These are great match and general coarse fishing reels and still feature an anti-reverse switch and fighting drag lever plus rear drag knob at the back of the reel. Supplied with a spare spool and line reducers which save money when used with thin lines as they clip on the spool to make it much shallower.
The reel looks good but a bit too shiny and bright for my liking. A matt finish would have looked more pleasing and imparted a more subtle feel. All that flash and glare off the reel on a bright day can't be good for the fishing.
Looks aside, the reel handles well, very smooth, just like a higher end Shimano reel should feel. It has a rugged construction and seems solidly built. The drag feels very smooth and clicking through the drag settings allows for finite adjustments. The fighting drag is excellent and the drag lever, although accessible does not stick out to catch on clothing or vegetation-a good bit of design.
The spools are wide and line lay is excellent. I really appreciated the "line fillers" that came with each of the 2 spools. These allowed me to fill my spools to the required amount without the need to spend time putting on loads of backing. The line capacity for spools with and without the "line fillers" was given and when I loaded my spools the the amounts stated proved accurate. I liked the colour coding on the spools too.
Casting proved effortless. I used 10lb (.22mm diameter) braid, filled the spools correctly (not over filled) and casted out light soft plastic lures around 15 grams, effortlessly. Winding in and the line lay was perfect. I didn't catch anything so am unable to comment on how the reel performs under stress.
I do have a few gripes about the reel and one of these is about closing the bail arm. When the bail arm is opened, if the handle is turned too gently the bail arm tightens a bit and it takes some pressure on the handle in order to close it. A faster turn of the handle ensures the bail arm closes without that issue. The handle though is very comfortable to use.The folding feature is good too.
The thing that really bugs me about this reel is the "line safety guard" which though may be effective (or not) is made of flimsy black plastic and seems very loose. In addition, it and the spool skirt is heavily perforated. I just know that these features are going to fill up with mud and grit from muddy riverbanks and they also allow for collection of water spray and salt if the reel is used in estuaries such as where it tested the reel. I think this and the bail arm issue are what lets this reel down.
In conclusion, I do like the the Stradic C14+ 2500RA. It is a good reel and a pleasure to use, niggles aside. It is a tad expensive. I paid £144.00 and for that price I would have appreciated a third spool. If Shimano had done that I would have had no quibbles about the price.
I’ve bought first few years ago. Very good reel for this money. Never let me down. Now I purchase for my second UL spinning and will replace heavy Daiwa reel.
Highly recommended !