Having borrowed a rod for my baby tarpon trip to Cuba early in 2010, it seemed only right that I twist an Orvis arm and borrow a suitable reel, too. Mirage reels are new, and, as far as I can see, replace the Vortex in the Orvis line-up.

To match the #10 rod I was equipped with, a Mirage LA V – weighing in at 7.7oz or slightly less than 2oz lighter than the equivalent capacity Vortex. A quick online comparison suggests the Mirage reels are lighter than many of their competitors. On the butt of the Helios the Mirage looked great, right size and the gold is a fair match for the glossier Helios reel-seat.

Given this is a Big Game reel the drag is crucial. Orvis have opted for a hub style drag, with a stack of carbon and stainless steel drag surfaces sealed inside the hub. Apparently the drag area is large (I have absolutely no intention of dismantling this perfectly good reel to find out.)

The adjustment knob is large enough, strikes a good balance between something I can get hold of in a hurry and something my line can tangle around. Pleasing audible click as the knob turns.

The useful drag range really depends on where this is being used. On the butt of a salmon rod I’d guess three quarters of a revolution of the knob would cover it. A tarpon guide would laugh if a reel was set that way. Add another half a turn or more and they might let it pass. The Mirage has that covered with plenty to spare – the available drag range is huge and at maximum I’m damned if I can pull line from the reel. At the same time Orvis has clearly been aware that lower, more subtle drag settings may be needed, which requires a wide range – exactly what they have achieved. The spool is obviously, and conventionally, counterbalanced and the handle is large – given what these are for the handle needs to be large and strong.

Orvis lists this as having a quick-release spool. Having seen a push-button spool release while an angler was playing a fish I’m pleased to say Orvis has opted to fix the spool to the body with a captive nut. Releasing and replacing a spool is quick and very positive.

Fit and finish of the Mirage reels I’ve handled is very good. The drag is smooth, very powerful and completely protected from contamination.

Playing baby tarpon, that drag mechanism helped me stop fish reaching cover in mangrove roots. However, that took the drag nowhere near the extremes these reels will face fighting larger fish in more challenging situations. Orvis has field-tested Mirage reels against all sorts of fish up to and including mako sharks – which suggests the company is quite confident. By comparison, a salmon will barely warm those drag plates. However, the smoothness and subtlety of the Mirage drag mechanism and the capacity of the larger reels means these would also suit that type of fishing.