Visually, the V-Series 10LT (V for Vanquish) is made up of complicated shapes. Pierced with triangles and circles, a pattern of tapering assymetrical spokes dominates the handle side. The rear is simpler, a circular frame bridged by heavy looking bar onto which the drag knob is secured. Large and easy to get hold of, the drag knob is machined from a single lump of aluminium which has been sculpted, metal cut away, to reveal a V-shaped pointer. On top of the whole thing the recessed reel foot hunkers, muscular shoulders raised and tense, so the Vanquish hugs the rod it’s mounted on.

Each shape here serves a purpose, eg the holes ventilate and reduce weight, the pointer indicates drag position, but form is more than functional. To me this appears deliberately modern: those industrial good looks really appeal, but I’m not sure that that aesthetic will be to everyone’s taste.

Most Waterworks and Lamson reels share common features, I’m thinking of the sealed conical drag, push fit spools and the counterbalance built into the spool – there are others. Those three all come from a desire for simplicity, mostly mechanical simplicity. For example, on most of my reels the spool is held in place either by a spring-clip or by a captive nut. Both work, both use far more parts than the single O-ring which holds the spool to the farm on this reel. The spools on most of my reels have a counterweight fitted opposite the handle – not a big deal, I hardly notice them; however, there are typically three parts to that counterweight (weight, screw and washer) whereas Lamson simply make spools with the counterweight built in – no parts.

Then the drag. Most hub/disc drags use a couple of flat, round discs or washers, commonly where a metal surface meets a slippery surface like Rulon, Delrin or oiled cork. When the drag is tightened the surfaces are forced together – more friction and therefore more drag. To make a powerful drag which is also a smooth drag, a larger area of contact is needed: bigger discs or more discs. So, rather than flat discs, how about we make a cone shape? Assume a drag housing with the same diameters inside and out, and the conical drag has a larger area surface contact – smoother and more powerful.

The cutaway drag unit exposes the inner workings of a conical drag. The brown cone is made from an alloy of Delrin and Teflon – extremely durable and stable – and unlike cork it can’t compress so has no ‘memory’.

The drag unit comes apart into four main components. There’s the anodised aluminium housing; the drag cone, which has a brass bush at its core; the clutch, based around a one-way needle bearing, which can be turned over so the spool 'winds' left or right; and the cap, which has a couple of O-rings in there to seal the unit and to hold the spool in place. In all, I count nine parts, a fraction of the number in most of the reels I own. Also worth noting is that the cog teeth on the cap of the drag engage with a little plastic sprung tooth on the body of the reel so when the spool turns I hear a click.

The more I handle the Vanquish the more impressed I get. Large arbours are useful in salt and are a hallmark of Waterworks Lamson products, so this is a true large arbour reel, capacity comes from the diameter and width of the spool and the V-shaped base to the line channel. This holds a WF10 with 220 yards of 30lb backing – which is about right, in my opinion.

Designed as a saltwater reel, rigidity and durability were high on the agenda. For these designers that meant a more rigid frame and spool. For the body that was achieved through the large cross-member on the back, hollowed out to lose a little weight, and that unusual recessed reel-foot, one solid piece bolted to the back of the reel. For the spool, those spokes are not simply cosmetic; the whole structure seems a little thicker than other smaller Lamson reels I've handled – actually makes them seem a little flimsy.

Normally about this point I would be waxing lyrical about the weight, or lack thereof, of a Lamson Waterworks reel. At 10.1 oz the Vanquish 10LT is by no means the heaviest reel in its class but neither is it the lightest – unusual for a high end reel from this brand. As far as I can see, fitting a new, larger version of their conical drag and ensuring the Vanquish is as rigid as it needs to be have meant paying a slight weight penalty.

Nonetheless the Vanquish is an impressive and highly desirable reel; designed for salt, this wouldn't look out of place on the butt of a double-handed rod.