Daiwa 25 Saltiga Reel

How well is it built?

The one-piece aluminium Monocoque Body is the heart of the Saltiga's build.

Because the body is a single piece rather than a frame with a separate side plate, it gives the gearing a very rigid platform, and on a reel built to be cranked hard against big fish, that's exactly the kind of construction I want.

MAGSEALED protection goes into both the body and the bearings, which is what keeps salt, spray and fine contamination out of the workings.

For me that's the single most important feature on any reel that lives in salt water, and having it on the bearings as well as the body is a big part of why I've rated the Saltiga's build above the Stella SW C.

The finish suits a flagship too, with a navy and silver body, gold trim and a gold spool, and to be fair it looks as good as anything else on the market.

How well does it cast and retrieve?

POWERDRIVE DESIGN is what sets the Saltiga apart when you're winding.

Daiwa have brought together a larger drive gear, the POWERDRIVE ROTOR and POWERDRIVE ENGINE with an oversized Power Digigear, all aimed at more winding strength and better control under load, which is what you want when you're working heavy lures or bringing a powerful fish up from deep water.

For casting, the Longcast ABS SW spool is designed for line control and distance, and the Crank Powerbail and tough line roller are there to keep the line in check and stand up to hard saltwater use.

As with the Stella SW C, picking the right size matters more than any single figure.

I'd choose it around the species you're after, the weight of lures you'll cast and how much line you need, and I think the larger models are best matched with braid, heavy leaders and powerful rods.

How useful is the drag system?

Like the Stella, the drag depends on the size you choose. Saltiga models up to the 14000 use Daiwa's ATD Carbon Drag, while the 18000 and bigger sizes switch to DRD Drag, so the big offshore reels get a drag system matched to much larger fish.

For UK sea fishing, most anglers will be looking at the smaller sizes with ATD Carbon Drag, and that's the system I'd want for bass and other hard-fighting fish on lures, where a smooth drag that gives line steadily is what stops hooks pulling.

I've scored the drag level with the Stella SW C, because both brands match their drag systems to the size of reel, and both are a step above what you get on mid-range reels like the Penn Spinfisher VII or the Daiwa 20 BG MQ.

For me it's a drag that's built for the kind of fish most of us only dream of hooking.

Is it good value for money?

The Saltiga is a lot of money for a fishing reel, and it's the dearer of the two flagship spinning reels I'd compare it with, costing a good deal more than the Shimano Stella SW C.

That's why its value score is a little lower, even though I think it edges the Stella overall on build.

Against mid-range reels like the Penn Spinfisher VII or the Daiwa Legalis LT, you're paying many times more, and for a lot of UK shore anglers those cheaper reels will do the job perfectly well.

What the extra buys you is the monocoque body, MAGSEALED body and bearings, and POWERDRIVE winding strength for the toughest fishing.

It suits serious sea anglers who spin hard for bass, fish from boats and rocks, or travel abroad for powerful saltwater species, and who want a reel built to cope with years of salt, spray and heavy loads.