Not only does the Patriarch feel smooth but throughout the tests the reel was able to maintain this level of refinement. There is absolutely no backplay in this reel whatsoever and while I personally prefer manually bringing the bail back the bail reset mechanism held up well when cranked back into position. Though most anglers will never notice it, a very nice touch is the main shaft construction which is made out of solid titanium. This impacts the fluid feel, helps the reel maintain smoothness over the long term, and also has the added benefit of better resisting corrosion. 

Drag: In keeping with the carbon fiber theme the Patriarch makes use of a carbon drag system that is sealed deep within the spool. The only way to access this system is via four screws that release the entire spool assembly. Inside anglers will find a metal surface on top of the carbon drag washer which is sandwiched firmly in place. While the drag system looks very advanced the sheer stopping power does leave a little to be desired. Even it full lockdown the drag system measured only 6.2lbs. of drag pressure in the lab.

I also found the range of settings somewhat limited. There was really only three main settings, wide open, medium and full lockdown and to achieve any decent amount of counter pressure you really need to wind the drag knob down. Still, in the field I found that the drag was still effective and while very smooth it didn’t showcase a whole lot of stopping power.

The one benefit of this is that this drag system does protect light line and will not allow fish to break the line when running aggressively, just be ready to patiently work fish rather than horse them back to the boat. The bottom line, a very slick drag system that does get the job done but is a little light on sheer stopping power if you like to keep things locked down.

Ergonomics: The new Patriarch reel is a leaner, meaner souped up reel that is by the most aggressively styled Pflueger we have seen to date. Even though it is so contemporary styled there are styling cues that not only tie the reel to other Pflueger offerings like the Supreme XT but also reel’s from the company’s past. Reoccurring design elements include the shape of the spool, the shape of the frame, and the positioning of the on/off anti reverse switch.

Ergonomically speaking the Patriarch is a delight to fish with. Every aspect of this reel feels fresh yet natural. The reel feels light in hand and balances out well with light rods, even those with split grips. The EVA knob felt very comfortable, and during this field test I had plenty of opportunities to fish in the rain where it was easy to maintain a positive grip on the knob even when drenched.

Next Section: Durability and the final rundown