Quantum's Nomad spinning reel

Recently I had a opportunity to purchase my first Quantum product the Quantum Nomad spinning reel. The Quantum series of spinning reels are just now becoming available locally through Canadian Tire stores province wide although higher end Performance Tuned models are still unavailable for purchase.

The first impression given by the Nomad is stunning. The deep metallic red and black paint that adorns the body and front drag seemed to make the nomad jump out from behind the locked glass of the show case, effectively gaining my attention.

The appearance of the nomad really is quite sharp and very clean. It looks fast if that is an appropriate term to use for a spinning reel as well as catches the light with a automotive quality that is very alluring.

The construction of the nomad is a bit of guessing game aside from the listed specs. Right and left hand retrieve, front adjustable drag, Aluminum spool and continuous anti reverse. It has a 5.2:1 gear ratio with 8 ball bearings and weighs 8.6 oz.

 On first glance the body and side plate appear to be some type of metal but after getting into the packaging and holding the reel in my hands the first impression quickly went the way of the nomad in it's traditional context and wandered off.

That sleek metallic paint sure does a good job to cover up what appears to be plastic or some type of composite material that the body and reel seat are made from. This material is in fact so soft I dug out a section with a small J hook in seconds. The paint as good as it looks feels uncured and comes off with little effort, small rocks along the shoreline or minor dings aboard the boat are defiantly going to take a toll on the nomads appearance.

The spool is a strong point for the nomads construction. built from beautifully finished aluminum it is well crafted and has very little play once mounted, defiantly a nice feature considering it's relatively low cost at 60 dollars.The aluminum handle is very well done until you get down to the hexagonal shaft that mates with the inner gears. Once fastened tight with the atrocious plastic chrome knob (that was hidden to me by packaging when I made the purchase) it has slop or play in all directions.

 The high quality handle joined up with plastic junk through poor machining was a let down for me personally.  On the flip side everything else is well built, solid and sealed from the elements. The continuous anti Reverse is immediate and feels like more of a reel in the 90 dollar range aside that sloppy handle connection.

After I begin reeling I don't tend to feel the play in the handle in fact it's rather smooth and makes a nice sound with or with out the drag applied. The nomad picks up line with a 5.2:1 gear ratio and combined with a good spool length and stroke it has a nice speed that is quite good for retrieving all sizes of spinners while trout fishing. The front drag system works better that I expected being very smooth but the bailer does get quite a bit of flex applied to it's arm before the drag kicks in. I am sure Quantum could of afforded a little more aluminum to fix that problem.

Over all the effectiveness of the Quantum nomad is good for the price aside the play at the handle. The large knob on the handles end is easy to find and believe it or not will make a difference when trying to set the hook on a fish ultimately getting you more fish in the boat. As I said before it is smooth with very little wobble and It cast well leaving me with few complaints but no real advancements to my gear.

With a price tag of $60.00 the Quantum nomad is a decent deal for a hobby fisherman but I fish more than most so a little more quality for a little more money would of been fine. The nomad feels to be built with many of the performance tuned parts that makes Quantum a favorite for tournament and recreational anglers alike so If your looking for a inexpensive spinning reel with good looks and some of the solid features from the more expensive Quantum reels pick up a nomad...FishinDan