a fly line weight from 2 to 10 weight with this reel. But I think with a 90 feet 8 weight line, you should be able to use up to 150 yards of 20 pounds Dacron.

Water Resistant Sealing

The Lamson Liquid has a double anodized coating. This feature helps the reel to be able to stand against abrasion and corrosion, especially if you’re fishing in saltwater.

The Price

With a price starting from around $100, the Lamson liquid is very affordable. It’s one of the least expensive reels in Waterworks Lamson’s lineups.

Unlike Behemoth, it doesn’t matter which design version you choose – smoke or vapor, each variant comes at the same price.

So if you’re in the market for a value-pressed reel with more than enough drag to stop the largest freshwater species, we highly recommend the Liquid.

Pros : What I liked about the Liquid!

  • You can convert it to right hand retrieve
  • Made in the USA
  • I think the drag and finish is awesome
  • Anodized finish for saltwater use
  • Comes with a reel case if you choose the three-pack

Cons : How Lamson can improve this!

  • Advertising could be clearer; not all purchases come in three packs
  • It’s not ideal for heavy-duty use with heavier lines or fish

What sets it apart from the others

While the Liquids and older reels are some of the best value-centered freshwater reels on the market, I have a soft spot for the Liquids, especially when trout fishing. This is because of their lightweight design, phenomenal drag system, and stellar ergonomics.

Who is it for?

Its light cast aluminum construction makes it ideal for more heavy-duty fly lines. I also think the anodized finish will also ensure you can use it in saltwater applications. It’s perfect for a light trout spey rod.

Redington Behemoth vs. Lamson Liquid – What’s the Differences 

There are no critical differences between both models in aspects of price, but below are where the differences lie. I think these should determine where you finally sway to in terms of the final decision.

The Behemoth is designed for fly casters who are skilled ambidextrously. You can choose to convert the Liquid, however.

The Liquid performs better in saltwater than the Behemoth, thanks to the latter’s anodized aluminum finish. You can use the Redington Behemoth in the saltwater, but I don’t advise heavy use here.

Finally, the Liquid is a lightweight die-cast reel that gives you a lot of feedback. It has a great drag system that lets you pull out your fish in seconds. However, the Behemoth is heavier, giving you great freedom with larger fish, with a drag system that wouldn’t fail you.

Final Verdict

As we’ve seen, the Behemoth, being a heavier model, is designed for heavy-duty uses and weightier lines. However, the Lamson Liquid does well in all types of water – freshwater, and saltwater.

The Behemoth is for fly casters with ambidextrous hand orientation. However, the Liquid is one-handed, but you can easily convert it to your preferred hand orientation.

Conclusively, I think both fly reels live up to their names – the Behemoth is for big flies, long distant casting, and big fish. Meanwhile, the Liquid is an all-water reel that also has a great drag system.

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