The Pfleuger Trion comes in at 7.8oz, but for a good reason, the frame is rigid. While many $100 reels from other companies will come with a plasticy exterior this one comes with a wicked composite exterior that you would expect from reels costing much more. Another think to notice on the outer-shell is the paint job, the paint is absolutely beautiful and if this is anything like the old models, it will be heavily resistant to scratches and abrasion.
Out of the box the Trion is super smooth, perhaps the smoothest $100 class reel yet. In the past this has held true, after a year of abuse and torture out on the water, after gutting the reel and checking it out we believe this reel will last quite a long time.
A part of the reel that is often over looked when shopping is the trigger/spool release. Like most reels it come with a hard plastic trigger; the Trion however also comes with a little rubber grip on the trigger to help to keep from sliding off the trigger when casting, which can be a problem after 8 hours on the lake. Another thing worth noting on this point is the trigger extends all the way across the reel, this will enable to trigger to last longer because it spreads out the stress over a wider area.
Next up is the braking system, this system is solid, but what else do you expect from Pfleuger? While this reel doesn’t offer the magnetic braking system that some reels offer, we believe it is unneeded. The Trion utilizes the external friction knob and the internal pin system to control the braking/tension on the spool, this system may seem to be “outdated” but then again, a lot of the high dollar reels are still using this system so there must be something there.
The Trion does take a certain amount of skill to use in the wind and with lighter lures, however though it does has a wonderfully smooth feel that enhances its sensitivity. Changing the brake setting on the fly is easy with a one button push pull system that locks well and doesn’t seem likely to fail. Everyone has their own opinion on what lure to fish with which reel for me this is my go reel when fishing a spinner bait or buzzbait though it works well with most. If you only have one or two reels this is not a bad choice, in fact this reel has earned a spot for daily use. This reel feels like it should cost more so check them out before you chose your next reel.
