On a recent trip swinging flies for trout, I dropped my Bauer CFX Spey reel in the river (after a long drive I was a bit hasty when rigging up). Normally not a big deal, right? However, the air temp at the time was 18 degrees. Over the next couple of days, it got considerably colder. Not once did I have any problems with the reel freezing up. Even the reel handle continued to turn smoothly in these brutal conditions. Also, I came to appreciate having a nice wood handle; my buddy had a few issues with his finger tips freezing to the metal handle on his reel.
Always happy to use a quality product that's made in the US.
Good job Bauer!