I am a sucker for made in America Lamson Reels. I love the drag system and Lamson reels are very tough. I use my gear a lot consequently it takes a beating.The Lamson products that I have purchased stand up and the company stands behind their products. The ESN 11 footer was the latest excuse to buy another reel. I needed a reel that was heavy enough to balance the 11 footer and a reel with rapid retrieve to match the fish fighting qualities of the Sage rod. I bought the Speedster 2. The reel balances the rod very well.

Speedster Specifications
MODEL DIA WIDTH WEIGHT ROD WT LINE CAPACITY $/REEL $/SPOOL
Speedster 1.5 3.5" .95" 3.90 oz 3,4 WF4 100 yd 20# $279 $135
Speedster 2 3.75" .95" 4.20 oz 5,6 WF6 100 yd 20# $289 $140
Speedster 3 4" 1.05" 4.70 oz 6,7,8 WF7 150 yd 20# $329 $160
Speedster 3.5 4.4" 1.15" 5.70 oz 8,9 WF9 200 yd 20# $349 $170
Speedster 4 4.8" 1.25" 8.50 oz 10,11 WF10 150 yd 30# $399 $195

I have landed over a hundred fish with this reel .I fight fish off the reel almost all of the time. The reel picks up line very quickly enabling me to land fish quickly and safely.The drag is very smooth . I like the way Lamson redesigned the the drag knob allowing for easier adjustment.The finish on this reel is different than the other Lamsons I own. We will see how this reel stands up to the test of time but for now I like it pretty well.