Hardy Marquis

High Quality, Moderately Priced!

The first fly reel I ever purchased on my own was a Scientific Angler, System One.  I used it almost exclusively during the first 20 years of my fly-fishing career.  It was basic, reliable, durable, and caught many fish.  I loved that reel!  I wasn’t the only one.  The System One was one of the most popular reels of the time.  Finally, a gromet holding one of the “pawls” in place loosened and the reel stopped working.  I still have my beloved reel and intend to someday find somebody, a jeweler perhaps, who can fix it.

About 5 years ago I was shopping for a new reel for a new Hardy Zephrus fly rod I had just bought.  That’s when I saw the Hardy Marquis for the first time.  I had to do a double take because it looked so much like my good old Scientific Angler System One.  After doing a little research I found it wasn’t a coincidence.  I discovered that Hardy had involvement in the making of the Scientific Angler reel.  It’s no wonder they’re so much alike.  Of course I had to buy the Marquis to try it out.  I had to replace the one I had grown up with for sentimental reasons, if for nothing else.

The Hardy Marquis is in fact very much like my old Scientific Angler System One fly reel.  The only significant difference being that it’s more modern and therefore made with lighter, higher quality, materials.  It’s also a little narrower, which I like.  It has a slightly different dial to control the “drag”, but in appearance only.  It works the same way.  In fact, the inside of each reel looks almost identical.

I recommend going up a size or two for the rod/line you’re matching.  For example, I use a Marquis 6 for my 5-wt Zephrus rod that I mentioned earlier.  I use a Marquis 5 for my 3-wt. Sage rod. The larger Marquis will feel more natural in your hand while reeling in line. I never buy a reel less than 3 inches in diameter. I have big hands, so a reel that small just doesn’t feel right. You’ll need a little more than the recommended length of backing so that by the time the fly line is added it will properly reach the edge of the reel.

Don’t laugh, but there’s something quirky I sometimes do when I buy new fishing equipment that I’m especially excited about.  I won’t always use the equipment right away. I’ll often wait to break it in on a big trip that I’ve been looking forward to or at a place that is special to me. After all, I wouldn’t want to use a special, brand new Hardy Zephrus rod and Hardy Marquis reel on my little hometown creek and have its first fish be a little 6” brown, right?  I first used my Zephrus and Marquis on a favorite lake high-up in the Wind River mountains.  I still remember…..my first cast caught a beautiful 16” cutthroat in a spectacular setting, at sunset, surrounded by my closest friends.  I was absolutely beaming on the inside from the whole experience. I still remember the moment and will never forget it!

Click and Pawl Reel

It’s important to know before buying a Hardy Marquis that it’s a click and pawl reel.  Click pawl reels get their name from the metal tooth, or “pawl”, that is attached to the spool.  The pawl “clicks” against a gear that is also attached to the spool as it rotates.  To some, the click sound of a click pawl reel when a fish runs is one of the sweetest sounds in fly fishing.

There is almost no drag, or stopping power, with a Hardy Marquis because it is a click pawl reel.  A fly angler wanting to slow down the run of a trout will need to use his or her hand and “palm” the reel.  As a result, there’s another level of engagement for anglers playing a fish with a Marquis fly reel.  It’s a throwback to fishing in the past where it was simply man vs. fish.  Ok, that may be a little overdramatic, but you get the idea.

The Hardy Marquis is the least expensive of Hardy’s click pawl reels.  That makes it a good “starter” reel in this category.  It was for me.  Now I have seven different types of Hardy click pawl reels, with my Hardy Narrow Spool Perfect being my absolute favorite.  There are other high quality click pawl reels on the market you may want to consider as well, including the Ross Colorado, Abel TR, Sage Click, Orvis C.F.O III, and the Orvis Battenkill.  All of these manufacturers are known for their quality, just like Hardy is.

Positives

Hardy is famous for their craftmanship and the quality of their reels.  The Marquis has a classic, nostalgic, fly-fishing appearance and is the least expensive of the Hardy traditional click and pawl reel offerings.  Hardy Marquis reels are manufactured in Alnwick England and are precision forged from bar stock aluminum and utilize titanium materials in the click pawl system.  They have a deep anodized finish.  All of this makes them both lightweight and durable.  The Marquis is a beautiful and simple reel made by a company known for its quality.

The Hardy Marquis has a sweet “click” sound when fish go on their runs and while you’re reeling them in.  It is a great entry level click pawl reel due to the combination of its quality and its price point.  I’ll warn you though, when it comes to Hardy reels a lot of people end up with a whole collection of them.  This may be your first Hardy reel but you’ll likely end up with more than just one.  They’re fun to collect if you enjoy reels like I do.

The Marquis is a narrow fly reel as I mentioned earlier.  I like this from an aesthetics point of view, but there’s also a functional reason for this.  The narrow spool allows the angler to pick up line more quickly.  The Marquis has a traditional arbor size as opposed to a large arbor.  Large arbors are currently a popular choice because they pick up line more quickly, but the narrowness of the spool helps the Marquis in this regard.  Never once have I thought to myself that my Marquis was taking too much time as I reeled in a fish, though I wouldn’t go smaller than a 3” diameter Marquis as mentioned previously.

Negatives

The Marquis is not a quiet reel.  They make some noise.  For some, that’s a positive.  For others, it’s a negative.  In general, a click pawl reel is not for you if you like a silent reel.  Personally, I think it’s a beautiful sound, but it’s certainly not quiet and that can be a negative for some.

Click pawl also means there is very little drag as discussed previously.  Don’t buy this reel if you want a reel with a strong disc drag system.  The Marquis drag, even at full strength, is still extremely light.  Only enough to keep the reel from “back-spooling” when line is pulled out quickly. When it comes to trout fishing, especially smaller water, I don’t believe drag is necessary.  Still, some fly fisherman can’t imagine not having it.  Consider the Hardy Sovereign if you’d like a vintage style Hardy reel that incorporates a disc drag.  Hardy has just reintroduced them, though I haven’t used one yet.

Conclusion

The Hardy Marquis was a main stay for Hardy reels for a long time.  It is a simple, vintage style click and pawl reel that is made with modern quality.  It is the reel I use every time I cast my 3-weight fly rod.  For many years I enjoyed great and successful fishing using it with my 5-weight.  I’ve since upgraded to a Hardy Narrow Spool Perfect for my 5-weight, which is my absolute favorite reel.  Even with having the Narrow Spool Perfect, I still break out my larger Marquis once in a while in certain situations.  It’s a reel I don’t mind lending to other people because of its durability.  I don’t mind if it gets dinged-up a bit.

You’re sure to remember the Scientific Angler System One reels if you’re as old as I am.  You might even have had one yourself.  If so, and if you enjoyed it as much as I did mine, give the Hardy Marquis a try – for old times’ sake.

To find out pricing and to order a Hardy Marquis, or any of the other reels mentioned in this article (Hardy Narrow Spool Perfect, Hardy Sovereign, Ross Colorado, Abel TR, Sage Click, Orvis C.F.O. III, Orvis Battenkill), click the Trident Fly Fishing link below.