I'm jumping on this too, to offset the one bad review that seems like it's based on preference and antiquated expectations. Nothing wrong with that, but if a particular feature is important to you, that should be part of your decision making beforehand.

I have the 1st gen Zata combo, the green one, 7ft medium fast. First I'll say that the rod surprised me. It's crisper and more sensitive than I expected. As far as power- I foul hooked a 21+ inch carp and this rod acted like it was a 2lb bass.

And the reel is everything I wanted it to be. It's smooth and feels like it's built for the long term. The drag screamed with that carp, but a little adjustment and it outworked the fish without a problem. I've used 20lb and 10lb braid, no line lay problems, no wind knots. I haven't fished it in icy or snowy conditions yet (credit to my Pflueger Supreme) but it's seen every other environment from the Appalachians to the Rockies. This reel just feels good and it performs.

I was working on a Zata in the garage and went to the Abu website to find a parts diagram. What's this, a 1 star review for a Zata? To the previous reviewer, if there's a way to send you a photo of the parts diagram I can do it. Or you can probably find it online but I didn't see it on the website either. You are correct, no anti-reverse switch.

While I'm here though, I need to stand up for Abu and the team that developed the Zata. This is a fantastic reel. I fish extremely challenging conditions in WA State and this reel has never failed me. Butter smooth even after plenty of steelhead. Rock solid gearing. The drag handled my biggest winter run steelhead effortlessly. I was actually just servicing my size 30 Zata even though it felt fine. Turns out it was full of river sand. Guess what, it was still functioning flawlessly. One small gripe for the sake of honesty- if twitching jigs for coho, there is a click within the body of both the size 30 and 40 Zata that I can't identify. You never hear it fishing other techniques.

And the green/red color scheme. Whew. So, so good. Overall, I love this reel and I'm glad I have several of them. Zata forever.