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Big Game / Bluewater

THERMO 12-16

THERMO 12-16

$700.00
$700.00

It's disorienting—there is no land, only sea and sky, and everywhere marlin blitz and tuna dive and mahi swarm weed patches. There are no beaches or mangroves to stop them, only you, a reel, and a piece of tippet that you can only pray will hold.

When entering the world of big game flats fishing and bluewater behemoths, heavy-duty is the name of the game. That lifetime tarpon, monster trevally, or massive shark could come into sight at any second, and for the angler hunting these big game fish, knowing your tackle can handle the fight is paramount. In steps the THERMO - heavy-duty in every sense. Designed to handle any tippet-busting, finger-cutting, hard-charging fish one may encounter. With the stopping power to keep a Giant Trevally out of the reef and the smoothness and endurance to outlast a blue marlin, the THERMO's robust heat dissipating SCS drag, rigid frame, and burly feature set will have you covered like never before. The new leader in big game reel performance and reliability.

View All Model Specs

Selected Model Details

  • Model:
    THERMO 12-16
  • Color:
    Stealth
  • Diameter:
    5 3/16in
  • Weight:
    15 9/16oz
  • Capacity:
    550gr. Shooting Head + running line + 400yds/30lb or 600yds/65lb GSP
  • Width:
    1 3/4in
  • SKU:
    32-6300R121601
View full details

THERMO

Overview

Starting with a new ultra-robust SCS drag package specifically built and tuned for the extreme, the THERMO delivers 0 to 20lbs of drag with unparalleled consistency of drag pressure throughout the entire run of the fish. No drop-off, skipping, or wear out because of overheating, the THERMO handles the extremes with ease, as the drag efficiently dissipates the heat across its fully sealed extra-large carbon brake discs. 20 easy-to-see drag settings sit atop a large-diameter drag knob that is incredibly easy to grip and adjust in the heat of a battle, while 39 detents allow for fine tuning adjustments for any leader and tippet combination. The extra sturdy frame and spool are designed to hold up to the rigors of boat fishing where a knock on the gunwale or pounding run through breakers is not unusual. With a hefty large diameter ergonomic handle for maximum grip and control, and large arbor spool for quick pick up and 500+ yards backing capacity, the THERMO is the ultimate powerhouse of big game fishing reels.

THERMO

Details

Ultra-Robust SCS Drag

One Revolution Drag Knob with numbered and detented settings

Large arbor for fast line pick-up

Concave, ported arbor for greater strength and capacity

Large diameter ergonomic handle - Quick-change spool mechanism

Fully machined 6061-T6 aerospace grade aluminum

Cold forged and tempered for superior strength and rigidity

1 / 4

One Revolution Drag Knob with numbered and detented settings

2 / 4

Screw tight spool lock with knurled lock nut for extra grip

3 / 4

Fully sealed drag with easy conversion from left to right hand retrieve

4 / 4

Fully machined 6061-T6 aerospace grade aluminum

1 / 3

SEALED CARBON SYSTEM DRAG

With its smooth engagement and consistent, dependable, and repeatable pressure, our SCS Drag allows you to fish with confidence knowing your tippet is protected. Proprietary high-grade US made carbon easily and repeatedly handles high pressure and quickly dissipates the kinetic energy of that running fish into thermal energy. Tailored configurations allow us to create specific drag systems for each model, size, and fishing application, and the entire system itself is sealed to keep out water, sand, grit, and salt.
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EXCLUSIVE USA CARBON

Our drags discs are made with proprietary, high-grade US made carbon, the same material used in the brakes of jets and F1 race cars. We utilize carbon drag systems because we recognize it is the most efficient material for dissipating extreme heat without wear. Unlike alternative drag components such as cork or plastic, or even polymers like Delrin® and Rulon®, carbon does not compress, deteriorate, melt, or burn. It allows us to create compact drag systems that are high performance, stable, durable, and repeatable.
3 / 3

ONE REVOLUTION DRAG KNOB

Numbered settings, detents, and audible clicks help you take the guesswork out of setting your preferred control level. Our SCS Drag is hand-calibrated for precision and consistency, allowing for repeatable settings and confidence in your adjustments. The easy switch between decreased tension for stripping and increased pressure for fighting fish makes for more time fishing and less time setting drag.

Overall rating: 4.9545455 / 5 from 22 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

The THERMO 12-16 fly reel offers robust performance and quality, with a remarkable drag system that satisfies anglers. Its stopping power and smooth operation make it ideal for handling big game fish.

Summary topics

  • Reel Performance (85%): A substantial number of customers appreciated the Sage Thermo 10-12 fly reel for its performance and quality.
  • Drag System (30%): Many customers expressed satisfaction with the remarkable and beefy drag of the Thermo fly reels.

Review topics: ["reel","drag","fish","piece"].

Review highlights

  • "Crazy Nice Big Fish Reel" — Stephen H.
  • "The Sage Thermo 10-12 fly reel is a beautiful piece of fishing equipment." — James E.
  • "Holds enough backing and a great drag for the GT's" — Robert C.

Reviews

"It’s really big. It’s a great back up real balances out nice with my 14 weight. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet but it’s got really strong drag. It looks and feels good."

— jerry (5/5)

Crazy Nice Big Fish Reel

"What a beautifully machined reel. I purchased this reel for GT’s and Tarpon. Will probably use it with my spey rod for Chinook. Super nice beefy drag. Love the click on the retrieve as well as the pull. Super satisfied."

— Stephen H. (5/5)

The best reel on the

"The best reel on the market for big fish."

— John L. (5/5)

Great reel

"Great reel"

— Timothy M. (5/5)

Unbelievable Reel!!

"Unbelievable reel!!! So smooth and drag knob is larger than some reels."

— Arthur G. (5/5)

Bomber Gallo Reel

"This beast is well balanced, strong as an Ox and lighter than the Hatch 12+. All of my 12 wt R8s are now paired with this spectacular piece of engineering."

— Woodrow D. (5/5)

Great reel

"Reel feels great! Can’t wait to pull on some big fish in Mexico with it."

— Nathan W. (5/5)

WOW WHAT A REEL!!

"The Thermo has by far most amazingly smooth drag of any of the many many fly reels I have owned over the past 30 plus years."

— Keith R. (5/5)

Thermo Rocks!

"Thermo 10-12"

— Andrew H. (5/5)

Mako Shark Testing Grounds

"I partner with Conway Bowman fly-fishing for mako sharks off the coast of San Diego. I was given a Thermo 12-16 three years ago by my friend and Sage rep and given the mission to "kill it!' After the first season we had over 45 fish to leader on this reel, with some pushing the 1000 lb mark. Never took it apart to clean and lube, just washed it down with the drags tight and wiped it down till next time out. We have seen ZERO drag failures with this reel, and aside from a G-Shock watchband blowing off a reel handle have had ZERO failures. Understand, allot of our fish over 400 lb end up blowing up our fly fishing leader systems within 90 seconds when they launch, but we have had plenty of fish on in the 600 lb class range for up to 2 hours that were successfully brought to leader using this reel. Yes, we are using the boat to follow fish this size as you would any Marlin or tuna in a light tackle situation, but the sturdiness, drag reliability, and line capacity of this reel cannot be denied. It's a bit heavy for all day casting applications, but if your are chasing monsters in blue water this reel is legit. And the price point is great! I have purchased several of these reels since and have had no variation in quality at all. Over the years I have been disappointed with fly tackle manufacturers advertising what amazing things there gear can do with dramatic marketing, only to see the product fail miserably in some cases. Just wanted to let the anglers out there know my real world experience and help people out."

— Greg S. (5/5)

Q&A