Hit up multiple species with the redesigned Shimano Cardiff A (continued)

Ergonomics: Because of its construction the Cardiff A isn’t heavy at all for a round reel weighing in at only 8.6 ounces. When we took the reel apart we noticed how lightweight the aluminum side covers were which helped reduce weight. While reducing weight compared to say the Calcutta, it does lack some of the Calcutta's solidness in the construction....but that is to be expected for a reel costing half as much. Overall the 200A size is very comfortable to use when jigging, jerking, or cranking, and I’ve gone all day using just this single reel while striper fishing without any penalties in the ergonomics category.

Weighing in at 8.6 ounces the Cardiff is quite ergonomic and you can even palm it while fishing lures

Durability: From our months of field testing, the Shimano Cardiff has held up nicely. Fished in harsh saltwater environments battling rockfish, horsing in stripers and black bass in lakes, and usage as a loaner reel to newbie guest anglers, the Cardiff proved to be a hardy reel. The surface of the frame did get some boat rash but it was very minimal. The most important thing is that even after some of the surface paint had been scratched or damaged in any way, it still didn't flake off.

The reel taken apart

After much heavy use, we opened up the reel for inspection and I have to say that the Cardiff A is one of the easiest reels to take apart and perform routine maintenance on. All the A-RB’s are unshielded which makes cleaning a breeze. Though we did see moisture inside the reel, which was expected due to its design, no internal components exhibited corrosion or any other damage caused by saltwater. During our lab and field tests the drag never failed us, but during our washer inspection we noticed some gunk had intruded. We removed the particles and set it back up to measure the drag pressure when tightened all the way down and the drag still performed flawlessly. With routine maintenance I am confident the Cardiff can hold up to many seasons of abuse. Remember in our tests we deliberately subjected the reel to equal amounts of fishing time in both fresh and saltwater applications....and the reel stood up to the test agreeably.

A-RB's are not shielded and cleaning them is a breeze

Price: Considering the type of components Shimano decided to stuff in this reel, the Cardiff A is actually a very good price. For just a hair under one hundred dollars this round reel performs exceptionally well and anglers can use this reel to battle both freshwater and saltwater species. The reel offers a lot of performance the Calcutta does, and a somewhat similar fishing experience. Sure it isn't as refined or as a pretty a total package, but this workhorse gets the job done nearly as well in most applications.

Sub $100, this round reel performs great for the price

Applications: I would say the Cardiff A is a multi-species round reel. In the 200 size you can apply the reel to both saltwater and freshwater fish, thanks to the Anti-Rust Bearings that not only resist corrosion, but are unshielded making them really easy to maintain. We tested the CDF200A against nearshore rockfish, inland stripers, and black bass. In other areas the Cardiff A should be able to stand up against fish such as drums, pike, musky, catfish, carp, and much more.