Redington Behemoth Fly Reel Review: hard-pulling drag on a budget-friendly tank of a reel

I picked up the Redington Behemoth 4/5 in O.D. Green because I wanted a reel I wouldn’t cry over if it got dunked, scratched, or dropped on the rocks. I already have a nicer machined reel for my 5‑weight, but I wanted a beater setup for trout and light bass that could still handle the odd big fish. The Behemoth kept coming up in forums as “cheap but tough,” so I gave in and grabbed one.

I’ve fished it for a few weekends now on a 9’ 5‑weight rod: one long day on a small river for trout, a half day on a larger tailwater, and a couple evenings throwing small streamers for bass. Nothing exotic, but enough to see how the drag behaves, how the spool picks up line, and whether the die‑cast frame is a problem in real use. I also purposely dunked it, got sand on it once, and did a few hard drag pulls by hand just to see if it would chatter or stick.

Overall, it feels like a workhorse reel with some clear trade‑offs. The drag is no joke for this price range, and the large arbor really does help when a fish runs at you and you need to pick up slack fast. On the flip side, the reel is not light, the finish marks fairly easily, and it doesn’t have that smooth, tight feeling you get from higher‑end fully machined reels. It’s more of a blunt tool than a precision instrument.

If you’re expecting a premium reel, you’ll probably be a little underwhelmed. If you see it as a heavy‑duty budget reel or a backup that can still slow down a strong fish, it makes a lot more sense. I’ll break down where it shines and where it’s just “meh but workable,” so you know what you’re getting into.

For the price point this reel usually sits at, the value is pretty solid, especially if your priority is strong drag and general toughness rather than fancy machining. You’re getting a carbon drag that really does pull hard, a large arbor spool with decent capacity (125 yards of 20 lb on the 4/5), and a reel that can handle both freshwater and occasional salt if you rinse it. Compared to cheaper reels with weak or inconsistent drags, the Behemoth feels like a step up in usable performance, not just cosmetic differences.

Compared to more expensive fully machined reels, you obviously give up some things: lower weight, tighter tolerances, better anodizing, and that smooth, refined feel. On my higher‑end 5‑weight reel, the startup is softer, the drag knob has more precise micro‑adjustment, and the finish barely shows scratches after similar abuse. But that reel also costs roughly two to three times what I paid for the Behemoth. For a backup or a dedicated “rough use” setup, I’d rather risk the Behemoth.

If you’re a beginner, this reel makes sense because it gives you a proper drag and large arbor right from the start. You’re not fighting a sloppy click‑pawl or a super weak disc drag. It’s also forgiving when you drop it or knock it around, which you probably will while you’re learning. On the flip side, if you already own a nice machined reel and care a lot about weight and refinement, this will feel like a downgrade in those areas, even though the drag power itself is competitive.

So in terms of value: it’s good, not mind‑blowing. You’re paying for strength and practicality, not beauty or finesse. If that matches how you fish—hard use, not babying your gear—then the Behemoth is money well spent. If you’re chasing the lightest, smoothest, prettiest reel, you’re better off saving up for something higher end.

The Behemoth’s design is pretty simple: large arbor, deep V‑spool, big drag knob, and a fairly open frame. The spoke layout gives good access to the spool for palm‑dragging if you like to do that, and it helps the backing and line dry quicker. The reel is ambidextrous, so the frame doesn’t have anything weird that favors left or right. The O.D. Green color on mine looks more like a matte army green, which I actually like because it doesn’t scream for attention.

One key thing: this reel is not compact or light. It feels a bit oversized visually for a 4/5, and you definitely notice the weight on a lighter rod. On my medium‑fast 9’ 5‑weight, the balance was acceptable, but on a lighter, modern 5‑weight blank it might feel a bit reel‑heavy. The flip side is that it feels tough. I accidentally banged it against a rock while wading and it just picked up a small scuff, nothing bent, no weird rubbing afterward.

The drag knob is large and easy to grab, even with cold or wet fingers. It has decent click detents, so you can dial it in without guessing too much. It goes from light to pretty tight in less than a full turn, which is nice when a fish suddenly decides to run and you need to lock down a bit more. The handle is twin‑molded with a soft‑touch grip; it’s not fancy, but it’s comfortable, and I never felt like I was slipping even when my fingers were slimy from handling fish.

On the downside, the die‑cast construction does show in some of the details. The edges and cutouts aren’t as clean as on a machined reel, and if you’re picky about machining marks or ultra‑precise tolerances, this won’t impress you. There’s also a bit more play in the spool than I’m used to with higher‑end reels. It doesn’t affect function in any serious way, but it’s noticeable if you’re used to tighter gear. So design‑wise: very practical, not refined, clearly built to hit a price point and survive abuse.

The frame and spool are die‑cast, not fully machined aluminum, and you can feel that in both the finish and the overall vibe of the reel. Die‑cast means they pour molten metal into a mold instead of carving it out of a solid block, which is cheaper but usually less precise and a bit heavier. On the Behemoth, that translates to a reel that feels solid but not particularly refined. The material doesn’t feel flimsy at all, though; I’d be more worried about cosmetic dings than structural failure in normal use.

The drag is the star of the materials story here. It uses a carbon fiber drag stack, which is the same basic material type you see in much more expensive reels. In practice, that gives you a strong, fairly smooth drag that doesn’t heat up too quickly on short runs. I did a couple of hard, long pulls by hand to see if it would glaze or get jerky, and it held up fine. On the water, I hooked a decent river smallmouth and a surprise carp in slow current, and the drag had no trouble slowing them down without stuttering.

The handle is listed as carbon fiber, but in hand it feels more like a molded composite with a soft‑touch outer layer. Either way, it’s grippy and doesn’t feel cheap. The bearing material is stainless steel or aluminum according to the specs, which sounds like a weird either/or, but bottom line: it’s a single, basic bearing system, not some multi‑bearing high‑end setup. You’re not getting super‑refined startup like top‑tier reels, but it works fine for most freshwater use and light salt if you rinse it.

Where the materials show their limits is in long‑term finish durability and corrosion resistance. I did one intentional dunk in silty water and one in light, brackish conditions, then rinsed the reel at home. No immediate issues, but I can see how the finish might start to show wear more quickly than a hard‑anodized machined reel. If you plan to use this a lot in saltwater, I’d be pretty strict about rinsing and occasional cleaning. For mostly freshwater and occasional salt, the materials feel like a fair compromise for the price.

In terms of durability, the Behemoth feels tough where it counts but doesn’t stay pretty for long. Over a few outings, I’ve already picked up a couple of scuffs on the frame from rocks and one small nick on the rim from bumping the boat. None of it affected function, and the frame didn’t bend or cause rubbing, but if you want your gear to stay pristine, this reel will frustrate you. The finish is more “utility grade” than anything else.

The die‑cast construction seems to handle normal abuse fine. I dropped it once from about waist height onto packed dirt and small stones while changing leaders. I checked for warping or rubbing afterward and didn’t notice any issues. The spool still clicks in tightly, and there’s no new wobble beyond the slight play it had from day one. That’s about what I’d expect from a mid‑range die‑cast reel: not bulletproof, but not fragile either.

For water and grit resistance, it’s decent if you take basic care of it. I dunked the reel fully in a shallow riffle to simulate a slip, then cranked the drag and spun the spool. It didn’t bind or grind, though I did feel a tiny bit of grit until I rinsed it at home. After a rinse and a quick dry, it went back to normal. I wouldn’t call it a low‑maintenance saltwater reel though. If you use it in salt, you really should rinse it thoroughly each time and maybe occasionally pop the spool to let things dry.

Long term, I expect the main wear points to be the finish and possibly the drag knob if you’re constantly cranking it in sandy conditions. Mechanically, the carbon drag and simple bearing setup should hold up pretty well if you don’t completely neglect it. So durability verdict: structurally solid, cosmetically average. It feels like a reel you can beat up without worrying too much, but it’s going to look used fairly quickly.

Performance-wise, the Behemoth does what it claims in the areas that matter most: drag strength and line pickup. The drag really is strong for a reel in this price bracket. On my 4/5, I cranked the drag all the way down and tried to strip line out by hand; it took a serious pull. On the water, I never needed more than about half drag on trout, and maybe two‑thirds on that accidental carp. For normal trout and bass fishing, you’ll rarely max this thing out, which is a good problem to have.

The large arbor design pays off when a fish runs at you and you need to pick up slack quickly. Compared to an older, smaller arbor reel I used to run on the same rod, I could clear loose line and get the fish on the reel noticeably faster. That means fewer tangles around your feet and less chance of stepping on your line. The reduced line memory claim is mostly true with decent fly lines; my line came off the reel with mild coils but nothing crazy, even after being on the spool for a week between trips.

Startup inertia (how easily the drag begins to move) is decent but not on the level of high‑end reels. On very light drag settings, you can feel a tiny bit of stick at the very beginning of a pull if you’re really paying attention, but it’s not enough to be a real problem for trout. If you’re targeting super light tippet and very picky fish all the time, you might want something more refined. For normal 4X–5X trout fishing and heavier, it’s absolutely fine.

One thing to note: the reel is a bit noisy. The outgoing click is fairly loud, and the incoming has a distinct sound too. Some people like that, some don’t. It doesn’t affect performance, but if you prefer a very quiet reel, this might bug you. Overall though, for actual fishing, the Behemoth performs like a solid workhorse: strong drag, good retrieval speed, acceptable smoothness. Not high‑end, but very usable, especially if you care more about stopping power than boutique feel.

Out of the box, the Redington Behemoth is pretty straightforward. You get the reel itself, a basic cloth pouch, and that’s it. No spare spool, no fancy case, no tools. For the price, I didn’t expect much more, but it’s worth knowing. The pouch is thin but fine for keeping the reel from getting scratched up in a bag. It’s not padded enough to protect it from a serious hit, so don’t treat it like a hard case.

The 4/5 size is rated for 125 yards of 20 lb backing, which lines up with what I saw. I spooled a standard weight‑forward 5‑weight line plus about 100 yards of 20 lb Dacron and still had a bit of room. The deep V‑spool shape does help the line sit in a tidy stack once you get it started. It’s not as neat as some higher‑end spools with super tight tolerances, but I didn’t have line cutting into lower layers or weird bunching.

The reel ships set up for left‑hand retrieve in most cases (mine was LHR). Swapping to right‑hand is doable, but you do need to pop the spool and flip the bearing mechanism. Not complicated, but not as idiot‑proof as some systems. There’s one bearing in there, which is pretty basic, and you can feel that when you spin the spool; it’s smooth enough, but not buttery.

In terms of first impression, it feels like a solid chunk of gear, more on the heavy side for a 4/5 reel. If someone handed this to me blindfolded and told me the price, I’d probably guess a bit higher just based on heft and drag knob feel. But once you look closer, you can tell it’s a die‑cast reel and not a high‑end machined one. It’s not fancy, but it’s clearly built to be used hard rather than admired on a shelf.