Story

Handle your drag, literally

Varioverse is an unique one-hand drive & drag fly reel system at which the retrieve goes over the drag being a subject of self-adjustment within a pre-set drag range for tippet safety. With this feature Varioverse™ means an all-time ready-to-go, non-backspinning handle not only to reel, but also to control drag. Because there is no easier way to apply drag, than by the handle. Your hand is already there. You don't have to reach for drag knobs or pawls, switch the rod from one hand to the other or even look down to check if you are doing the right thing. A smart intuition driven reel and drag system in one hand. That's Varioverse™.

Set the Max

What's the weakest link between reel and fly? It's the tippet, we hope not your rod. Hence, on a Varioverse™ reel you do not set drag, but you pre-set the limit of the maximum drag the handle can create. You will not reach that critical point, but always stay just close below. Every time the fish starts pulling stronger while you are reeling in, a Varioverse™ reel will give line to avoid a tippet burst. As soon as the fish power drops below that limit, a Varioverse™ reel starts instantly gaining line again.
Maximum tippet safety. Maximum drag force. Maximum fun.

Keep the Min

A Varioverse™ reel allows you not only to increase, but also reduce drag by turning the handle back. That is useful during a fight, where you will need to adjust the drag according to your tactics and situation. But even if you spend most of your fishing time on pulling line off the spool and casting, a Varioverse™ reel will keep assisting you. A mere turn of the handle back to a stop will instantly lower the drag to a level we found being comfortable for casting, yet high enough to avoid spool over-run. The clue is that because of the progressive drag spring curve this minimum drag remains unaffected by the maximum drag limit setting. So choose your tippet, set the max, keep the min and let your intuition drive you.

Let's start by the very moment you hook a fish.

• On a direct drive you'll wait for the fish to calm down, or you might try to slow it by either palming the spool or hope to reach soon the drag knob and find out the correct direction and level of drag tightening while all this action is going on. Anyway you would expect a long run, maybe too long for your backing and definitely too unpredictable with that handle backspinning like a propeller.
• On a Varioverse™ you just start reeling in. The drag increases, your tippet is safe. You keep the fish under control and fight it on a short distance.

Now it happens that your catch makes an occasional jump out of the water to get rid of your fly.

• On a direct drive or dual mode reel your only chance is to instantly let the handle go and lower the rod’s tip while hoping that the drag is not set too high. It's such a short moment, that should this move not be enough you won't have time to unscrew the drag knob so as to prevent a tippet burst.
• On a Varioverse™ you actually don’t need to do anything, but enjoy the noise of screaming power out of the tightly idling spool. Then listen to the silence of surrender against the drag and start bringing the fish in again.

And when the fish runs against you?

• On a direct drive or dual mode you would prefer to collect the slacken line by hand rather than by reel, so you can let it go quickly when the fish bolts away again. Because, if you start reeling-in instead the running fish will hit straight the spool locked by the reeling hand.
• On a Varioverse™ you simply reel-in the slacken line as fast as you can. You don’t need to care if and when the fish will bolt away again because a hit on the spool will be fully absorbed by the retrieve drag.

To calm a fish during the fight you need flexibility of the pressure applied, which often means drag reduction, occasionally to almost zero.

• On a direct drive you have not only to find the right unscrewing direction of the drag knob, but also to be cool and precise enough to stop at the right drag level so as to avoid that the line on your backspinning spool runs over on the next pull.
• On a Varioverse™ you just turn the handle back until it stops. It happens so quickly, that you can make the fish feel unhooked and tactically make use of its irritation. Not yet „walked“ a fish that way? Just dare this new experience.