Savage Gear Thoriz Spinning Reels

How well is it built?

Underneath the olive and black finish, the Thoriz has a K-Alloy body and a GRC rotor, which together give the gearing a rigid platform to work from.

That's important on a lure reel, because a frame that flexes under load lets the gears move out of line, and that's when a reel starts to wear.

Inside, there's Precision Cut Gear and a 7+1 sealed stainless steel bearing system, and the gears and drag are lubricated with Duragrease and Duraoil to keep them running smoothly over time.

To be fair, it's a lighter-duty reel than the Penn Slammer IV, with sealed bearings and a sealed drag rather than an IPX6 sealed body and spool, so I'd give it a rinse after every trip to the salt.

Overall, I think the build is very good for the money, and the spool, handle and bail arm are neatly finished.

How well does it cast and retrieve?

Why does it score so well on casting? Mainly the spool. It has a tapered lip to help line peel off cleanly, which adds distance and cuts down on wind knots, and wind knots in fine braid are a real faff when you're fishing small lures for perch.

On the retrieve, the Precision Cut Gear sits in that rigid K-Alloy body, so I'd expect a smooth, even wind, which is what you want when you're slow-rolling a soft lure or twitching a jerkbait. The bail arm and line roller are solid too.

Pick your size carefully, though. A small Thoriz on a light SG4 rod for perch is a very different set-up to a big one for soft lures in an estuary, so match it to your line strength, lure weight and venue. Overall, it's a well thought out reel for casting and working lures.

How useful is the drag system?

How much can you lean on the drag? It's a Hydro Sealed HS-Drag with Friction Control System carbon washers, and I rate carbon washers on a lure reel, because they tend to run smoother and more evenly than felt, which helps when a pike or bass makes a sudden run.

The sealing keeps water away from those washers, and that makes sense on a reel that's going to see the estuary as well as the river. It's a lure fishing drag, made for perch, zander, pike and light bass, rather than a heavy saltwater drag for big sea fish.

Overall, it's a sound, sealed drag that suits crossover lure fishing well. If you need serious stopping power for heavy sea work, the Penn Slammer IV is built for that job, but it costs a lot more and it's a heavy reel.

Is it good value for money?

For the money, there's a lot to like. You get a sealed drag, sealed bearings and a K-Alloy body without spending big, and if you already own an SG4 rod, the two are made to go together.

The Daiwa 24 Prorex X is the obvious rival. It costs a little less and has the excellent ATD Type-L drag, but it runs on five ball bearings against the Thoriz's 7+1 sealed system, and the Thoriz is the one made for the salt as well as fresh water. So, which would I pick?

For pure freshwater predator fishing it's close, but if you fish an estuary as well, I'd lean towards the Thoriz.

Overall, I'd recommend the Thoriz to lure anglers who split their time between perch, zander and pike in fresh water and light bass or estuary fishing in the salt, and who want one reel for both.